Being a woman in the U.S.

A friend of mine works for the courts. Today she was talking to a domestic violence victim and witnessed her abuser bypass an order of protection IN THE COURT BUILDING to try and pressure the victim into dropping charges. Scary enough, that an abuser would violate the law so blatantly and openly to shut his victim up, especially knowing that he obviously has no cumpunction against using violence.

Scarier still, as a mandatory reporter, my friend had to file a report that included her real last name, and is now covering up her information online to avoid him finding out who she is and what she looks like. A court employee, training to be a police officer, has to fear the abuser in a DV case.

Why is domestic violence not taken seriously, again?

That’s a rhetorical question, by the way. I know the answer already.

Kenneth Eng update: Eng arrested

(Via Sex & Race Discussion)

Remember Kenneth Eng? The former AsianWeek writer who penned a column titled “Why I Hate Blacks”? Wrote a book about dragons? Pissed off his college classmates? Laughed and praised Seung Cho after the Virginia Tech shooting? That Kenneth Eng.

Yeah, well, he was arrested earlier this month for threatening to kill his neighbors.

Eng, 23, was arrested on suspicion of threatening to kill his Queens neighbors and one of their pets. He was arraigned May 11 on charges of attempted assault, menacing, possession of a weapon and harassment.

Eng allegedly approached the mother and daughter as they stood in their driveway with their pet and said, “If your dog bites me, I will kill you and your family.” He then called the mother fat and lazy and swung a hammer at her and the dog, according to the Queens district attorney’s office. [Full story]

He’s been ordered to undergo mental evaluation, which is probably a good idea. I hope that he can get the help he so obviously needs.