Poole's filibuster threats would hold up legislation once again

Poole’s filibuster threats would hold up legislation once again
To the surprise of no one, the Alabama Senate has taken up where it left off in 2007. Sen. Phil Poole, D-Moundville, because of his childish desire for retribution, has again stuck his thumb in the eye of the voters. Poole’s off-the-wall rhetoric and threats to filibuster good legislation sponsored by Republicans is an affront to every Alabamian, including his own constituents.

Presumably, we voters elect our representatives to go to Montgomery, build a consensus with other lawmakers and pass legislation that serves all Alabamians. Poole is apparently oblivious to that concept. His action is purely a personal attack against those who didn’t agree with his legislation.

We’ve come to expect these gutter politics from Poole, but what doesn’t make sense is how the Senate leadership looks the other way as if there’s nothing they can do about it.

Lt. Governor Jim Folsom, Senate President, has had several articles in the media since the end of the 2007 legislative session. He was bodacious in how he was going to make sure the Senate was productive in the new session, and that the Senate owed it to the voters. Apparently, that was nothing but hollow rhetoric.

Most recently, President Pro Tem of the Senate, Hinton Mitchem, D-Guntersville, made the comment that he believes Sen. Poole “is acting in good faith.” Yeah, sure.

Maybe it’s time Poole heard from the “real” Senate leadership. Sens. Barron, Bedford, Sanders and Zeb Little need to take him to the woodshed.

Even those guys can’t possibly think Poole’s actions are good politics.

Dan H. Broughton
Opelika

Thoughts on domestic violence more than a one-way street

Dr. Inwood’s letter (Opelika-Auburn News, Feb. 15) addressing domestic violence against women raises important social issues. However, an uninformed reader may easily conclude that domestic violence is only a woman’s problem.

Nothing is further from the truth. Domestic violence is an equal opportunity employer: it broadly affects many women, men, and children. Popular trends demonize men and portray women as defenseless.

This myth is exploited by the media and exaggerated by radical feminist organizations; the public can easily assume these misrepresentations as fact.

I am not disputing Dr. Inwood’s assertions about the evils of domestic violence. But hundreds of thousands or more abused men, and children, are somehow omitted from his story, leading readers to falsely believe domestic violence is only a female problem.

A 2000 U.S. Department of Justice study, for example, estimates 1.8 percent of women across the U.S. (roughly 1.8 million women) experience physical or sexual violence or are stalked by an intimate partner. Approximately 1 percent of men (or just over one million men) report similar violence.

Men are victims of domestic violence as often as women, according to a study involving 516 patients at the emergency department of Charity Hospital, New Orleans.
Using the validated Index of Spousal Abuse, the researchers said 19 percent of the women patients and 20 percent of the men had experienced recent physical
violence.

They pointed out that some experts fear attention to domestic violence against men would de-emphasize the importance of services for women. Thus, a major problem is the true size of domestic violence is unknown largely because of under-reporting.

Dr. Inwood alleges domestic violence against women is often perpetrated covertly — but domestic violence perpetrated by women against men and children is also
often perpetrated covertly, too.

All forms of domestic violence must be identified and addressed by the public, and taxpayer resources properly allocated to both genders.

Dr. Richard C. Weiss
Auburn