Madam, - Kevin Myers's surprisingly emotional response to Women's Aid's highlighting of violence against women misses the point entirely (An Irishman's Diary, December 1st).
The difference between violence against men by men and violence against women by men is that almost a majority of women victims are murdered in their own homes by men with whom they have an intimate relationship. In addition, rape and sexual violence are almost exclusively male-to-female or male-to-male crimes.
There is no comparable statistic for female-perpetrated murders or sexual assaults on men, a fact underlined by Mr Myers's continual use of the Norma Cotter case to illustrate what he sees as the "equality" of domestic violence.
His portrayal of women who object to men's violence against them as "man-hating" contains a powerful message to women - namely, speak out about what is happening and you will be ridiculed and vilified.- Yours, etc.,
WENDY HEUSTON, Manager, Waterside House Women's Refuge, Galway.
Madam, - How would your correspondents who object to Kevin Myers's Diary of last Wednesday feel if a vigil was organised by a State-subsidised men's group to commemorate only the men who died at work over the past eight years, without reference to any women dying, because the "overwhelmingly majority" of such fatalities were men?
Would they feel it was reasonable for a columnist to point out that the hypothetical men's group was ignoring some female deaths? - Yours, etc.,
T. KINDLON, Beechpark Lawn, Castleknock, Dublin 15.
Madam, - I found Kevin Myers's article about Women's Aid an absolute insult to the organisation, to your readers' intelligence and to the reputation of The Irish Times itself.
How is his ranting diatribe against such a worthwhile organisation considered worthy of print? I'm disgusted. - Yours, etc.,
LIZZIE KINROSS, Ivar Street Stoneybatter, Dublin 7.