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Joking About Violence Against Women?

By TChris, Section Legislation
Posted on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 09:59:30 AM EST
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by TChris

Legislation directed against domestic violence isn't always well-conceived, but the problem of domestic violence shouldn't be belittled by lawmakers who claim to be trying to solve it. Voters in South Carolina should pay attention to this exchange, occurring in the state's House Judiciary Committee.

At Tuesday's meeting, according to the newspaper account, Rep. John Graham Altman asked why the bill's title "Protect Our Women in Every Relationship (POWER)" just mentioned protecting women. Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Harrison suggested calling the bill the "Protecting Our People in Every Relationship Act," or "POPER," the newspaper reported.

A voice on the tape is heard pronouncing it "Pop her." Then another says "Pop her again," followed by laughter.

Funny. Real funny.

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    Joking About Violence Against Women? | 10 comments (10 topical)
    Re: Joking About Violence Against Women? (none / 0) (#1)
    by marty on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 10:38:27 AM EST
    What do you want to bet that they're Republicans?

    Re: Joking About Violence Against Women? (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 11:13:33 AM EST
    The SC House Judiciary Committee committee has two women on it, both Republicans, one of whom was a cosponsor of the DV bill. Of the two main sponsors of the DV bill, one is an African American female Democrat, the other is a white, male, Conservative Republican. The issue isn't R or D, liberal or conservative. The issue, rather, is a legislator who has been a member of a closed, cliquish group for so long that he's forgotten what's appropriate -- if I'm not mistaken, John Graham Altman was associated with a (joke) memo that went around a couple of years ago that encouraged female interns (these are high school age women) to wear short skirts and no underwear. That's the type of person we're dealing with.

    Re: Joking About Violence Against Women? (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 11:20:50 AM EST
    (but, yes, John Graham Altman, the one making the joke, is a Republican.)

    Re: Joking About Violence Against Women? (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 11:38:22 AM EST
    Is this legislation needed? It is like hate crime legislation. Is murder under a hate crime worse than regular murder?

    Re: Joking About Violence Against Women? (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 11:44:54 AM EST
    Why don't you see the cause of this problem? right now a massive/huge third world population has moved into so.caroline over the last 20 years, many wife murders/beatings have happend and it is normal place in all third world nations for "violence against woman". "In all" hispanic ideals/cultural understanding of wife beating is normal, as day and night, so have fun with your new ideals of culture. cultural ideals make rights and wrongs, remember just 50 years ago it was ok in the so called white culture to beat your wife, but under FDR, That started to stop with laws, today you have no laws only this ideals of total corruption for the show.

    Re: Joking About Violence Against Women? (none / 0) (#6)
    by Wes on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 12:31:59 PM EST
    Judiciary Committee passes cockfighting bill, tables domestic violence bill (Columbia) April 20, 2005 - The State House took up two pieces of legislation this week aimed at protecting two different groups. Up for debate was cracking down on gamecock fighting and protecting victims of domestic violence. A bill protecting cocks passed through the House Judiciary Committee. Rep. John Graham Altman (R-Dist. 119-Charleston) was in favor of the gamecock bill, "I was all for that. Cockfighting reminds me of the Roman circus, coliseum." A bill advocates say would protect victims against batterers was tabled, killing it for the year. Rep. Altman is on the committee that looked at the domestic violence bill, "I think this bill is probably drafted out of an abundance of ignorance." http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?s=3233130

    Re: Joking About Violence Against Women? (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 01:41:43 PM EST
    This sounds like a bunch of Southern hicks who think harass is two words. (hat tip: Geraldine Ferraro)

    Re: Joking About Violence Against Women? (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 03:53:02 PM EST
    Posted by Wile E. coyote: "Is this legislation needed? It is like hate crime legislation. Is murder under a hate crime worse than regular murder?" Yes, of course it is. A hate crime may kill one person, but it attacks a whole group. As for laws against battering of women, in your chosen contrast, the act is a crime against 1) a woman, and 2) all women, and for that matter all spouses, given the statistics on the amount of spousal abuse in the country. Protecting women from bullies is one of a police officer's favorite things. Not so, apparently, for politicians who make their money lying out of both sides of their mouths, leaving the middle free to laugh at their own disgrace.

    Re: Joking About Violence Against Women? (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 24, 2005 at 10:11:41 AM EST
    Paul in LA: So if someone is convicted of a hate crime their setence is takes into account the crime against the entire group? Would you be more likely to agree to death penalties for hate crime murders over your garden varitey murder because they are aimed at a group?

    Re: Joking About Violence Against Women? (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 25, 2005 at 06:30:25 AM EST
    How appalling that women are considered underclass citizens who deserve to be "forced" to obey the all too common abusive male! These men use their brawn to mask their pathetic feelings of inadequacy by undermining women who unknowingly and innocently fall into the very subtle web of deceit and control. John Altman has a lot of explaining of and apologizing for his behavior. I am ashamed that he is a Republican and a person in a powerful political position. Makes me think he (and every pathetic committee member in that meeting who hadn't the guts to stand up for a woman's rights) must believe it is ok for a man to hurt a woman whether verbally or physically. The (little) men who get a high off of holding powerful positions are not fooling anyone but themselves. Hopefully, the "real men" are willing to fight for human dignity and for those who are unable to fight for themselves. I am sickened by this neanderthal mentality!!!!

    Joking About Violence Against Women? | 10 comments (10 topical)