The mail
MEN, WOMEN, AND ABUSE
Harold Jewell accuses radical feminists of moaning and
groaning “endlessly” about the mistreatment of women (The Mail, October 11).
Meanwhile, he states, the abuse of men is largely ignored.
It would be easier to give Mr. Jewell’s portrait of
anti-male discrimination more credence if he didn’t distort some of the facts.
For example, he says men “routinely lose in child custody cases.” According to
a Massachusetts Supreme Court Study of Gender Bias, about 30 percent of the men
who actively seek custody lose. But the majority of men — 70 percent — win
primary or joint custody.
Even worse, Mr. Jewell attempts to dismiss the billions of
crimes committed against women and girls around the world as if they were a
figment of the radical feminist imagination.
Well, Mr. Jewell, the facts prove that your “radical
feminists” are right on the money. For example, the United Nations estimates
that about a third of the world’s women are physically or sexually abused. And
the World Health Organization says that wife beating and sexual violence
against women “are common, widespread and far-reaching.”
Closer to home, a major 1998 study co-sponsored by the US
Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention —
organizations that tend not to be viewed as bastions of radical feminism
propaganda — found that nearly 25 percent of American women reported being
raped or abused by a partner, compared to 7.5 percent of men. About 5 percent
of women reported being stalked compared to 0.6 percent of men.
Another report from the US Department of Justice estimates
that a young woman in college today runs a 1-in-5 risk of being sexually
assaulted before she graduates, a finding that should concern every father,
uncle, and brother of female college students. Few college men have to contend
with a threat like that in their educational environment.
Still another DOJ study, from 2000, found that 86 percent of
all victims of sexual assault were female while 96 percent of the offenders —
regardless of the gender of the victims — were male.
All of this proves one thing: Violent acts against women and
girls — usually committed by men and boys the victims know and often love —
is such a big problem that it should concern everyone, whether you’re a radical
feminist or Mr. T.
Unfortunately, too many men still feel, like Mr. Jewell,
that radical feminists are making a mountain out of a molehill. But it’s not a
molehill. It’s Mount Everest. And it’s time for men to
stop looking the other way.
In fact, men have a responsibility to take a leadership role
in the fight against this centuries-old crime wave against women and girls by
setting a new standard for men. Instead of condoning male violence and sexist
attitudes with our silence or dismissing the problem altogether, we need to
speak out about it and work to change the minds of men and boys who might
otherwise become perpetrators. So that some day we can end the violence and
discrimination that threatens the women and girls we care about.
Hank Shaw, Corwin
Road, Rochester; Pete Navratil, Shallow Creek Trail, Webster (Navratil and
Shaw are founding members of Stand-up Guys, a local organization working to
raise awareness about male violence against women and girls and to promote
gender equality in the community.)
SEEKING EQUAL CREDIT
I agree with the letter on men bashing. My wife and I are
absolute equals in raising our three children, but boy, do I get sold short on
a daily basis.
The teachers always refer to mothers. The nurses, the bus
drivers, the mail sent from the school is to mom. My wife and I constantly have
to let others know that there is a
father in the house. I deserve equal credit; I work hard and have to suffer
from not being able to spend as much time with my children.
I am not saying that if circumstances do not permit a father
being in the picture that a single mother could not do the job. I am simply
saying that with the two of us working as a team, our kids are happy and
grateful to have what they have. It seems to be a rare thing these days: a mom
and dad who get equal credit and who equally raise their children. Man and
woman can be true equals.
Shawn Cudo, Edgemere Drive, Greece
WHERE ARE REN SQUARE’S STATS?
In the August 25,
2004, edition of City, Mary Anna Towler’s
column was titled Renaissance Square’s a pig in a poke.”
Over two years have elapsed, and that $230 million pig is
still on the loose. I’m all for it — if the economic benefits outweigh the
costs. But if those numbers have been crunched, they’re a well-guarded secret.
Arnie Mori, Fairport
‘HONEST GRAFT’ AND THE WATER AUTHORITY
The governance of the Monroe County Water Authority has been
negatively evaluated by critics who apparently fail to recognize the distinction
between Honest Graft and Dishonest Graf.
That distinction was defined in 1905 by Senator George
Washington Plunkitt, a Democrat, of Tammany Hall. You
can find his speech on the web under “Honest Graft.” Honest Graft is
obtained when a politician uses “foresight” gained from the job to
buy advantageous parcels of land in advance of public knowledge, or by
cooperating in a system of inflating government salaries in anticipation of an
eventual return of favor.
Dishonest Graft is limited to acts of extortion of money
from illegitimate enterprises in return for non-enforcement of laws, or acts of
actually accepting cash bribes to influence legislation. The latter, of course,
can be achieved “honestly” by accepting promises of future favors, or
positions of lobbying, or consulting work for six-figure remuneration.
I encourage all to GooglePlunkitt’s speech and read it for its eternal relevance. We
are in his debt for these subtle distinctions. In the speech, he said that his
epitaph could read: “He Seen His Opportunities and He Took ‘Em.”
Ron Johnson, Sutherland
Street, Pittsford
ELECTION WRAP-UP:
FROM MARK JOHNS…
I am the only candidate that is 100 percent dedicated to
“real reform.” New York’s
budget is almost as large as California’s,
which has 75 percent more people. When you pass a $116 billion spending plan,
there are plenty of special-Interest groups that want a piece of it. That is
why approximately $140 million goes to lobby Albany
every year. There are 18 lobbyists for every legislator. Clean Money Campaign
Finance Reform is the best step to solving the problem. (See www.markjohns.org
for further details.)
