Domestic Violence-This is not a test

"When a man hits you once, he will hit you again?" So who wants to stick around to validate that finding? Get out!! When a celebrity gets punched in the nose and no one can see through the dark coated limo windows, does it still bleed? Domestic violence is a trademark of poverty. Yet, no matter how much money and power celebrities possess, they too become prey. For domestic violence does not discriminate. As unfortunate as the Chris Brown and Rihanna situation it, this level of exposure is great. If one woman, child or man better understands that men that hurt you, will hurt you again, then kudos to the media. I do not care that it's been overexposed and sensationalized. No, it is not a private matter, it's a matter that concerns way too many. Keeping it private only feeds the cancer. Far too long the epidemic of domestic violence has received little attention. The last time it received this much attention was when Nicole Brown Simplson was killed in 1994. Fifteen years later, hollywood's own Rihanna has publicly fallen victim to the crime that plagues women and their families every minute of every day. That's not to say that men are not victims as well. But this not what this entry is about. I still believe that the average man can just walk away, white the average woman feels so threatened and dependent, that she does not.

This post is about the systematic oppression and threat of violence and abuse that has befallen countless women at the hands of men for centuries. Mental, emotional, financial and physical oppression at the hand of their men, for the sake of love, in the face of social and emotional ineptness, and not to be outdone in the name of Jesus--women have suffered in silence. And this is not just an abused woman problem, because most women are not in this alone, entire families suffer. This is a societal problem. The reason for domestic violence are far to complex to address in this oversimplified miniature expository forum. But, we have got to find a way to hold abusers accountable for their actions. And for women who do not love themselves enough to stay away, perhaps we need laws to strip them of their rights to renig on their original plea. And maybe legislators need to enact stringent laws that protect children who live in abusive situations (the other real victims). Women who go back to their abusers should lose custody of their children. We've gotta find a way to break these breeding grounds of abuse- emotionally and physically violent homes. We know that the victims are equally as sick as their perpetrators and sometimes even moreso. And at the end of the day, the punishment needs to fit the crime. But in the meantime, among other things we can better atttend to:

• paying more attention to how we are raising and loving our children
• instilling a sense of independence in them early. don't go from dependence on parents to dependence on a man or woman. move toward independence
• providing examples of good role models inside and outside of the home
• understanding the impact of poverty on domestic violence
• Being sensitive to the early warning signs and helping our loved ones GET OUT
• providing more forums for women to come forth
• Creating legilation that protects women and children from men that hurt them, by giving them more than paperwork and lip service
• Removing the veil of abuse and shame over our women and men, so that real work can be done.

"A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave."

Ghandi

DrSis signing off.
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