Outrage doesn’t even come close. (“Denial of protective order ‘reasonable,’” Monitor, 12/1). And, while I’m sure Judge Polly Hall, citing laws on the books, feels terrible for denying a petition for a renewed protective order that resulted in the petitioner being critically wounded, still, it is a miscarriage of moral justice. Well, (bad word) those laws. Mostly written by men who have a stake in maintaining dominance over women, seeing them as property, controlling all aspects of their lives, particularly their bodies, such laws guarantee women’s powerlessness.
And should she try to defend herself by wanting out? She’s prey. Too bad if she’s too poor to have legal representation. Too bad if she can barely articulate her distress. Heaven forbid she should “stand her ground,” because she will then be convicted of murder. Law is law. Why should women be believed, anyway? (Plantation owners said the same thing of their slaves.) Spousal rape was only outlawed in 1993 and effects from the backlash color legislation such as the one Judge Hall cited. And lest we forget, “the Rule of Thumb” refers to the width of a switch the husband could use to beat his wife.
Darlene Olivo
Concord