It’s not uncommon for mothers, fathers, spouses, siblings and even children forgive their family member for committing all sorts of crimes. In the cases of family members that propensity for forgiveness falls under the category of family loyalty.
But as a society, we too are a family of sorts. As a family we must protect our larger family from brutes and brutality. Therefore I favor a zero tolerance in the case of domestic violence.
Granted everyone can make a mistake and everyone does. However when that mistake comes in the form of physical abuse, at the expense of another human being, it becomes more than a mere misstep, it’s a crime.
Even if the assaulted party choses to forgive and forget a mugging or a left hook to the jaw, as in the case of Ray Rice knocking out his love and then unceremoniously dragging her out of the elevator, as a civilized society we should not. We should adopt a zero tolerance for domestic abuse from those who perpetrate it and those who look the other way.