Sun 15 Feb 2009
Update from J-Smooth: Elizabeth wrote to clarify that she misspoke at the end when she said it’s the leading cause for all women 15-45, and she sent over more info about where she got the statistics referenced in the video, see below.
( More Info and stats after the jump)
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“Intimate partner violence is the leading cause of death for
African-American women ages 15 to 45 and the seventh leading cause of premature death for U.S. women overall.” SOURCE: National Institute of Justice (division of the Bureau of Justice), http:// www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/jr000250e.pdf
That’s a cumulative stat– for some age groups deaths from HIV or cancer may have been higher, but in total, intimate partner homicide adds up to the number one killer for African-American women ages 15-45. Annual breakdown (doesn’t specify the type of homicide): Centers for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/Women/lcod/04black…
MORE INFO:
Intimate partner deaths have decreased most dramatically among black men. From 1976-1985, black men were more likely than black women to be a victim of domestic homicide; by 2005, black women were three times more likely than a black male to be murdered by their partners. SOURCE: Bureau of Justice http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide…
Black women make up 8% of the U.S. population but in 2005 accounted for 42% of all female victims of intimate partner homicide. SOURCE: Bureau of Justice: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide…
The rate of death by intimate partner homicide for black women is about three times the rate of death by intimate partner homicide for white women. SOURCE, Bureau of Justice: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide…
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The bigger picture around the Chris Brown and Rihanna story. Because for every Rihanna and Chris Brown there are millions of everyday people trapped in a cycle of violence that won’t make the headlines.
National Domestic Violence Hotline: http://www.ndvh.org/
Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community: http://idvaac.org/
National Latino Alliance for the Elimination of Domestic Violence: http://www.dvalianza.org/
Incite: Women of Color against Violence: http://www.incite-national.org/
Men Stopping Violence: http://www.menstoppingviolence.org/in…
A conversation with Elizabeth Mendez Berry, who wrote the well-known Vibe magazine feature “Love Hurts” about domestic violence within (and without) hip-hop:
http://www.thefreeradical.ca/Love_Hur…
February 15th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
“Because for every Rihanna and Chris Brown there are millions of everyday people trapped in a cycle of violence that won’t make the headlines.”
Isn’t it a lil premature for people to connect this to a “cycle of violence” without the full story being known? Not to condone violence between ANYONE regardless of sex, but this seems more like a ugly fight then the “Ike and Tina” image that so many seem to be running with.
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February 15th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
This is all pretty interesting stuff…. I think all of this domestic violence talk is premature and overkill to some degree but whatever!! Its like me having a detailed race conversation about “the man” every time I get pulled over while driving my car in the hood I grew up in…
Look what happened with RiRi if its proven to be true is wrong.. And I’ve never argued otherwise but I’ll never live in a world where someone is guilty until proven otherwise.. WONT DO IT!!
Brown hasn’t been found guilty of shit, there isn’t a solid story or statement from anyone floating around and we still haven’t seen any pictures of RiRi from that night but on accusations and blogger outrage alone he’s lost endorsements.. No one here, not even the most brainwashed woman can think that’s right… Speak out, get a conviction, and then ruin the guy not the reverse.. Otherwise we allow the legal system to further fail everyone..
Its sad that this is the only way they could apparently end their bad relationship and if he did this before why didn’t she speak out then and why did she stay? I need a trial, testimony and pic’s before I get carried away with these allegations.
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February 15th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
Yeah I remember reading that article and hip hop needed that back in the day. The biggie quote always disturbed me, (act up I beat you right)really creepy you know. Personally I do disagree about the majority of people taking Cris Brown side. If the blogosphere is indication Rhianna Seems to have more people siding with her. I just hope this whole episode passes and they both grow from this and don’t exploit it. (that would be even more creepy)
Side note: is it just me or does she look like Edward Almos ? (just saying)
Maybe she should write a follow up about this topic. It can’t hurt because the shit they write in the vibe these days,(ZZZZZZZ)snore!!!
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February 16th, 2009 at 12:10 am
Oh and the chick in this video is crazy!!!
