Jeffrey Davis
Marina
Cothran's Crassness
Kudos to you, George Cothran, for setting domestic violence awareness back a step or two ("Judge McBride's 'Special' Treatment," Cothran, May 12).
What exactly would constitute domestic violence in your book? Is a fat lip enough? How about a broken leg? Or does it take murder to convince you? As you yourself pointed out, domestic violence is an escalating cycle, which means that most domestic violence assaults, up to and including murder, began with what you dismissively call a "scuffle." Please. If I were arguing with a stranger about my cell phone on the street, as were Elaine and James McBride, and I was bruised in the process -- even if I had fought back -- no one would doubt that I had been attacked. Why would we hold James McBride to a lower standard? Should she have waited until she was "really" hurt to report the crime? As far as witnesses (Cothran considerately requests only two or three), domestic violence happens in private -- implying that a woman's report of abuse should not be investigated unless she has a witness is patronizing, sexist, and, thankfully, not substantiated by our judicial system.
As those who do domestic violence work would assure you, even when a woman fights back, the real issue lies with who has the power. Is it any wonder that Elaine McBride, in spite of being threatened with a knife, did not report previous incidents of abuse, considering her husband is a Superior Court judge?
Shame, a fear of retaliation, and fear of not being believed can all contribute to why a woman protects her batterer, or refuses to press charges -- views like those put forth in Cothran's article contribute to making women like Elaine afraid to come forward.
I won't argue that this case received special treatment. It is unusual that men who abuse their partners are held accountable for their actions. It is unusual that a "minor scuffle" was treated seriously instead of being "handled entirely by the beat cops," as is the status quo. Whatever the reasons, this unusual situation might just have saved Elaine McBride's life; I, for one, hope this is a trend, not an aberration.
Finally, though I am no friend, ally, or supporter of Terence Hallinan, I can't help but notice that Cothran trashes him on a regular basis, leaving me with the impression that he has some ax to grind. Cothran accuses James McBride of being the victim in a war Hallinan is waging. To me, it looks like Cothran is so eager to attack Hallinan that he's willing to dismiss a reasonable criminal case in the process -- only in this instance, a woman's life could be at stake.
Ann Whidden
Mission
