Ignorance in Oedipus

        Humanitarianism has boomed over the past half a century, but on the subject of child abuse, all of the world might as well be Oedipus Rex; happily living every day ignorant of the darkness that dooms the next generation. Ignorance causes individuals or even entire countries  to be blind from reality and the truth that is happening before their own eyes. Child abuse is a rising problem in the United States; in which the spread of knowledge on such a topic is constituted by the publication of past occurrences. “Every year, approximately 3.3 million reports of child abuse, involving almost 6 million children, are made in the United States. Child abuse is described as the physical, emotional or sexual mistreatment of a child…”(Background on child Abuse 1). These abused children and even witnesses of such abuse can suffer from major problems in their adulthood such as: depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Even though this is a growing problem in the world, Americans still choose to be negligent in their decisions to prevent child abuse. People tend to be extremely ignorant to this issue; which can only be solved if the citizens are informed on the issue of child abuse. Oedipus was ignorant in his quest for greatness, but could have came out of this ignorance by accepting his fate but chose to stay ignorant. The current generation’s ignorance to child abuse still continues. This crisis exists across the United States, and can only be ended if the elder generation informs themselves on the issue in order to begin changing. In fact, the expansion of informing the public through mediums such as schools, the media, etc., is a method that could solve many of America's problems. This is due to the fact that such problems lace the history of this country, and, as it has been said before, ignorance of the past dooms the world to repeat it.

"Background on Child Abuse." Do Something. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Jan. 2014.

Seneca, Lucius Annaeus, and Moses Hadas. Oedipus;. New York: Liberal Arts, 1955. Print.