We are all accountable for our actions, true! but what’s accountability? Its acceptance of the repercussions of your actions and this chick who has a problem with google’ing stats seems not to know that.. If your 5’6 ass doesn’t want to get hit by a 6’5 person then maybe you shouldn’t hit that 6’5 person? Seems to make sense to me!!! I’m not gone be measuring the BMI of a motherfucker who hits me to see if its socially acceptable.. And I guess by her study Shaq should never hit anyone for the rest of his like because he’s obviously too big to respond.. Foolishness! Straight buffoonery!!
If you hit someone they have the right to hit you back… Now is a chick can punch me in my chest or arm I’m cool with that and would keep it move’n but I don’t know how I’m supposed to respond if women wild bitch hits me in the face out of anger and I’m not expecting it… That’s an entirely different ball game!!!
I think she lives in a world that I don’t know anything about… I have a cousin who is a WOMAN BEATER!! STONE COLD PUNK! But outside of him
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February 16th, 2009 at 1:20 am
I’m not gone be measuring the BMI of a motherfucker who hits me to see if its socially acceptable
““““““““““““““““““““““`
^
I know its wrong but laughed anyway
LOL@ Body Mass Index
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February 16th, 2009 at 1:57 am
All I have to say is this woman in the video is crazy info… So her husband is supposed to just let her hit him and do nothing right? If you dont wanna get hit keep ya hands to yaself. I dont know what kind of fantasy world some women are living in when they think they can do what they want and that’s that. Think before you do, that would make the world a better place. doesnt matter about sex cause dudes know too, if you 5′6 and you dont want no problems with someone 6′5 keep ya hands to yaself.
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February 16th, 2009 at 2:41 am
Wow, the guy has been convicted or anything. He’s been freaking booked on CRIMINAL CHARGES, not assault or battery etc. Can we wait for the FACTS to come out before we condemn him. Question: What if it comes out that it was just a verbal argument or she pushed him and he grabbed him- Is anyone going to issue an apology or anything or will still be CB should have kept his hands to himself. F****** Speculation. Did any of this crap happen for R.Kelly?
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February 16th, 2009 at 3:46 am
Its amazing to me how many statistics are collected on the black community.
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February 16th, 2009 at 4:33 am
What the hell ever! I didn’t even see the vid…just read all the stats underneath and that bullshit “for every cb and…”.
if anything battered men in the country need to stand up. ITS SWEPT UNDER THE RUG BUT IT DOES EXIST! Im so sick of this biased gender shit and im a female!
As a matter of fact miss info,
http://Www.BATTEREDMEN.COM
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1247
Study that website and google the hell out of that topic!
All this we are the world shit jumping on rihoas side b4 a trial or anything pisses me off!
How do you know CB wasn’t mentally and physically abused by that chick behind closed doors?
It shouldn’t matter if CB and whatsherface where David and Goliath. THE MIND IS THE MOST POWERFUL ORGAN IN THE BODY! Once you have somebodys MIND, nothing else matters. MALE OR FEMALE!
Nobody knows what their relationship was like. to go adding Chris Brown to the Rick James punch lines before he is or isn’t found guilty is BITCH BOGUS! via yeezy
Now do your homework and sing kumbaya over that! I don’t wanna hear about that “what if was your daughter, mother sister” shit! What if it was your father, son, brother uncle being abused!
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February 16th, 2009 at 6:29 am
This is true though, no matter what happend with Chris an Rihanna, this will hopefully make more women feel like they can speak up and show that they DON’T have to put up with this kinda shit, and that they are not alone in dealing with things like this.
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February 16th, 2009 at 9:58 am
interesting that everyone vouching for chris brown
but imma go with rihanna on this one, it unnecessary to hit a woman regardless of the circumstance..some of u folks need to man up and realize that
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February 16th, 2009 at 11:22 am
This is crazy! I was raised never to hit a woman, and i have been hit by a girlfriend before. I never hit her back ( and she has a good right hook ), I took that “L” ! ! But MY sister knocked “homegirl” out, so i guess its all about how your raised. What kind of influence you have as a child growing up definitely affects you as a young/adult !
