South Carolina's #1 Crime

In a first for the state, a man spoke Tuesday at the 12th annual Silent Witness memorial, a tribute to South Carolina's victims of domestic violence held on the south lawn of the Statehouse complex.

Dale Wells, a 358-pound Columbia restaurant manager, is the sort of self-assured guy you'd think no one would mess with. Until that day when his stalker ex-girlfriend, who had threatened to kill him, put five slugs from a .357 through his back, lungs, arm and head.

In South Carolina, domestic violence is the state's "No. 1 crime," said Attorney General Henry McMaster, who sponsors the annual event.

McMaster said during Tuesday's ceremony that domestic violence was responsible for 36,000 complaints to the police last year.

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I have expressed my feelings on domestic violence via my Chris Brown/Rihanna post, so this post won't be lengthy. The South Carolina police received 36,000 domestic violence complaints last year. I shutter to think how many actual cases of domestic violence occurred. I am pretty sure the number is significantly higher than 36K. I'm not a pacifist, but I do believe that violence is not the answer. This belief is especially true in regards to relationships. If you feel the need to physically or emotionally assault the person you are with, you need to develop a coping mechanism, civilly discuss your issues with your partner, or end the relationship.

PERIOD