A French Solution To Domestic Violence

We have a huge problem with domestic violence here in the United States, but this is not solely an American problem. Domestic violence is a problem all over the world and most countries are failing miserably to control it (assuming they are even trying to control it).

It is also a problem in France, where at least three women die each week as a result of domestic violence. But the French are not among those who whine that there is little they can do about the problem. They are determined to get a handle on the situation and save the lives of women in their country.

A new bill has been introduced in the French Parliament, and it looks like the bill has an excellent chance of becoming law. While the French political parties on the left and the right usually disagree about almost everything, the new domestic violence bill has nearly unanimous support in the parliament. The French politicians have realized that saving women's lives is not a partisan political issue -- it is a necessity of the utmost importance.

The new bill would allow French courts to authorize the use of an electronic ankle bracelet on men deemed to be capable of violence toward their domestic partner. The court would order the men to stay away from their domestic partner, and if they disobey, the electronic anklet would send a signal to police. The police would respond to all signals from the devices, and arrest the men who violated their court order.

Now this is not a perfect solution that would save the lives of all women. If a man has only one purpose, to kill, and carries that out quickly, he may be able to succeed (although he would most likely be caught quickly and convicted). Although, even in those cases, if a woman can keep her attacker at bay for just a few minutes, help will arrive without the need for a 911 call.

But most domestic violence murders occur after an argument escalates, and that will give the police time to arrive. And if the man hesitates before trying to enter the home, police will arrive and arrest him before he can even make contact with his domestic partner.

I applaud the French in their effort to control domestic violence and save women's lives. And I don't want to hear anything about how this violates men's rights. If you don't want to have to wear the ankle bracelet, then keep your hands to yourself. If a man can't control his anger and engages in beating his significant other, then the only right he deserves is a nice prison cell.

It's sad that it has come to this, but the fact is that there is an epidemic of domestic violence and something needs to be done about it. If this new French approach does turn out to significantly reduce domestic violence and murder, then leaders in the United States should seriously consider doing the same thing.