In the wake of the Azana Salon & Spa shootings, the media around town published letters, articles and op-ed pieces asking “WHY”.
One particularly heartfelt question came from an area doctor via a letter to the editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Here’s the most pertinent question from the letter:
What is it about our enlightened society that so many men think it is OK to control, dominate, hurt and kill women who dare to say “no” or “enough” to them? Domestic violence spills over and puts our entire society at risk.
From what we’ve seen this past year, I would have to question whether we are actually living in an enlightened society. The fact that domestic violence remains so prevalent would be one example that supports the fact that we remain unenlightened. I won’t go into other issues here because I don’t want to diminish the seriousness of domestic violence.
But why are we surprised when a mean spirited and manipulative misogynist attacks the woman in his life when we all see these examples of misogyny in our society?
Republican Indiana Senate Candidate Richard Mourdock: “When life begins with that horrible situation of rape, that is something God intended to happen.”
Republican Senator and Former Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum: “The right approach is to accept this horribly created in the sense of rape, but nevertheless…a gift of human life, and accept what God is giving you.”
Republican Congressman and Senate Candidate Todd Akin: “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”
Republican Congressman and Former Presidential Candidate Ron Paul: If it’s an honest rape, that individual should go immediately to the emergency room, I would give them a shot of estrogen:”
Our own State Representative Roger Rivard: “If you go down that road, some girls, they rape so easy.”
Republicans up and down the board support the Blunt Amendment to limit women’s access to affordable birth control.
Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney adds de-funding Planned Parenthood one of his day one initiatives.
Republican Representative Steve King has never heard of anyone getting pregnant from statutory rape or incest.
Police Departments don’t enforce the laws about taking suspected abusers into custody when confronted with domestic violence situations.
Politicians wanting to usurp women’s control over their own bodies not without a great deal of similarity to sharia law?
And the deafening silence from the much of the media or the pundits and apologists (yes they’ve been trying to spin this nonsense).
The Republican party officers who don’t just flat out dump these jerks from their party.
Under these circumstances and many many more…why wouldn’t an abusive man think he’s going to get away with it? Or worse yet, continue to think this is acceptable behavior?
It’s time these ideas from the 14th Century be ended once and for all! Vote in favor of women’s safety. Vote in favor of women’s health. Vote if favor of an enlightened society in the United States.
Well said!
You’re a parent, perhaps an evangelical, who has a 12 year old daughter. In an unimaginable act of violence, your daughter is raped and impregnated. The horrors only get worse when she is forced to carry that baby to term (with all of the expense that carries, health insurance or not). And to top it all off, she is forced to share custody with the rapist (even if he is in prison – still trying to wrap my head around that).
Men in the Republican Party will work to ensure that scenario comes true.
This is America, 2012.
Didn’t Republicans in Congress oppose re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act?
If memory serves me, they did, and that speaks volumes about what many conservatives think about women.