When Elliot Costello and a group of other people visited Cambodia, he had an encounter with a young girl named Thea.
Little did Elliot know that this encounter would have an impact so profound on him that it would help start a movement whose goal is to end sexual abuse against children.
Namely, Thea always had nail polish on her tiny nails. One day, as she and Elliot chatted, she asked to paint one of his nails. He agreed and was happy to speak to the chatty girl, but he then learned that she was once a victim of sexual abuse.
“As she painted one of my nails, I assured her I would always keep it that way to remember her, and by extension, her suffering,” Elliot said.
This motivated Elliot to try and make positive change among men so that less and less children fall victims of sexual abuse.
That is when he came up with the movement called #PolishedMan where men put nail polish on one of their nails. That one nail represents the one in five children who will be victims of sexual violence.
Polished Man works towards ending sexual violence against children. According to the organization, “being a Polished Man means challenging violent behavior and language, both locally and globally.”
Elliot believes that since men are responsible for 96% of this type of violence against children globally, they should be catalyst for change if we are ever to see an end to the abuse of innocent children.
The goal with the painted nail isn’t just to remind people of the number of children who are abused every single day, but to serve as a conversation starter about this reality, leading to new ideas about prevention. He also hopes that people will start donating to “support educational programs and resources for child survivors of abuse,” as per APlus.
We hope that more men, including celebrities would be willing to join this movement.
Woman tries to take her seat on a plane, but she refuses, and what happens next has the internet is divided
Air travel isn’t a universally pleasant experience, with individuals adopting different strategies to ensure their comfort. One woman, in particular, was determined to prioritize her well-being during a cross-country journey, prompting a clash of perspectives.
This traveler, cognizant of her need for comfort, always booked an extra seat to accommodate her size. Ahead of her Christmas trip to be with family, she ensured her journey would be as comfortable as possible by paying extra for the additional space.
Smooth check-in and boarding processes unfolded until she settled into her seat, where her tranquility was disrupted. Seated next to her was a woman with an 18-month-old child, eyeing the unoccupied seat and requesting that the woman compress herself into one seat, allowing her toddler to take the other. The woman, having paid for both seats, refused to compromise on her comfort.
The situation garnered attention, drawing a flight attendant to intervene. Despite the mother’s request for an extra seat, the flight attendant sided with the woman who had paid for both, suggesting that the child be held in the mother’s lap, an approach common for young children. Throughout the flight, the mother made her displeasure evident through disdainful looks and passive-aggressive comments.
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