A bill was debated in the Mississippi legislature that would have allowed domestic violence to be grounds for at-fault divorce. Instead of adding this and creating a safe escape for victims of domestic violence, they allowed this bill to die on the floor.
There are 10 grounds for at-fault divorce in Mississippi: adultery, impotency, imprisonment, alcohol or drug abuse, desertion, spouse is pregnant by someone other than her spouse, cruel and inhumane treatment of the other spouse, incapacity at the time of marriage, a familial relationship between spouses and incurable insanity.
If a man or woman is beaten by their spouse, it has to happen regularly for it to be worthy of divorce; otherwise, it’s no fault. Being battered is not allowed as an out.
Domestic violence plagues Mississippi. We’re currently fifth in the nation for domestic violence; this doesn’t include the grossly under-reported male victims of domestic violence. Instead of increasing safe escapes for victims and allowing them to have healthy options for divorce, Mississippi spits in the face of victims.
Our legislature is too busy solving problems that don’t exist instead of facing real problems our state faces. We have millions of dollars of tax cuts, we ban the banning of large soft drinks and we make sure that our children can pray in school (despite the fact that they’ve always been allowed to pray). We do all of this at expense of our children, our families and abuse victims in the state.
As a life-long Mississippian, I’m tired. I want to believe that our legislature cares about our state and its citizens, but they’ve proven time and time again that they care about big businesses and ultra-conservative religious rights rather than the average Mississippian.
We’re one of the most religious states in the nation, and we utterly disrespect human dignity. We support legislators who passively support violence and degradation of basic human decency. As citizens, we’re partially to blame for this. We support the old boys’ network which keeps the same people in power despite repeatedly destroying our state.
I’ve written it before and I’ll write it again: Mississippi is dying. We are in our death throws and as we cough up blood, our legislators and other government officials use it as holy ink. They claim their virtue shines like beacons of purity, when they’ve built their legacy on the bones of Jim Crow and force-fed misogyny courtesy of Phyllis Schlafly.
Why would our legislature pass a bill giving options to domestic violence victims? It makes too much sense and is far too decent for them to even consider it.
Holly Baer is a senior religion major from Flowood.
