PA punishes domestic abuse victims for calling 911

Like I'm surprised such fuckery is happening in Pennsylvania.

http://www.aclu.org/blog/womens-rights-lgbt-rights-racial-justice-criminal-law-reform/shut-or-get-out-pa-city-punishes

The article talks about a lady who contacted the police when her boyfriend began battering her, but due to the city of Norristown having a disorderly conduct policy that includes sending the police to renters' homes, the police are only allowed to respond three times before the tenant must be evicted. Because calling the cops when your crazy boyfriend is beating the shit out of you is "disorderly conduct." According to the article:

Quote

The ordinance specifically includes "domestic disturbances" as disorderly behavior that triggers enforcement of the law.

Because gods forbid the police get off their asses and do their job. So this made the victim in question too scared to call the police again, even after the same guy stabbed her in the neck and hit her with a brick. However, someone else DID call 911 on her behalf and she faced eviction because of it. Housing court refused to cave to the city's demands to evict the woman, so the city went so far as to condemn the woman's building so they could force her out.

This got turned over, but then the city passed an almost identical law that would fine landlords for tenants who contact the police over domestic disturbances three times within four months. Of course if you go and shoot or stab your attacker, you might go to jail, depending on whose on the jury.

In short, Norristown tells you to just bend over and take domestic violence with a big smile on your face, and anyone who witnesses or hears it needs to just STFU too. Just more instances of punishing the victims.

So two states to stay out of - North Dakota and Pennsylvania

Oh, fuck it. I want out of this country entirely.

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"Be yourself, no matter what. Some will adore you, and some will hate everything about you, but who cares?

It's your life. Make the most out of it."

Completely disgusting. I hate our victim-punishing society. I mean, I agree with the old adage that if you're abused once you're a victim, and the second time you're a volunteer, but there aren't always resources available for battered women who WANT to leave, and often they have nowhere else to go but back to their abuser. They NEED to be able to contact the police for help, especially if they can get charged for murder or assault for attempting to defend themselves. :headbrick

Sue them sue them sue them. The only way these conservative fuckfaces will get it through their thick fucking skulls that people have rights is to take their sorry Constitution-hating asses to court and put a judicial boot up their fucking asses.

This is FUCKING DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't forget that there could be technical difficulties too. Feel like you don't mean shit? Well, the phones and such probably don't work right, anyway. It's almost like the makings of a cheesy horror movie - victim in distress goes to call for help - and the phone doesn't work!

Life is imitating art.

911 is not always a magic number.

We have alot of extreme weather here, I'm sure everyone saw my mentions of the recent flooding. And that was just an overload of rain. Which people were kind of keeping on top of, preparing for, and dealing with.

And still - everything goes. ALL utilities often including cell phone service.

Really bad storms? It all goes *instantaneously*.

And one section of the overall grid can affect the next. Things get switched due to overload, and then the next section goes.

In this locale in PA - does this operate off Niagara Falls power?

Even if not, if that goes - it can affect the area. Or, if ours goes here - this can have a cascading affect of failure moving East.

Read. Scare yourself silly!

I only thought of this for a simple thing too - I tried to call my Mom once, "all circuits are busy". OK - this is 'in the same area' - not even 100 miles away. People do this as a daily commute. And a supposedly 'modern' and 'cutting edge' area. It's only like 2 phone codes away - nothing. I think I even tried to call within this area code - we're sorry, your call cannot be completed ~

This was not during a period of storms or severe weather, either. Perfectly fine weather. Besides these 'phone co. announcements' I was getting a ring or a fast busy signal.

I began to worry ~
(Because this had been going on for hours, and by then it was rush hour traffic and no way could I drive there fast enough -)

So, I called "911". Which of course goes to my local 911

I said I was worried about my Mom, "Welfare Check" and like that, the Police Person or 911 Operator or who ever she was who discussed this with me understood my intent and said she'd see about getting someone in MI for this 'welfare check' - and put me on hold.

