[tracilicious]

Argh! You guys all make very valid points. I actually agree with all of you. I generally can see people's motivations and feel compassion for them. But I have zero sympathy for a guy that beats a three year old to death. None whatsoever.

And at what point does personal responsibility come into play? There are those that are abused as kids that come out of it as wonderful parents. They learn from what their parents did to them and they do the opposite. Why do people that perpetuate the cycle get their behavior written off as ingrained?

I understand that it is difficult to change a pattern of behavior. But there are parenting classes, therapy, books they could read, and any number of other things they could choose to do to enable them to become parents that don't beat the sh!t out of their kids. Even the lowest income parents have access to a library. There are free parenting classes.

I don't understand people ever hitting a child. But beating them because they are a sissy? That's just horrendous.