They are pieces of paper. They are not impenetrable shields against bullets, knives, or fists.

What they do is provide police a reason to arrest if the restrained person comes near you, harasses you or your family, etc. If the person is present and you have an order against them, the police can arrest the person. This is one form of protection.

But that's all it is. So many people, too many people, think that it is a magic shield -- and its not, and it's not supposed to be.

If the person who feels threatened even suspects that the other person is a physical threat, they need to get out and get to a safe place -- immediately.

I used to work in family law and would hand out restraining orders that had been ordered by the judge. I can't tell you how many women would say, "Oh, great, now he can't get me. He can't bother me."

I had to inform them that, yes, he could "get you." If he is determined to harm you, he won't be stopped by a piece of paper -- but that's not what the piece of paper is for.

can get to a safe place. Not just women, but also children, pets and men who are victims.

And we need to get much better about getting guns out of the hands of people who have a restraining order against them.

Also, if you are the abused party (male or female, but it's mostly female) do not, do not, repeat, do not threaten the other person with a restraining order. Just do it.

I've seen cases where the woman threatened the man repeatedly with a restraining order. Then, he comes to the courthouse and takes out an order against her. She is the one who is removed from the home by the police and forbidden to contact the man or the children. Often that gets overturned at the hearing, but that can take weeks. The initial order is temporary, but automatic and, in domestic violence cases, given only on the say-so of the person requesting it.

BTW, civil restraining order have a higher bar to cross than domestic cases. So, if you want to get an order against a neighbor or a coworker, you need to have more evidence than just your word for it.

but the Right tells these knuckle dragging spouse beating brutes to arm up while the Left tells victims of domestic violence that guns are scary, dangerous and they're better off calling 911.

Since guns arent going away and they're very easy for the worst of society to get a hold of, I say we give every victim of domestic violence who has get a restraining order, free shooting lessons and a $500 voucher for a handgun.

Yeah, that will make us all a lot safer.

Lots of women, lots of people shot up by guns...dying

epidemic I say

past few weeks.

What about the rights of those who want to shoot deer or have naughty dreams about getting to confront an intruder?

strangled to death, mowed down by a car to death and all the other ways predator men kill the object of their obsession and abuse? A HELL of a lot more.

This guy had a long history of stalking, harassment, abuse, etc. and was currently stalking/harassing two different women and their families. Yet even after two convictions for harassment in '09 and '10 this obviously dangerous man like so many others is let out on bail to freely continue their crazy behavior even allowing them to keep their guns while it's the job of the victims to pull up stakes, ignore all their obligations, quit their jobs, change their names and run and hide.

One would think with such an epidemic like this laws would be made to take these obvious dangerous crazies more seriously and keeping them physically away from being able to harm anyone. Instead our legal system is based solely on protecting the accused - not victims - and it's the victims who get nothing but a piece of paper to "protect" them, and just like it did with this nutter that piece of paper is often what tips them over the edge into much more dangerous violence.

Secure your person first...

What is that supposed to mean?