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Men walk in heels of the abused
Published Friday, October 5, 2007
It’s hard to take a man seriously when he’s wearing sequined pumps or spike-heeled boots — until you hear they raised $1,233 for domestic violence victims in the process.
Someplace Safe sponsored its third annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event Thursday, in conjunction with Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Seven men trudged from Pamida to the Otter Tail County Courthouse, stopping along the way to hear domestic violence statistics and scenarios. Participants collected pledges to participate, the money used by Someplace Safe to provide services for its clients — women and children escaping abusive environments. The event led a light-hearted touch to a serious subject.
“I’m very passionate about this issue,” said Arden Loven, director of Matthew’s House, a Fergus Falls faith-based halfway house. “My parents provided a safe environment for us. In dealing with people everyday, it makes me realize even more how devastating a home that’s not safe can be.”
Jack Gustafson, St. Cloud, showed up ready to walk in thigh-high boots (think Julia Roberts in “Pretty Woman”). His wife serves on the Central Minnesota Sexual Assault Prevention Committee.
“I couldn’t find anything smaller on eBay that would fit me,” he said, accepting good naturedly all the ribbing and catcalls he garnered.
While preparing for the walk last week, first-time participant and local college football coach Steve King said, “I’m a football coach. I should be able to walk a couple of blocks in high heels. In pain yet still walking tall, King was singing a different tune after his stroll.
“My back is so sore,” he said. “But it was well worth it. I’d walk a couple more blocks for this cause.”
Some were willing to go more than the extra mile.
“I told (his sponsors) I’d wear a dress if I raised $1,000 in donations,” Pete Haugen, a local maintenance electrician. Alas, he had to settle for a pair of gold faux snakeskin mules.
“I chose these because they looked the most painful,” said returning walker Chuck Kitzman, Otter Tail County chief probation officer, sporting a pair of pointy-toe aqua suede heels.
Despite the lighthearted mood, Someplace Safe offered some sobering statistics:
* A woman is beaten every 15 seconds in this country.
* Approximately 75 percent of abused women said their children are also abused
* Women stay in abusive relationships for many reasons — economics, threats of violence, low self-esteem.
* Violence is a learned behavior. Men from violent homes are 10 times more likely to abuse their wives than men from non-violent homes.
Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by eagle_eye (anonymous) on October 5, 2007 at 1:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Only 7 men walked?????? That is disgusting! Sure says a lot about the men of this area. There should have been many, many more!!!! This article is the first I've heard about the walk. Maybe that is why the turnout was so poor????
Posted by Rumpusgoopus (anonymous) on October 5, 2007 at 9:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
As I said in a previous article about this: "Talk about trivializing a very serious issue with a silly event that essentially equates domestic abuse with wearing heals. Genius, Fergus, genius."
And from what I hear, the walk was only a few blocks. Way to make an awfully planned event even worse.
Posted by fergusgirl23 (anonymous) on October 6, 2007 at 1:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This may have been a silly way to raise money and awareness, but isn't that what it did? It raised money and awareness. I say kudos to the gentlemen that participated. It's too bad that good-hearted intentions can't simply be taken as such and efforts praised.
Posted by FromNorway (anonymous) on October 6, 2007 at 4:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Domestic abuse is a serious matter! Hopefully the humor these men created when they "walked in the heels of the abused" will someday give the abused victims some real humor in their lives, too. Oofda, I say to the men walking in high heels, that's no easy task!
Posted by wendies43 (anonymous) on October 7, 2007 at 8:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is not the first time in the Journal. I think it has been going on for a few years. The point of the walk is to show the pain people go through with abuse!! I think maybe you should ponder on that one. It isn't for laughs, it is a serious this and the men involved take it serious. Why would someone drive from St Cloud to be involved?? Yes, I do think more people should be involved but I think the first time they did it there were only one or two men involved so it is growing each year as any fund raiser does.
Posted by dino (anonymous) on October 7, 2007 at 4:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree that the promotion of such an event needs to occur much earlier than the event itself. I commend the two gentlemen that showed up in spite of the low turnout for this event as it shows conviction to the cause. Hopefully, next years event will bring all ages of citizens to the streets !
Posted by Rumpusgoopus (anonymous) on October 8, 2007 at 11:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"The point of the walk is to show the pain people go through with abuse!!"
And how, exactly, do guys wearing heals show the pain people go through with abuse? This is exactly the belittling I'm talking about. The desire to do something about domestic abuse is to be commended, but this is extremely misguided. And frankly, I would never have expected to see something like this post the 1980s. We're past such mistakes in judgement. Apparently Fergus is not.
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