I dont know how many of you on facebook read the Chicago Tribune article about the 22-year-old brilliant University of Chicago student who was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend at Nordstrom this past weekend. According an article I read, the young womans sister requested an order of protection for both of them but the judge denied the order. It was also reported that before the ex-boyfriend shot and killed the young woman he was accused of cracking her ribs, putting a gun in her mouth and punching her jaw, according to court records. This all just happened on Black Friday! After watching the Senate hearing on Domestic Violence in Professional sports, the committee members were critical of the Leagues handling of investigations, discipline, and punishment for players who were accused of committing an act of domestic violence. While the committee, and particularly Senator Richard Blumenthal reprimanded the Leagues low standards to protect and support victims--actually his press release quotes him as saying So far the leagues’ actions have been inadequate and unaccountable. -- I just couldnt help but think of the young woman who was shot and killed this weekend and how her family must have felt when the court denied her sisters request for an order of protection that would cover both of them. During the committee hearing, Sen. Blumenthal proposed legislation that would require the Sports Industry to involuntarily provide money to victim advocate groups by sunsetting the antitrust exemption. Again, victim advocates are not part of the criminal justice system--they have no role and they are not attorneys. Victims need legal representation, licensed and experienced professionals who can assert their rights in a court of law. Why wasnt the ex-boyfriend arrested on the spot after the court learned about the young womans cracked ribs and the torture of having him put a gun in her mouth? Throwing money at a problem that does not provide the resource victims need most will not solve the problem or prevent victims from suffering further or fatal harm. The Senators press release also states: “When young people see athletes committing acts of violence, and when those acts are excused, glossed over, and given pathetically weak punishments, they learn that domestic violence is not taken seriously,” said Sen. Blumenthal. “They learn that they will not be taken seriously if they report abuse. They learn that they can get away with committing abuse against others. The country affords these teams their special status because of their special role in American culture, but that doesn’t give them the right to abuse this privilege. Ironically, the parents of the ex-boyfriend are Chicago police officers! Heres the link to the Chicago Tribune article nydailynews/news/national/protection-order-denied-nordstrom-shooter-court-records-article-1.2029493 Here is the link to Senator Blumenthals press release blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/in-wake-of-nfl-failure-to-address-domestic-violence-blumenthal-introduces-legislation-to-end-permanent-anti-trust-exemption-for-professional-sports-leagues Heres another law Senator Bluementhal is trying to pass and it tells of a harrowing story of yet another victim of domestic violence who was failed by the system huffingtonpost/sen-richard-blumenthal/for-lori-jackson-and-thou_b_5502876.html
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 23:00:08 +0000