How many people were killed by domestic violence this past year in Oregon? At least 40.

But the only domestic violence incident that’s gotten national attention recently is this week’s case of a SE Portland man choking his girlfriend with his dreadlocks. Many people have jumped on the temptation to spin this into an easy Portlandia joke, but when you think about the incident for more than one second, it’s extremely sad. As I write in this week’s sexual politics column, domestic violence is so common in America that the only way an assault makes headlines is if the boyfriend has a regrettable haircut.

This reminds me of the conversations we were having about media coverage of violence back during the week of the Clackamas Town Center shooting. Why is it more shocking when two random people are killed by a stranger in a mall than when two family members are killed by someone they know? When it comes to gut reactions, media coverage, and federal funding, tragedies are created distinctly unequal.

It’s sickening that at the same time the federal government is talking all serious about stemming gun violence, Congress let the Violence Against Women Act expire. At least one in five homicides in Oregon are due to domestic violence. We can spend time and money banning high capacity ammunition magazines and assault rifles, but that will do nothing to save the lives of women afraid of one bullet from one gun who are turned away every day from Portland shelters because there’s not funding for something as simple as a bed.

Sarah Shay Mirk reported on transportation, sex and gender issues, and politics at the Mercury from 2008-2013. They have gone on to make many things, including countless comics and several books.

8 replies on “Let’s Talk About 40 Murders.”

  1. We get it already. It’s bad to be white and it’s bad to be a man. And if you’re both then you’re automatically doing like 80 things wrong simply by existing, and so you have to sit and listen to women complain about how bad men are, and if you display any kind of fatigue at listening to this incessant babble you’ll be instantly deemed a heartless asshole.

    Bill Burr has a good bit on this. We get it hon, don’t hit women. All these annoying PSA’s aren’t going to magically cure assholes who beat women. How many heroin users do you know who quit because of one of those ‘this is your brain on drugs’ fried egg commercials? Yes, do the math.

    Your crusade is all in vain. Just crying for more attention to go along with your fake case of PTSD.

  6. “Lets ban all guns!” ” At least semi automatic rifles! (lethal but responsible for 2% of national homicides”…but if women keep getting raped, beaten, abused and trapped in bad relationships, we won’t do much. Restrict access to firearms (particularly to those who are mentally ill), have better responsabilty and at least two of the horrific shootings which recently occurred likely would not have happened. But women still will be abused until the people who do this are actually prosecuted and restraining orders are taken seriously

  7. @Arenit, wow, you’re a terrible bastard. You know, 18 veterans kill themselves every single day in this country. I’d actually bet that more veterans kill themselves in Oregon than women are killed because of domestic violence.

    In fact, 27% of Oregon suicides are veterans, and Oregon has one of the highest rates of suicide in this nation.

    So, do the veteran community a favor, and help us lower that statistic by killing yourself.

    Or at least take that horribly offensive comment about PTSD, and fuck yourself with it.

  8. Jesus, arenit, can’t you look beyond yourself and your tiny self esteem? Man-hating is all in your head. These are FACTS about domestic violence.

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