As his oft-delayed trial starts this week Mark Olson (R-Wife Beater) is going to argue that he was a battered husband.
And those statements to the police where he admitted guilt? That was totally a misunderstanding you guys! What he really meant to say was, that according to his religion, “he was responsible for his family’s behavior as head of the household.”
My opinion of Representative Olson is not fit for print, so I’ll keep it to myself; lets just hope that if he’s found guilty he mans up to his own literature and he seeks a tougher penalty for the crimes he’s committed.
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Was it also battered husband syndrome when he threw a typewriter at his secretary?
Here’s some interesting stuff from the “politics make strange bedfellows” department:
Olson’s attorney is none other than Jill Clark, the attorney who has made a name for herself representing some of the most notorious gang-banging thugs in Hennepin County. The most prolific case was the Philander Jenkins case, where the oft-misunderstood Jenkis told everyone that the MPD put a plunger in his “republican caucus”. Clark has irritated most of the judges in the 4th Judicial District, even going as far as running against a sitting judge.
Sean,
I actually agree with you here. Olson isn’t fit to serve in the legislature. Although, unfortunately, he probably isn’t the only one. Domestic abuse is found in both parties and all walks of life. I can remember the Kevin Chandler case from several years ago when Sen. Chandler beat up his wife in the parking lot of O’Gara’s. I don’t think the DFL removed him from office, but I think he resigned right after session ended. Olson should do the same.
I am reluctant to castigate anyone before they are proven guilty. I am just also reluctant to accept the “battered husband” defense.
I’m not ready to say that Olson is innocent, but if a judge should find him innocent I’m sorry for what Olson has gone through.
I just doubt that I’m going to see that. Sean
And domestic abuse is also found in both parties to a relationship. Scoff at the man’s defense all you like — I have no idea whether its true or not — but men DO suffer abuse at the hands of female significant others. And it happens more often than one might think. Many men, however, are often hesitant to report it, and hesitant to defend themselves against it because they are taught for a lifetime “don’t hit women,” as well as because they fear they won’t be believed (e.g. this very post). Just as with men’s abuse of women, these situations very often involve alcohol abuse.
So, denigrate the man if you like…for all I know, he’s guilty as hell. And for all I know, he’s a jack-booted thug as a legislator. But for all I know, his wife might have beat the crap out of him for years like his lawyer says, and for all I know, he was defending himself from more of the same when he pushed his wife. For all you know, as well.
OMG - they throw bibles at each other. The Strib is covering it as we speak……
I see a real dissonance in the battered spouse defense here.
Battered spouse syndrome is technically not a legal defense, but is used to explain the state of mind of a person who claims self-defense even though there is no imminent danger (the usual requirement for a plea of self-defense). Battered spouse syndrome is a way of answering questions like “why didn’t you leave when you had the chance?” or “why did you assault her/him when she was sleeping?” It relates to a feeling of helplessness or of being powerless in a relationship.
Okay, that could have happened here. I know nothing about the Olsons’ marriage or the dynamics of their relationship, so let’s just say “maybe so.”
The hard part comes when Rep. Olson “explains” his confession. He says it was because his religious beliefs dictate that, as head of the household, he was responsible for the actions of his family. That seems like a stretch, but let’s take it at face value. Try putting the two together: he felt helpless and powerless, so he stayed in an abusive relationship, but he was head of the household, and so responsible for what his wife did. The two just don’t mesh.
I don’t want to prejudge Rep. Olson, and I know nothing about his case other than what I read in the papers. What I read, however, makes me think this defense is pretty thin soup.
I am typing this message in with pure anger and utter disbelief. I am Mark’s niece (still embarrassed to admit that) and I cannot understand where Mark is coming from when stating that he is a battered husband.
Growing up, I idolized my uncles and thought that they could do no wrong, but that never applied to Mark. I know that I can speak for my sisters when I say that we always feared Mark and never wanted to be around him…He creeped us out (for a lack of better way of saying it). He always treated us differently than from my male cousins…whether that is because we are women or we are “husky” women…I would love to know. He always encouraged my male cousins and always told us girls that we were not able to do the same things. Growing up on the ‘farm,’ we were never afraid of trying anything, but Mark never allowed us to explore our full potential and I firmly believe it had something to do with us being girls. Men are superior to women…that is what I learned from Mark. Of course now being an adult, I know that to be false. Talk about “dehumanizing, abusive behavior.”
