Battlestar Galactica

Much has been written about the violence of Battlestar Galactica, and how the show does not cringe away from the brutal and invasive horror of sexual assault. From the opening moments of the miniseries, when a ruthless version of Number Six brutally kisses a fleet officer after telling him he is doomed, to the frequent story lines about rape … Battlestar Galactica is not afraid to show the audience the dark and violent aspects of human nature. The violence and viciousness is not confined to the Cylons, either: officers on the Pegasus used rape as a torture device and we saw that the underground economy of the fleet included selling small children as sexual slaves.

It is important to remember that while these brutal scenes are part of the narrative of the story, they depict actions that are throughly unacceptable in real life. These behaviors are effective dramatic devices for the writers because they are so repellent. They shock the audience with their invasive cruelty, with the concept that one human being could be so horrid to another. It is difficult, then, to stop and think that this type of horrific treatment of women, children, and men is not simply confined to the world of science fiction:

One in three women around the world has been the victim of abuse at the hands of a boyfriend or husband.

A third of the women in America admit that they have been physically or sexually assaulted by a husband or a boyfriend in their lifetimes, and at least three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends every day.

Children who witness violent acts between their parents are much more likely to grow up to become abusive themselves.

And men are not immune from violence: twenty five percent of the victims of domestic violence are male.

Domestic violence is a devastating epidemic and silence is its friend. October is Domestic Violence Awareness month in the United States, and a time to stop the silence that surrounds this epidemic and open our eyes to the cruelty that is close to home. If you know someone you suspect is being abused, please take the time to educate yourself and reach out to them … you may be the person that helps break them free of their painful prison.

Many of the bloggers around the 451 Press network are taking time to promote domestic violence awareness during this first week in October. April has some compelling posts over on Her Daily News, while Susan at Home Computer Talk has a list of online resources for victims or people wanting to learn more about the issues. Beth at Astrology Explored has written about how to recognize the signs that someone is a violent individual and the manipulative traits of an abusive personality.

KD at WatchingCSI.com was kind enough to showcase CSI’s partnership with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), a national organization that works with abused and neglected children in foster care.

If you are interested in helping with the issue of domestic violence in a hands on manner, becoming a CASA is an invaluable way to help children who have been removed from violent homes. CASA volunteers get extensive training before they are assigned specific cases by juvenile judges, and they work alongside the attorneys and social workers involved in the case to investigate the child’s situation and make recommendations about what is in the best interests of the child. If you are interested in learning more about CASA please go to NationalCASA.org or contact the CASA office in your area.

Domestic Violence, purple ribbon, awareness, October, CSI, CASA, astrology, Battlestar Galactica, Pegasus, Number Six, sexual assault, rape, Cylons