Washington Post Ignores Battered Justice For Male Victims
Three days after the jury verdict, the Washington Post ran an editorial about Battered Justice in domestic violence cases. The article did not mention anything about Kevin Shorter. The article did not say anything about Ray Blumhorst, a battered man who was turned away by a local domestic violence shelter. The article did not refer to male victims at all.
Written by law professor Joan Meier, the essay tells the tragic story of Jessica Gonzalez. Finding her daughters missing from the house, she called the police for help, who did not respond to her appeal. The daughters were later found dead.
In her editorial, Joan Meier ignores the cold indifference that meets male DV victims, instead claiming that “too many have continued to be indifferent and sometimes hostile to women’s calls for help.”
Meier rightfully refers to “protecting battered women and children,” but fails to point out that women are equally likely to commit DV as men, and that mothers are more likely to physically abuse children than fathers.
Contact the Washington Post and tell them the following:
1. Joan Meier’s editorial on “Battered Justice for Battered Women” is biased and unfair.
2. Editorialists who make claims about “protecting battered women and children” should be expected to provide evidence to back such one-sided statements.
3. The Washington Post should run an article about “Battered Justice for Battered Men,” and highlight the recent tragic case of Kevin Shorter.
Here’s the contact information at the Washington Post:
Michael Getler, Ombudsman:
E-mail: ombudsman-at-washpost.com
Telephone: 202-334-7582
Leonard Downie, Executive Editor:
Telephone: 202-334-7512
Letters to the Editor (remember to keep your letter courteous and concise):
The Washington Post
1150 15th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20071
E-mail: letters-at-washpost.com
If you are really bothered by this blatant example of media bias, contact the writer directly:
Joan Meier
George Washington University Law School
2000 H Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20052
E-mail: jmeier-at-law.gwu.edu
Telephone: 202-994-2278
The Washington Post has never run a major article that highlights DV against men. With the re-introduction of VAWA coming any day now, we need to generate at least 1,000 e-mails, phone calls, and letters about this unfair editorial.
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Date of RADAR Release: March 20, 2005
Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting (RADAR) is a coalition of men and women working to assure media balance and accuracy in coverage of the domestic violence issue. More information can be found at: http://www.mediaradar.org/
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