And then came back and said - I'm sorry. Our system does not interface with theirs. You will have to call that municipality's number directly. They do have 911 - I can't get it, there's no interface ~

Oooh Kaaay ~
(I would've been mad, or like WTF? But this Police Worker was like WTF? too and so sorry and went and got me the specific phone number and everything. And kinda shocked - like I was. Eg. they can't just 'switch it over' to another 911 Operator? There was a technical gap here and she seemed even more concerned about it than I was. )

Keep in mind - this is - like *all the same area*. It's not far away. The various phone codes all interface. It is one big Urban Mass. And yes there certainly are tech gaps like this - many more than are generally known of.

And when ALL utilities go ~

Yeah. Fun times. Happens often around here. Because there are too many goddamned people. ALL systems are over loaded.

Keep that larger grid structure in mind, also. And the sections of this are 'hooked together'. Not only can they 'borrow' from neighbors, or portions be switched over - if the system is way overloaded - the borrowers will overload their neighbors, too.

Got Candles?

I understand sometimes it can be hard for a woman to leave her abuser because abusive men can cut off contact between her and her loved ones, or mentally manipulate her into believing she can't make it without him, he only hits her because he loves her, etc. I know it can be easy to just say, "Oh get up and leave," but the woman may have nowhere to go where her abuser won't find her and bring her back home...and probably proceed to beat her senseless for daring to try and escape.

Plus I don't know of many landlords who would take the fine or try to dispute it when they can just throw the tenant out. Even if that tenant pays rent on time, having the cops there every week because someone's abusive asshole boyfriend breaks another bone will add up a lot and most landlords are way too cheap. I wonder if the tenant gets charged if they need to have their lease broken. And I bet abusive people are going to have a field day with this too; no more risk of going to jail because Wifey will be too scared to call 911.

Le sigh, you just can't win sometimes. I don't know what's worse: Getting thrown out of your apartment or rented room because you sought help, taking abuse and hoping someone else doesn't call the police, or going to jail for any number of years because you fought back and/or kill your abuser. Because I'm sure blowing some asshole's head off will count as a domestic disturbance strike.

I wonder if these rules apply to homeowners. Sounds like they're just singling out renters.

First of all, as a Pennsylvanian, I am sorry about what happened to that woman in our state. But then, I will not get defensive, I admit our state is screwed up. I mean we have Governor Corbett and Pittsburgh is the home of the African Painted dogs...

Zelda, PA is heavily nuclear powered with 9 reactors at 5 sites and one in NE PA. Often we are a net exporter of energy. I am starting another thread related to this here. Bob.

P.S. My mother has quite a few candles and in the summer, often needs them. It helps to not keep much food in the freezer too.

Quote
Cambion
Like I'm surprised such fuckery is happening in Pennsylvania.

http://www.aclu.org/blog/womens-rights-lgbt-rights-racial-justice-criminal-law-reform/shut-or-get-out-pa-city-punishes

The article talks about a lady who contacted the police when her boyfriend began battering her, but due to the city of Norristown having a disorderly conduct policy that includes sending the police to renters' homes, the police are only allowed to respond three times before the tenant must be evicted. Because calling the cops when your crazy boyfriend is beating the shit out of you is "disorderly conduct." According to the article:

Quote

The ordinance specifically includes "domestic disturbances" as disorderly behavior that triggers enforcement of the law.

Because gods forbid the police get off their asses and do their job. So this made the victim in question too scared to call the police again, even after the same guy stabbed her in the neck and hit her with a brick. However, someone else DID call 911 on her behalf and she faced eviction because of it. Housing court refused to cave to the city's demands to evict the woman, so the city went so far as to condemn the woman's building so they could force her out.

This got turned over, but then the city passed an almost identical law that would fine landlords for tenants who contact the police over domestic disturbances three times within four months. Of course if you go and shoot or stab your attacker, you might go to jail, depending on whose on the jury.

In short, Norristown tells you to just bend over and take domestic violence with a big smile on your face, and anyone who witnesses or hears it needs to just STFU too. Just more instances of punishing the victims.

Not all of PA is like Philly and its surround clumps of insanity. Much of it is closer to TX in its approach to things such as crime. In that I mean if some rapist tries to attack you, you can whip out your pistol from your open carry holster or grab your repeat fire rifle and blow his fool head off.