Woman in Indiana videotaped beating 4 year old... Grrrr!

[unclejimbo]

I'm a survivor of abuse. Survivor, heck of a thing to be described as when talking about your childhood. My response wasn't depression... It was anger. A very nasty temper that could go from 0-100 in 1 second. And lots of little things that would set me off... Primarily those things that reminded me of my step-mother, Mary Ann.

I tried to forgive my father. I did too until we met last year so he could meet my new wife kyburg. My step-mother doesn't deserve forgiveness. The sad truth was neither of them had changed one bit. And the worst of it was that the abuse continued. 20 years after I left his house to live with my mother, he still had to get his zingers in and show how He was right! Real mature, Dad! And you're what? 60?

My response: I will have no further dealings with my father. None. To do otherwise is to allow the abuse to continue.

One side effect of my childhood is that I am someone an abuser would not want on a jury. I will come down on him/her like a ton of bricks. I don't care about rationalizations about how there is a monster inside all of us and how we 'pretend' we are civilized.

There is no monster, we are civilized, and as a group, we have decided this is not going to be tolerated any longer. I just saw the tape for the first time tonight. As far as I could see, there was no trigger for the attack. This woman just decided to wail away on this child. My initial response was shock, then horror, then anger. She deserves what she gets and the little girl deserves to be taken away from that useless piece of trash!

I know that most abusers were themselves abused. I also think that more resourses for other survivors would be a useful way to attack the problem by interrupting the cycle of violence. But I think that stiff punishment for those who do harm to children is a must as well... If they can be taught how to behave properly, I will consider other options.

(sigh)

Sorry, this is a subject I am passionate about. (As you can see!) :)

Comments

[lotus-child.livejournal.com]

Survivor is an awkward term. I've had it explained to me that use of it implies "intact" survival. Someone such as you who has stopped the cycle. The other side of the coin are those who did not survive intact, are unable to recognize the abuse and continue the cycle. And you are to be commended for being assertive and not allowing the abuse of yourself to continue.

Awkward... Oh yes, very much so.

[unclejimbo.livejournal.com]

Surviving intact... hmmmm... Well, let's refine that as being able to function in a relatively normal fashion. I have a void in my life where my father should be. It would be easier if he were dead, I suppose. To have someone who values you so little as a parent...

Survival... I have found it to be a day to day process.

Then again, I suppose that is normal, isn't it?

[pywacket.livejournal.com]

I am in absolute agreement...I've divorced my family because even after confronting them in the kindest ways possible and being patient and willing to work on our relationship the abuse continues. THey can't hit me now, but the things they say and do are absolutely evil. They haven't even admitted the existence of my daughter!!!

They should put you and I on a jury together...

[unclejimbo.livejournal.com]

Do they allow lynching? :p

Donna want's me to tell you that I migrated the other way. I started in Illinois and wound up in California... Go fig.