We are meant to be an evolved species, better than a wild animal and yet we appear to be devolving and returning to our cavemen roots. The only thing our superior brains are used for anymore is to justify our behaviour with a plethora of excuses and blame laying.
I've joked many a time about "offing" the life forms and the withered old crone and I'm not proud to admit that the occasional thought has flashed through my mind but I sure would like to think of myself as incapable of such a shameful act.
One can only imagine what it must be like to have absolutely no self control. One slap, one punch, is one too many but not to possess the ability to stop, to continue to relentlessly pummel and beat another human being is simply unthinkable to me, especially someone I proclaimed to love.
Despite some great campaigns and initiatives, the experts seem to be struggling when it comes to implementing practical and doable solutions. Not only is barely a dent being made in the problem, the figures suggest that the number of victims is on the rise. Perhaps the direct spin off of the cycle of violence and the next generation coming through, tragically modelling learned behaviour.
The only way to change the behaviour of an abuser is for the abuser to make the change themselves. Until then those brave enough to escape simply create a vacancy that will be inevitably be filled by the next person to enter the abuse cycle.
Those that remain unwittingly send the message that violence is acceptable, whether they stay from fear or in the vain hope that they can change them.
Many of us will never be able to comprehend how anyone can stay in any type of abusive relationship, let alone expose our children to it. To a normal person it's easy to sit on outside looking in and be in judgement of their choice to stay, but the victims have all but had the normal beaten out of them and the abuser was never normal to begin with.
I'm no expert, far from it, and I'm as clueless as the experts when it comes to fixing the problem. I am sure, however, that even a portion of $26 million would go a long way to help finding a solution to this issue that has reached a new peak, instead of spending it on umming and ahhing over the inclusion of Red Peak and the rest of the flag debate.
Although if I had to choose, something with a black and blue combination would be most representative; after all, they are the two colours we seem bent on beating into people.
Not much to be proud of, is it?
Whatever we decide to do to tackle the issue of abuse in all its forms, we need to get moving fast, with the Government now suggesting methods to prevent and/or control pregnancy, the privilege of having a family is hanging in the balance.
