From: Nita and Shaunna, Ultraviolet

Yesterday, Fox News host Dana Perino blamed domestic violence survivors, not their attackers, for abuse, saying abused women should “make better decisions.”1 Domestic violence is a serious problem and abusers, not survivors, should be held responsible. Tell Dana Perino to apologize–and to make a donation to a domestic violence shelter.
http://act.weareultraviolet.org/go/380?t=2&akid=245.6000.kj9VOs

Dear readers,

Yesterday during a discussion about domestic violence, Fox News host and former George W. Bush White House press secretary Dana Perino actually said on the air that women should “make better decisions” to avoid being beaten or killed by their abusers.2

Yep, that’s right. She didn’t say anything about the abusers who terrorize their girlfriends, wives, children, and partners. Instead, she blamed survivors of domestic violence for the crimes committed against them.

This is a new low, even for Fox News. Three women die every day as a result of domestic violence.3 It’s a serious problem and it’s abusers, not their targets, who need to be held responsible. Dana Perino and Fox News need to know they crossed the line. When Rush Limbaugh attacked Sandra Fluke for speaking out on birth control, millions of us spoke out together and Limbaugh’s show is continuing to suffer revenue losses today.4 If enough of us speak out now we can make sure Perino and Fox are held accountable too. Can you sign this petition demanding that she apologize on the air for blaming victims of domestic abuse instead of their abusers?

Add your name to the petition.

This isn’t the first time that Perino has made offensive comments about women. In February, when her co-host Greg Gutfled said that liberals’ support of access to birth control is “about getting rid of the poor” instead of helping them, she agreed, saying “it’s not a bad point.”5 And during the Presidential campaign, she used her role on her show, The Five, to sugar-coat Paul Ryan’s extreme position on abortion.6

Her comment yesterday came during a discussion of domestic violence and the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)–a life-saving law that funds shelters, domestic violence hotlines, and other key services. Republican leaders in the House have stalled reauthorization of this important law, and even tried to roll back protections that have been in place for years.7

Standing against domestic abuse is not about being liberal or conservative–it’s about saving lives, and it’s about the law. Even coming from Dana Perino and Fox News, this is not okay. Survivors of abuse don’t deserve to be blamed for the crimes committed against them–any more than victims of murders or robberies do.

If thousands of us speak out, she’ll hear the message that she needs to apologize–and she’ll think twice before she makes a statement like that again. Can you sign this petition demanding that Perino apologize for blaming victims for their abuse, and urging her to make a donation to a domestic violence shelter?

Add your name to the petition.

Thanks for speaking out!

–Nita, Shaunna, Kat and Karin, the UltraViolet team.

Sources:

1. Bush’s White House Press Secretary Tells Female Victims Of Violence: ‘Make Better Decisions’, ThinkProgress, December 6, 2012

2. Ibid.

3. Each Day 3 Women Die Because of Domestic Violence, National Network to End Domestic Violence

4. Rush Limbaugh Ad Boycott A Continued ‘Drag’ On Business, Cumulus CEO Says, Huffington Post, August 10, 2012

5. Fox Panel: Liberals Support Birth Control to ‘Get Rid of the Poor’, ThinkProgress, February 15, 2012

6. Dana Perino Tries To Whitewash Ryan’s Extreme Record On Reproductive Rights, Media Matters, August 28, 2012

7. The Gop And Violence Against Women,The New York Times, November 24, 2012