My family has a history of both domestic abuse and sexual assault. We are survivors, yes, but that history is always with us and we still suffer from its weight. By electing Mr. Trump as our next president, America has just invited a known abuser back into all of our homes. Character matters. Behavior matters. Friends and associates matter. I don’t feel safe anymore. And neither should anyone else.

Why? Because abusers are good at tricking others into thinking they love them and will take care of them, then they intimidate them through words and actions.

Abusers excel at convincing others they are crazy to think there is something wrong with them and tell everyone they are the real victims. In this way, an abuser can get others to step up and save him, while the real victims feel confused, ashamed, discouraged, and scared. These are dangerous, powerful and proven tactics that have drawn more and more unwitting supporters into Trump’s abuse triangle.

The only way to break the cycle—which often ends in tragedy or violence—is to stop supporting the abuser and jump out of the triangle. But we missed our one big chance to do just that.

Get ready America, we’re in for a wild and terrifying ride.

Sally Stockwell
Cumberland Center

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