Powerless

Powerless
Wednesday July 25, 2007

Dear Alice Miller,

It’s taking me 14 years of my life to work with the physical, sexual and physiological abuse that I endured as a child. It’s the most painful job that I ever had to do, but it is making me free and I am able to be honest to my true feelings every day as I work.

When I take my kids to the park I see other parents verbally and physically abusing their kids. I feel so powerless and I don’t know what to do. I was told that emotional and verbal abuse are not against the law.

Thanks you for the clarity of your books, they continue to help me.

AM: Even physical abuse in schools is not against the law in 22 states of the USA. Out of 192 members of the United Nations, only 19 mostly European countries have a law that forbids corporal punishment of children. I can understand your feelings of powerlessness and do share them of course. Unfortunately, for politicians and the Pope this doesn’t seem an “issue”. The information that spanking small children during the time when their brains are constructing themselves leaves them with lingering destructive effects, could not find their interest at all. It could not motivate them to taking any action.