From: ibshambat@gmail.com   
      
   According to recent research, the biggest causes of family violence are not,   
   as used to be believed, psychological or economic, but rather ideological. The   
   biggest predictor of family violence has been found to be violence-supporting   
   beliefs. This means    
   that the best thing one can do to fight family violence is to deconstruct   
   these beliefs and replace them with better ones.   
      
   Most family violence takes place in socially conservative communities; which   
   means that to fight domestic violence effectively it will be necessary to   
   deconstruct the violence-supporting beliefs that have found their way into   
   conservatism. And this has    
   to be done using the logic of conservatism itself.   
      
   Now conservatives do not believe in feminism, gender equality, human rights or   
   non-violence. Many also reject psychology and sociology altogether. However   
   there are conservative values to which it would be possible to appeal to get   
   them to stop being    
   violent toward their wives.   
      
   One of these values is character. Conservatives talk a lot about character,   
   although not all of them show it. A part of character is self-control and   
   discretion. A man who beats his wife exercises neither self-control nor   
   discretion. Which means that,    
   according to the logic of conservatism itself, he fails.   
      
   Another of these values is “family values.” I can think of no more   
   important family value than being good to one's wife and children. A person   
   who truly speaks in favor of family will demand of the man treating his family   
   well; and that means, first    
   and foremost, doing away with domestic violence.   
      
   Still another conservative value is responsibility. The man bears full   
   responsibility for what he does with his fists and his mouth. A man who beats   
   up on his wife and children fails to exercise responsibility; which means   
   that, once again, according to    
   logic of conservatism itself, he fails.   
      
   Right now, the bulk of the fight against domestic violence has come from   
   people on the Left. It should involve people on the Right as well. Character,   
   family values and responsibility demand good treatment of one's family. Which   
   means that this should be    
   a conservative cause as much as it is a liberal one, and it should become a   
   part of the conservative agenda.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)