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February 16th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Biggups to J-Smooth for abiding by the journalistic code of citing sources. As for the man that popped up during the video….let me stop…
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February 16th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Yeah shes crazy. I DO NOT CONDONE hitting a woman. However her logic is SO flawed. If you dont want to get hit DONT hit. To say that is okay to hit a man because you are smaller than him is stupid. Mature responses go BOTH ways. A verbal altercation shouldnt EVER reach a physical confrontation. Period. The “rules” of men vs. women are stupid in so many ways and hypocritical. In my family it was taught that you respect everyone reguardless of gender. The thing is some women think its okay to hit a man and that is where they put themselves in harms way because some men dont give a flying fuck that its not okay to hit back. Sad but true. I think that maybe thats what happened. Again her whole example of her and her husband was just all kinds of flawed.
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February 16th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
thank you nette nette
finally.
another female who sees it.
fuck all that gender shit
u hit me unexpectedly theres gonna be a last straw and ima violate yo ass.
this is comin from a female [ME]
if i hit a man ima be ready to get hit back
if he doesnt, kudos
if he does, oh well i initated it
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February 16th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Info, I hope you understand that no one here is saying that woman should get beat on… I think the reaction you’re getting is a direct result of people being a little disturbed by the rabid reaction and rush to judge with minimal facts present. Your “One of them” line really put this in 3D for a ton of people who are tired of the legal system fucking people.. Its not guilty until proven innocent and we all should feel dirty about the way we’ve acted toward Chris Brown UNTIL WE HAVE MORE TO GO ON!!!! I still haven’t seen the police photos from that night… And this isn’t a joke but RiRi does have a fucked up shaped head so maybe what they thought was a swollen spot could have just been a lump that weave is covering up, JUST SAYIN!!! Her 4head isn’t exactly the smallest thing in the world!!
If this case becomes what’s know in Los Angeles as a D.A. Reject and all we have is her word and the “Hang Uh Nigga” LA legal system won’t take it to trial THAT WILL SAY A LOT!!
Until then I won’t call him a Ike Turner or her a Liar neither seems right at this time!!!
On a serious note info, I tease you a lot but you know I must respect what you do if I stop by to occasionally fuck with you….. Info this is a real question I’ve had since I saw your initial reaction to this entire story and I think it will really explain a lot…… Have you ever been beat by a guy before or been in an abusive relationship?
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Big Reply:
February 16th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Actually nevermind thats none of my business…
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February 16th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
it unnecessary to hit a woman regardless of the circumstance..some of u folks need to man up and realize that
^^^
thats the dumbest logic i’ve ever heard.
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February 16th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
first off I loved the Vibe article. (good read)
After looking at this chicks face I think she speaks from experience because she looks beat.
Once again American Me, Stand and Deliver, anyone !? No one see’s the resemblance?
E.J. Olmos No? Just me ?
Folks don’t be to quick to judge, something tells me she knows from what she speaks!
To tell the truth she might have got her ass kicked before this interview even took place.
(just saying she pretty beaten up)
Her man must be gifted from the shoulders. SMH
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February 17th, 2009 at 10:30 am
This whole story sounds so scary, bite marks
I dont know if it is true or not but some one needs help. They are both so young what
in the hell happened. I read that that chris brown says sorry and he is deeply sadden. I hope that is true he needs to try and fix things asap.
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February 17th, 2009 at 11:23 am
Wow.
Chris & Rihanna the new poster kids for domestic violence huh?
I dont agree with this.
Chris hasn’t even been convicted of anything yet.
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February 17th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Dear Miss Info/ Mikey Fresh, thanks for posting this (Info: hear we go again, right?). Great comments.
For those concerned about my left hook: I do not support emotional or physical abuse of men. My statement that my husband shouldn’t hit me back holds true for everyone if it’s not self-defense IMO. Myself included. Whether you’re male or female, you need to be able to get out of a dangerous situation, but if it’s not about survival-say a woman smacks me, and I stab her to “teach her a lesson”- we’re both wrong. Even if I smack her with exactly the same force, I’m retaliating, not diffusing. In my experience, violence just escalates things. Sounds naïve, right? Until you think about Iraq.
