The domestic violence epidemic

Because women tend to be physically weaker than men, domestic violence at the hands of their partners and even loved ones, is a terrible pestilence that countless women have been forced to put up with since the beginning of time. And because these women more often than not, have had to suffer alone and in silence, the perpetrators have usually gotten away with it.

Since this practice can filter down in homes from one generation to the next, it has now reached epidemic proportions in the USA (which keeps good statistics) and most likely the rest of the world, if the report published by the Huffington Post on December 6th 2017 is to believed. For according to that newspaper, the number of American women who have been murdered by current or ex male partners between 2001-2012 was 11,766 nearly double the  number of US soldiers killed during the same period in active warfare Afghanistan!

The statistics put out by the National Coalition Against Domestic violence are equally mind boggling as they declare that each year, one in three women becomes a victim of physical brutality by an intimate partner, resulting in one woman being assaulted or killed by a partner every 9 seconds!

I am sure that not even women who are themselves victims, had any idea that the practice within families was so widespread for many may have thought it was only happening to them.

Well, as they say, behind every dark cloud lies a silver lining and if there is to be a silver lining behind the recent debate on the Rod Porter affair,  it is that the refusal by president Donald Trump and his minions, Chief of Staff Kelly, Sarah Sanders and Kelly Ann Conway to firmly and unequivocally condemn domestic violence while praising the perpetrator, Porter,  has elicited near unanimous condemnation and brought the issue from out of the shadows and placed it firmly on the front burner. 

This, plus the stiff price Porter has had to pay since his double life has been exposed, will hopefully cause potential abusers to think twice when they have the urge to abuse women, for now they know it will most likely eventually come out and destroy their careers for the days of their devious actions being forever kept secret, are gone.

For those who are not aware of the Rod Porter affair, he is a former aide to Trump who had access to classified material although he could not get security clearance from the FBI, as his Jekyll and Hyde character left him open to blackmail.

When his record of beating his two wives and girlfriend was leaked to the press, he had to resign immediately although his disgusting supporters at the white house would have happily kept him on, were it not for public outrage, especially by women. 

With other men seeing how the career and reputation  of this otherwise brilliant and from what we hear, hard working and effective  employee,  disintegrating immediately because of his secret, undercover and despicable penchant to destroy those whom he had pretended to love, hopefully they too will get the message.

And if evolving from this issue too, there were  enough legislators courageous enough to push for laws to criminally charge the organizations that keep people employed, after they have evidence that they have committed acts of domestic violence, that would send an even better message that domestic violence will never be tolerated. For when people are not only named and shamed, but also lose all chance of making a living, I guarantee that most will think twice about ever raising a hand at weaker partner.

Indeed, society has a duty to do everything, both criminal and civil, to protect the weak from harm.