Jan/Feb 2011 LD Topic

I affirm the resolution of today's debate: It is morally permissible for victims to use deadly force as a deliberate response to repeated domestic violence. Before continuing, I would like to establish the following parameters for this debate, beginning with the definitions:[Definitions]Morally Permissible (adj.): A moral system differentiates among behaviors that are morally prohibited, those that are morally permitted, those that are morally required, and those that are morally encouraged.... Permitted [means] behavior that is within the bounds of the moral system. It is morally permitted to act in any way that does not cause others unjustified harms. (Ethics in Perspective)Deadly Force (n.): Physical force which, under the circumstances in which it is used, is readily capable of causing death or serious physical injury. Justify(v.): to prove or show to be just, right, or reasonable (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)Domestic Violence (n.): violence or physical abuse directed toward your spouse or domestic partner or other members of a household.[Observations]Observation 1: Evident from the definitions established, the obligation of the affirmative is to justify the harms done against the abuser in the domestic violence scenario. With my parameters established, I move toward the iteration of my case. [Framework]Value: MoralityCriterion: Utilitarianism[Contentions]Contention 1: Domestic violence is harmful to the economy.The problems of domestic abuse do not end at the individual level, but afflicts the community at large indirectly through the negative effects caused to the economy. Sub-point 1a: Domestic abuse creates heavy government spending. "Recognizing the pervasive nature of the problem, researchers increasingly have begun to examine the economic effects of domestic violence, both in terms of financial costs to victims as well as the broader impact on national economies. Studies conducted in several different countries have attempted to quantify the aggregate economic costs of domestic violence, and the results are staggering.[6] A 2003 study by the CDC estimated that domestic violence cost the U.S. economy more than $5.8 billion in a single year.[7] Other studies have estimated the annual costs of domestic violence in the United States to be as high as $12.6 billion.[8] A study in the United Kingdom, which quantified pain and suffering costs as well as the costs of services used by victims and the reduction in economic output due to domestic abuse, concluded that domestic violence costs individuals, the state, and businesses £23 billion per year.[9] Studies in Australia and Canada have estimated the annual costs of domestic violence (and sexual assault, in the case of the Canadian study) at A$8.1 billion and CAN$4.2 billion, respectively.[10] Comparison with other spending metrics underscores the magnitude of these costs. For example, a conservative estimate determined that domestic violence costs New Zealand nearly as much as that nation spends on unemployment benefits each year – approximately NZ$1.2 billion. These studies reveal that the costs of domestic violence measure well into the billions." [1]Sub-point 1b: Domestic violence harms private corporations."Reduced earnings and lower productivity are among the most prominent indirect costs of domestic violence. Studies have consistently shown that abused women earn substantially less than their non-abused peers. A Colombian study concluded that victims of domestic violence earn $60 less per month (or $100 less per month, if the abuse is severe) than women who have not experienced domestic violence, where mean monthly earnings are just $142.[24] A study in Chile found that, even after controlling for other factors that could affect earnings, abused women earn only approximately one-half to two-thirds of what non-abused women earn.[25] In fact, researchers have calculated that women in Chile earn roughly $1.56 billion – approximately 2% of Chile’s gross domestic product – less each year because of domestic violence.[26] In Nicaragua, abused women earn approximately $29.5 million – equivalent to 1.6% of Nicaragua’s gross domestic product – less each year due to domestic abuse.[27]" [1]Contention 2: Domestic violence causes harm to the victim. Domestic violence also causes great harm to the individual being victimized. "Battering is the single major cause of injury to women, more significant that auto accidents, rapes, or muggings. In fact, the emotional and psychological abuse inflicted by batterers may be more costly to treat in the short-run than physical injury. Many of the physical injuries sustained by women seem to cause medical difficulties as women grow older. Arthritis, hypertension and heart disease have been identified by battered women as directly caused or aggravated by domestic violence suffered early in their adult lives. " [2]""A woman who is usually beaten by her husband suffers ruthless psychological effects which are more brutal than physical wounds," he says. He says such women are depressed and live in social isolation or shame because their emotional strength is torn apart. Those are the kind of women who lose a grip on life because they are belittled by their husbands. They are disturbed in a way that they lose focus and direction. They cannot run their homes accordingly and even their sexual drive drops. In some cases they even commit suicide, that is, if they are not murdered by their husbands." [3] [1] http://www.stopvaw.org...[2] http://www.clarkprosecutor.org...[3] http://allafrica.com...