's motd Wed. July 23, 2008

[Guest guest]

SWING SET

Wednesday, 23 July 2008

Well, I'm here in Washington with a full day of press lined up. I hope to get as many people as possible to attend my Congressional Hearing tomorrow and the rally that follows. But right now, I have to tell you that on my flight yesterday from Los Angeles to Washington, I was really haunted by some of the stories I listened to on my Sirius Satellite radio show, Lighten Up, on Sunday.

See, I talked to several women in a row who had all been abused by their husbands. There are all kinds of abuse but that word itself, abuse, can never be about good news.There is verbal abuse and boy, that really hurts, doesn't it? There is also sexual abuse which, besides so many other negative affects, can really play havoc on your self-esteem. And then there is physical abuse, the kind I heard a lot about on Sunday.The first lady I talked to had a husband with some kind of temper. Seems nothing she could do pleased him. In the middle of dinner, if he got upset about the least little thing, sometimes he would get up and throw things at her, right off the dining room table. Oh, this was so hard for me to believe!I talked to another lady on the show and everything was fine within her marriage, that is, until she became pregnant. Once the baby arrived, her husband's mood changed and he, too would throw things when he got angry. He once even threw a living room end table at her! But wait, I'm not done! One day when she was outside with the baby, he threw a swing set at her! (How do you even do that?!) She escaped with her baby, thank the Lord!

And another lady who had been with her husband for quite a few years had a very sad story, too. Her husband got involved with drugs and not only did he beat, kick and slap her but he would physically shove her around the room! (Where do men learn to behave like this?)I have to tell you, my heart just about stopped as I listened to each of these horrible stories. Please, please tell me that your spouse does not do these kinds of terrible things to you. Oh, I know that in many households, this kind of behavior is way too common. And worse is that both the husband and the wife often keep it a secret. They never talk about it with anyone and, sadly, that allows the abuse to keep right on happening.Many women are afraid to talk about the abuse. They fear their conversations will get back to their husbands which will make him become even more abusive. And with these kinds of spouses, you just can't simply sit down and have a conversation with them. The solution may have to be a lot more drastic.

You may need to pack your stuff, load your kids and get out! It may be time to go to your parents or other family members who can help you. You just can't allow this kind of abuse to happen any longer, not even for one more moment. There are lots of organizations in your area that can assist you in getting your life back together. If you're facing this kind of abuse, you should check them out.I'm tellimg you, no one should ever touch you in the wrong way, not ever! No one should ever abuse you! You deserve better than that!Love,