COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - As debate dragged into a second week on a bill to toughen sentences for convicted domestic abusers in South Carolina and take away their guns, state Sen. Katrina Shealy made the issue personal with the story of her sister who was abused for years by her husband before he finally shot himself to death.
"When you make it personal, people understand," said Shealy, who got her sister's permission over the weekend to tell her story. "I bet there are a lot of people out there who have similar stories."
Shealy, the state Senate's only woman, took the floor of the chamber Tuesday and for the first time publicly recounted the story of her sister's 30-year abusive marriage which ended when her brother-in-law killed himself on the hood of his wife's car just days after she left. He had written several suicide notes outlining different scenarios, including one with him walking to her job and killing her before turning the gun on himself, the Lexington Republican said.
The Senate adjourned again Tuesday without voting on the bill. More debate is expected Wednesday, and Senate Judiciary Chairman Larry Martin hopes the bill will come to a vote before the Senate leaves early Wednesday because of the threat of snow in the Upstate.
"I don't know why this has taken so long," said Martin, R-Pickens. "I know there are strong passions when someone thinks their Second Amendment rights are at stake."
The main sticking point is a provision that would prevent people convicted of domestic violence from owning a gun for 10 years. Several amendments watering down or eliminating the provision for certain convictions have slowed debate.
The bill also defines three degrees of domestic violence. Penalties would increase with the violence of the attack.
Shealy said her sister's abuse was well known in their family at the time. She occasionally came around with black eyes and missed family gatherings without a reason. Shealy and other relatives would buy her clothes, and her husband would cut them to ribbons if he thought she owned too many things.
"Why didn't she leave? She was scared of him," Shealy said. "He had threatened to kill her and her children."
Shealy's brother-in-law killed himself 16 years ago. But she said her sister and her adult children still struggle with low self-esteem from his blows and his words.
Read more from the original source:
Shealy tells sister's story during domestic violence debate
- Assemblyman Tim Donnelly Introduces Sweeping Handgun Carry License Reform Bill AB 1563 - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Ex-Supreme Court justice pushes gun grab, 2nd Amendment rewrite - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Party of guns: 2016ers speak to NRA - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Michigan 2014 Second Amendment March - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Georgia Governor Signs Law Allowing Firearms In Public Places - Andrew Napolitano - Stuart Varney - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Tony DeTora's Second Amendment Commitment - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Second Amendment Man Drug PSA - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Do you exercise your Second Amendment Rights while riding? - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Kira Davis - My 2nd Amendment Story - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Gabby Franco for NRA News: "Freedoms Are Not Untouchable" - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- SafeandVaultStore GS592820 Second Amendment Gun Safe - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Oathbreaking Tyrant: Justice John Paul Stevens Wants To Change The Second Amendment - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Dear LiberalViewer: Second Amendment Response - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Justice John Paul Stevens Wants To Change The Second Amendment - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- God & The Second Amendment - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Amend The Second Amendment? - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Justice John Paul Stevens on the Second Amendment - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- CCRW Televised Forum - Mental Health, Second Amendment - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Obama lying supporting second amendment - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Second Amendment Rally Saturday - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Second Amendment and other t-shirts support the cause - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- 2nd Amendment - Laws - April 27th, 2014 [April 27th, 2014]
- Second Amendment - U.S. Constitution - FindLaw - April 27th, 2014 [April 27th, 2014]
- Rep. Larry Pittman talks about Second Amendment - Video - April 27th, 2014 [April 27th, 2014]
- billkeyz talking about gun control the Second Amendment NRA - Video - April 27th, 2014 [April 27th, 2014]
- US Senate Candidates Iowa - Second Amendment - Video - April 27th, 2014 [April 27th, 2014]
