I think we're all in favour of the proposition that men and women should treat each other respectfully. It would be a bright and sunny world if every day were Valentine's Day in each and every couple's home. Sadly, this world is populated by real human beings, who often are losers, or get into foul moods for reasons good and bad, or grew up with verbally abusive parents, or for any number of other reasons can't always be counted on to treat their domestic partners with absolute courtesy.

Verbal abuse isn't pleasant. Nobody likes to be called a fat cow, or crazy or stupid, but when life's a bitch because your partner is crude, mean-spirited or cruel, who ya' gonna call? Traditionally you call your mom to vent, or a friend, or a therapist - or nobody, you just deal with it - but if a new bill backed by the government is passed by France's parliament, the French will indeed soon be able to call the police when their partner bad-mouths them and he will be charged with "psychological violence."

I assume it is always going to be "he" that gets charged, since in the longish BBC news article about this proposed innovation, including interviews with women psychologists and lawyers, I saw no mention of men being victims, only perpetrators. That tells me the bill is ideologically inspired by feminists, who seem to think that women are too fragile to fend off an insult from their boyfriend, too timid to give as good as they get, or too stupid to know where the front door is and use it.

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