Politics

There is a new organization out there that I intend to learn more about and spread the word.
It's called Neighbors, Friends and Families.
Its purpose is to raise awareness of the very real problem of domestic violence and woman abuse in our society.
They provide information to the neighbours, families and friends of abused women and children on what resources are available in their communties to those in this situation.
In Canada almost every woman who was killed by their partner, had a someone who knew that they were in danger.
Think about it. Have you ever known someone who you suspected was being abused by their partner?
But what to do about it?
It's a hard call. Telling them to leave is simple....and it won't work. And you run the risk of alienating your friend and then they'll never confide in you again.
Think about what you would do if you saw a family member, friend or neighbor being verbally, emotionally or physically assaulted.
It's easy to say you'd step up and say something until you're really in that position.
Now, for those about 40 and older, think about drinking and driving 20,30, 40 years ago.
Think about being at a party when a drunk friend was about to drive home. How likely was it 20 years ago that you would steal their keys and refuse to let them drive?
And think about that same situation today. Twenty years ago, maybe a feeble attempt would be made, if any.
Today, you would do anything to keep them from driving.
Think about a party in your own home 20 years ago. Did you let intoxicated partiers leave your home to drive?
Would you do that today?
Think about the bar/restaurant owner 20 years ago. Was he/she concerned if someone left their establishment drunk and drove home? No.
But they are today.
We won't let our friends/family drive drunk today because we know that they could get out on the road and kill.
We don't let our friends, family and neighbors leave our house party drunk because if they get in their car and kill someone, we are also held criminally responsible for them.
Bar and restaurant owners require their servers to take smartserve courses because if a patron leaves their establishment and gets in their car and kills someone, they will lose their business because of the lawsuits they will face.
Twenty years ago it wasnt unusual for the police to pull over a car full of drunken 20 year old boys and make the one who could walk the straighest line drive them all home.
Can you imagine that ever happening today?!
How did this all change? How were societal attitudes altered so drastically and how were laws imposed to stop drinking and driving.
It was a group of women sitting around a kitchen table, enraged and grief stricken over the loss of one of their children who was killed in a drunk driving accident.
That group of women formed MADD...Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Their work changed attitudes....changed laws...and made drinking driving socially unacceptable.
So I'm thinking that Neighbours, Friends and Families can do the same.
It was once ok to turn a blind eye to drinking and driving just as it seems to be ok to turn a blind eye to the neighbour you can hear being assaulted by her partner today.
"it's not my place to interfere"...."its a family issue"......"its a cultural thing"........
Well, it is NOT a family issue or a cultural thing and it IS our place to speak up because that neighbour could be DEAD tomorrow.
Many provinces and states in North America have Good Samaritan laws. From what I've read, they seem to apply mostly to EMS personnel and those trained in first aid.
If they happen upon an accident while off duty, there is an obligation for them to step forward and assist.
I wondered how this would apply to witnessing domestic violence. Why should I not be held responsible if I know someone is in danger and dont do anything and then they end up dead?
Well, I googled it to find a connection.......I did not find anything on Good Samaritan laws as they relate to woman abuse.......but I did find something on how the Good Samaritan law can be used for abuse of animals.
Hmmm. Interesting....sickening really.
It's time that we do something about this very horrible thing that is happening behind too many closed doors in our neighborhoods...right under our noses.
Don't accept it. Its not okay.
Go to neighboursfriendsandfamilies.ca