To the editor:
With so much information in the news about domestic violence, thanks to the NFL, it’s hard to think there’s anything left to say — anything that someone hasn’t already heard or read. But this is a conversation that has been going on for decades — a conversation that not many people pay attention to if it doesn’t personally concern them. A conversation that seems to be, at times and to some people, more than they want to hear, something they’d like to ignore, something they don’t want to admit is happening.
But it is happening — to one in three women and one in four men in the U.S. Three women die every day at the hands of an intimate partner. Domestic violence shelters are still full, hotlines are ringing, and for every victim who has come forward, many more are suffering alone. And it’s the nation’s youth who are most at risk — young women between the ages of 18-35 suffer from the highest rates of domestic violence.
This is a conversation that needs to continue, especially since October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We each need to be a voice for those who may have lost theirs. As President Obama’s new initiative states — “It’s On Us” to end the violence. It’s going to take all of us to make sure that violence is never the answer.
Come to The Franciscan Peace Center Social Justice Film Series, “Defending Our Lives,” on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 6:30 p.m. This educational film features four women imprisoned for killing their batterers and their terrifying personal testimonies. It will be shown at The Canticle, 841 13th Ave. N., Clinton. The event is free and open to the public. Visit www.ClintonFranciscans.com or call (563) 242-7611 for more information.
Laura Anderson, Sister Nancy Miller and Lori Freudenberg
Franciscan Peace Center
Clinton
