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 the weight of it. By electing Mr. Trump as our next president, America has just invited a known abuser back into all our homes. Character matters. Behavior matters. Friends and associates matter. I no longer feel safe. And neither should anyone else.

Why? Because abusers are skilled at luring others into thinking they love them and will take care of them, then intimidating them through words and deeds.

Abusers excel at convincing others they are crazy to think there is anything wrong with them, and telling everyone else they are the real victims. That way an abuser can entice others to rise up and rescue him, while the real victims feel confused, ashamed, discounted and frightened. These are dangerous, powerful and proven tactics that have drawn more and more supporters unwittingly 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 just 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