I had an uncle that hit his kids. He eventually hit my aunt (my mother's sister) and they left him.
Very wealthy, well-respected man; he was not trailer trash.
Anyway, I always remember fearing him. He was loud and obnoxious, but also really funny. He would turn very fast though.
I watched an old family video the other day of when we were all kids. We were playing at the beach and he was filming alongside my dad - they both had big camcorders. He would come in and out of the frame b/c he was standing next to my dad. There is a moment when he is trying to get his daughter out of the picture (she is dancing in front of the camera) because he wants to film me and my brother's sand castle. His daughter is probably 6 in the video, and he just throws her to the side VERY aggressively and says, "If I wanted you in the movie I would tell you. Nobody wants to see your ugly face."
The look in her eyes makes my stomach turn.
She is now 28 and extremely beautiful and well adjusted. I think seeing her mother leave him really helped.
Anyway, whenever I get angry with my daughter, I think about him. It always calms me down.