"The [Philadelphia] city’s overall homicide rate has dropped, but domestic homicides have increased 67 percent this year." - Ian Urbina, NYTimes.com, 12/31/09

It is my plan to not only focus my blogs on light and beautiful aspects of the family unit, but also the ugly. Without recognizing our downfalls we might not improve, and that will leave society with many adults who have open wounds. To see the above quote saddened me. It was even more depressing to find out that there are more animal shelters in NYC than shelters for battered women. Oh, I love animals; but are we seriously putting the safety of animals before the safety of families? Domestic abuse can no longer be something we turn away from and hope it disappears. It stretches accross race, socioeconomic status, nationality, religion, age, and so on. This will not be the only ugly topic I will comment on. Substance abuse, sex ed (we must realize children need to be educated by caregivers and not their peers), and any other subject that conservative might not like I will bring up. Hopefully, I am not the only one who feels this way.