Domestic Violence Homicides III
November 7, 2004
A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five.
- Groucho Marx
There are those in society who believe that domestic violence is only or primarily a serious issue for women and children. The stories below appeared for two successive days in the Boston Globe. There is no need for advocates, scholars or researchers here, there is no debate about the issue of gender symmetry nor dispute concerning what domestic violence is or is not.
On page B2 of the November 5, 2004 issue is a story about a woman who was sentenced to 20 years for the murder of her husband. She told the police that her husband had shot himself in the head. The evidence did not match her story and the jury did not believe her.
A mother was charged with hitting her 13-year-old son old with a hammer, burning her 10-year-old son with a cigarette, and then stabbing him. Her husband had already been indicted. It is only through luck or providence that both boys survived and did not make the homicide list.
On page B2 of the November 6, 2004 issue is a report of a man who was sentenced to 50 years in prison after being found guilty of crushing a 2-year-old-girl to death while raping her. The five year old rape victim and murdered child was his goddaughter.
On the same page is a story about an aunt and her boyfriend who are charged with the killing of her three year old nephew after being told by his siblings that the boy had left food on the kitchen table.
On page A5 is a story that a man who called the police and reported that he had “killed some people.” When the police arrived he was holding a hostage. After surrendering to the police they discovered that he had killed his girlfriend, another man and wounded two other people.
On page B8 is a story that a man killed his sister and her 4-year-old daughter after sexually assaulting both of them He then beat and killed her 2-year-old son. The police found antidepressants, Viagra and a pornographic movie playing in the bedroom where the bodies were located. He attempted suicide by stepping in front of a truck. Relatives report he was a very troubled man who was struggling with addiction to OxyContin and cocaine.
The fundamental feminists who control domestic violence education, intervention and public policy believe that “domestic violence” should never be viewed as a gender-neutral issue. Domestic violence occurs, fundamental feminists claim, because of the suppression of women’s rights, sexism and the power and control of men over women in society.
The vast majority of scholars and researchers agree that domestic violence is a complex and multifaceted problem. Fundamental feminists are suppressing the truth about domestic violence because they care more about women’s rights than they do about victims and civil rights. And what is truly sad for all victims of domestic violence is that our public policy makers believe these fundamental feminists and public policy reflects these baseless and outlandish claims.
