Yesterday I was on the treadmill watching The View (my daily ritual) and they were talking about this whole Mel Gibson thing. They were criticizing the wife, Oksana, for going to the media with the tapes, and some of them were painting her as the problem. Okay, HELLLOOOO? Did you listen to those tapes? She is the victim, not the problem, that much is clear.
Whoopi was saying Oksana should have gone to the police instead of the media. Gee Whoopi, you must really have a lot of experience in this arena…because let me tell you what happens when you go to the police after you’ve been threatened with violence. NOTHING. I know this from first-hand experience. I’ve also seen this happen with friends who were threatened by exes. The police do NOTHING to protect you. So then you get a restraining order (which Oksana did) and let me tell you what that does to protect you. NOTHING.
In 2001 I worked with Denise Brown (sister of Nicole Brown Simpson) on a Domestic Violence awareness project. Believe me, she would have been all too happy if Nicole’s 911 tapes and photos of her bruised face had gotten out BEFORE the incident. If the whole world was watching, OJ may not have felt so brazen that he could get away with murder. If the whole world was watching, maybe the neighbors in Brentwood would have come outside to investigate when the dog was barking like crazy. Maybe they would have peeked out their windows more often, kept an eye on her, walked her to her car at night. If only the world had been watching….
One of Gibson’s threats to Oksana was that he would bury her in the rose garden. That is not a statement to be taken lightly.
Of all the women who are murdered every year, 75% are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends. Every nine seconds in America a woman is beaten. How many have fallen victim just in the short time you’ve been reading this blog? Hell yes, go to the media. And if you’re not a big star with media access, tell everyone you know. Tell your neighbors, your family, the police, the courts. Tell everyone. Do not let these sick sociopaths operate in secrecy.
It makes me angry when women don’t support one another. You may not agree with Oksana’s decision to release those tapes to the media, but have you walked in her shoes? Can you even begin to imagine how scary it is to be married to a man like that? Who’s going to protect you? Who’s got your back? She’s doing what she has to do to protect herself and her child. In my opinion, it may have just saved her life.
Oh, how I agree with you here. I didn't watch The View, but I am frankly alarmed and amazed that these grown-up women would focus on the release of the tapes and not the content and the danger. Unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteAnd I do believe the police are involved now. Said in the news today that hey are "reviewing" the tapes -- so clearly she went to them at some point. And to your point, didn't feel safe enough to trust that alone...
From Hollye:
ReplyDeleteAfter I posted this blog, I was doing yoga in my bedroom. Hanging upside down in Downward Dog I happened to spy something under my bed. It was a button that was given to me nine years ago by Denise Brown...it says "Remember Nicole".
Wow. What do you think guys....coincidence?
It is weird how coincidences work out. I like the view but every once in awhile they are out to lunch. Joy was trying to tell everyone that regardless of how the tapes were attained they were Mel Gibson and is was spewing hatred and threatening her. There is a zero tolerance as far as I am concerned. The police are involved and have asked for her Iphone and other records from the dentist. They are trying to determine how the tapes were made and how they were leaked and if there was extortion involved. Aside from all that he needs anger management and medicine for his bi-polar disease. I find it interesting that his ex wife was willing to tell the courts in a sworn affidavit that he never showed any of this outbursts to either she or their 7 kids. I believe she is doing all this to keep her money from him during their divorce proceedings which our going on now. A person with his temper and outbursts to cops and his drunken style I can't imagine for 28 years of their marriage there was none of this. Something doesn't add up.
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