Recently we here in Australia were subjected to the annual display of our community’s take on domestic violence. White ribbon day had arrived and with it the public displays by all and sundry had appeared on my Facebook feed. As someone who’s had the fortune of being slightly more interested in the subject than some of my peers, I’ve been exposed broadly speaking, to the various arguments for and against the message that this organisation promotes. If your unfamiliar with the concept the White Ribbon day will have you repeatedly observe persons form across the community “take a stand” and vow never to be violent towards women and children.
As noble as this may initially seem, I’ve come to disregard the posturing on this subject. The fact we have individuals who see the need to engage in this display in stating the obvious is mind numbing to say the least. It’s down there with the old “teach your sons not to rape” trope we see trotted out at times on social media. It leaves me wondering just what these people are seeing in the mirror when they’re standing there or what kind of kids they are bringing into this world.
The singular focus on male violence is the most galling aspect of these displays. It’s as if the female perpetrators of domestic violence don’t need to be recognised as a part of the issue. I’m not aware of any organisation as popular or publicly acknowledged as White Ribbon seeking to hold women accountable for their violence towards their families.
This factor is plainly sexist. And the blind eye aspect to this organisations activities doesn’t bode well for women who find themselves as a part of this cycle. I’ll state the obvious in saying that unlawful violence is just that, regardless of the gender of the guilty in the equation. It’s simply stunning we can’t acknowledge this factor and are as we see so often act in a dismissive manner towards it. I can’t see why we need to engage in this the way we’re encouraged to do.
If you’re unfamiliar with the name Erin Pizzey and you want the “other sides” witness do yourself a favour and look into her work and experience. It’ll provide you with some food for thought and leaving you questioning why and how we choose to accept and go along with the contemporary take on the subject. We need to grasp the fundamentals of this topic if we’re going to learn how to successfully deal with it. Again I’m stating the obvious but I don’t see that happening here in Australia at the moment.
Diesel. Powered. 