Dear Editor,
It doesn’t seem to me that we are dealing with this issue of domestic violence in a practical way. The piece(s) of paper made into law are not by themselves the ultimate and final solution. A thing that has been embedded in society and which in effect has become the unwritten law for an exceedingly long period is not something that can be shooed away through mere legislation, any more than racism can; it sits rigid and stubborn and has to be worked on relentlessly to be gradually phased out. Indeed efforts are being made, but I maintain that we need to address some of the harsh realities that are contributing to the many forms of violence, and I think we are intellectualizing and even romanticizing the daily life happenings which are rapidly escalating. While people are coming forward and speaking out, which is a positive sign, it is far from preventing the problem. Why aren’t the people and organizations in the vanguard of the movement against domestic violence not seriously addressing economic conditions as these relate principally to the male – unemployment, inadequate wage/salary to provide for a family. These things are not wild dreams, but real life everyday people situations that are a major cause of violence and dysfunctional homes. The majority of working class men are in this category, and while I am not saying that this gives legitimacy to their violent behaviour, how come we can’t see the reason for it happening.
Any man of worth who cannot adequately cater for the well-being of his family most certainly feels emasculated; this in turn can lead to strained relations, misunderstanding and conflict, among other things, not to mention adultery, which I find many members of the various panels are avoiding. We witness very frequently the brutalization of children by mothers who vent their anger and frustration on them (children) because of being stressed out, of not being able to make ends meet for basic requirements, as a result of the husband’s inadequate wages. There are many children who do not attend school because there is no money for passage to and from school, or for breakfast, lunch/snacks, and we don’t seem to pay much mind to that, and its relationship to this matter.
I heard Minister Manickchand saying abused women and children will be taken care of; taken to a safe place and provided for; training and jobs will be found for the women thus empowering them to start anew. This is good, especially in situations that are beyond control, and of course all this is done at a cost.
What if efforts are made at prevention before the cure? Why not conduct a survey to locate the vulnerable cases and similar kinds of help are given accordingly? Invariably, it is our economic condition that shapes our actions; quite often it is the springboard for the many undesirable happenings in society, of which violence in all its forms is one such. As stated before violence just doesn’t pop up, and while there will be cases where harsh decisions will have to be taken, there are others that can be avoided if we truly target and treat areas that are potentially explosive and where the police/law are often late.
The involvement of various organizations, movements, legislation, etc, is all well and good, but all the wonderful erudite discussions and presentations which exclude the direct addressing of the economic conditions will be to no avail. We have to take off our rose-coloured glasses and face this colossal issue fair and square.
Yours faithfully,
Frank Fyffe
