{"id":21014,"date":"2019-10-14T23:50:41","date_gmt":"2019-10-15T06:50:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/?p=21014"},"modified":"2019-10-15T00:51:50","modified_gmt":"2019-10-15T07:51:50","slug":"domestic-violence-witch-hunting-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/domestic-violence-witch-hunting-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Domestic Violence Witch Hunting Season"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Dr. Rachael Wood, Thurston Public Health director<\/figcaption>\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nOLYMPIA, WA (10-14-19) — Give them a hammer and everything will look like a nail. OK, it’s high time to get real, as politically incorrect as that may be. October is the official open season on men month. The following material will be interspersed with laconic reposts\/rejoinders most men are already too painfully aware of, but too cowed to argue.\n\n\n\n\n

Dr. Wood: Incidents of domestic violence are down, but problem is still too common<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n–Dr. Rachael Wood–\n\n\n\nOctober is National Domestic Violence Prevention month.\n\n\n\nAlthough the rate of domestic violence has dropped a lot since the Violence Against Women Act (passed in 1994),\n\n\n\nit is still far too common in our society. In fact, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence<\/a>,\n\n\n\nabout 1 in 4 women, and 1 in 7 men have experienced domestic violence in their lifetime. An even greater number\u2014three out of every four Americans know someone who is, or has been, a victim of domestic violence, according to www.breakthecycle.org<\/a>.\n\n\n\n.\n\n\n\n\n

Domestic ‘violence’ *IS* too common, but notice the NAME\/TITLE of the act.  It isn’t: the Violence Against PERSONS Act.  <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nDV is no stranger to any ethnic group.<\/em>\n\nMen (particularly white men), we’re told, are presumptively oppressors.\n\nWe\u2019re told the state\/cops should be called to intervene early because of the domino effect where one cross word or profanity will lead inexorably to the woman\u2019s death\/hospitalization.\n\nSo why is it some women rarely\/never get so much as a slap from their partner (despite multiple partners over time) while others rack up DV complaints like a collection of baseball cards?\n\nDV is no stranger to any ethnic group.\n\nWhile some DV altercations do indeed end in fatalities, more often the white woman, as it so happens, it\u2019s the black male who more often ends pushing up daisies when the the woman belligerent is black.\n\nAnd no slight is too petty to prompt\/invoke the Violence Against Women Act.<\/em>\n\nThe street savvy wear it like a cudgel. <\/em>\n\nLet’s call the career Port Townsend fire fighter (circa 1990) ‘Frank’. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nHe was well known in the town and liked by the deputies he often encountered in his job at the fire hall. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nHis wife was a clerk in the Jefferson County Superior Courthouse, and knew the law well, far better than he. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nTheir relationship and the state’s ham handed groping of it was as common as May flies.<\/em>\n\nFrank looked agitated, but resigned, as the deputy sheriff removed his handcuffs inside the Jefferson County jail that Friday evening. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nThe deputy looked embarrassed for both of them. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\n“I’m sorry, Frank, but you’ll have to spend the night in custody. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nWe can’t let you go until the morning.” <\/em>\n\nAs Frank settled into his jailhouse bunk for the night, he told the story. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nHis wife, being a court clerk and all, normally got off work after 5:00pm. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nFrank’s schedule normally coincided with hers, but this Friday he arrived home early (~3:30pm) to an empty house. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nTheir kids were grown. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nFrank’s wife didn’t like him drinking, but that hadn’t destroyed Frank’s taste for beer. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nHe’d brought a 6-pack home with him and was parked on the recliner in front of the TV working on his 3rd beer and a bowl of popcorn when she came through the door.<\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“What are you doing?’ she demanded. “You know I don’t like you drinking.” <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nThis went on for several minutes, but Frank was tired from a hard summer’s week and a bit irritable. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\n“Shut the FUCK up!” he finally exploded. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nHis wife bristled, turned, and stomped out of the house leaving Frank still in his chair nursing the beer and TV set.<\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPerhaps 15 minutes later, Frank hears a knock on the front door. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nHe slowly rises, lumbers toward and opens it. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nA deputy Frank knows well is standing on his porch. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\n“Bill! What are you doing here?<\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“Well, we got a call reporting a DV complaint,” Bill drawls.<\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“Oh? Ya did, huh? <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nAnd I suppose that means you HAVE to arrest somebody,” Frank deadpans.<\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“Uh, well, yeah,” the deputy shuffles, staring at his shoelaces.<\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“And I suppose that someone is ME?” Frank continues.<\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“Well, yes,” the deputy apologizes.<\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFrank turns and moves toward the beer he left by the recliner. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\n“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that, Frank,” Bill warns.<\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“LOOK! This is MY Goddamn house and I’m going to finish MY beer,” Frank snaps angrily. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nBill reconsiders and lets Frank finish his beer before handcuffing him.<\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“So, what are you going to do when released?” I ask. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\n“Isn’t returning home a bit like sleeping with the enemy?”<\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nInfidelity comes in many guises, not always wearing pants or a skirt. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nI can’t say what became of Frank or countless millions of other men indelibly labeled oppressors. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nThey say it’s a man’s world, that our society is a suffocating patriarchy. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nSeriously?…a patriarchy in which bare assertions lodged against any white male (except the Pope?) are the new Gospel? <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this dystopia, women never lie about such things and all men are beasts unless they can prove differently. <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nIs this a great country, or what!?  Women are victims–always.  <\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\nMen are perpetrators and DV is immutably embedded in their Y chromosome.<\/em>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHere are some signs you may be in an abusive relationship, according to The National Domestic Violence Hotline according to AKIRA OLIVIA KUMAMOTO.<\/a>\n\n\n\n\n\n.\n\n\n\n\n\nDomestic violence<\/a>, sometimes called intimate partner violence, isn\u2019t just physical abuse, and it isn\u2019t always between couples. Domestic violence includes any effort by an individual to gain or maintain power or control over his or her current or former date, partner or family member. This behavior can include sexual, emotional, economic, or other abuse. The abuse can take other forms as well, such as stalking, cyberstalking, and threats.\n\n\n\n\n\n.\n\n\n\n\n\nWhen children witness domestic violence in the home, it has serious effects on their health and wellbeing, both during childhood and later in life. Childwefare.gov states that \u201cchildren and youth who are exposed to domestic violence, experience emotional, mental, and social damage that can affect their developmental growth.\u201d Locally, 18 percent of women and 11 percent of men witnessed this behavior as a child. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network offers a wide variety of resources<\/a> for kids, parents, educators, and others looking for help in identifying, responding to, and recovering from abuse (https:\/\/bit.ly\/2pCx2ty).\n\n\n\n\n\n.\n\n\n\n\n\nLuckily, there are some great ways to build protective influences around children and youth. Just eating meals as a family or doing activities together can make a difference. It\u2019s also very important to build a support network in the community. In Thurston County there are great local resources that offer parent support. These include the Nurse-Family Partnership<\/a> at Thurston County Public Health and Social Services, the Family Support Center<\/a>, Family Education and Support Services<\/a>, Community Youth Services<\/a>, and many others.\n\n\n\n\n\n.\n\n\n\n\n\nFor those who are concerned that their friend or family member may be in danger from a partner or ex, or for teens who aren\u2019t sure if the behavior they\u2019re experiencing is abusive, it\u2019s important to watch for warning signs<\/a>. Relationships change over time, and according to www.loveisrespect.org<\/a>, relationships can move from healthy to unhealthy, and on to abusive in a variety of ways. A relationship might be going in the wrong direction if a partner:\n\n\n\n\n\n.\n\n\n\n\n\n