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Did Phil Hartman Die from
Congressionally-Sanctioned Discrimination?
After Saturday Night Live comedian Phil Hartman was
shot and killed in his sleep by his wife Brynn,
people revealed Brynn's long-standing abusive
treatment of Phil. CNN quoted one acquaintance
saying that Brynn "got attention by losing her
temper."1 Grieving friends recalled how Phil tried
to avoid her when she became abusive, and how he
made excuses for her abusive behavior.
Sponsors of the Violence Against Women Act,
would have you believe that Phil could have sought
help from battered women's shelters funded under
the Act.
During the 2000 VAWA reauthorization hearings,
Senator Orrin Hatch stated that men "are eligible
under current law to apply for services and
benefits that are funded under the original
Act."2
Senator Joseph Biden recently introduced the
2005 VAWA reauthorization bill. When challenged to
make the bill gender inclusive, Biden responded,
"Nothing in the act denies services, programs,
funding or assistance to male victims of
violence."3
If these services are so readily available to
men abused by their wives, why didn't Phil seek
help from one of the numerous battered women's
shelters around Los Angeles? Could it be that being
"eligible to apply for services" is quite a
different thing from being able to receive services
when you need them?
Despite the good senators’ reassurances,
VAWA-funded organizations routinely discriminate
against men seeking help. Ten VAWA-funded women's
shelters in Los Angeles were recently sued for
refusing a male victim help.4 Rather than offering
to stop their blatant discrimination, they went to
court to defend their right to continue the
discrimination.
Considering the attitudes of many shelter
staffers, this is not surprising. Although the U.S.
Dept. of Justice reports that 36% of all people
physically assaulted by their intimate partner are
men (835,000 men annually),5 many battered women's
advocates insist that only 5% of victims are
male.
In a Boston Globe interview about battered men,
a director of the Massachusetts Coalition Against
Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, dismissively
quipped, "Sometimes it snows in Florida … but
we don't make public policy around it."6
Columnist Cathy Young notes a case in her files
that "speaks volumes about most advocates' view of
female violence. Brenda C. was admitted to a
shelter after being arrested for assaulting her
husband (during a divorce) and ordered out of their
home. A letter to her attorney from a shelter
counselor gave a fairly accurate account of what
happened: In an argument, 'Mrs. C. grabbed Mr. C.
by his necktie (and) he pushed her away. Mrs. C.
then punched his face and her nail cut his neck.'"
The shelter's assessment? "'Physical abuse' of
Brenda by her husband."7
Time and time again VAWA-funded women's
organizations have demonstrated indifference or
outright hostility toward male victims. Meanwhile,
federal regulations are routinely cited to justify
denying funding to organizations that want to help
men.8 The Texas VAWA funding application form is
typical. Item number one under "ineligible
activities" is "Programs that focus on children
and/or men".9
Richard Gelles, Dean of the University of
Pennsylvania School of Social Work, was one of the
first researchers to study family violence. He
notes that although there are more than 1,800
shelters for women, there's nowhere for men to
turn. Shelters for battered men are occasionally
created, but usually fail due to lack of
funding.10
Gelles also reports that men who retain their
children in order to protect them from abusive
mothers, often find themselves arrested for "child
kidnapping."11 How many children are harmed by
these gender-biased policies? How many children are
victimized by a system that removes the father they
feel safe with and gives total control to their
abusive mother?
Having grown up in such a family myself, I find
the prospect horrifying.
Many fathers stay in abusive marriages to
protect their children. That's probably why Phil
Hartman stayed. Wouldn't his children be better off
if VAWA had funded an outreach program for abused
men, and Phil had gotten out of the marriage alive
and able to protect them?
Even as VAWA helps some people, its
discriminatory effects cause immense harm to
others. Do we really want to condemn children to
lives of misery because their protective parent is
the wrong gender?
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold
hearings on VAWA reauthorization on July 19th. Now
is the time to tell committee members that despite
Congress’ intentions, the law is actually
applied in an unconstitutionally discriminatory
fashion.
Unless the law is changed so programs focusing
on men are no longer "ineligible activities," more
men will lose their lives thanks to VAWA-funded
shelter workers who hypocritically preach, "There's
no excuse for domestic
violence."
1 "Hartman's friends, fans ask:
'What went wrong?', Autopsy shows comedian shot in
head several times", CNN.com, www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/TV/9805/29/hartman.death.folo
2 U.S. Congressional Record,
10/11/2000, pp. 10191-92
3 "Biden pressed to make abuse
bill gender neutral, Senator: Bill already applies
to both sexes", Hockessin Community News, June 2,
2005, p. 8, www.communitypub.com/WKLYART/HCN_06.02.05.pdf
4 Eldon Ray Blumhorst v. Jewish
Family Services Of Los Angeles, House of Ruth,
Inc., Su Casa Family Crisis and Support Center,
Domestic Violence Center of the Santa Clarita
Valley, Rainbow Services, Ltd, Peace and Joy Care
Center, Haven Hills, Inc., Southern California
Alcohol and Drug Program, Inc., Young Women’s
Christian Association of Glendale, California, and
Haven House, Inc., California Court of Appeal,
Second Appellate District, www.menshealthnetwork.org/library/Blumhorstbrief.pdf
5 Prevalence, Incidence, and
Consequences of Violence Against Women: Findings
From the National Violence Against Women Survey, p.
7, National Institute of Justice, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of
Justice, www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles/172837.pdf
6 "A Search of Equality -
Domestic Abuse Groups Dispute Status of Claims by
Men", Boston Globe, October 28, 2002, p. B1,
www.janedoe.org/about/about_news_10_28_02.htm
7 "No excuse for domestic
violence. Period", Cathy Young, Detroit News, May
6, 1997, www.menweb.org/cyoungdn.htm
8 Rejection letter from Domestic
Violence Coordinating Council of the State of
Delaware to Forum for Equity and Fairness in Family
Issues , October 9, 2002, www.menshealthnetwork.org/library/VAWArejectDel1002.pdf
9 Rejection letter from North
Central Texas Council of Governments to Fathers for
Equal Rights, December 16, 2002, www.menshealthnetwork.org/library/VAWArejectDallas1202.pdf
10 "The Hidden Side of Domestic
Violence: Male Victims", Richard J. Gelles, Ph.D.,
The Women's Quarterly, 1999, www.ncfmla.org/gelles.html
11 Ibid
©2007, Mark B. Rosenthal
Related Issues: See Violence
Against Women Act, Billboard
Directed to Senator Joe Biden in Washington,
DC
Source: Mark Rosenthal is a firm
believer in the principle of equal treatment for
all. He believes that the self-evident truth stated
in the Declaration of Independence that all people
are created equal shouldn't have an Orwellian coda
saying "but some are more equal than others." Mr.
Rosenthal has a particular interest in the issue of
family violence. He advocates for a principled
approach to the problem, with the goal of providing
services to ALL victims and treatment to ALL
perpetrators without regard to gender. He has been
a featured speaker at York College (C.U.N.Y.)'s
annual Domestic Violence Conference and has served
on the board of the Battered Men's Helpline.
E-Mail.
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