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by LSBeene on 04:40 PM June 10th, 2005 EST (#1)
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I am writing you in regards to your piece:
"Woman Gets Fiance's Attention"
Web link:
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/news/06082005_bb_ouch. html
I was appalled and saddened to read your light hearted and dismissive tone in this story.
In your story Allyson Lace committed a brutal and viscious case of DOMESTIC VIOLENCE against her fiancee. But I didn't see any mention of the words domestic violence in your reporting.
This woman then went on to commit a felony attack on the police officers who came to her fiancees rescue, even going so far as to try to BLIND one of the officers.
I saw no depth in your story at all. No questioning of the DV victim, no reporting from a DV victim's advocate, and no digging into her past to see if she had done this previously.
It is often true that people who commit this level of DV have escalated their violence over time to get to this level of brutality.
Domestic violence against men is not a joke, is not fodder for light hearted reporting, and this kind of story is EXACTLY why men who are the victims of this brutality don't feel comfortable reporting it.
Would you have written this piece the same way if a man had repeatedly kicked, scratched, and brutalized his fiancee?
Would you have written a title "Man gets fiancee's attention" if a man had repeatedly savagely kicked a woman's vaginal area and then when the police arrived that the man had then tried to blind the one of the officers?
And I notice that in the piece the woman mouthed:
"It's over, goodbye." Normally a woman who is so assaulted gets an automatic restraining order. But in your story Allyson Lace had no such fear of breaking a restraining order as I am betting none was ISSUED.
THAT is newsworthy, as is that she got a paltry 30 days, is NOT required to attend a DV program, nor is she facing serious time.
Often when stories like this are reported when a MAN is the attacker we hear some DV advocate speak out about the prevelence of violence in homes.
Could your "hard hitting investigatiive" reporters not find ONE men's advocate?! Could they not take a story like this just a BIT seriously?
VAWA is up for renewal this year, and the language and articles of this sexist and one sided bill make it seem like violence against men is a "non-issue".
Your reorting reinforces that thinking.
Consider this: this woman just got a pass on her violence. Suppose she has children. Do you think her brutality will just be confined to her husband. Or that this fluff reporting or the lame sentence she got will deter her from committing MORE violence!?
You should be ashamed of yourselves and of the message you are sending.
This woman will batter again. Next time someone could end up dead, or maimed, or it may be her children who are the target.
Not taking this seriously is exactly why she feels entitled to commit this violence.
L. Steven Beene II
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The site admin, correctly, pointed out to me this story was from AP and had not originated from the news station.
This is true, but local news sources are free to pick which stories they cover, can add commentary, can look into the story and flesh it out, often have experts in the field of DV make comments, and can add greatly to the story. They did none of this, and are, therefore, IMO, answerable for the content of the news they publish.
Write a quick letter if you want. It only takes a few minutes.
Let em know we care. Especially with VAWA coming up.
Steven
Guerrilla Gender Warfare is just Hate Speech in polite text
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