> I > understand > the anger one can feel over the abuse of a child, physical, mental, or > sexual. > > but children are a gift.
I couldn't agree more. the abuse of children is sanctioned by society. Always has been. We have had a women's movement, a men's movement, a gay movement, a black movement and countless others ,but no children's movement. People are usally aware when a child is being abused. Neighbours, teachers, meds, church, rellies, someone always knows. They don't want to get invloved, or refuse to believe it, or can't deal with it, or... any number of excuses. Some abuse is even sanctioned in law and by religions. The insidious thing about child abuse is that it goes on to the next genration. 'the sins of the father (and mother) are visited upon the children'. Whilst it is not true that all abusees end up being abusers, it is true that abusers were abusees. these things we so detest do not happen in isolation. We are all responsible. It is we, the public, who do nothing.(of course some of us do not ignore and do what we can). There are nowhere nere enough people willing to stand up and say NO you will NOT do that to that CHILD. Ther easons are many;many people were abused when children and have not come to terms with it, have buried it, have bureid it so deep they cannot see abuse. They still feel it was their fault so they cannot see the wrong in it. 'i was beaten as achild and it didn't do me any harm' is a very common thing to hear. the irony being that if nothing else, the harmm it did them is to make them think it was ok and didn't harm them! Also, even tho it defies logic, people tend to bring their children up they way they were brought up, abuse included. It is very very difficult for people to change their attitudes for in so doing they have to criticise and see that their parents were wrong. A hugely difficult thing to do. Society honours parents, 'honour thy father and thy mother', and people who diss their parents, for whatever reason, are ostracized. When confronted with'my father punche me regulalry' my mother kicked me' my father knocked me unconcious' my father raped me' my moahter molested me' people will still say 'but they loved you really'!!!! You shouldn't hate your parents, you should respect them. Shut up, it isn'yt right to diss your parents like that. However, I feel this a different issue to that of thinking people ought to be neutered. who is so perfect to decide who should live or die and who should breed or not? I quite agree about some people not having children. I see them all around me. But it isn't my decision, i don't have that knowledge or that control, Thank God! As for abortion, i don't like, would rather it didn't happen BUT the ONLY person who has a say in it is the pregant woman. It is her decision and hers only. I do not have the right to judge her nor tell her what she may or may not do. Yes there are abortions that appear to be for frivilous reasons. There also rapes that result in pregnancies. No, we cannot force a woman to carry a child she doesn't want to carry. -- bw colin TANTRA LHASA APSO (reg 1982) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.tantra-apso.com
