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The Washington Post: Where "Rape Hysteria" Takes a New Turn
NEWS FLASH
On Monday December 20, the Washington Post featured a 3-page article titled Violence Intersects Lives of Promise. This story, written by Donna St. George, is a follow-up to a similar piece that ran on December 19.
The purpose of the second article is to provide heart-rending descriptions of several pregnant women killed as a result of domestic violence.
BACKGROUND
Beginning in the 1920s, newspapers in the Southern United States began to run stories of black men who had allegedly raped white women. The sensationalistic articles played on readers' emotions in such a way that the public at large became unduly fearful.
The inflammatory news coverage had two effects:
1. Thousands of men, mostly black, were lynched by vigilante mobs.
2. Laws were passed that made it easier to convict alleged rapists.
In the early 1990s, rape hysteria descended on America’s college campuses, this time under the guise of stopping "date rape". As a result, colleges instituted new disciplinary procedures that, in many cases, removed the presumption of innocence from accused male students.
Now in 2004, a new type of rape hysteria is on the rise. That hysteria is being promoted by the domestic violence (DV) industry and by certain media outlets.
WHAT THE WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE SAYS
The Washington Post article provides graphic details, based on interviews with family members of two DV victims -- Shameka Fludd and Ceeatta McKinnie - and summaries of the deaths of several other women. The essay includes 7 photographs of victims and their family members.
A sidebar article, "States Add Penalties for Death of Unborn" discusses the effects of the Laci Peterson death on homicide laws around the country.
WHERE THE ARTICLE GOES WRONG
The WP article is anecdotal in nature. It is written to play on the emotions. It does not provide any real news beyond what was reported in the previous story. It is the kind of story one would expect to see on the Oprah Winfrey or Jerry Springer shows.
The concluding paragraph of the account reveals the legal outcome of one of the woman's murderers, Donte Allen, who was sentenced to 45 years in prison. After the sentence was announced, the father of the woman was quoted to say, "It’s not enough."
Translation: We need stronger laws to prevent domestic violence.
CONCLUSION
Each year, 207 mothers (some pregnant, others not) and 507 men die as a result of domestic violence. Their tragic deaths are never pleasant to recount. A three-page account of the slayings of the 507 men would have had a similar emotional impact.
Those men who have been victimized by domestic violence should no longer be ignored. Nor should the tragic deaths of 200 women be exploited by the domestic violence industry to sway public opinion about upcoming federal legislation.
The Washington Post is engaged in a biased - some would say scurrilous -- effort to impose a one-sided perspective on a problem that affects men and women alike.
TELL THE WASHINGTON POST TO HALT THE DV HYSTERIA
Please contact:
1. Letters to the Editor: letters@washpost.com
The Washington Post
1150 15th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20071
(Include your name, address, and daytime telephone number)
2. Donna St. George
E-mail: stgeorgedr@washpost.com
3. Washington Post Ombudsman:
Michael Getler
E-mail: ombudsman@washpost.com
Telephone: 202-334-7582
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Following on its opening story of yesterday, the