Wife-Beaters: Are They Provoked By Women?

I am sure that most of you have heard of the name O. J. Simpson. Juice, as he was affectionately called by the media, rose to prominence playing American football. He was quite exceptional at this game. In various selections, he was named NFL player of the year in 1972, 1973, and 1975. Of course, the fame, money, and popularity, swung the doors of possibility wide open for him. Hollywood came calling. After enjoying a successful career in competitive sports, O.J retired and became a movie star. In fact, O.J was loved by everybody. His autograph was often sought after by those who wanted to cash in on his immense popularity. Items from his football days were collected and sold for a considerate amount of money. In the eyes of the American public, O.J was a darling. His movies racked up millions of dollars even though he couldn't act. But, who cared?

Mr Simpson’s private life was a different story. His first marriage was to an African-American woman. Their marriage produced two children--a boy and a girl. Their marriage, sadly, came to an end, when O.J had his heart stolen by another woman. To be precise, a Caucasian woman who went by the name of Nicole. From the word go, Nicole, with her blond hair and gorgeous features, fell in disfavor with some people. Particularly, some African-American people who couldn’t stand the sight of her. They were of view that Nicole was unsuitable for O.J. Simply because; she was of a different shade order than Black. They even called her a gold-digger. Also, O.J was publicly insulted and criticized by his own people for going out with a White woman. He was called an uncle Tom, a sell-out, and all kinds of derogatory names. Black folks, I guess, wanted to see O.J with a Black woman. O.J, on the other hand, couldn’t be bothered.

Shortly two years into their marriage, rumors began to circulate of a domestic abuse. O.J, America’s darling, was occasionally beating his wife behind close doors. Of course, nobody knew what was causing O.J to respond so violently to his wife. Was he being provoked by Nicole, or was he simply losing his mind from time to time? According to the police, they often visited the Simpson’s mansion upon request made by Nicole. Nicole, the police said, feared for her life. She complained to the police what O.J was doing to her. She complained of the occasional beatings. However, not once did she tell them what was causing her famous husband to beat her up. As for the police, they didn’t bother asking. O.J was often arrested for domestic abuse, only to be discharged hours later. A couple of years later, the couple broke up, but didn’t officially divorce.

On one fateful day, Nicole, together with another man, were found dead in a pool of blood. O.J, who wasn’t present at the scene of the crime, was arrested and charged with murder. To the utter dismay of some people, especially some White folks and some feminist groups, he was acquitted in court. To this very day, there are some who are convinced of his guilt, and there are some who are convinced that the crime was committed by another. I, for one, believe that O.J. Simpson was framed, but that’s me talking. Here in Ghana, domestic violence isn’t something uncommon. It’s reported that, yearly, thousands of women die from domestic violence. Indeed, a disturbing figure by all means. For most of us, our immediate reaction upon hearing such reports is; these men have lost their minds for beating their wives. So, most naturally, we side with the women without hearing what caused these men to snap in the first place. My question is; are these husbands simply crazy for beating their wives, or do some of these women actually provoke them to do so? Please, let your voices be heard. Thank you!

Welcome 2 the Dawn!

Source: The Emperor