At Tuesday’s [South Carolina House] 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. (MSNBC)
Rep. John Altman Graham, if you recall, was the guy who valued the lives of roosters over the lives of women, essentially blaming female victims of domestic violence for being beaten more than once. Many women were aghast and outraged by his comments, not comprehending what could cause such wanton disregard for human life.
Now we know. Rep. Altman and his cohorts think it's funny.
Funny that one-third of American women report being physically or sexually assaulted by a husband or boyfriend. Funny that an estimated 503,485 women, per year, are victims of stalkers. Funny that child abuse occurs in 30-60% of family violence cases in families with children. Funny that while women are overall less likely to be victims of violent crime, they are 5-8 times more likely than men to be abused by an intimate partner. Funny that, in 1996, 30% of all female murder victims in the US were killed by a husband or boyfriend. Funny that a child's exposure to such violence is one of the leading factors in the tendency toward future violence in that grown child. Funny that 40% of girls 14-17 report knowing someone who has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend. Funny that domestic violence costs the US anywhere from $5-10 billion in annual medical expenses, police and emergency costs, workplace absenteeism and other areas. (Statistics from NDVH.org)
Yeah, that's just a real laugh riot. Hoo-hoo, I just can't stop the chortling.
Pop Her
What else needs to be said? Those words make the state of women in this country today exceedingly clear - we may be able to vote, but the men in power still see us as chattel to use as they see fit. In fact, in South Carolina, women are worth less than roosters, given less protection under the law than poultry, and subject to the idea that popping them is amusing.
Now, Rep. Altman claims that it was just a joke, and anyone who took offense is just too damned sensitive. I'm sorry, Mr. Altman, I don't find violence against anyone even remotely mirthsome. My parents raised me better than that, with a respect for human life you obviously lack, and a tendency to be appalled at the suggestion that beating the shit out of someone might be good for some kicks. I believe Rep. Altman and others contend that it was just a joke, not really advocating hitting women repeatedly, just sort of imagining it and getting their rocks off laughing. Ho-kay.
Except I don't buy that excuse. It's not okay to imagine white men getting beat up for no better reason than their genitalia and laughing. Maude no, people tend to get up in arms about those white men folk getting hit for no good reason. I imagine Mr. Altman might actually take issue with that almost as much as rooster-on-rooster fighting. It's not okay to joke about black people getting beaten for their race, or Jewish people for their heritage - hell, those are officially "hate crimes."
When asked to explain the disparity between the penalties for chicken fighting (felony, first offense) and beating women (misdemeanor, even after multiple offenses), Altman said:
People who compare the two are not very smart and if you don't understand the difference, Ms. Gormley, between trying to ban the savage practice of watching chickens trying to kill each other and protecting people rights in CDV statutes, I'll never be able to explain it to you in a 100 years ma'am.
He's not quite right. People who compare the two, and have the chicken win, aren't necessarily dumb. They're morally bankrupt, sure, but bright enough to keep getting elected anyway. Chickens beating the crap out of other chickens is bad, I agree. Forgive me if I think humans beating the crap out of other humans is worse, and that humans deserve at least the same legal protections and considerations as poultry.
Pop Her Again
Altman doesn't think chickens beating chickens is a laughing matter, but men beating women is just a real hoot.
Frankly, I don't want him to explain it to me.
*****
Shakespeare's Sister links the SC House attitude against women to the national attitude against the GLBT community. It's a must read. Gilead is on the horizon.
