Monday, August 25, 2014

A Deadly Epidemic of Violence Against Women

The Atlantic reports on A Deadly Epidemic of Violence Against Women

"The map is of South Carolina and its counties. 'All 46 counties have at least one animal shelter to care for stray dogs,' The Charleston Post Courier reports, 'but the state has only 18 domestic violence shelters to help women trying to escape abuse.' One of the red dots represents a 31-year-old, Amerise Barbre, whose boyfriend strangled her. Each red dot represents a woman killed by a husband or boyfriend. In the eight-year period shown, that sort of murder happened 292 times.

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'Most state legislators profess deep concern over domestic violence,' the newspaper notes in the introduction to a seven-part feature. 'Yet they maintain a legal system in which a man can earn five years in prison for abusing his dog but a maximum of just 30 days in jail for beating his wife or girlfriend on a first offense.' Domestic abuse reportedly occurs there about 36,000 times per year."

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