"The tally of women killed in an act of domestic violence reached 65 today."
After hearing the latest score update this morning it was time to flick over to check the NFL score.
1 in 6 people have experienced violence from a current or ex-partner.
Indigenous women are 34 times more likely to be hospitalised as a result of family violence.
A mother was mowed down by an 18 year old male on a scooter and fled the scene.
A woman was aggressively pushed in the throat by a male AFL supporter at a game on Friday night.
Two other male supporters at this same AFL game were captured on camera feigning to push or hit opposition players when they ventured too close to the sideline.
Why are men so angry?
The students I teach have seen and heard my anger (disguised as "grumpiness"), my wife has copped my anger and so have my own three sons. It never has caused me to want to kill them or lash out and hurt them though.
I do get angry at times. Things in life frustrate me. There are things I would not dare admit that make me angry. It is embarrassing some of the things that make me angry.
The Australian government has announced a multi-million dollar package that includes money to improve frontline services, new technologies to keep women safe and a training package for frontline workers.
More than $20 million will also be spent to help indigenous women and communities tackle family violence and $17 million has been allocated to keep women and children safe by installing CCTV cameras and other safety equipment in homes.
And this should be the start of the conversation for men in Australia to begin. Yet, is our society ready to listen to men as well?
Culture of violence
There is a crisis in our country with a culture of violence and disrespect towards each other seeming to be becoming more prevalent. We strive to me more tolerant and more inclusive, but it seems the more laws we make, the more advertising campaigns and programs that are funded, the less tolerant our society appears.
We voice our disgust at the nature of these shocking incidents over the last week. Social media "goes into overdrive" (apparently) with people ready to take justice into their own hands against the perpetrators of the violent acts mentioned in the early part of this article. We support the visa rejection for entertainers who have been charged for domestic violence.
But thrive and promote for a punch to be thrown during State of Origin. We demand the captain of the Broncos be let off at Grand Final time for tipping a guy on his head because it wasn't as bad as a guy dropping 2 of his knees and weight of 112kg into the back of another player.
The heart of man
Jesus, as reported in the Bible, offers some insight into the heart of man and why men (and all of us at times) get so angry:
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Later, the apostle Paul also encourages us to "rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips."
Jesus reminds us that "in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you."
Loving God and loving others might seem like an old, out of date, irrelevant ancient religious rule or tradition, but it just might be the start to this conversation this nation needs.
Russell Modlin teaches English and Physical Education at a Christian School on the Sunshine Coast. He is married to Belinda and they have three children.
Russell Modlin's archive of previous article can be found at www.pressserviceinternational.org/russell-modlin.html
