I want to understand Feminism

Another issue is restraining order abuse. Here in Massachusetts a man who is accused of domestic violence is guilty until proven innocent. He only has a bench trial with no real chance of appeal with judges who are pressured to rule for the accuser. A judge friend of mine estimates that one third of restraining orders granted are "baseless", and yet judges don't dare to rule that way.

A simple way to make this process more fair is to give penalties to women who perjure themselves. That means that if a woman lies under oath to falsely accuse someone of violence, and this is proven beyond a reasonable doubt, there will be penalties. This would make the system significantly more fair.

Even a simple reform like this is not only politically unfeasible, it is not even discussed. Any one who dares to promote this reform in any public way is vilified. (And I challenge you to find me a self-identified feminist in public life

who isn't lock-step in opposition to restraining order reform).

When an ideology becomes so entrenched that it is unquestionable, it leads to bad policy.

Bromides like "feminism is not about inequality" don't change the fact that the political realities caused by this ideology in fact do create unequal treatment in
several cases.

I don't want to do away with feminism (again in many issues I agree with feminism). I do want to do away with the idea that the ideology is sacred and unquestionable. This is not just a theoretical issue.

The ideology is making public discussion impossible and leading to illogical public policy

Why do you equate "feminism" with restraining order abuse? They are in no way connected other than both involve interactions between men and women.

The statistics on domestic violence include men as well. One out of every three women will suffer from domestic violence at some point....but you don't believe statistics right? Your "judge friend" provides you with all you need to know. There are national banks with statistical data to help you in transitioning from opinion to fact. I know you can google, so I won't bother you with the cumbersome details. I wouldn't take a friend's opinion as authority. I have
known many women who never accused their partners of violence. After some time (multiple hospitalizations) it became evident. My grandfather was a judge
as well.....he's opinion on the subject was different from your friend's. Opinions vary....but many women die at the hands of their partners each year. I challenge you to visit a battered women's shelter. Also --most cases of domestic violence are not reported to the police. View facts from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, if you so desire.

One out of every three women will suffer from domestic violence at some point....but you don't believe statistics right? Your "judge friend" provides you with all you need to know.

Restraining orders are but a laugh....seldom enforced. If you read files about women that were brutalized, it wasn't uncommon for them to be in place.

Quote:

Restraining orders are but a laugh....seldom enforced. If you read files about women that were brutalized, it wasn't uncommon for them to be in place.

Do you see what you are doing there?

I am not opposed to restraining orders. I think they should be enforced (and in Massachusetts they are).

I also think that the process of getting a restraining order should be fair to both sides.

These are two separate issues. You can do both. You can support fairness at the same time you oppose domestic violence. There is no contradiction here.

I agree with that.

You are still missing the point. The point is that the process of getting a restraining order should be fair to both sides.

Do you agree with this point?

max seems to run with a particularly peculiar set of people who identify themselves as feminists. I've never met any women who would meet his description of feminists.

I do blame feminism for the inability to address this problem in any reasonable way. Anyone who even brings up the issue is vilified by people and groups who are widely associated (and self-identify) as feminist.=