Transitioning Times

This past month or so, I have been asked my opinion more times than I can count about "this whole Ray Rice thing."  Well, what troubles me is, are they so different than anyone else?  I talk to maybe 8 to 10 people a week about leaving their abusive partner.  I work with law enforcement departments to try to encourage prosecution, if that's what the victim/survivor wants.  And I'm not the only one.  There are 15 people on staff here, and countless other programs to help victims.   I understand, of course, that Ray Rice is a celebrity, just like Chris Brown was a celebrity and much has been said about their behavior and subsequent punishments, or lack thereof.  But the truth is, how we treat celebrity abusers is often reflected in how we treat all abusers.  If we don't hold abusers accountable at the local level, why would anything be different when it plays out on a national stage?   Why do we keep thinking that domestic violence is betwe...

This summer, much criticism, including our own , was hurled at the NFL for its lack of punishment for Ray Rice, who had criminal charges brought against him due to an act of domestic violence.   On August 28, 2014, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell  sent a letter to all NFL owners stating what they have been doing to rectify the vast differences in punishment for infractions of their policies, particularly their personal conduct policies vs. their drug policies.  I am very thankful that they have listened to the outcry and are trying to make their organization a safer, more respectful place, but there are still many questions to answer.  At the link above, one of the commentators asks if the new punishment would be applied to players who have been charged, but the charges are later dropped.  We know that many domestic violence charges get dropped for a variety of reasons, so this is a very valid question. I also have concerns about the following phrase: ...

One of the Baltimore Ravens' star players, Ray Rice, was caught on camera dragging his seemingly unconscious then-fiance out of an elevator after he assaulted her.  He was indicted on aggravated assault charges earlier this year.  The National Football League decided to suspend Ray Rice for 2 games.  There has been outcry over this lack of punishment.  See the above rant from Keith Olbermann.   Yes.  Outcry.  From a man, Keith Olbermann, who admits he has made comments that were inappropriate. Many feminist organizations say that men need to get involved in the fight to end violence against women.  Yes, men do need to get involved and this is exactly what we are talking about!  Would this type of rant have gotten the same attention if it was from a host on The View?  Or Rachel Maddow?  Probably not.  So, even though I am wholeheartedly grateful to Mr. Olbermann, I also have to question why his rant has garnered attention w...