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Seeds of Violence:
The Autobiography of a Subversive by B.J. Micthell, PhD Viewpoint Press
book review by Mille Hinkle
"Women in the country can change this world of violence by standing together and refusing to permit it."
The devastating effects of domestic violence are explored through the author's personal experiences. A child of rape, her teen-aged mother was allowed to raise her in the family's log cabin in the Ozarks. Mitchell experienced more than normal family turbulence, first from her grandfather's anger and cruelty, and then from her mother's new husband, an abusive alcoholic. She is a self-proclaimed subversive, committed to overthrowing the growing condition of violence in our homes.
Against the odds, Mitchell was able to attend college and build a successful life free of domestic violence. Her self-proclaimed mission in life is to expose and combat this social affliction that measurably increases each year. Because society does not fully understand the ramifications of violence on men and women, she has become a subversive by exposing what others ignore. She speaks out against witnesses of violence who remain silent in order to keep peace. She advocates for early childhood education in giving a voice to children of abuse. Her tools are academic and spiritual. She uses statistics to prove the cost to society. She writes children's books to reach victims. She advocates music education in schools, taking advantage of studies showing the effects of music on behavior.
Mitchell draws on the spiritual realm for the answers to prevention. By tracing her own path to spirituality, beginning with the concepts of physics and logic, she formed a belief system by which she lives. From there, she reviews the great teachings to arrive at the ethical standard to which society aspires. The permanent solution to domestic violence is an ethical and spiritual one.