Nowhere in the video do I allege that Chris Brown is guilty. First thing I heard about the alleged attack was that Rihanna must have done something to deserve it. The second was people judging Brown guilty without facts. I consider Brown innocent until proven otherwise, but Rihanna deserves the same respect. And when it’s all about taking sides—who hit who first— we get away from the real issue, which is that relationship violence is bad for everyone involved (including kids who witness).
That’s why I take responsibility for my own history, and why I won’t demonize Big Pun or Brown (who also grew up in an abusive household). My hope is that we can start talking honestly about how violence affects us. Unfortunately, we never seem to talk about it except when photogenic celebrities are involved. And for me, people’s instant reactions — he’s a monster/she deserved it– are the real story, and they give insight into what’s going on with the non-Lamborghini renting majority.
I don’t know what happened between the two of them that night. What I do know, per the Department of Justice, is that relationship violence is on the rise in general (up 42 percent from 2005 according to the latest Department of Justice stats; about 623,000 violent crimes—554,000 against female victims and 69,000 against male victims—were committed by an intimate partner in 2007. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cv07.htm )and among teens (in New York City, for example, it’s gone up 40 percent since 1999 http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/survey/survey-2007teensafety.pdf.) Whether the victims are male or female, those numbers aren’t good. What saddens me is that it seems like people think that condemning violence against women means you’re condemning men (or excusing violence against men).
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February 17th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Elizabeth, don’t take this personal but I think you’re a fundamentally flawed person when it comes to this subject… Repeat after me, I DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO PUT MY HANDS ON ANYONE AND NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO PUT THEIR HANDS ON ME, IF I HIT SOMEONE IN ANGER THEN I ACCEPT THAT REPERCUSSIONS OF THAT ACT MIGHT BE THEM RETALIATING AND I DON’T ACCEPT THAT BECAUSE OF MY GENDER I CAN WALK AROUND HITTING PEOPLE WHENEVER I FEEL LIKE… now say it out loud..
You keep basically saying that if someone hits you don’t have the right to hit them back… that’s bugged out.. If a woman can hit a man whenever they feel like it than you’re basically excusing violence against men or saying that men themselves should excuse it
Do you understand that?
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February 17th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
The sight of blood to crowds begets the thirst of more, As the first wine-cup leads to the long revel.
I.E.
Violence usually begets more extreme forms of violence
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February 17th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
but the thing is Elizabeth, no one said if you hit him he should stab you… If you slap him and he slaps you for slapping him yes you are both wrong, but you make seem as if he is more wrong for slapping you back when you started with the hands… why is it that you think if you slap him his job is to try to diffuse anything??? why not you use your head and diffuse the situation before it comes violent? why are you shifting responsibility on yours if you clearly aren’t thinking of the consequence of your actions??? that what it is about… I dont hit women, I have a lil sister that gets busy so Im not a women beater I just want you to know that your logic seems alil off…
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February 17th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
it’s supposed to read….. why are you shifting responsibility on others if you clearly aren’t thinking of the consequence of your actions???
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February 17th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
‘beth i think you’re beautiful and
articulate.. (i’m in love with u)
2 wrongs don’t make a right hook justifiable
but consequences are
consequences
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February 18th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Thanks for the comments!
To Mr. Marvel, I’m not arguing that the person who hits back is more wrong than the person who hit first. I think we agree on this. Both people are wrong, and the instigator gets extra bonus wrongness points. OK?
On diffusing vs. retaliating: I’m not naive enough to think most people wouldn’t hit me if I hit them first. I don’t go around hitting people to test my principles. I’m saying I’ve learned the hard way that when I retaliated against people for perfectly good reasons, the situation got worse, and I contributed to it getting worse. That’s why I do what I do.
Teaching somebody a lesson every time they make me mad physically or emotionally is exhausting. I know we live in a culture that loves physical power and violence, so I’m going against the grain, but: at some point somebody’s gotta be the bigger person. Otherwise, the lesson-teacher gets caught up in the classroom.
Also, everybody should take the consequences for their actions. So I think we agree there too. If a woman is abusive of her man, she needs to be held responsible. It seems like a lot of dudes who comment on blogs have been in some bad relationships with scary women. I think we need to start dealing with that honestly too. But what are the right consequences? Is the only way to hold someone accountable hitting them back? To me that seems like sinking to the instigator’s level. I’d rather see people end unhealthy relationships than escalate them.
