RADAR is an acronym for "Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting", and they have released a report to address the dynamic of VAWA's and the organization formerly known as NOW (redefined as "Legal Momentum") latest definitions of "extreme cruelty" which now includes:
* Possessiveness
* Minimizing, denying, and blaming
* accusations of infidelity
* a need for apologies
* what tone of voice was used
* Needing to "walk on eggshells"
Once the allegation is made, and nearly always without any actual proof of wrongdoing, the legal process begins in favor of the immigrant to gain legal status in the U.S.
IMPORTANT: My personal bias is to favor expedited immigration status and support for any person who is a genuine victim of abuse after coming to this country full of hope and expectation. However, consider the tenets of the IMBRA legislation (attached to VAWA when passed into law), that accentuated a very few highly-sensationalized abuse (murder) cases and leveraged that sensationalism into a law that disparages all men who are married to foreign women. The argument being largely: Let's over-regulate and inconvenience the majority so that we prevent a few abuses.
In THIS case, we have regulations that set the stage for unscrupulous women to take advantage of unsuspecting men - and I have personally seen several instances of this in action. The men are victimized by women who seek to gain leverage at their fiance/husband's expense - and they do - with sometimes devastating consequences for the men involved.
Clearly, the regulatory minefield is becoming even more hazardous. Between IMBRA which places obstacles, and VAWA which encourages fraud working to the mens disbenefit, it is an increasingly risky proposition for American men who simply wish to cast a wider net in their search for a life-partner.
Sad.
- Dan
