There (Used to Be) No Place Like Home

Of course it is true! We all stared aimlessly at the screen when Dorothy clicked her ruby laden heels together and said "there's no place like home." My dad used to say that "a man's house is his castle." And probably the most popular of all expressions as to the importance of home is "home is where the heart is." This and so many other iconic expressions lend us to believe that when all else goes to pot, at least we have a safe haven in our homes. The validity of these statements goes well beyond mere verbiage or a cinematic moment where houses actually could fly. The "home" and all that it stands for has always been a place of comfort and safety where the troubles of the world could be left behind; albeit temporarily.<br /> <br /> But, the home and all that it stands for is as much under attack as anything else in our society today. For some, the home is merely a venue where verbal, physical and sometime sexual violence is dolled out in a manner that makes Dorothy's bad dreams suddenly seem not all that bad. Victims of domestic violence which by the way is not limited to adults, but also includes thousands of children every day, would rather be anywhere but at home. The home, in these instances, is nothing more than a venue where screaming, yelling, hitting and much worse is common place. Home is the last place that they would wish for if they had the ability to make the transformational wish that Dorothy made

http://accesswdun.com/article/2010/8/231259