Before I begin, I want to warn you: this gets into rather prickly territory–namely, abuse–and this may be a bit much for some. So if you think you can’t (or you simply don’t want to) handle it, then don’t go past the jump.
You have been warned. With that being said, let’s get started.
As you probably already know, the Turpins have been sentenced to life for abusing their children. They are also prohibited from contacting their children. However, they will be eligible for parole. So the news is a mixed bag, if you will.
Louise Turpin seemed genuinely sorry for what she had done, but her husband was a different story (emphasis mine):
“I thank God for all of my children,” David Turpin’s statement read, adding that he is sorry “if I’ve done anything to cause them harm.”
I’ll take “Clueless Dipshits” for $1000, Alex.
If? If?! You have got to be kidding me!
He doesn’t fucking get it. And he never fucking will.
To the Turpins, what they were doing wasn’t abusive; they loved their children and were just disciplining them. Of course, it was somewhat strict, but it was done out of love. They’d never hurt their children! They loved them!
It’s the same song and dance: it wasn’t abusive, because the parents either loved their kid(s) or their own parents had done something similar and since they turned out okay, everything would be fine. But it was never abuse. Because love.
But a lot of abusers “love” their children. A lot of abusers say they would never harm someone that means so much to them. Because they love their victim ever so much!
Sometimes, love isn’t enough. Sometimes, love itself is abuse. But we’re willing to give it a pass, because love is somehow the be all, end all of emotions. It gets special treatment, and if it happens to be a parent’s love for a child, then it’s sacrosanct. Because no “loving” parent would hurt their child.
Plenty of loving parents can and do. It happens damn near constantly. In the case of the Turpins, one of the kids managed to escape and get the authorities involved, revealing the true horror of the situation.
But the Turpins don’t get it. A lot of people in America don’t, either. Because as long as a parent “loves” a child, things like this can be excused. Until people wake up and realize that abusers aren’t monsters, but seemingly normal and loving people, the subtle art form of not fucking getting it won’t disappear anytime soon.
Iacon East 