Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Journal Review & Thoughts - Domestic Violence & Hate Crimes


Barnes: Suffering in a silent vacuum
Domestic Violence has always existed and it is never going to go extinct. Even if a partner were to defend themselves or terminate the relationship after the first instance of abuse, it would still be a form of domestic violence. To be able to imagine a world, relationship and even a lifestyle that is free of domestic violence is a practice of ignorance. I can relate to the notion that same sex lesbian relationships tend to foster loving families, at least in our minds. However, it is just as naïve to pretend that lesbians tend to be egalitarian, non-violent feminists who prescribe to groupthink so strongly that they would do whatever it takes to support their community’s precious feminine ideal of love and affection. On the other hand it should not come as a shock, after all women are almost always the victims of domestic violence. Not always but as we can see even in lesbian couples it makes sense that the women that are being victimized would act exactly the way their heterosexual counterparts do. Why would it be any different? It is convenient to point to the shock and disbelief of violence in these relationships to lend support to the inaction of silence. To me it is merely a convenient explanation. Domestic abusers know exactly what they are doing, they don’t just abuse, they plan and entrap, this is no different no matter what your sexual orientation may be. To me these are standard cases of domestic violence, no different, no more special and not surprising at all.
Q: Why would feminism support non-violent relationships? Many women completely disagree with feminists and furthermore there are radical feminists who do more damage than good.

Stotzer: Seeking solace in We-Ho
Hate crimes are an awful and pathetic demonstration of bigotry. They have plagued society for centuries, and are likely to never seize to exist, even when we are all mocha colored with brown hair in the year 3000. There will always be someone ignorant and feeble enough to want to hurt someone they do not understand and cannot accept. Thinking that a gay community would strengthen support of outsiders and increase security for those within the community makes sense on the surface. The members of that community hope that by banding together and also showing the other communities that they are pleasant, upstanding citizens that they will create a safe haven for their niche. The articles explains however, that it is not so much the community that draws the violence, although those people seeking to hurt members of that community know exactly where to go, poverty, industrialization and overall density are better indicators of safety or the inverse. I agree that if the area in general is poor, where people are struggling, uneducated and likely furious and depressed causing them to act out against community members who they do not understand. It also follows that a low amount of special community’s members would be likelier targets in a poverty stricken city. Now if the socio-economic makeup of the area were constant, maybe then a larger concentration would be beneficial to those members, but once again only if they can be in groups and look after each other at all times.

Q: What factors do you think contribute to a safer environment for special communities such as LGBTQ?

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