--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For all this talk about us being a nation…" description: "\"“For all this talk about us being a nation at war with child abuse, and for all the media hype about witch-hunts and false allegations — and don't ever..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/695/ross-cheit-50134_allegations_for-all-this-talk-about-us-being-a-natio_1321374.jpg" --- # For all this talk about us being a nation at war with… ![“For all this talk about us being a nation at war with child abuse, and for all the media hype about witch-hunts and false allegations — and don't ever let anyone use the word witch-hunts about this; there were no witches — the fact remains that in 1994, it is extremely difficult to come forward…” quote by Ross Cheit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/695/ross-cheit-50134_allegations_for-all-this-talk-about-us-being-a-natio_1321374.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/695/ross-cheit-50134_allegations_for-all-this-talk-about-us-being-a-natio_1321374.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/695/ross-cheit-50134_allegations_for-all-this-talk-about-us-being-a-natio_1321374.jpg) > ““For all this talk about us being a nation at war with child abuse, and for all the media hype about witch-hunts and false allegations — and don't ever let anyone use the word witch-hunts about this; there were no witches — the fact remains that in 1994, it is extremely difficult to come forward with allegations of sexual abuse. And the external forces of denial are almost overwhelming. If a case as verified as mine meets with denial, I dread to think about the experience of people who don't have the kind of corroboration that I do. And I really worry that we're getting close to a point where it's going to be impossible to prosecute child molesters, because we don't believe children, and now we don't believe adults. (Cheit "Paper presented at the Mississippi Statewide Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect" Jackson, April 29 1994.)”” [Ross Cheit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-cheit/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Denial and disbelief hinder reporting and prosecution of sexual abuse, making it harder for victims to be heard. **In simple terms:** Denial blocks justice for abuse victims. Key Takeaway Challenge societal denial and support victims. Themes justice victim advocacy abuse societal denial Mood somber determined Type advocacy academic When to use this quote - Legal reform - public awareness campaigns - support services Key Concepts Psychological denial legal obstacles media influence Questions to Reflect On - How can we reduce denial in society? - What support structures help victims speak out? A Different Perspective Overcoming denial requires cultural shift and systemic change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Child abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child-abuse/) [Child-sexual-abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child-sexual-abuse/) [Denial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial/) [False Allegations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/false-allegations/) [False-memory-syndrome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/false-memory-syndrome/) [Incest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incest/) [Mississippi state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mississippi-state/) [Paedophiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paedophiles/) [Sexual abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexual-abuse/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Witch hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witch-hunt/) [Witch-hunts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witch-hunts/) ## Related quotes > [“Today, acknowledgement of the prevalence and harms of child sexual abuse is counterbalanced with cautionary tales about children and women who, under pressure from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/today-acknowledgement-of-the-prevalence-and-harms-of-child-sexual/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [When I chose Mississippi State, of course I dreamed about being a big-time college football player. But I'm so grateful that actually became a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dak-prescott/when-i-chose-mississippi-state-of-course-i-dreamed-about-being-a-big/) [Dak Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dak-prescott/) > [Coming from the South, I just felt you had to work just a little bit harder. 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It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/it-was-my-first-year-latin-teacher-in-high-school-who-made-me-who/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [Mississippi State University and other institutions are established leaders in the development and integration of unmanned aerial systems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-hyde-smith/mississippi-state-university-and-other-institutions-are-established/) [Cindy Hyde-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-hyde-smith/) > [ The future inhabitants of \[both\] the Atlantic and Mississippi states will be our sons. We think we see their happiness in their union, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-future-inhabitants-of-both-the-atlantic-and-mississippi-states/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [These people in Mississippi State, they are not "down"; all they need is a chance. And I am determined to give my part not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/these-people-in-mississippi-state-they-are-not-down-all-they-need-is/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [Back when I was a senior in high school in Haughton, LA, I had a chance to go to LSU. Everyone I grew up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dak-prescott/back-when-i-was-a-senior-in-high-school-in-haughton-la-i-had-a-chance/) [Dak Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dak-prescott/) > [Mississippi State has two pretty looking quarterbacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leach/mississippi-state-has-two-pretty-looking-quarterbacks/) [Mike Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leach/) > [“The theologian Meric Casaubon argued—in his 1668 book, Of Credulity and Incredulity—that witches must exist because, after all, everyone believes in them. Anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-theologian-meric-casaubon-argued-in-his-1668-book-of-credulity/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“To be the child of a conficted or reputed witch was inherently dangerous; in one pathetic case in Lorraine a young couple were both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-briggs/to-be-the-child-of-a-conficted-or-reputed-witch-was-inherently/) Robin Briggs > [“Never stand in the way of letting God use people’s actions, in order to solve a greater issue in the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/never-stand-in-the-way-of-letting-god-use-people-s-actions-in-order/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) ## More by Ross Cheit > [“The book argues that even though many cases have been held up as classic examples of modern American “witch hunts,” none of them fits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-cheit/the-book-argues-that-even-though-many-cases-have-been-held-up-as/) [Ross Cheit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-cheit/) > [“The witch-hunt narrative is a really popular story that goes like this: Lots of people were falsely convicted of child sexual abuse in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-cheit/the-witch-hunt-narrative-is-a-really-popular-story-that-goes-like/) [Ross Cheit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-cheit/) > [“interview from Ross E. Cheit about The Witch-Hunt Narrative: Politics, Psychology, and the Sexual Abuse of Children (Oxford University Press, February 2014). 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That view is so widely endorsed and firmly entrenched that so widely endorsed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-cheit/the-witch-hunt-narrative-is-now-the-conventional-wisdom-about-these/) [Ross Cheit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-cheit/) [Explore all 7 Ross Cheit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-cheit/) ## More Abuse quotes > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Being nice is okay,but don't allow anybody to abuse it...try to fight for your self when you know your on the right way...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-is-okay-but-don-t-allow-anybody-to-abuse-it-try-to-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Build a bridge over shame by teaching kids about sexual abuse. Give them a chance to run to us should they encounter it. Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-byers-ruch/build-a-bridge-over-shame-by-teaching-kids-about-sexual-abuse-give/) [Carolyn Byers Ruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-byers-ruch/) > [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. 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Never give any one permission to abuse you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/stand-up-for-yourself-never-give-any-one-permission-to-abuse-you/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/all-governments-should-be-pressured-to-correct-their-abuses-of-human/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [“Words are free. It does not mean you should abuse them. Be kind with them. They will mirror your actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadinet-tekie/words-are-free-it-does-not-mean-you-should-abuse-them-be-kind-with/) [Hadinet Tekie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadinet-tekie/) > [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/) [Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/) [Browse all 3,113 Abuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“For all this talk about us being a nation at war with child abuse, and for all the media hype about witch-hunts and false allegations — and don't ever let anyone use the word witch-hunts about this; there were no witches — the fact remains that in 1994, it is extremely difficult to come forward with allegations of sexual abuse. And the external forces of denial are almost overwhelming. If a case as verified as mine meets with denial, I dread to think about the experience of people who don't have the kind of corroboration that I do. And I really worry that we're getting close to a point where it's going to be impossible to prosecute child molesters, because we don't believe children, and now we don't believe adults. 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