Jonathan Pullan

To the editor:I am writing to passionately encourage Conway citizens to object to the Conway Selectmen's lack of support for Starting Point: Services for Victims of Domestic and Sexual Violence and to vote in favor of funding when they reach the polls in April. Starting Point is an invaluable agency that helps hundreds of men, women, and children every year, many of them Conway citizens. The services Starting Point provides support victims in "helping themselves" and make it possible for families to move on and heal from the terrors of domestic and sexual violence. I stress that Starting Point also advocates for men who are victims of violence, and most importantly that they provide education, support, and safety for children who are affected by domestic and sexual violence. The interventions that Starting Point provides for families in crisis and the education in area schools contribute to allaying the social costs of children who are raised amidst violence or who experience it during their adolescence.One of the most important tenets of domestic and sexual violence crisis work is that abuse is never the victim's fault. Selectman Dickinson's comments both Wednesday and Thursday prove that he is not only woefully ignorant of the realities of domestic and sexual violence, but also that he is willing to perpetuate harmful stereotypes of women as "raging" and vindictive. To me these qualities are unfortunate in any human being, but unacceptable in a public figure. My only hope is that this episode provides an educational opportunity for us all.