DEAR ABBY: Back in 1961 some neighborhood kids were showing off their "battle scars." The three children (who lived across the street) were certain they deserved a beating, but were clueless about why. It kept happening. The practice of keeping secrets was common back then, but I knew the beatings were wrong.
Decades later, I was visiting the now-grown daughter and her mother when the subject turned to child abuse. The mom turned to her daughter and commented, "You probably don't remember because you were only 6, but your dad used to get drunk and beat up you and your younger brothers. A neighbor found out, so your dad stopped drinking."
Abby, I was that neighbor. I was only 7 at the time, but I had read the Dear Abby column, which appeared on the comics page. My solution was to hang on that family's front door your mom's column saying that child abuse required the law's intervention. To the father's credit, the anonymous threat of losing his toddlers got him to stop.
That column was a lifesaver, and I thought you'd like to know. -- FRAN IN HONOKA'A, HAWAII
DEAR FRAN: You may have been young, but you certainly were precocious and proactive. I hope you realize that what you did not only saved the family, but also may have saved some lives.
P.S. And I'm sure the daughter did remember.