It has been known for decades that Jeffrey Epstein and his wife, Ghislaine Noelle Marion Maxwell, promoted pedophilia, sex trafficking, and the abuse of children. This is why both of them went to prison. Now, of course, the country is in turmoil over who, exactly, participated in their debauchery. Their list of clients, which Attorneys General Pam Bondi said does and does not exist (Schrödinger’s List, if you will), was and was not on her desk. Rich and powerful people of all sorts are running scared, worried that they will be implicated; people in both political parties are, allegedly, included. Perversion and evil know no boundaries – they do not discriminate for any reason. Any person can be a pedophile, and that is a scary thought for those of us who want to protect children.
As a nation, we have a mixed history when it comes to the treatment of children. Until just a few decades ago, a very large number of US states allowed child marriage. A child could get permission from parents or courts to marry while a teenager – or younger – and some states still allow for this sick practice (here is some information – Child Marriage Laws by State 2025). This was allowed for boys and girls, although girls could be younger than boys. A lot of people point fingers at nations around the world and the way they marry girls to much older men, but we are also guilty of this crime. It is a strange quandary; we are, at the same time, prudish and perverted about sex. We have pornography everywhere, but we also work hard to control how girls and women dress.
Epstein and his wife were pimps, selling children – almost exclusively girls – to friends and family. And nobody did anything to stop them. They were protected by powerful people who were often their clients. And nobody did anything to stop them. When Epstein was finally jailed, he committed suicide, although there are conspiracy theories around his death. His wife remains in jail as a convicted sex trafficker, although, if there is no list, one has to wonder why. (Hint – because there is). They lived a life of opulence and power without consequences for a very long time. I hope we find the list soon, and I hope that every person on it is tried and, if guilty, sent to jail for a long time. There is no place for pedophiles in a moral society. At least, there shouldn’t be.
Prayer – Holy God, show us how to be better, and give us courage to speak out. Amen.
Today’s art is from a program in the Philippines called “Promoting Children’s Rights Through Art.”