One of the widely held myths about domestic violence is that it is an overwhelmingly male dominated activity and Senate Majority Leader Reid continued to keep the ignorant in the dark by stating that domestic violence is out of control in his state because "men don't have jobs." He also said that "women aren't abusive, most of the time."
Luckily I have facts and here are some about Nevada:
In 2003 Nevada ranked 1st in cases of reported domestic violence. This is long before the recession of 2008 (Source: Silent Witness)
Nevada recently dropped from 2nd to 5th in cases of homicide against women. This directly contradicts Harry Reid's comparison
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence over 40% of the crimes are committed against men
It is true that there is a direct correlation between financial strain and domestic violence but to blame the high rate of domestic violence on the economy ignores the huge pink elephant in the room, compulsive gambling. Historically the closer you get to Las Vegas and Reno the higher the rates of personal bankruptcy. In addition San Bernardino and Riverside Counties in California had higher rates of bankruptcy and are both geographically closer to Vegas. Sacramento County is also near the top of the list and is close to Reno. (Source: The Rise in Personal Bankruptcy)
In addition Harry Reid continues to push the disproportionate myth that women aren't violent. There is no more antagonistic creature on the planet than the human female. Women are not taught to take responsibility for their behavior. When a man kills a child it is murder, when Andrea Yates methodically murdered all her kids it was mental illness. When Barry Williams filed a Restraining Order against his live in girlfriend he was mocked but when Chris Brown hit Rihanna he was crucified.
I am in no way suggesting that Chris Brown did not earn his punishment but if Harry Reid is right then how do you explain the Chris Brown incident or Charlie Sheen's? Both these men have more than enough money and employment. The reality is that there are other contributing factors including drugs, alcohol and upbringing.
Domestic Violence more often than not takes two people. As with most stories there are two sides and then there is the truth. In the case of domestic violence in Nevada, Harry Reid isn't telling the whole story.
Stay Sharp!
RELATED:
NATIONAL COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
A Hidden Crime: Domestic Violence Against Men Is a Growing Problem
Spotlight on Nevada's Domestic Violence Problem
