LETTERS: COLUMNIS CONTINUES TO DENY VIOLENCE

To the editor:

Once again, Kathleen Parker has written about domestic violence. She appears to be obsessed with this topic.

Her line of reasoning, if you can call it that, always seems to be that domestic violence isn't really a big problem nad that the statistics about these cases are inflated.

If Ms. Parker believes this, all I can say is that she has never worked in a domestic-violence shelter or a rape-crisis center or taken calls on a crisis line. These facilities and services are inundated with requests for help. The shelters in this nation are usually at capacity, if not overflowing. Rape and crisis centers also experience this level of demand for services.

Why is it so difficult for Ms. Parker to blieve that women and children are victims of domestic violence and abuse? Why does she insist on living in this world of denial? We are a violent culture, and we do teach our children, p articularly our male children, to engage in violent behavior. And, yes, we do also teach our female children to be victims and accept the violence inflicted upon them.

I realize that both males and females engage in vilent behavior, but the fact is that domestic violence is a crisis in our country and our world. Women in this country are forced to flee their homes daily to escape abuse and to protect their children.

When we all stop listening to the beliefs of syndicated columnists who, for whatever reason, promote their own version of reality, then we will start to face the fact that vilence against women is prolific and is perpetuated by males.

Continuing to deny this keeps Ms. Parker in a job and women and children in domestic-violence centers.

TAMMY GWALTNEY

Cape Girardeau