January 31, 2012
Newly elect sheriff Ross Mirakirimi is under the gun for domestic violence and child endangerment, following a family dispute on December 31. Although Mirakirimi's position as sheriff is being threatened, he is not the first man of his status to have allegedly battered his wife.
Unfortunately, spousal abuse is nothing new in a society where false ideologies of male dominance are respected. Due to classism and status, domestic abuse often is a voiceless or tolerable issue if you are part of a high-ranking circle. And in some cases, DV may get a nod of approval because control on any level or category is connected and equals back to one word: OPPRESSION.
Speaking with the people, I found that many were disappointed because Mirakirimi had a lot of support for his proactivity and involvement in our communities, and that his recent charge made folks feel like supporting him was "all for nothing". Some believed that once Ross was sheriff, there would be somewhat of a "positive flow" when it came down to the sheriff's anticipated involvement on issues such as evictions and internal misconduct.
By no means is domestic violence supported on my end. We here at Poor Magazine have a few survivors of DV of our own on staff. It is not easy to recover from such traumas as DV, to reclaim self worth and heal from the wounds both physically and emotionally inflicted, but it is doable. For Mirakirimi backers, this goes back to the age-old lesson of how we the people put power into the hands of mortal men, who are not perfect but possess "God-like" titles.
Ross should not be treated no differently than the po' man, and protocols to protect his wife and child should be followed all the same. He has the right to seek help and not be judged by those who throw stones and hide their hands (a longshot he'll seek help, but he has that right). To redeem himself and become a better man for himself and his family, to take his shortcomings and turn it into virtues by ways of educating other men who share similar experiences.
Leadership requires ownership to one's imperfections. To be true to self and not lead those who support you astray. And if one is unwilling to heal and just sweep situations like Mirakirimi's "under the rug", this vicious cycle of abuse and oppression will go on and the nation will continue to suffer.
"It's too bad to have had to open up a paper to see Mirakirimi in trouble for assaulting someone other than a krooked ass kop!" -Queennandi