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February 18th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Big: I couldn’t agree with you more with you on this: I don’t have the right to put my hands on anyone, and noone has the right to put their hands on me. My argument that a person shouldn’t react violently to violence except when they’re defending themselves holds true for men and women. So to be real clear if my husband hits me first I shouldn’t hit him/shove him/scratch him/pull his hair unless I’m doing it in order to defend myself and get out the situation.
Sounds crazy, right? But my point for everyone (male and female) that gets caught up in relationship violence is that staying with somebody who talks with her or his hands doesn’t make sense. You can stay, you can fight, you can “teach somebody a lesson.” But is that ever going to make it into a healthy relationship? It just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me (but I’m also female, so I probably don’t feel like I have as much to prove on this front). Do you understand?
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February 18th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
first of all i dont know why peoplee are talking when they have no idea what the fuck happenedd that night. like seriously just wait till the facts come out thenn talk.
i really wonder if chriss really didnt do that i wonder if people gona be sorry. this is wrong you people just jump to conclusions wait till you hear WHAT REALLY HAPPPENED !
&& if a girl hits a guyy hell yeah the girl should be expecting to get hit back.
im a girl so if i hitt a guy ill be expecting that hit right back.
so just SHUSH about this and wait till the real shit comes out thenn go run your mouths saying its his fault or hers.
kthankbyee[:
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February 18th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Miss Elizabeth, I got what you’re saying but it doesn’t make much sense!! Sure in a perfect world we should all turn the other cheek and channel the spirit of Martin but how realistic is that? What lessons are you teaching you’re children when you teach them not to defend themselves? What are we grooming them to become? A generation of people with anger displacement issues, a nation of people with battered whatever syndrome? My seven year old comes home from school last year (when he was 6) with a massive lump on his head and I said WTF happened well he wouldn’t tell me but his little friend Ryan did and basically what happened was some big ass 7yr old was banging his head against a pole during recess… WELL I told him “If someone his you, you kick their ass or I’m going to kick your ass and I told his best friend Ryan that if anyone hits his best bud he kicks their ass and the same in reverse. Well a few days later I got called into school because the two of them was kicking that big ass 7yr olds ass and I guess the kid got a bloody nose because there was a shit load of fake outrage WELL no one was outraged by the lump on my sons head… ANYWAY since that time my kid has seen an improved level of self confidence and he’s doing 100X better in school now that he’s in the first grade… Explain this to me, How do I undo that? How do I rewire him to not instantly react when he’s being violated against and what does that do to his spirit and self-worth?
Our disagreement is philosophical not a gender based… If I had a daughter I would tell her not to put her hands on anyone if she didn’t expect to be hit… We have a depressed society of people who don’t know how to express their anger or emotions so they shoot up school and malls and kill themselves because the just wanted to fight back but don’t know how to because there was someone there constantly telling them that the rage they felt as a result of something that happened to them was wrong…
GET IT OUT, GET IT OVER WITH, GET THROUGHT IT AND MOVE ON!!
Of course there are degrees of how to apply this but if my lady punch me in the arm for saying “damn x-girl has a fat ass” which happens often no I wouldn’t haul off and knock her out.. If we were ranting back and forth about a major issue, things get a little heated and she hauled off and punched me in the face then her head might end up going through a wall… And I’m being real… Does that make me a woman beater by your standard sure it does, do I give a fuck NOT AT ALL!! Even in the court of law there is something called justifiable homicide meaning you have the right to kill someone who apparently didn’t kill you!
So you need to teach your daughter to expect that she deserves to get hit back if she puts her hands on ANYONE that way we can start to draw a clear line between getting what you deserve and getting beaten on by a man.. Otherwise the line will stay blurred and only make sense to woman which often times gets lost in translation…
Do you understand?
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February 18th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
I think that people shouldn’t be making up lies about what they don’t know they should just not believe anything people say.
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February 18th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Miss Elizabeth I think we have an understanding, at least somewhat. I would just like to point out that what you wrote to me was something entirely different than what you said in that video.
