Letters: Christine's right about domestic violence

I THANK Christine Flowers for her op-ed on Elin Nordegren and Tiger Woods.

Though we don't know what did and didn't happen, it's sickening to see all the responses saying that violence is deserved (or even humorous) if the recipient is male. More than 250 studies indicate that women initiate domestic violence against men approximately as often as the reverse occurs.

Too many people don't treat it seriously enough, arguing that men are usually stronger and bigger, but this difference often works to women's advantage, as men are told never to strike a woman (some say "even in self-defense"), giving abusive women the idea that they have carte blanche. Domestic violence is not about size, strength, or gender.

Brian Gillin, Broomall

The Tiger Woods case clearly shows the difference in how society deals with domestic violence when the victim is a man.

With the news of an alleged affair going public in the National Enquirer a day before, the entire bizarre nature of a minor accident a few feet from his driveway, car windows broken by his wife with a golf club, points to domestic violence. If the roles were reversed and his wife had been the victim, Tiger would have been arrested, his career over and his endorsement deals dropped. And NOW would never let the Woods camp keep it a private matter if the roles were reversed.

When Rihanna and Chris Brown had their incident, she didn't cooperate with police and didn't press charges. But many state laws don't give the woman an option as to whether she can protect the perpetrator. The state will prosecute if there is probable cause to suspect domestic violence, like they did with Brown.

These laws practically give a woman license to commit whatever act of violence she wants against her man, especially if she suspects infidelity. If a man tries to protect himself by using his hands to restrain her, the man will be automatically arrested in many states if the police come. Men are told to simply walk away. Tiger tried to leave - and just look where that got him.

Patrick Spencer, Pennsauken, N.J.

Is 'Cheat St.' really one-way?

Fatimah Ali says men aren't monogamous by nature. Is she saying married men only cheat with single women?

Bill Lawless, Bridgeport