By Jerry Burke
The death of Susan Ambrosino, a lovely 26-year-old expectant mother, brings it right into your neighborhood.
Recently, there was the sickening story of Lisa Underwood, the pregnant Texas woman allegedly killed by her ex-boyfriend, who was also charged with killing her 7-year-old son.
Last year, Scott Peterson finally got what was coming to him for the murder of his pregnant wife, Laci.
If the scenario sounds a bit repetitive, you're not alone in thinking so. A recent study by the state of Maryland showed that homicide is the No. 1 cause of death for pregnant women in that state. The study was shocking for two reasons, one being the obvious. The other is that Maryland is only one of a handful of states that require the death certificate to state that the victim was pregnant.
In light of the Peterson trial, the accuracy of those records is sure to increase. But even with scattered bits of data, many women's rights groups believe that murder is either the leading or second leading cause (behind car accidents) of pregnant women's deaths nationwide.
Nationally, homicide is a leading killer of young women, whether they are pregnant or not. In 2000, homicide was the second-leading cause of death among women ages 20 to 24. It was fifth among women ages 25 to 34. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, more than 33 percent of those women were killed by an intimate partner.
I'd like to say I don't know what goes through the head of someone willing to take the life of someone they claim to love, but I have some idea. Jealousy, betrayal, fear of the future and my personal favorite, a misguided desire to return things to the way they were.
It's time for us all to grow up and look out for one another. If someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, there are places to go for help. You may feel like there's a stigma attached to being classified as a victim, but like my daddy used to tell me, better to be embarrassed and breathing than silent and dead. Call the National Domestic Hotline at (800) 799-SAFE (7233) for answers to any questions you may have.
And there is some good news. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, intimate-partner violence against women declined by half between 1993 (1.1 million nonfatal cases) and 2001 (588,490), from 9.8 to 5 cases per 1,000 women. Many attribute this decline to the Violence against Woman Act of 1994, a wide-ranging effort that not only gave teeth to domestic violence penalties, but also provided counseling and safe houses to victims.
The law was easily renewed in 1998, but will expire this Sept. 30. I know it may be a bit early, but since many opponents of the law, most of whom are people that domestic violence has either never touched or who believe it "isn't talked about in polite society," are already on their soap boxes, why not get on mine?
Research the law. Call your congresspeople and senators now and tell them not to wait until the last minute.
