After surviving rape at the age of 8, I began a long pattern of bad relationships with unhealthy men. The first I married at 16. His problems with alcohol magnified his sexual perversions, and his expectations that I live up to them for him were so that I found myself reliving my earlier traumas. I fell into a very deep depression and completely shutdown. I became pregnant and after she was born his control issues starting taking the form of aggression and verbal humiliation. It was not long after I left. I jumped out of the frying pan and into a fire. I began to date and later married a man who was such a severe alcoholic with abusive problems, he became so violent,- when he wasn’t beating me, he would rape me repeatedly during our 7 year relationship. I had a son with him. When my children saw me bleeding one day – THAT was the day I woke up and vowed I would not raise my daughter to be a victim or my son to be an abuser by raising them in this life. I filed for divorce, got the help we needed, and have done nothing but break my back to raise these kids for the last 13 yrs of their lives to teach them to be strong , and caring members of society. To reach out to help others, to empower those weaker then themselves. I have turned my life into a success. I own my own business and put myself through school while raising my children alone. Now I work with other young girls- teaching them- they are valuable, they set the standards in which others will treat them and that yes, they can grow to be whatever their heart desires. I join this revolution to keep spreading that message. Violence against ANYONE weaker than oneself is unacceptable and needs to be STAMPED out.