Say No To Violence Against Women Day

Say No To Violence Against Women Day
(Sunday 25th November 2007)

We celebrate “Say No To Violence Against Women” today.
This includes sexual abuse, mental abuse, financial abuse, social abuse, physical abuse & a few others so the definition is for today.
I personally have been “lucky” to have survived all the ones I have named, though there has been physical & mental cost, through my life up to this day.
Last night my sister got a call, the cops have arrested one man so far, there are a few more to come of both sexes, for the murder of her missing friend (she’s been missing for 4 months) & it will hit the mainland newspapers & television today.
I rang my son to watch the news for us, because we didn’t have digital television reception & there it was for all to see on television, a man arrested for murder on “Say No To Violence Against Women “day.
I know about 5 to 10 percent of sexual abuse & domestic violence is actually perpetrated by women against men but:
My husband’s father decided to end his life (leaving a damaged & pregnant wife to bear & raise & watch his spitting image for the rest of her life) 35 years ago on New Years Day;
My close pregnant friend was murdered by the unborn child’s father 25 years ago on the day after Boxing Day;
My sister’s husband kicked her & the kids out then took a handful of tablets & phoned to chat (so we could get help to him & she would go racing back) on my nephew’s birthday;
My husband attempted suicide (but stuffed his timing so succeeded) just before Easter on the change back from daylight savings day;
Every Easter my son remembers he found a very dead stepdad on that day;
My sister was delivered to me by one nephew psychologically damaged & drained by her husband (for me to help & to protect & to keep alive) on my other nephew’s birthday;
My sister went interstate to escape the abuse, was working, made friends then was manipulated into returning by the estranged spouse, the guilt she feels in leaving her friend to the cope with the persons who took her on that day, it is now known she has been murdered was my birthday.
Men & their behaviour remind me of each of these events of on the anniversaries of those days.
I’m not stupid my brothers & my son & other men have all suffered violence at the hands of women so how about we celebrate a “No Violence At All Day”.
Sadly I continue to dream of a time, when there will be a peaceful serene world with no violence at all, each & every day.
What my sister would give just to have back the one thing she valued above all, her whole family, loving & happy in the past, not the mind games, disrespect & lack of memory her children show her today.
What I would give to not have all this in my head, to go back to the time before all of this came to pass, back to the carefree small child who looked forward to a sunny bright new day.