When an Assembly race can cost a half-million dollars, the
politician’s loyalty will be to the party bosses who provided this money,
rather than to the voters.
Legislators are paid almost $100,000 per year plus benefits.
They also retire with multi-million dollar New YorkState pensions. They will vote
themselves another big pay raise after this election. And they get re-elected
almost 100 percent of the time. These Assembly positions are part-time jobs
(January through June).
No wonder my opponent went to Albany
promising “term limits,” and now he’s against them. Vote for “real
reform.”
Mark Johns, Webster (Johns is the Republican candidate for State Assembly, 125th district.
FROM WILLA POWELL…
As Joe Robach’s political
opponent, I was very interested to read his position on reform in City
Newspaper. At the Messenger Post, where he and I were interviewed jointly, he
openly scoffed at the idea of non-partisan redistricting; now he says he has an
open mind. On the issue of campaign finance reform, he could have voluntarily
limited his spending to $100,000 and still out-spent me 25:1. I’ve signed the
Citizen Action Clean Money Clean Elections pledge (www.citizenactionny.org);
Robach has not.
I agree with Blair Homer, legislative director for the New
York Public Interest Research Group, who said, “The Senate has been an obstacle
more often than a help to the reform movement” (Albany Times Union,
October 26).
Robach and his party had an obligation to reform the budget
process via constitutional amendment by affirming the vote passed by the
previous Senate. Instead, he and his party conspired to kill the initiative.
They had an opportunity to update the education funding
formula. Instead, we got a cynical one-time “bail-out” that allows
the incumbent to take credit for the rescue, while preventing any future
entitlement.
In 2004, Pataki vetoed library aid increases, then urged the
Senate to fund library aid through member items, rather than override his veto.
This “bait and switch” amounts to vote-buying with taxpayer money,
when incumbents use that member item to demonstrate how they can “bring
home the bacon,” while communities with minority representation go without
aid for libraries.
I represent the values that this district holds dear, and
have a track record of reform (on the Rochester School Board). I have a clear
sense of what reform looks like. My opponent does not.
In addition to reform, I care about social justice, lower
property taxes, job creation, improved health care, and education.
I am a progressive Democrat with real-world business
experience and military leadership. My opponent is not.
Willa Powell,
Canterbury Road, Rochester (Powell is the Democratic candidate
for New York State Senate, 56th district)
FOR MASSA…
What turns off many voters in the political process is
unfortunately starting to happen in the Kuhl-Massa race in the 29th
Congressional District.
Instead of debating the issues on their merits — issues
our country badly needs to solve — Kuhl is starting to air negative ads that
distort his opponent’s positions and cover up his own voting record in Congress.
In many instances, he has supported the very positions that he wrongly accused Massa
of supporting.
Now that the Kuhl ads are claiming Massa
to be weak on terrorism, I am reminded of Kuhl’s Town Hall meeting in Brighton
last year, when he did not even know about the Nunn-Lugar program, which is
gradually removing loose nuclear fuel from the former Soviet Union,
a vital part of any fight against terrorism. Later, at the RushTown Hall meeting, he said he was
not in any position in Congress to do anything to protect this country from
nuclear terrorism.
On the other hand, Massa
served as an officer in the US Navy’s nuclear division. He is well aware of the
loose nuclear fuel and bombs in open fields in the former Soviet
Union and how these could be used against us. With his strong
military background, he would know exactly what needs to be done to protect
this country from nuclear terrorism. And from his time on the Armed Services
Committee as an aide, he would know how to do it.
Donna Mummery, Village
Trail, HoneoyeFalls(Mummery is a volunteer with the Eric Massa campaign for
Congress.)
FOR KUHL
Why is the New York State Communist Party, whose official
color is red, interested in seeing the 29th Congressional District go blue?
On March 30, Elena Mora, state chairperson of the Communist
Party, wrote in the People’s Weekly World online newspaper
(http://www.pww.org/article/view/8856/1/315/) that winning the 2006 midterm
election “means electing Democrats.”
Why does the Communist Party support the Democrats and Eric
Massa? Is it because Massa supports
more government control and believes that the federal government can decide on
how best to spend your hard-earned money? Is it because he supports a
socialized health-care plan that will cost $1.8 trillion dollars and increase
your taxes?
Why should the voters of the 29th Congressional District
trust this outsider to the Finger Lakes and Southern
Tier regions?
Steve Barnhoorn, Big Tree Road, Hemlock
FOR MASSA…
At a news conference in Corning,
Randy Kuhl called ads by MoveOn.org “absolutely outrageous and
unfair,” then targeted Eric Massa with the same kind of ad.He has voted against veterans six times. At the press
conference announcing that the Canandaigua VA was staying open, he could not
answer questions about funding. The VA had to borrow money last year to make it
through the year. Kuhl could not even get his good friend the president to stop
at the VA hospital or drive through it during his visit here. He approved
allowing the government to obtain a person’s reading material from libraries
and bookstores.
Eric Massa is very knowledgeable about the issues. He has
the intellect, the morals, and the ethics to bring a fresh start to Washington.
He has more experience in coming up with solutions to problems than Kuhl has.
Sue Kaszynski, Pleasant Street, Canandaigua
WRITING TO CITY
We welcome and encourage readers’ letters for publication.
Send them to: themail@rochester-citynews.com or The Mail, City Newspaper, 250
North Goodman Street, Rochester14607.
Our guidelines: We don’t publish anonymous letters — and
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we don’t restrict length, letters of under 350 words have a greater chance of
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don’t publish letters (or longer “op-ed” pieces) from the same writer more
often than about once every two months.
This article appears in Nov 1-7, 2006.
