Ahhh Yvonne, weren't they though?
Violence is a natural part of our genetic heritage, and some are more inclined that way than most, it's just the luck of the draw, like red hair or blue eyes. It's a part of the feminist narrative that violence is learned, not natural, and that is simply wrong. Like xenophobia, some not PC things are a leftover from our primitive antecedents and inescapable. We can, and should, learn to circumvent these drives, it's not overly difficult with enough care and attention, but to deny them is foolish, one need only watch babies and toddlers to see them in action.
I also think you've misinterpreted what the original article was about too, it was indeed about feminism and it's excesses, hence the title:"Vigilante justice: Feminism's latest attack on human rights". Domestic violence was only the current "field of play", if you will.
Too, I agree, I don't judge all women's advocates by the extremists, some of them are eminently sensible and reasonable people but it's the extremists who get the media attention and who also act as drivers in the field, unfortunately.

If one in three women are the subject of violence in the home then why do women enter into relationships with men at all? Those would seem to be pretty bad odds when you think about it. What is on offer would have to be overwhelmingly worth having to take such a poor risk. Surely if you truly cared about yourself then you would not take that risk.

Women do not have power over men. They cannot make them stop being violent. They can stop them by naming and shaming. They cannot stop them by constantly presenting statistics. They cannot stop them by appealing to non-violent men to step in and take control. They are truly powerless to do anything effective about what others ultimately do in the privacy of the home where it cannot be proven.

Women are not powerless over their own choices. They can decide where they make their home and with whom and if they decide to maintain a home with someone who is violent then they have to take responsibility for their choices. You cannot be a victim of domestic violence without a domestic situation.

The real problem seems to be that women are not free to make those choices. They are under enormous pressure from an early age to be with a man, to live the fairytale and live in wedded bliss. This kind of pressure and propaganda fills the media to saturation point. You only have to observe how reality romance shows take control of their audience. Despite their growing financial independence women seem to have less emotional independence than ever before. Then there is the pressure to have children as part of the dream – this automatically limits their life choices for the next twenty years. They make choices which put themselves at risk of not being able to easily escape violent domestic situations.

cont.

cont.

Nearly all of this pressure comes from other women. Women who control women’s magazines and chat shows feed of this pressure all the time. Even more so are they under emotional pressure from their own mothers, family members and peers to put themselves in a position where they are out of control. Despite women’s liberation women are not liberated – they are prisoners of other women. This is domestic abuse on a grand scale - the emotional blackmail of women by other women. No amount of man blaming will free them from this kind of a prison.

Sure there are exceptions to this general picture but obviously not enough if one in three women are victims of domestic violence. Many women will proclaim that they are not under such pressure but how can you tell unless you have been tested?

If women were to stand up to other women they may earn more respect, admiration and genuine love from men because they would exhibit values that are attractive. Men are not fodder for the romantically-drugged fairytales of women – they are human beings who should be attracted to the best that women have to offer. Men are not always attracted to women for the right reasons either but that is their problem to solve. When women learn to take responsibility, gain emotional independence and order their values then good men will want to be with them for all the right reasons and then a genuinely beautiful relationship might flourish

Bruce
There's no need to be objective about Feminism, it was never a valid criticism of society and society has never stood in the way of women who want to work and accrue assets of their own.
What Feminism seeks is power without responsibility, income without work and privilege without accountability.
Bear in mind also that as many men as women are Feminists, many male Feminists behave in exactly the same way as the women (and will go that step further and dish out physical violence on behalf of their belief system).
Notice that feminism only starts to assert itself in a particular field or institution when there's easy money to be made?
It's called rent seeking, when Australian rules football was poorly organised, the players all had to have jobs outside footy to make a living and the VFL was basically broke the feminists couldn't have cared less about it.
When the AFL became profitable and the TV rights brought in big money all of a sudden the status of women in the field became an issue and the diversity "experts" started to edge their way in.
Same with the military, when soldiers were poorly paid, when the services were badly resourced and had no overt political role to play nobody gave a monkey's about "sexism". Now that billions are being poured into the forces and the ADF exists primarily as a propaganda tool of the state where lucrative careers can be made and post military roles in the public service are available the diversity "experts" and feminists are elbowing their way in.

"Diversity" follows the money, if there's not a drink in it for them they're not interested.

Bruce, whether violence is in the genetic makeup or not is really a moot point. Doesn't mean it needs expression. In actual fact, it doesn't make sense to turn against your own. Maybe somebody you consider an enemy outside your tribe, but your own?

Phanto, wouldn't it be great if women would just stand up and name and shame these men? Having had some experience with domestic violence I know it is not that easy. Indeed, when leaving the relationship is the most dangerous period for a woman.

I disagree it's because women are controlling women. The women magazines in this country are a mystery to me. Owned by men and bought by women. They contain the stupidest of stuff. Just like this ludicrous anti-feminist trope some, especially young silly girls, are touting at the moment. All think they can't be anything except if they are wanted by a 'man'.

What I want to know is exactly WHO are these elusive radical feminists that are apparently calling all the shots in our country ?
They must have a hell of a lot of control if they can influence the predominantly male political and law systems!

When discussing women 'asking' for violence because they 'choose' to stay with violent men, I was wondering what the anti-feminists make of male on male violence - in the home or on the streets?

I suppose these male victims 'ask for it' as well?
If not, why not?