While there has been a lot of hype in the last few weeks over the pending recalls of Scott Walker and Rebecca Kleefisch in Wisconsin, a story that sums up the nature of the Wisconsin GOP has largely fallen off the pages.
Back on March 12, while announcing his support for a bill that suggested accidental pregnancy was the same thing as child abuse, Republican state representative Don Pridemore said that those in abusive relationships ought to try to refind the reasons why they got married in the first place rather than get out. In so doing, Pridemore implied that if the abuse victim doesn't want to refind those reasons, it's on them.
This is something I take very personally, as I was married to an emotionally abusive woman for three years. My ex-wife went into some of the most unbelievable temper tantrums. For instance, she refused to let Rent-a-Center come in to pick up a washer and dryer. I was on my way to get something from my dad, but I was forced to come home and let the Rent-a-Center people in rather than risk having the police come. However, I bore the brunt of many of her tantrums--when this happened, every other word from her was an F-bomb. I reached my breaking point and planned to leave her after Christmas 2004, but she ended up in the hospital on Christmas Eve--and I couldn't in good conscience leave her there. I was only able to get out in 2006--after she goaded her son into beating me up. And yet, Pridemore actually thinks I should have just rediscovered why I married this woman? I wonder if he'd have the guts to say that to my face--or to the faces of dozens of other people who have had to endure an abusive relationship.
Pridemore may think he can get away with such hurtful and Iago-like marital advice because he represents a nasty, nasty, nasty red district northwest of Milwaukee. Well, I've got news for Pridemore--spitting in the face of people who have had to endure such an ordeal is unacceptable. Period. A lot of other people felt the same way--for much of March his Facebook was full of comments from people slamming him for his words. Well, sometime last week they were all deleted. It's not clear whether an intern or Pridemore himself scrubbed them. But just in case it was an intern, we need to call Pridemore's bluff. So I started a petition demanding that Pridemore apologize for smearing abuse victims or resign.
Granted, Pridemore's district would elect a comatose Republican. But certain things are beyond the pale, even if you live in a safe district. He may not have to worry about answering to his constituents for this, but he's going to have to answer to someone someday.
According to his bio, Pridemore chairs the Wisconsin State Assembly's Children and Families Committee. If he's what passes for leadership in the Republican caucus, then the Republican Party is truly unfit to govern.
Pridemore needs to be made to understand loud and clear that just because you never have to worry about being held accountable at the ballot box is not a license to smear people. If he has anything left in him, he must apologize for his hurtful words--and none of this "sorry if anyone was offended" garbage either. If he's not willing to do so, he needs to resign. Help me send him that message.