I just finished reading (summers) new post and listening to everyone in all the others I just have to ask that question. What gives any man the idea that he has any right to physically or verbally abuse his wife or children? To control all her actions. To refuse to support his children? The right to cheat on his wife and family? I actually thought I was one of the lucky ones, I thought I had a good man. He was my hero. I was never afraid of anything when he was with me. Then life dealt us some very hard blows,lost his business, worse of all we lost our son. And when I needed him the most, he ran like a scared rabbit ith his tail between his legs and never looked back. Left me to deal with everything myself. Just completed a huge auction.last Sat. to sell off all his construction equip. WHile he sits in Florida! And does nothing. This is not the man I married. He was always in charge, control of everything. I suffered the same losses that he did. I believe even more so, as my son's mother, I dont think there is a closed bond than mother and child.
What is happening to the men in this world?

I agree with you. I try to stay positive and think not all men are like the one I let break my heart, but it seems like a lot of them are. Even the ones that seem good, seem to take a turn at some point. I work at a school and just found out that some of the parents I thought would never separate, have separated and that it was because the husband "didn't want to be family anymore" or was unfaithful. I'm only 25 and think, wow, I have a lot of years left and really don't want to believe that this is what men are. I don't want that kind of attitude, but it's hard not to take it on.

So are men getting worse, or are we getting smarter? I'm guessing women used to put up with more. I'd like to think I can raise my sons to be better than their father!!!!

I realize your comment can be a bit loaded :) however I'm smiling under the circumstances (what I see & my divorce). Yes, women do I think stand up more often in self defense (of self) which is healthy. I think it's likely a man that is not secure in himself cannot & will not tollerate a woman that is strong, especially when he's struggling. Perhaps that's some of it. When the men get to feeling low, if the woman is a strong figure, then there's a tendency to run instead of Grow Up.
I guess I ask myself, "what part of the marriage vows did you not understand," when I think of the ex (who was a control freak narcissistic psychopath btw).

So that brings up an interesting question...how many of us were in a marriage with someone that was going through depressions or for whatever reason feeling down on themselves? It was the case with my stbx. But no matter what I did to try to help him through it (I am a very strong person) he shoved me further and further away. Guess it makes some sense.

Same here, ex had health issues, was depressed from, & no matter what I did or said same thing, would shove me away further.
I figured out though he got more mileage for himself by remaining sick & sympathy which overtook his desire or efforts to be well. Think it had become a lifepattern for him. He finally quit marriage altogether, but again, this is his pattern in life, to quit. (it got very old)

They are gone. My father was a wonderful husband and worshiped the ground my mother walked on. He always made sure we had family night growing up. He provided for his family. I have been married less than 3 years and the guy (soon to divorce) I married has 6 kids that he does not pay child support for and has lived off of me for too long. I am his 4th wife and tired of being his sugar momma. He freaked out and threatened my son (previous marriage) and said it my sons fault our marriage did not work. He calls me awful names, even when I lost my parents within 5 weeks of each other he treated me like crap. I have lost all my friends because they dont like him and the only people he allowed in my life was his family. Read the Bible it does say that men will fall and women will become the providers for the family. Its sad. My favorite joke about men - Men are like parking spaces all of the good ones are taken and the only left are handicap.

Mary that is interesting about the words in the bible. I have never read that. Do you happen to know where it is in there?