There is a saying that is way overused, but I plan on using it for this blog. It goes "I'm not a fighter, but I will fight for what I love." And the truth is that I love the women working on Bangla road. In fact my heart breaks for them. So when I see the men on Bangla road all over these women in gross and intense public displays of affenction, although I would call none of what they are doing affectionate, I just want to put my knuckles in their face or give them a good swift kick. Believe me I have actually had to pray that the Lord would take over because I have had the urge to rip the men off the women.
There was a woman working in one particular bar that had this one guy all over her. First off the man was probably in his 60's and she was probably in her 20's. The man was wearing leather capris, a black cut off biker shirt, sporting a red bandana and a handlebar mustache. He was pretty drunk. To a person just passing by you would have thought the two of them were having the time of their lives, but if you sat down and watched the scene take place you would see something different. You would see her face fall everytime she turned away to take another shot to numb herself. You would see behind her eyes that this was a life that she did not want, but one that she thinks she must to do. When she turned back towards the man whose hands were all over her the smile was back on her face and she was living it up. All I wanted to do in that moment was go up to that man and rip him off of her. I wanted to scream at him that she was not an object for his lustful desires that he could use then move one. I wanted to scream that she was a beautiful woman, a daughter of the King, who is passionately loved, and is worth more than 500 baht or $17. However, I did none of those things. I was not called to violence. Instead I prayed silently that the Lord would convict his heart or that he would give the woman the courage and boldness to say no.
Bangla Road by night
What really gets my blood boiling though is seeing an obvious couple, maried or just dating, sitting at the bar together. Not a big deal right. WRONG! It is a big deal when the man has one hand on his girls leg and the other pinching the rear of the Thai girl working or just flat out all over her. It's a huge deal when the one he came with pretends that nothing is going on. It makes me sick to my stomach. I want to shake sense into woman who came with the man.
Soi Tiger by night
I am tired of seeing men walk out of "ping pong" shows zipping up their pants with a vidoe camera in their hands. I am tired of seeing the girls dance on the bars while the men reach up the skirts, look up their skirts, or put their faces in places they should not be. It makes me sick to my stomach seeing an old man and a beautiful Thai woman walk up to the hotel together. I want to punch the military men who seem to act the worst of all out of all the men on Bangla road. They are obnoxious, rude, and most of all 100% disrepectful to the women.
He looks so smug doens't he?
These women are worth so much more. They are so much more loved than just for one night. I must admit that some do not want to leave the bars. I will talk to them or play a million games of connect 4 if it keeps the men away for a little bit longer. Some of the women do want out and I will fight for them. Not with physical violence, but with ferverent and deep prayer. I will let them know that there is more out there and a different life is possible. This battle is not mine, but the Lord's and he is doing marvelous things on Bangla road. So I will let my battle cry out and go out another night to watch the Lord fight for his daughters.
I'm not usually violent but I am a warrior in an intense battle.
There is hope for Bangla Road. The Lord is moving. This market used to be a road filled with bars.
