the girl from sc stands aghast

Submitted by Cat on Mon, 2005-05-23 23:49

Wow. There are times when stunned doesn't even begin to describe how I feel after reading some blog comments. Most of the time I just ignore what I feel to be ignorant rantings. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and to express that opinion just as I am entitled to choose not to listen (or read, as the case may be). However, since I found this in my search for knitting stores in SC, I was trying to find out why this site appeared during my google search. (Apparently, the owner of the blog listed knitting as one of her hobbies and had written an entry regarding a SC law.) What I first found was a blog entry about the recent controversy over domestic violence laws in SC (notably, the lack of enforcement). It is true that rates of domestic violence in SC are insanely high and the system does not provide adequate protection for victims or punishment of offenders. Sadly, this is the state of affairs throughout most of the world, which in no way mitigates the SC situation. Up until recently, perpetrators could avoid jail time and probation by participating in a pre-trial intervention program, which is intended to provide a second-chance for non-violent, first-time offenders and which should never have been an option for domestic violence offenders. Due in large part to the hard work of non-profit women's advocacy groups in SC, great strides are being made to improve both the letter of the law and its enforcement. In spite of all of this, I understand any criticism levied at the SC government and law enforcement. I am certainly not surprised or stunned to read such criticism; what did stun me was the virulent response made by someone posting comments. This person truly hates SC and blames a SC doctor for the death of her child. I, obviously, cannot speak to the veracity of her claim, since I know very little of the details and certainly losing a child is devastating and crazy-making. However, this person does not just blame the doctor; she blames the entire state. Such a senseless and misdirected hatred of a place and all of the people who inhabit it stuns me and it saddens me. Her comment is the second comment located below the blog entry here: http://punditz.blogdrive.com/archive/39.html.