Mary Trump has an important message.

[KT2000]

50. A hard lesson was learning

there are parents who do not want their children to do better than they did. They will sacrifice a lot to keep the status quo even if it is dangerous for them. They don't want their kids to become the "others."

I am starting to wonder how many people in the US grew up under abusive conditions where cruelty was not abnormal. Maybe we have been sucked into the fantasy of the TV families being the norm. We have been fighting a nonexistent model and have to face reality.

I have a friend who has an abusive husband. She insists his cruelty is because he is mentally ill. She finally made contact with a therapist who is setting her straight - step by step. She is learning a new way of living now but it will be a gradual process. Our country needs such an education for people to realize their cruelty is not a sign of strength - it is a sign of cruelty.