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Something rather more wasting

On Saturday, Tyler Perry, who executive produced the Oscar-buzzed forthcoming movie "Precious," spoke on his Web site of being something else -- a survivor of physical and sexual abuse. [. . .] On his Web site this weekend he wrote about the mother of a childhood playmate. “I was at the front door trying to get out, when she came in and laid on the sofa and asked me if I wanted the key … She put the key inside of herself and told me to come get it, pulling me on top of her.” [. . .] It’s a brutal, heartbreaking, unflinching litany of more pain than any child should ever endure. [. . .] Though accurate data is hard to come by, the Lucy Faithfull Foundation estimates approximately 15 percent ofsex abusers are women. (Mary Elizabeth Williams, “Tyler Perry’s House of Pain” October 6 2009)

Just a measure?

re: It’s a brutal, heartbreaking, unflinching litany of more pain than any child should ever endure.

How much pain should a child be expected to endure?

re: Though accurate data is hard to come by, the Lucy Faithfull Foundation estimates approximately 15 percent of sex abusers are women.

One of those 15 percent women bad / 85 percent men beyond awful stats women are using to justify their upcoming hegemonic dominion over mankind? Or is this a "maybe a little bit" that might blossom into "actually quite a lot," once we're ready for ready to engage something rather more wasting than the drunken dad with lust in his eyes for little boy "Tom"?

Maternal incest occurs earlier, is more ongoing, and leaves a vastly larger imprint. In most abusive families, children spend way more time with mom than they do with daddy. They learn very well, though, never to speak a bad word--mom made sure there'd be none of that. So we go after dad. It's an avenue we know; it's one we're allowed, even encouraged, to go down; and it makes dad present -- even if brutally -- when for the most part he never really was.

Link: “Tyler’s House of Pain” (Mary Elizabeth Williams)

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