During the debate on the jobs bill Monday, Senate Democratic Majority Leader, Harry Reid, who is down in the polls in his home state of Nevada did his constituents and the rest of the United States no favors when he proclaimed on the Senate floor that men become more abusive when they are unemployed. The Hill reports the following:
“I met with some people while I was home dealing with domestic abuse. It has gotten out of hand,” Reid said on the Senate floor. “Why? Men don’t have jobs.”
Reid said that the effects of joblessness on domestic violence were especially pronounced among men, because, Reid said, women tend to be less abusive.
“Women don’t have jobs either, but women aren’t abusive, most of the time,” he said.
“Men, when they’re out of work, tend to become abusive,” the majority leader added. “Our domestic crisis shelters in Nevada are jammed.”
Apparently, Mr. Reid is ether looking at some anecdotal evidence or just pulling thoughts out of thin air. Perhaps Leader Reid and his staff should check out California State University’s Martin S. Fiebert, study examining “Assaults by Women On Their Spouses Or Male Partners.” According to the summary, the study blows away any claim Mr. Reid thinks he has on the issue of domestic violence:
“bibliography examines 271 scholarly investigations: 211 empirical studies and 60 reviews and/or analyses, which demonstrate that women are as physically aggressive, or more aggressive, than men in their relationships with their spouses or male partners. The aggregate sample size in the reviewed studies exceeds 365,000.”
Maybe Majority Leader Reid ran into this woman. She falsely accused her husband of domestic violence. Domestic violence happens to both genders, and Mr. Reid should not be throwing out accusations, when he appears to know very little about the issue.
Men’s groups are already demanding an apology from him. These include:
African-Americans for VAWA Reform, CPF/Fatherhood Coalition, Dads and Moms of Michigan, Fathers’ and Children’s Equality, Fathers for Equal Rights of America, Illinois Fathers, Men and Fathers for Justice, Men’s Equality Conference, National Organization for Men, National Congress for Fathers & Children of New Hampshire, Petition for Child Support Reform, Shared Parenting Works, TABS (Taking Action against Bias in the System), Utah Father’s Rights Meetup Group, Washington Domestic Violence Press, and the Washington Civil Rights Council.
