Calling on Dads everywhere to support Nigerian fathers of captured girls
By Chris Sack and Rob Tremp
How do we, fathers of the world’s precious girls, stand in-between the violent, grotesque and unthinkable actions of others and our daughters?
The answer is: like a tree that won’t budge.
I was traveling in Paris with my family a few weeks ago. At 5 a.m. on our last day, my kids and I were assaulted by four drunken hooligans as we left our rental apartment. My kids ran into a corridor and I got in-between these violent and unruly drunken locals and my screaming son and daughter and, with the power of 10 sober dads, I pushed back their attack. No one was going to come between me and my kids.
The attackers tucked tail and ran away to beat on garbage cans and keep up their rampage while we got into a cab and drove to the airport out of harm’s way. On the way to the airport, my daughter described the event and my role as her protector. “My Dad was like a giant tree in the doorway protecting us!” she said as she described the scary event to my wife. I was just doing what was natural. I was her protective TREE that would not budge. There are very few things that wake you up in your role as a dad/parent, more than defending a physical attack on your children’s wellbeing.
Maybe that is why I ache so much for the dads in Nigeria, the parents, involved in this fight to free their girls from the clutches of their captors.
These fathers are purported to have gone into the remote north of Nigeria with nothing but bows and arrows to get their daughters back from AK47-toting terrorists.
Where are the forces needed to safely broker the release of these girls who are pawns in a terrible standoff by a faction of deranged criminals trying to make a statement? Where are the fathers of freedom who would stand up and protect these daughters of the world?
Where are the men demanding action? Why are we seeing mainly pictures of women protestors, the mothers and not those of fathers/men?
Surely, the majority of tweets and posts on Facebook and the Twitter feed #bringbackourgirls have been posted by outraged females. Where are the all fathers who are brimming over with concern and outrage themselves?
If we could fly over and play a direct role in demanding the release of over 223 beautiful, brilliant, exceptional “bright stars” among the Nigerian youth, we would and should.
Why has it taken three weeks of pleas from the parents of these girls and concerned citizens around the world to get the U.S. President to speak up, much less the media to finally focus its attention on this pernicious assault on the freedom of these young females merely seeking an education? We are moved by the appearance of Michelle Obama on the #bringbackourgirls Facebook and Twitter feed, but can we please see President Obama and other key dads in on the awareness and rescue campaign?
How can we support these dads of the victims? The girls’ fathers are hiding in the Nigerian bush with primitive weapons and praying for unknown rescuers to come in and confront the thugs who are guarding their girls and doing the unthinkable to them.
Any father who can empathize realizes that if this happened to our girls here in the U.S., or in Europe, there would be a very dramatic and powerful effort, likely immediate and involving highly skilled professionals to get them released with, hopefully, no casualties.
One month later are we content to hear the world’s patriarchal leaders suggest that it is a truly awful situation?
Every day that goes by, every minute that ticks from the clock, we lose a measure of our decency and innocence as a society. Enough is enough. Dads, demand action NOW!
I am asking for dads around the world to unite in solidarity with the fathers of the missing daughters.
Our message is clear to the Nigerian fathers:
No matter the ocean which divides us, no matter the difference of borders, language, culture, our common bond as fathers transcends above all else. We stand at your side, swift and sure, shoulder to shoulder, you are not alone.
Action Plan
Who says we can’t organize a literal civilian league of fathers versus just boots on the ground to demonstrate an emphasis on the impact a group of organized civilians can have beyond military/governmental diplomatic action.
A civilian league of fathers could have a much greater impact on the public/National mentality in Nigeria/places affected like Nigeria when these types of situations erupt. Real people/parents/dads with real pain who support fathers and families suffering from such episodes of malevolence.
Join the movement by posting your photo on our Facebook page along with a captioned sign indicating: “I Stand with Nigerian Dads.”
In addition to your photos, we are attempting to organize a picture of a group of more than 200 Dads to show solidarity and represent the Dads and Daughters fighting for their lives.
We plan this group photo shoot in Anthem, Ariz. and Traverse City, Mich. Please contact to join, more details to come.
Also, follow @nigeriadads on Twitter.
For more information please check out Facebook.com/BringBackOurGirls.
Update:
Concerned area fathers are being asked to meet at the Traverse City Open Space on Thursday early evening, May 15 at 6 p.m. to demonstrate a showing of DADS who care greatly about the plight of those fathers and their families who have faced the tragedy of losing their daughters in Nigeria’s horrific kidnapping.
It is hard to imagine what the parents of the abducted are going through, but the locally organized movement and Facebook presence “Stand With Nigeria’s Dads” (on Facebook as “Stand With Nigerias Dads”) is asking for 276 dads, the same number as girls abducted in by Boko Harem, Nigeria’s Islamist extremist/terrorist group last month, to show their support for those Dads suffering overseas by posing in a picture together at the Open Space. Traverse City Mayor Michael Estes is showing his support by helping to organize the event.
Additionally, Dads, and EVERYONE are asked to go to the Facebook page “Stand With Nigerias Dads” and post a picture of themselves holding a sign that says “I Stand with Nigeria’s Dads”.
An identical event is being organized in Anthem, Ariz., by Traverse City native, Rob Tremp. It is hoped that this show of solidarity from the two communities, Traverse City and Anthem, Arizona will spawn additional communities to support the cause.
For questions, call Chris Sack at (231) 645-8327.
