mother nature is a man and other observations..

I was watching CBS Sunday Morning, and appalled at the latest figures in violence against women by their intimate partners. In the news once again, since a football player is shown beating his wife on a video . The NFL should police themselves and not hide behind the fame of the players.  There should be zero tolerance for this behavior. Call to Action is long due to protect women from their abusers.  One in every four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. The voices of the abused must be heard, yet so many victims never report the abuse. Facts from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence: 85% of Domestic Violence victims are women. The consequences can cross generations and last a lifetime…Three to four million women in the United States are beaten in their homes each year by husbands, ex-husbands, or male lovers. Many fill out the temporary restraining orders, and then fail to go to court to make them permanent. Very often, when a woman decides to leave, she is murdered. The experience a woman suffers is terror and helplessness. She feels isolated and doesn’t tell her family and friends. She has nowhere to turn, especially when there are children, and they witness the beatings and at times are also victims. I was  taught  never to judge why they stay, either for financial or emotional issues.

I was trained by the State of New Jersey to serve on a volunteer  domestic violence crisis team, and worked closely with the police department. In New Jersey, they have a haven for walk in victims to come to the station, and a team member would arrive at any hour. We were on call 24/7 to listen , give comfort, resources and most important safe houses for them  and their children.  In our training, as much as you wanted to say “are you crazy for staying?”….that was not an option.We were not there to impose our opinions . We  were there to listen.We were just what we were…a crisis intervention team . We were advised to say the six most important words to a victim.

Do you think you deserve better?