Domestic Violence (Andrea Torres)

What makes men feel superior than women? Why are women subjected to the physical and mental abuse of men? During the years women were made as an object to men. Men did not know the value of having a wife, or the meaning of friends and family. Men would abuse their friends, family, or friends.

Pamela Shifman and Salamishah Tillet wrote an article in the New York Times called “To Stop Violence, Start at Home”. These authors explain that when men attack it usually starts at home, such as if a man is imprisoned for violence or as a threat to society these actions are led by mental or physical abuse that start at their homes. These violent individuals usually practice these acts with their friends, families, or partners. These men try to perfect these violent acts so that in the moment they want to do it in society they will be able to do it perfectly making sure that nothing goes wrong. This is most likely something mental or emotional on the individuals head, and this could have something to do from their past that has made them act this violent way, it could be a history of abusive parents or maybe even an abusive childhood due to other students, like bullying that has made these individuals do this to innocent victims.

Many significant terrorists from this decade have shown us that these statements are true. One of these terrorists is Tamerlan Tsarnaev who was the man that was suspected to have been behind the Boston Marathon bombing, he had been arrested for attacking violently his girlfriend beforehand. Before George Zimmerman was found "not guilty", for the Trayvon Martin case, he had been arrested twice for domestic violence since 2013 to his ex-girlfriend. The third one was an incident that happened in Sydney in the Lindt Chocolate café which 17 people had been held as hostages by a man named Man Haron Monis. But before this he had been arrested by the police to being an accessory to the murder of his ex wife.

Some people ask why don't these girls defend themselves? Why don't they go to the police? The reality is as much as you would like to put a stop to this, it won't be that easy for these women, they are scared for their lives, since their partners are so violent. Not many women have the courage to stand up for themselves, especially if they have children. These men intimidate these women to keep their mouths closed if they are questioned about their "life at home". Imagine yourself in their position what would you do?

Some quotes that have touched my soul which could be used for this specific situation would be these two:

• "You teach people how to treat you by what you allow, what you stop, and what you reinforce" by Tony Gaskins
• "Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself" by Robert Frost 

Hopefully women who are experiencing abuse, mental or physical, and who are reading this article realize that as women you are not alone and you can not let a man torture or abuse you, and make you think that what they are doing is right. Hopefully you find the courage to stand up for yourself, for your family, and for the sake of your life. 

-Andrea Torres