As a moderator, I have been asked by more than one member to do something with this thread. I want to acknowledge that request, but unfortunately I have to recuse myself from this issue because I feel it too personally. I am sorry about that.

Just as myself, I want to express my support for LostSon. I respect you a great deal for your honesty, courage, and especially for the determination you have to overcome the effects that abuse have had on you, and not hurt anyone else. Many times I have heard the statistic that about 30% of those abused as children go on to become abusers later in life. That means that 70% of those who were abused do not become abusers. You are one of those 70%. I wish that we had statistics on how many of the 70% have thoughts about abusing someone else. I bet it would be pretty near all of them. I can only speak for myself. I was abused, and I have had thoughts, and I was horrified at those thoughts, and I know that I would never act on them. I wonder how many are self-aware enough to acknowledge the thoughts that they have had?

My e-mail is in my profile. You are welcome to write, and I promise to get back to you, although my life is about 100% chaos at the moment, so I can't promise when.

I think that a lot of things have been said in this thread that make a lot of sense. I am sorry that this is so difficult for so many, on both sides of the issue.

I'd like to tell you more about why this is such an emotionally involved subject for me, but that would probably take all night, and would risk hijacking the thread, so I'll save it. I will post some of it to my thread in Grief and Loss about my brother.

All the best wishes for peace and healing,
Rap