Fighting against the fight

Editor's Notebook

Mary Powell
Editorial

Is there anything other than politics to talk about these waning days before the election? The answer, of course, is yes.
 
One issue is that of domestic violence, not a particularly pleasant discussion, but one that will continue to be a topic of concern long after a president, governor or county commissioner is seated.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and as it did last year, Healthy Families of Clallam County is sponsoring the Silent Witness National Initiative Exhibit. This exhibit gives us a visible reminder that domestic violence isn't a private matter and affects families from all walks of life. 

According to national statistics, a woman is battered every nine seconds in the United States and every day three women and four children die as a result of domestic violence.

In Washington state, there have been 66 deaths due to a domes-tic violence incident this year. That's one death every 51/2 days.

In Clallam County, there has been an increase in those staying in shelters or a safe house, says Becca Korby, executive director of Healthy Families of Clallam County. Those who oversee shelters expect the numbers to increase as the economy worsens.

Do we take this issue seriously? It doesn't appear so when we have only to look to our so-called sports heroes, many of whom have been known to throw punches or chairs when things don't go their way.

Sporting venues and even our court system often turn a blind eye to family violence if committed by a popular athlete. The NFL, NBA and NCAA have plenty of cases whereby either professional or college athletes have been given a slap on the hand rather than being slapped into a jail cell for abusing a wife or girlfriend.

Last summer the Seattle Times ran a series of stories regarding the football programs at both the University of Washington and Washington State University. The series included stories from both schools whereby football players were arrested for violence against their partners, some more than once. In nearly all cases, coaches and school staff essentially condoned the behavior by allowing the players to remain on the team, with consequences no more than a minimal fine or a suggestion they visit a counselor.

By not taking action against these athletes who are found to be abusive to their partner, they are sending the wrong message to their players and to the general public, particularly young people who look up to these athletes.

Unfortunately, these actions mirror society, which often dismisses domestic violence as a private problem, a he-said, she-said dispute, a crime to be hidden and dealt with differently from other violent offenses.

On the positive side, there are programs throughout the country and in athletic arenas that are fighting against domestic violence. In Washington state, Coaching Boys into Men, a program of the Family Violence Prevention Fund, has been put in place as part of the Men's Network Against Domestic Violence.

The purpose of Domestic Violence Awareness Month is threefold. It is a time for mourning those who have died because of domestic violence, celebrating those who have survived and honoring those who work to end the violence.

This year Healthy Families of Clallam County will honor 13 people with a newly minted Gratitude Award for their extraordinary work with victims of domestic violence. Two of the honorees, Kori Malone and Sean Madison, are with the Sequim Police Department.

Kudos to Korby and her staff for bringing the Silent Witness Exhibit to the North Olympic Peninsula. It takes a coordinated response from the entire community to eliminate domestic violence and this program certainly brings that message home to Sequim. The exhibit is from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. today at the Bank of America park, on Washington Street at Sequim Avenue.

Vote yes on Proposition 1
The city of Sequim has proposed a sales and use tax to fund selected components of the city of Sequim's Transportation Improvement Program. For those citizens residing within the city limits, Proposition 1 is on your ballot. This proposition, if approved, will authorize a sales and use tax of two-tenths of 1 percent to be collected within the district for a term of 10 years for the purpose of paying or financing a portion of the costs of transportation improvement projects in the city of Sequim.

A TBD will give us the biggest bang for our buck. Sequim not only is growing but some of its infrastructure is wearing out. With only 5,000 or so people living in the city, a sales tax reaches beyond the city's borders and spreads the responsibility among all of us who enjoy the benefits of Sequim.

A TBD will create a fair funding source for replacing pavement at the end of its life cycle, adding a traffic light for safety's sake and putting in place sidewalks to promote a pedestrian-friendly city.

The city had other funding options, such as raising license renewal fees or imposing impact fees on new development. City administrators made the right choice with a TBD. It's worth the small chunk of change each of us will dole out at the store to sustain the future of this city.

The ballots have been mailed, the voter's pamphlet is out and we have printed in today's Gazette a forum of local and state races and initiatives. Now it's your turn to vote.

Mary Powell can be reached at editor@sequimgazette or at 683-3311.