NFL Gets Tough On Domestic Violence But Not Tough Enough

From safehorizon.org, here are some eye-opening statistics on domestic violence:

• One in 4 women will experience domestic violence during her lifetime.
• Women experience more than 4 million physical assaults and rapes because of their partners, and men are victims of nearly 3 million physical assaults.
• Women are more likely to be killed by an intimate partner than men
• Women ages 20 to 24 are at greatest risk of becoming victims of domestic violence.
• Every year, 1 in 3 women who is a victim of homicide is murdered by her current or former partner.

Some other souring  facts:

• Survivors of domestic violence face high rates of depression, sleep disturbances, anxiety, flashbacks, and other emotional distress.
• Domestic violence costs more than $37 billion a year in law enforcement involvement, legal work, medical and mental health treatment, and lost productivity at companies.
• Every year, more than 3 million children witness domestic violence in their homes.
• Children who live in homes where there is domestic violence also suffer abuse or neglect at high rates (30% to 60%).

Domestic violence is a real problem in this country.  The NFL treated it with almost as a” so what if it happened” mentality.  What Goodell did today in correcting the NFL’s code of conduct policy is something, I will give them that.  Media and fan pressure had to get to him.  Goodell couldn’t wait much longer to act.  Oh, and I don’t think this was any coincidence that this came out today, one day after Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon was suspended for a year for substance abuse.

It’s just not tough enough.  When the NFL makes first time offenders banned for life, which does by the way with the second offense will allow for petition for reinstatement, then come talk to me.  Until then, it still isn’t enough.