Sen. Scott Brown talks about abuse and his book
Tonight Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) spoke with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer about his childhood abuse and additional contents of his new book. Parts of this interview aired tonight during The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer on CNN 5-7 pm ET. A highlight is after the jump and full transcript is posted on CNN.com.
TRANSCRIPT
THIS IS A RUSH FDCH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST: He certainly grew up under some of the harsher circumstances that life could dish out. Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts has now gone public about his rise of childhood abuse in a new memoir entitled “Against All Odds: My Life of Hardships, Fast Breaks and Second Chances.”
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Let’s talk about the book, “Against All Odds.” Why did you write this book, and why did you write it now, Senator?
SEN. SCOTT BROWN (R), MASSACHUSETTS: Well, obviously when I won the election, I had many groups coming to me to write a book. So I wrote it. I worked on it. It’s done. It’s being released pursuant to the appropriate schedule that Harper Collins wanted to do. And I wrote it because once they came to me, I felt it would be important to talk not only about the good things — and I didn’t want it to be like a typical political book — but I wanted to not gloss over the tough things as well, and hopefully help people understand that, hey, listen, if you have tough circumstances, like many of us do, you can still have success if you have good people around you.
BLITZER: And you were amazingly blunt in discussing the physical and sexual abuse you suffered as a young kid. Tell our viewers why you decided to go out and explain all of that stuff in such specific detail.
BROWN: Well, as you know in the book, it’s about eight pages in the whole book out of —
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: But it’s a powerful eight pages, Senator. Anybody who reads it is really moved by what you’ve described.
BROWN: Well, certainly it’s something I’ve wrestled with for 42 years.
And I said to myself, well, I can write just a regular old political book, or really try to make a difference and let people know that even those types of things shouldn’t keep you down, and that if you fight back like I did, and then eventually wrestle with the — you know, just kind of talking about it, it will bring it to the forefront. And if I can help other people, I’m very excited about that.
BLITZER: I tweeted that you were coming on the show on Twitter, Senator Brown. A lot of folks said, why not go after that camp counselor who molested you? You’ve decided you didn’t want to do that. Tell us why.
BROWN: Well, it’s pretty simple. It took me 42 years to actually really talk about it, number one. You know, dealing with all the legal stuff, whether there’s statute of limitations issues or not, I’ve always been a forward thinker, Wolf.
I’m resolved and balanced about where I am in my life and focusing on my own family. And I’m not out to settle any scores or sue anybody. But if I can help people, other people understand what happens in situations like that work through their own problems, then I’m very content with that.
BLITZER: What advice do you have for some other young people who may be going through right now what you went through a few decades ago?
BROWN: Well, it’s easy. Do what I didn’t, and that’s tell somebody.
Trust somebody and tell them.
I was — at that point in my life I was the perfect candidate, Wolf. I was 10 years old. I had very little family support. And I was, you know, the perfect target.
And I remember very clearly, he said, “If you tell anybody, I’ll kill you. And no one is going to believe you. I’ll make sure no one believes you.”
And he was a popular guy, and everyone loved him. And I was just a 10-year-old kid, you know, lost. So what do you do?
And I remember my mom, as we’ve worked this thing through since, said, “Honey, is that the summer that you were calling all the time to come home?” I said, “Yes, mom, I was.” And she felt terrible.
But I didn’t expect anything because I wasn’t going to tell. I was already threatened not only with my safety and security, but my family’s. And that’s what happens. You believe that stuff, and it’s not true. And I know that now, but I would encourage people to fight back and tell somebody, period.
BLITZER: And as far as you know, that camp counselor is still alive today, still out there some place?
BROWN: Oh, he would be — he would be at least 70, I would think at this point. And I have no facts to base, you know, where he is or if he’s alive or not.
BLITZER: Have you ever really gotten over all of that — over all of those experiences?
BROWN: Well, I don’t think you get over them, but you certainly learn to — you know, you learn and you grow, and you become the person that you are, whether it’s through determination or resiliency or, you know, preparing your own family for those types of things and saying to your own kids, hey, stranger, danger, stranger, danger. And what does that mean for people who don’t have kids? Well, it’s when your kids go to camp and they go and they deal with these issues, you kind of talk to them, and they understand better.
And as a matter of fact, Wolf, my daughter Ayla read the book as she was flying out to a performance. And she called up and she said, “Dad, I get it now. I understand why you were so prospective, and thank you.”
So, like I said, if it helps people, I’m so excited and thankful about that.
BLITZER: Well, I applaud you for writing that, because if it does help even one person out there, I think you will have done an extremely important, good deed.
BROWN: Well, it already has.
BLITZER: I hope so.
BROWN: It already has, yes.
BLITZER: Give us the example of how you know that this book has already helped someone.
BROWN: I’ve received hundreds and hundreds of e-mails, phone calls, letters from people from all walks of life saying, “It happened to me,” “It happened to my brother,” “It happened to my sister.” And “I just told my son after 45 years.”
But as I’ve said, listen, I’m not the only one in these circumstances, and there are people with way more difficult circumstances. But — and that was a part of my life, but it’s not the only part of my life.
BLITZER: No.
BROWN: And it’s not the only part of the book. And to take that one situation and add the building blocks to everything else that’s happened in my life, you get who I am. And that’s somebody who tries to, when it comes to issues of crime and punishment, deal and come down on the side of victims, and try to strengthen our sex offender laws and protect children. It’s just how I’ve always been. Now people understand a little bit better why.
BLITZER: How have your daughters reacted — I’m sure they didn’t know about it. Your wife didn’t know about the details. Your mom didn’t know about the details.
How have they all reacted?
BROWN: Well, they have obviously — my wife cried and gave me a hug, and we’ve been talking about it for the last couple of weeks. And we’ve got full circle, and it’s very comfortable.
My mom and dad, we obviously worked it through. And they were very sad that I didn’t have the courage to tell them, as I was, and they apologized. And certainly I accepted their apology.
But my family, like everybody else’s family, is a work in progress and will always be, I think, until the day I die. But bottom line is we love each other through thick and thin. We would still go through that wall for them and each other. So, you know, you learn and grow and you try to just kind of move on.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: We’ll have much more of this interview coming up Saturday in THE SITUATION ROOM, 6:00 p.m. Eastern. A remarkable interview with Senator Scott Brown.
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