ANYONE WE KNOW

Chris Watts, husband of murdered Shanann Watts, father of murdered daughters Bella and Celeste, was arraigned today on 9 charges, including 3 first-degree murder charges.

Look at the photos, especially of Chris, and ask yourself if you had met him at a party or stood next to him in line at the grocery store, would you have thought him capable of murdering his family? The media often portrays men who murder their wives as monsters who “snapped”, and yet statistics prove that men who murder their wives are all around us, and usually appear to be nice, loving, hard-working men in public. Chris Watts could be any man you or I know, and any one of us could be Shannah Watts, just as I almost was many years ago when my former partner held me for 17 hours with a shotgun.

Almost half of the women who are murdered in the United States are murdered by their husbands or partners, just as Shanann was murdered by her husband, Chris. When someone tells you (or even hints) that they are being abused, believing them may actually help save their life.

Chris Watts pleaded for his family’s return. A week later, he’s charged with their murders. By Madison Park and Eric Levenson, CNN

I am in NO way saying that ALL men are like Chris Watts or capable of his violence. I know that many men are incapable of violence and many men are also survivors of it themselves. SO, to the many men who support women and who work to end the violence that BOTH women and men experience, THANK YOU.

All peace to each one of you today.
Dora