Men who batter women are terrorists
By Utopia bold

"Domestic violence" is overwhelmingly MALE violence against women. This is the definition of "terrorism" — according to the FBI.

The FBI's definition of terrorism is, "the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce the government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof in furtherance of political or social objectives."

Men who batter women use force and violence to "intimidate or coerce" in furtherance of their "social objective" – male supremacy. Since women are a "segment" of "the civilian population," men who batter them are legally "terrorists."

Male-supremacist power institutions like religion and government have developed in every culture. Carol Christ who wrote "Why Women Need the Goddess" said, "In order to change society, the changes would have to be in the best interests of the people controlling the power institutions. If their interests are not served, the changes are repressed."

Scripture is a collection of statements attributed to God's and copy-edited by men. All the world's major religions are male supremacist, their respective gods "granting" men the right to be the family dictator.

Men's gods are also "terrorists." They also use force and coersion, threatening hell and punishment if one dares to disobey.

Presently, men control religion and government. Thus, issues which particularly interest and affect women such as domestic violence, the environment, housing, child care, job training, education, family planning, and health care are chronically underfunded–if they're funded at all. In Webster's Dictionary, "family" comes from the root word meaning "group of servants." A "husband" is the "male head of the household." "Husband" is also a verb meaning, "to use and employ to good purpose and best advantage," as in animal husbandry.

"Wife" comes from the root word for "veiled" and also means "the female of a pair of mated animals."

Bill McCartney, founder of the right-wing men's group Promise Keepers, tells men to "tenderly and gently" take their "god-given" position as "head" of the family . But what happens when women don't placidly submit to being "husbanded" like livestock?

Wife-beating is a "traditional family value." The "Rule of Thumb" was a law allowing Englishmen to beat their wives with a stick "no thicker than a man's thumb" to make them obey. According to the U.S. surgeon general, battering is the number one "health" problem of women in America.

Since families are the building blocks of society and most families are male supremacist dictatorships, it follows that societies and governments reflect the "traditional" family's dictatorial "ethic of"might makes right."

In her book The Demon Lover, Robin Morgan said, “The majority of the population in virtually all nation-states is female, and is forced by patriarchy to obey, be silent and acquiesce-which means that “democracy� does not yet exist anywhere!�

Nations are macrocosms of dysfunctional families and war is a macrocosm of domestic violence. The personal is political. All violence is connected."Our" 90 % male government hands over more than $450 billion a year to the military. The "big boys" get to buy all the "war toys" they want while schools are underfunded, the homeless shiver in the cold and battered women have no place to go.

Much of this shamefully squandered tax money was taken from women. Thus, women are forced to be "enablers" of dysfunctional nations just as battered women are often forced to be the enablers holding their dysfunctional families together.

Many can't leave, since there "isn't enough money" for battered women's shelters and resources. However, things are beginning to change. On October 24th, 1997, women from around the world presented the Women's Peace Petition to the President of the 52nd United Nations General Assembly. The petition circled the globe via mail, fax, Internet and word-of-mouth. It contained more than 90,000 signatures with thousands coming from India, Turkey, Philippines, Mozambique, Canada and Australia and the United States.

The Petition read: "We are horrified at the levels of violence witnessed during this century and that women and children are the primary victims of war and poverty. On behalf of society at large, we, the undersigned women of the world, demand that annually, for the next five years, at least five per cent of national military expenditures be redirected to health, education and employment programs. By doing so, one half billion dollars a day would be released worldwide for programs to improve living standards.

"We also demand that war, like slavery, colonialism and apartheid, be delegitimized as an acceptable form of social behaviour, and that governments and civil society together develop new institutions that do not resort to violence for the settlement of disputes.

Together we commit ourselves, as half of the world's population, to use our power to ensure that these demands, which will promote international peace and security, are met through legislation and action. We resolve that we will inaugurate a new century that rejects warfare and promotes well-being, justice and human rights."

Early feminist union organizers encouraged women to come out of their homes and participate in "social housekeeping" to "sweep away" oppression and "clean up" society. Even though the Peace Petition has already been presented, we should continue to make copies, collect signatures and network to share our ideas. In this way, millions of creative ways to build peace can be shared to end war and domestic violence.

As Susan B Anthony said, "failure is impossible!" If war begins at home, so does peace! If you or your children are threatened by a household "terrorist," call the Domestic Violence hotline at-800-799-7233 to find a shelter near you.

Visit www.got.net/~elained/ for more information about domestic violence and how to safely leave a dangerous partner.