Everytime I see this on TV or movies, I want to spit: a parent is scolding/punishing a child (usually the dad), and the other parent (usually the mom), gets on dad for being so hard on the child. The punishment is usually something like "go to your room." After the scene, I'm often puzzled. It's like the media are conditioning us to think that the littlest things can be so horrifying when children are involved. I grew up taking a whole lot worse than what I see on movies or TV. Getting smacked, throttled, talked down to, told to shut up, or whatever was a way of life, nevermind other horrifying stuff that brought me here. I guess this is just the way abuse is, and the media don't do well to portray this in everyday "entertainment." In may ways, what I would consider regular punishment is abuse to others. But then I try to think beyond simple spankings in terms of abuse. My mother taught me hitherto-unexplored realms of pain as a kid.

Andy:

Try the movie Affliction, with Nick Nolte. It is a study of the unresolved issues from a violent upbringing in the life of a withdrawn middle-aged man. There are some "flashback"-type scenes later in the film.

You are right about how most media portrays child abuse. It seems rather overblown considering what a lot of us older guys went through growing-up. I remember some unlucky mom who got caught on a parking lot security camera whacking her kid a few years ago. Nancy Grace tried to make it a national outrage on Headline News. There seems to be a national campaign to eradicate anything that could be construed as child abuse by anyone.

I have a copy of Affliction in VHS if you want to borrow it. My wife and I will be out of town until Friday though. I've made it halfway through my year of drug therapy for my hepatitis-c, so we are taking a mountain vacation. I'm counting down the days until March 17th!!!

Mark

(((((Andy)))))

it is indeed sad that the media won't show abuse for what it really is

Hmmmmm!

Affliction!

I'll put it on my list.

puffer