Documentary

Murally

Narrative Poem

Brianna Bridges

Ms. McKoy

English 2-Block 1

03 October 2013

The Shadows of Childhood Memories

Why is he doing this to us?

It’s beginning to hurt so much.

Is it because he experienced his father’s suicide?

Are these events somehow intertwined?

 

Punching, kicking, and bleeding,

Does all of this have to do with what he is feeling?

Why doesn’t he listen to what I have to say?

All I can do is kneel and pray.

 

Coming home from school could get very scary.

Making sure all thirteen coats were hung perfectly, which could get kind of hairy.

This is the first thing he notices to end our school day,

Hoping and praying there are no beatings today.

 

I count my brothers and sisters from one to thirteen,

Trying to figure out why father can be so mean.

 

He sits up a boxing ring in the middle of the room,

Sending us all, all to our doom.

He hands us our punching gloves,

Expecting us to fight our anger out with kicks and shoves.

 

Me being the second from the oldest of a family of thirteen,

I protected the babies because father is so mean.

Spanking and beating all thirteen for one that did wrong,

Not understanding why we all took the fall.

 

After a long day of school and our daily beatings have seized,

Now for dinner as there are a lot of mouths to feed.

Helping mother in the kitchen was my daily chore.

Peeling a ten pound of potatoes until my fingers hit the floor.

All bellies are full time to clean the mess,

Sure wish it was time to go get some rest.

 

Homework was due by the next school day,

Getting help from father there was no way.

I still don’t like fractions until this day,

He would knock me off the stool and make me feel like clay.

 

Escaping to my hidden tree to find peace to complete.

I would find myself dozing off to sleep.

Heading to bed it’s been a long, long day.

I am glad the beatings are over today,

Praying to God that he takes my bruises away.

 

The weirdest part about this whole situation,

Is all thirteen children looking at their father in his casket with no devastation.

Child abuse can be an excuse for many people,

But has made me a stronger person that is thanking the steeple.

Although I might have some scars until this day,

My father is at rest and my bruises are faded away.

Letter to the Editor

2050 Hwy. 501

East Conway, Bldg. 400,
SC 29526
(843) 349-7102

The Sun News,
Letter to the Editor,
P.O. Box 406,
Myrtle Beach, SC 29578

Brianna Bridges

HCS Early College High School

 Dear Editor-in- Chief:

I am writing to address a current issue of child abuse. Some people choose to put their hands on their children and end up injuring them. There are over one million victims of child abuse, yet 2,000 die each year. Some people might argue and say it is discipline, but I believe if you go too far it can affect the adolescent which would be categorized as child abuse.

I do not think enough people acknowledge this issue since nobody sees it happen because it occurs behind closed doors most of the time; as they say "Out of sight, out of mind." I have very strong opinions on this topic; as a result, I feel there should be stricter laws present distinguishing between acts of discipline and child abuse.

Sincerely,

Brianna Bridges

Exploratory Essay

Brianna Bridges
Ms. McKoy
English 2- Block 1
05 September 2013

Criminal Line

There is a very thin line between discipline and abuse. I grew up visiting my great grandparents at Christmas parties plus family reunions. It started leading to making trips to their apartment because they were getting too elderly to host these parties. Then I turn around and I am beside their hospital beds gazing at them remembering the past. Little did I know that my great grandfather who I saw before my eyes was someone that would come home and decide to wrench at one of the babies legs for crying, or almost beat the life out of his children for not doing something his way. My mammaw was one out of her thirteen brothers and sisters, and her mom stayed home with all of the babies while her dad was occupied as a preacher. She attended a private catholic school where nuns taught. The nuns thought so highly of her preacher father, so if she ever said anything to them they wouldn't have believed her. Her wounds would be in places that were unexposed to where no one else could see them. Was this his strategy of discipline or was he doing this because he just had that cold of a heart?

Most people think child abuse is characterized as one topic and stands alone, but this subject has several branches that go along with it. "Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional maltreatment or neglect of a child by parents, guardians, or others responsible for a child's welfare." Physical abuse is when a child gets injured and it leaves marks such as bruises, scars, or maybe even a broken bone. Sexual abuse is any kind of inappropriate exposure or physical touch by an older figure. Isolating, declining, petrifying, or disregarding a child could be known as emotional abuse. Neglect could be a parent failing to provide food, clothes, protection, and a shelter to their kid. In my initial research, I found that the abusers were usually abused in their childhood years as well. In other cases the abusers might have a drug addiction, or they might not have the education to handle an adolescent. Any type of mistreatment seems to certainly affect the children in the later years with "physical or mental impairment." Abused children are also most likely those ones who make the bad decisions such as suicidal or homicidal thoughts, guilt, depression, anxiety, and have a criminal record. In America there remain more than a million children that are abused each year, and around 2,000 of those die. Even though there isn't exact information including numbers on this topic, most people recognize that this stays an escalating problem in our country. (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia).

My essential question is “What is the difference between discipline and abuse?” because some could confuse the discipline of a child with abuse. I would like to further my research on this topic because maybe I can find ways to express how to get them out of rigid situations or confronting someone about it in a subtle way. People that stood in firm situations such as my mammaw that can't communicate with anyone feel stuck, and they might make some wrong decisions; although, my mammaw took the higher ground and says it made her stronger. Abuse is not right to be used for the punishment of a child. All parents have punishing rights for their child, but they should never take advantage of it and go to the criminal line.