http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive/s/schuett/2005/schuett030505.htm

March 5, 2005
by Trudy W. Schuett

The issue of intimate partner abuse has been reduced to the level of an
advertising campaign. Utilizing techniques most often used to market
sportswear and household cleaners, major corporations and entertainers are
now allowed to benefit financially from the propagation of misinformation
and fear. To add insult to injury,  Senators Joseph Biden (D-DE), Hillary
Rodham Clinton (D-NY) Harry Reid (D-NV) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) publicly
support this advertising campaign in order to appear sympathetic to the
issue, and drum up support for the Violence Against Women Act, which
initially funded agencies such as the National Coalition Against Domestic
Violence with $3.5 billion in feminist pork.

I believe it is time this issue was treated with the honesty and respect it
deserves.

In a public statement announcing the special screening on Monday of a
made-for-TV movie, "Terror At Home: Domestic Violence In America"  the
Lifetime Television network claims this event is intended to "raise
awareness of an issue which affects one in three women in her life." The
event includes a screening of the movie, and a so-called "panel discussion"
starring entertainer Michael Bolton and filmmaker Maryann De Leo.

On Tuesday, the senators will join in with a promotion for the Liz Claiborne
Corporation intended to sell scarves and ties - and more misinformation.

There is no actual, peer-reviewed research from a bona fide institution
expected to be discussed, nor is anyone with qualifications or experience in
treating intimate partner abuse featured or showcased at either event. Both
events depend entirely on the hysteria created by Lifetime's dramatic
presentations, and the advocacy research privately funded by Liz Claiborne
for marketing purposes.

None of these people care about the needs or interests of women or families.
They care about their bottom line, or getting reelected. The American people
have been manipulated into believing such a thing as "gender violence"
exists, completely diverting attention from the actual problem of intimate
partner violence. When you look at the extent of the junk science they've
based it all on, you have to wonder why.

The NCADV's  http://www.ncadv.org/  recently-refurbished website carries a
new insinuation of racism along with its well-known blatant sexism, giving
little or no practical advice for women in abusive situations, in favor of
using the influence of online media to place blame and promote feminist
ideology. It emphasizes only one solution - divorce, while ignoring the real
problem, as do all of the individual state coalitions and over 5000
federally-funded agencies across the US.

At stake, for the coalitions and agencies, is the yearly federal funding, in
hundreds of millions of dollars, provided by the Violence Against Women Act,
which gives validation to these essentially discriminatory and ineffective
programs. These programs do little more than facilitate divorces, and enable
women with violent tendencies or addictions to continue their harmful
behaviors. Meanwhile, they play on the emotions of a gullible public and
magnify and misreport the true nature of the situation.

This is common practice in the marketing world, but it does nothing to help
victims of a very real human issue. The American people should not be
expected to fund or support any corporation's marketing campaign, nor should
it be expected to fund the sexism and racism of the NCADV or any of its
member agencies.



Trudy W. Schuett


Trudy W. Schuett is the publisher of the DesertLight Journal, a blog focused
on domestic violence issues, and an advocate for unserved victims since 1999


--
Men are everywhere that matters!





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