- NRA leadership uses Bloomberg gun control push to rally members - April 28th, 2014 [April 28th, 2014]
- Open Carry Or Concealed Carry In California & Does The NRA Oppose - Video - April 28th, 2014 [April 28th, 2014]
- Greg Brannon Nuke Second Amendment right - Video - April 28th, 2014 [April 28th, 2014]
- SafeandVaultStore GS724027 Second Amendment Gun Safe - Video - April 28th, 2014 [April 28th, 2014]
- Supreme Court Gun Carry Rights; Drake v. Jerejian, Pending petition - Video - April 29th, 2014 [April 29th, 2014]
- Letter: NRA opposes reasonable responses - April 30th, 2014 [April 30th, 2014]
- Common sense calls for repeal of second amendment - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- GUNS: Amendment words to fight over - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Gun lobby group receives open government award - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- NFL Player Brags About Shooting a Skunk to NRA - Video - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Disgruntled Motel Owner Uses Second Amendment To Fight Government Officials #ZHG - Video - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Psychiatrists to push NWO gun control - Video - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Second Amendment Action Day 2014 - Video - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Second Amendment Action Day 2014 at the Pennsylvania Capitol - Video - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Second Amendment Action Day - Video - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Second Amendment Action Day Rally - Video - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Pyro Planet Second Amendment & Star Spangled Blast - Video - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Gun rights: Times have changed since the creation of the Second Amendment - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Billy Johnson for NRA News: "Infringed Rights" - Video - May 3rd, 2014 [May 3rd, 2014]
- Second Amendment group marches in El Paso - May 4th, 2014 [May 4th, 2014]
- The Second Amendment (Part 1 of 2) - Video - May 4th, 2014 [May 4th, 2014]
- New Jersey Gun-Carrying Limit Left Intact by High Court - May 5th, 2014 [May 5th, 2014]
- Supreme Court Wasnt Serious about the Second Amendment - May 5th, 2014 [May 5th, 2014]
- Staying away from guns and Gitmo - May 6th, 2014 [May 6th, 2014]
- US Supreme Court refuses to consider gun-rights case - May 6th, 2014 [May 6th, 2014]
- Success For Gun Owners & 2nd Amendment Defenders In 2014 - May 6th, 2014 [May 6th, 2014]
- Yen on Second Amendment - Video - May 6th, 2014 [May 6th, 2014]
- Second Amendment Shootout - Video - May 6th, 2014 [May 6th, 2014]
- Gun Depot USA Second amendment target shooting. - Video - May 6th, 2014 [May 6th, 2014]
- Second Amendment in real time boils down to politics - May 8th, 2014 [May 8th, 2014]
- Second Amendment - Laws - May 8th, 2014 [May 8th, 2014]
- Alan Gottlieb Supporting Compromise of your Second Amendment Rights - Video - May 9th, 2014 [May 9th, 2014]
- Lawmakers divided on bill that restricts EBT use - May 10th, 2014 [May 10th, 2014]
- Defenseless Nigerian Men, No Second Amendment #BringBackOurGirls Boku Haram - Video - May 10th, 2014 [May 10th, 2014]
- The Second Amendment (Part 2 of 2) - Video - May 10th, 2014 [May 10th, 2014]
- Flawed argument I - May 11th, 2014 [May 11th, 2014]
- Minera Panama S.A. and Petaquilla Minerals Limited Sign $60 Million Agreement - May 11th, 2014 [May 11th, 2014]
- Interview Interrupted by State Highway Administrator - Video - May 12th, 2014 [May 12th, 2014]
- Lawmakers debate proposed EBT restrictions - Video - May 12th, 2014 [May 12th, 2014]
- N.J. Gov. Chris Christie under the gun over ammo bill, as White House beckons - May 13th, 2014 [May 13th, 2014]
- Guns and Supreme Court: Is Second Amendment a Privilege, Not a Right? - May 13th, 2014 [May 13th, 2014]
- Guns to be focus of rally - May 15th, 2014 [May 15th, 2014]
- DHS Says "Hands Off" VIP Terrorist - Video - May 15th, 2014 [May 15th, 2014]
- INFOWARS Nightly News: with David Knight Monday May 12 2014: Plus Special Reports - Video - May 15th, 2014 [May 15th, 2014]
- Gun rights advocates hope for convention impact - May 16th, 2014 [May 16th, 2014]
- Det Bowers on the Second Amendment - Video - May 16th, 2014 [May 16th, 2014]
- Trevor Stewart - V18 - AUDIO - THE RACIAL NETWORK & THE SECOND AMENDMENT - Video - May 16th, 2014 [May 16th, 2014]
- Trevor Stewart - V17 - THE RACIAL-NETWORK & THE SECOND AMENDMENT - Video - May 16th, 2014 [May 16th, 2014]
- The Second Amendment: A Biography - Video - May 16th, 2014 [May 16th, 2014]
- Knowing Your Rights.... Yes we have them! - Video - May 18th, 2014 [May 18th, 2014]
- The Second Amendment (Game) - Video - May 18th, 2014 [May 18th, 2014]
- We Have Rights! An Animation On The Second Amendment - Video - May 18th, 2014 [May 18th, 2014]
- Letter: 2nd amendment purposes - May 20th, 2014 [May 20th, 2014]
- Senator Ted Cruz's father Rafael Cruz on the Second Amendment - Video - May 20th, 2014 [May 20th, 2014]