Now, I know that everyone is innocent until proven guilty and I believe that to be true -EXCEPT in this case! Mark never lived an innocent day in his life…to this day he lives a life in HIS world, believing in things like “the law favors women, so I will never get a fair day in court.” The only way I can explain Mark is God Complex…I think he thinks he is right no matter what.
Mark has made Christians look bad and has screwed up my view of what a true Christian is. I have feared religion for so many years because of things that Mark would say or do…which would always contradict what we were taught at Sunday school or Vacation Bible School. As I sit, a 30 year old woman, I can honestly say that I still have issues with religion and what a Christian is because of him and his holier-than-thou stance on life.
Heidi and her children are beyond special people. From the very first day that we heard Mark was dating Heidi, our family could not be happier. Once his former girlfriend, Ruthie, wisely left Mark, we figured Mark would live his life as a bachelor as it should have been. Heidi tried to change Mark for the better and tried to open Mark’s eyes to what family really is and means, but Mark was too selfish to understand what the word family entails. For cripes sakes, Heidi’s son was simply playing a game of Monopoly and because he is autistic, he likes to play his way and having spent many Christmases playing games with him, you allow him to make the rules because you just want him to have fun and be involved. He is wonderful boy and how dare Mark drag him into this mess MARK created.
After their marriage was legal, Mark took all medications out of the house, including the ones to control the autism. Mark believes that medicine comes from the devil and that medicine can only harm you. There is some merit to that, however, when you are trying to provide your son with a life in which he can function on a daily basis; I believe medicine to be a power positive means. His positive influence over the children was a paddle. And yes, I do mean the typical paddle that you seen in fraternity houses. I am not standing in judgment of how to discipline children, but in my house that would constitute abuse or a JOKE!
So as you read the posts on this page, please think about Heidi and her children and how they have had to live a controlling and sheltered life with Mark. Mark is guilty of many things and I firmly believe that the judge will see through the façade Mark has created. He is a fraud and an embarrassment to his family and the constituents he represents.
For 8 months now, Olson and his supporters have been filling the local papers with letters to the editor asking us to respect his privacy and not to drag his wife Heidi into this. And every single letter critical of Olson and his actions has been respectful of the plight of his wife Heidi and supportive of her.
On the first day of his trial, Olson throws his wife under the bus and makes all kinds of wild accusations about her.
Keep in mind that he is trying to avoid a small fine and what is most likely probation for a year or so. And he’s willing to destroy his wife to do so.
He is the co author of the “defense of marriage act” and ran on a platform of “family values”.
Olson has only been married a few years now to Heidi who until this week was well respected. She is a widowed mother of 4 one of who is a special needs child, she runs grief counseling for women who have lost a loved one. She was a very active member of Olson’s last campaign and worked tirelessly for him.
Anyone who has witnessed Olson’s tirades on the House floor would be sympathetic to Heidi’s plight and would most likely agree that he should be beat as often as possible.
Beckfeld…thank you!
Tia -
Thanks, that’s a tought nut to crack, but your honesty is admirable.
Tia,
Your story has to be told. Please, please make your post a letter to the editor in the W. Sherburne trib and the Citizen or the St. Cloud times.
The people in Sherburne need to be told and you and your circle are the only ones who can do that.
Thank you for having the courage to post this here. Mark can no longer be in the position of making laws that the rest of us have to follow.
As a survivor of domestic abuse, the telltale signs are all there….(a) no, I’M the victim, not her; (b) let her know that now that she almost ruined his career, he will destroy her publicly to get even; (c) never, never, ever take responsibility for your abusive actions AND be sure to ALWAYS blame the victim; (d) deny that the track record of abusive behavior at work has NOTHING to do with what happens at home… of course he is the victim at home cuz he is a family values-lovin guy….(e) of course he’s into old timey religion because of the super authoritarian, man in charge attytoods espoused which excuses him for his bad behavior…spare the rod, spoil the wife
in the words of bugs bunny, whatta maroon….
and, god bless his niece for telling her story, his woman-hater way of life just oozes out of every pore…
blecchhh…..my sympathies to the women in his life…these troglodytes are more common that you’d think…unfortunately for their significant others and children,….
Jury finds Olson guilty on one count of domestic abuse!!! Yes! Finally!
Tia,
We will do everything we can to remove this jerk from the House.
Anyone who wants to help can contact the Sherburne County DFL.
http://sherburnecountydfl.homestead.com/
Or stop by the DFL booth at the Sherburne County Fair next week.