Reply #21: I am a survivor of childhood sexual and physical abuse

[Bettie]

And I manage to live a productive life. I'm a decent mom, a little too quick to anger sometimes, but I'm aware of it and would never lay a hand on one of my children in anger.

Too many people are destroyed by what happens to them. I guess I'm just too stubborn for that. I decided one day that I wasn't going to let my father win this game and I began to move forward and give myself the life I deserve. It wasn't easy and I still have horrific flashbacks some days, but I have a great husband and wonderful kids (though, they are really loud) and I managed to get through my life.

My father is held in contempt my most, but because he has chosen to waste his own life and potential on self-pity and self-induced failure than any knowledge of what happened to me.

I have told my brothers and their families and I've kept track of him and made sure I called and informed anyone he was dating who had kids of what he did. Other than this secondary contact, I do not speak to him or have him in my life.

When my first baby was born, he came to see him and was shocked that I would not let him hold my tiny son. I told him he gave up that right when I was three years old and he began abusing me.

The really amazing thing is that he still doesn't think what he did to me was wrong. He thinks I've chosen to see his "training" of me as something evil and wrong, even though he "got me ready" to be a married woman.

Oh, and he's a "tea party patriot" too.

So, really, he's disgusting on all levels.

In the end though, people who abuse children should go to prison for a very long time. Pedophiles cannot be cured and letting them into society is damaging to everyone.

Bettie