No one should hit anyone, and if you do you can’t complain if you get hit back… Take gender out of the equation. Whether it gets worse after you hit that person back or not. Im telling you from experience not mine personally but my mother’s, if you let someone hit you and you do nothing you will continue to get hit, if someone hits you and you hit them back, the next time that person will think about it a little bit more the next time they hit you because they know they will get hit back.
Think about it bullies hit those that don’t defend themselves of have no one to defend them, they dont want problems with people that fight back. Im not saying violence is always the answer, but what Im saying is people have the right to defend themselves, a punch for a punch, or a slap for a punch or a punch for a slap etc. Im not saying beat women or nothing like that, or teach someone a lesson.
I grew up in an abusive household and I dont like getting hit by anyone… Sure I can take it, Im kinda a big dude, there is some things I will let slide if I “deserve” it or start something. A dude will get merked early, and a chick could catch a slap but more likely to get a visit from my lil sis, but this is all because of my past and allowing people to get away with stuff that they should not.
The more you hold things in the worst things get, you can’t just let people do whatever it affects you later on.
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February 19th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Violence usually begets more extreme forms of violence
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February 19th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Big: On your mom’s situation: I’m sorry she went through that, and I’m glad she didn’t put up with it. Like I said, I support people’s right to self-defense, absolutely. And of course I understand wanting to hurt someone who’s hurt them, but I just think in most cases, barring self-defense, the healthiest response is to get out of that relationship, not stick around hitting the dude. So you don’t become a battered woman: you get out of there before it gets to that point. Doesn’t that mean less anger and battered person syndrome?
And again, I think your son has every right to defend himself. Absolutely. But on the whole teaching-a-bully-a-lesson retaliation thing, let’s agree to disagree. I undertand your point, I respect your point, and I can see how, as a parent with a kid in the mean schoolyard, you can see some pretty direct benefits of violence. I’m not disputing that. And I’m not an absolute pacifist: I believe in self defense. But I’ve just been around too many people who believed their violence was righteous and didn’t notice when it wasn’t.
Mr. Marvel: In the video the point I was trying to make the point that there are other ways to deal with violence than more violence (so my husband can hold me responsible for being violent, by divorcing me say, without necessarily hitting me back). You say “if someone hits you and you do nothing you will continue to get hit.” How about: if someone hits you, you defend yourself if necessary and then you break up with them. In that case, you won’t continue to get hit, right? I know this stuff isn’t easy, and the lines blur. I’m not trying to demonize anybody. I’m just saying that if we keep on responding with violence on all sides, we can’t really expect that we’ll magically figure out healthier ways of dealing with conflict.
Women’s violence is something that really doesn’t get talked about much, and my goal in admitting to the fact that I’ve been violent in the past in the video was to get at the point that this isn’t a one way street. Some of the women I know who have been most viciously abused threw punches too. They called what happened “fights” even though at the end of the day, they wound up in the hospital, not their man (one dude I know beat his girl until she miscarried his baby). I think that part of it is that those women didn’t want to be seen as victims, but it was incredibly sad to see what they went through– and they didn’t even feel like they deserved sympathy. To me, you don’t have to be innocent to be a victim of violence. This stuff a lot more complicated than good and evil.
Thanks both of you for taking the time to talk it out.
. But like I said, I agree with self-defense. But I don’t agree that the best way to deal with violence is violence. Like you said above, violence breeds violence. That’s the point I was trying to make in the video: there are other ways to hold somebody responsible than to hit them back, and I think that as long as we rely on the vocab of violence,
but as a kid who taught people many a lesson, I think I was wrong. I had been taught that violence was the way to get my point across, so that’s what I did.
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February 20th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Ok Elizabeth I think we have come to a understanding… I also like the fact that we were able to talk it out, I think we need more of that, because like you said violence is not always the best way to go. I think we as people need to do more talking and try to understand each other more, because when you really look at it we are not that different at all…
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February 21st, 2009 at 7:30 pm
I agree. Lots of food for thought. This is a tough topic, and it’s taken awhile for me to get coherent about it (I know I’m still not 100 percent there). But it’s good to hear from smart people with different perspectives who are down for dialogue. And it’s important, because this isn’t a women’s or men’s issue– it’s an everybody issue.
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