For some time, I have been following the efforts of Glenn Sacks to educate people about the nature of domestic violence, which, despite popular opinion, is not solely – or even mostly – initiated and perpetrated by men.
However, despite mounting evidence that proves women are every bit as involved in DV as men, old prejudices die hard, and old bigots with tenure have a taxpayer-funded pulpit from which to broadcast socially harmful lies about the nature of inter-partner violence in America. In this hallowed tradition of academic arrogance and unsubstantiated statements, doubtless encouraged by political norms on campus, we find a professor at the University of Maine casting female domestic violence – including knife attacks – as self-defense.
In an article in the Kennebec Journal, University of Maine sociology professor John Oplinger is quoted suggesting that violent female aggression against intimate partners is only a natural result of abuse at the hands of men:
“They’re a little bit less likely to take the abuse that was routine in the past,” said Jon Oplinger, a sociology professor at the University of Maine at Farmington. “They’re fighting back.”
Although there is little evidence that abuse of women was routine in the past, or that they sat back and took it passively (in fact, spousal murder of husbands has dropped significantly since the 1970s), Oplinger just has to find some rationale that justifies violence against men.
Fortunately, the local police and Public Safety Commissioner have a more balanced view of the situation. Somerset County Sheriff Barry DeLong, who has 36 years of experience in law enforcement, suggests that in the past, nobody took female aggression against men seriously:
“When I started, you might see one a year,” said Somerset County Sheriff Barry DeLong, who has 36 years in law enforcement. “I think police officers are more attuned to it. In the past, it wasn’t even looked at. Domestic violence is for everybody now.”
It is fortunate that police have begun to take it seriously, because, according to the article, last year more women than men stabbed their partners in domestic disputes in Maine.
Public Safety Commissioner Ann Jordan also notes that men who were victimized felt ashamed to come forward in the past:
“Ten years ago,” she said, “many men would not come forward because of the stigma involved. And there’s an increase in the use of drugs and alcohol, on both sides. People who wouldn’t normally assault do so when they’re under the influence.”
Sheriff DeLong also notes that women have been behaving in an increasingly masculine manner, going out and drinking at bars after work rather than tending to their families.
Readers should take note of the fact that the most strident defense of female misbehavior comes from a tenured, male bigot speaking from the ivory tower of academia. The ordinary people on the street see it for what it is: a social problem that fouls up lives and disrupts society.
There is no practical difference between liberals and conservatives in the old guard of America. Female misbehavior, whether it be promiscuity, pointless divorce, illegitimate children or knifing people, is all the fault of men. It is a quasi-religion with profoundly harmful social implications, and the faster we can remove these men and their Amazon auxiliaries from power the better off we’ll all be.
6 responses so far ↓
1 Puma // Sep 8, 2009 at 4:28 pm
The surest way to solve the domestic violence problem? Do away with “domestic” from the get go. She has her place, he has his. No marriage. No cohabitation.
It’s funny how women play every possible card to move-in/get-married. Fast forward a few years and they are the teary-eyed victim.
Ladies – Stop asking us to move-in-together!
2 Elusive Wapiti // Sep 8, 2009 at 5:57 pm
“Readers should take note of the fact that the most strident defense of female misbehavior comes from a tenured, male bigot speaking from the ivory tower of academia.”
No doubt it’s nozzles like him and sheriff mangina that keep saying things like
“Sheriff DeLong also notes that women have been behaving in an increasingly masculine manner, going out and drinking at bars after work rather than tending to their families.”
I’m so tired of socially harmful and counter-productive behaviors being labelled “masculine”. That’s so fem-normative
3 Lukobe // Sep 10, 2009 at 11:49 am
Dana requested I reply to this here
lukobe, what is a leftatarian and how can that possibly not be a contradiction in terms? please answer on “knife wielding woman” if you want to discuss it with me, i don’t want to hijack this thread
A leftatarian is simply a libertarian who is more committed to the social side of the equation than the economic side. A libertarian who leans conservative tends to be more committed to the economic side than the social. A true, pure, libertarian is really a bit of a minarchist.
I guess what I’m trying to say is libertarian doesn’t always equal conservative, though American libertarians do trend in that direction.
4 dana // Sep 10, 2009 at 1:46 pm
what do you believe the proper role of government is? “left” indicates statism–statism is the polar opposite of libertariansm. if you believe the state has any right to regulate business you are no kind of -tarian but just a leftist.
i am a minarchist. i beilieve the only role of government is to exercise a monopoly on the licit use (police, military)and threat (courts, punishment) of force so as to remove the option of force from human relations. no morals laws, no econ regs
5 Lukobe // Sep 10, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Well, see, there you go — you say “if the state has any right to regulate business” I am disqualified from being any sort of libertarian. But there are plenty of right-wing libertarians who fit your definition but aren’t so great on the civil liberties.
At least you appear to stick to your guns. I don’t like the idea of the state regulating business, and I theoretically like the idea of minarchism, but I am a pragmatist. So, call me what you will. I am sympathetic to the libertarian movement, but vote more often with the Democrats than with the Republicans. Left-leaning libertarian, libertarian-leaning liberal (though I have so many disagreements with modern American liberalism I hesitate to use that term in reference to myself), call me what you will, but I think that explains my position pretty well.
6 Sherri // Dec 12, 2009 at 12:03 am
Okay, I agree that men get a bad rap in our current society. I am a woman and in no way shape or form do I feel victimized, looked down on or demeaned in our current-day society. I also agree that women tend to get away with a lot of crap. If a woman stabs a guy, she deserves the same treatment as if the roles had been reversed. But I also happen to know the professor you refer to in this article personally. “tenured male bigot?” Give me a break. Dr Oplinger is a gentleman (I’ve never seen him not hold the door for a woman ever) but never a bigot. I would also be fascinated to know the rest of the context here. I’m pretty sure there must be more to it since I’ve never seen him give an answer that short.
But really, the guy’s only fault is his desire to believe in people at their best, no matter whether or not they deserve it. Lay off the insults unless you know what you’re talking about. Stick to the facts or you hurt your own case.
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