Glens Falls Post Star
- Letter to the Editor
Daniel C. Romand
Glens Falls Post Star
August 2005
Dear Editor,
Ms. Finch's
recent letter highlights the typical misinformation and bias against men
espoused by the domestic violence industry. The "facts" she quotes are
misleading at best, if not downright false.
Her claim that
every nine seconds a woman is assaulted is "based" on a study done in 1993,
which defined "abuse" as anything from a push, to use of a weapon. She then
states domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women, more than car
accidents, muggings and rapes combined. Again this is a myth. This "fact" is
attributed to a rather small survey of one emergency room, not an actual study.
Ms. Finch's other facts could be called into question as well.
Some "facts"
that she fails to mention are the Department of Justice reported in November,
2000 that 1.3 million women (not the 2 million she quotes) and 835,000 men are
victims of abuse. She also fails to mention that while abuse against women has
been decreasing; abuse by women against men is increasing. This is according to
three different studies done by the Family Research Lab at the University of New
Hampshire.
I agree with
Ms. Finch on one point, domestic violence doesn't get the attention it deserves.
It's time to start reporting the true facts about domestic violence, including
the fact that men are abused as much as women; that there are billions of
dollars available to help women, but none to help male victims; that there are
no shelters in the Capital District area for men to go to for help when they are
abused; and the fact that the domestic violence industry only view men as
abusers, not victims, and refuses to help them. Spousal abuse against men is
America's darkest secret. Who is helping them?
Isn't it time
to take gender out of domestic violence and help all victims?
Daniel C. Romand
Secretary/Saratoga County Coordinator – FaFNY
Saratoga Springs, New York
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