Murrieta Councilman's Comments About Domestic Violence Leave Some Unsettled

Some people, including a fellow Council member, were left unsettled by comments made by Murrieta City Councilman Harry Ramos during a recent public meeting, The Press-Enterprise reported.

Ramos comments came at the end of the Oct. 15 meeting, at the beginning of which S.A.F.E., an area nonprofit that serves victims of domestic violence, was presented a city proclamation in observation of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Ramos started by saying he was wearing purple for the occasion, then launched into a tale about when he and his wife were briefly arrested several years ago for domestic violence for laws they allegedly did not know they were violating. He also joked that his wife "looked good in orange," and that he was upset that he broke his PlayStation 2 that night. (The video clip of his comments was emailed to local media and can be viewed above.)

While Ramos was speaking, Mayor Pro Tem Kelly Bennett, a family law attorney and a self-proclaimed strong supporter of S.A.F.E., can be seen getting up from her seat and walking away.

“A lot of people are absolutely blown away that that presentation was made,” Bennett told The Press-Enterprise. “It trivialized domestic violence.”

Melissa Donaldson, executive director of Temecula-based S.A.F.E. (Safe Alternatives for Everyone), also commented to the newspaper though she stated she was not looking for an apology from Ramos.

“I think the intent was to share with the community, lessons learned as a young man who obviously was arrested for domestic violence,” Donaldson told The Press-Enterprise. “But it didn’t work.”

Ramos, who is in his first term and is the newest Council member, could not immediately be reached Monday evening for comment.

However, he told The Press-Enterprise it was not his intention to offend anyone.

“I was just being honest with my experience.…," Ramos told the newspaper. "The point I was trying to make is that most domestic violence cases don’t start out as a punch in the face. It’s a progression.”

But a Murrieta resident who frequents City Council meetings said he did take offense to what Ramos said.

"It was disrepectful, he was minimizing the issue of domestic violence," said Kassen Klein, who was not at the meeting but said he became offended when he watched the recorded video.

"He was cavalier about it...in denial," Klein told Patch. "Domestic violence is a huge issue in society and it is not getting enough attention and it is due to attitudes like he expressed from the dais."

Do you think people should be offended by Ramos' statements? Watch the video and then tell us in the comments.