A loose-cannon member of the Charleston County Legislative Delegation may have been of some benefit to criminal domestic violence victims this week.

The House of Representatives is trying to dig out from under a public relations disaster that has the nation thinking that South Carolinians, especially the legislators, have more regard for the life of fighting chickens than for people, primarily women, who are beaten by their domestic partners.

Rep. John Graham Altman, R-Charleston, stirred up a hornet's nest last week when he implied that victims of domestic violence get what they deserve. It came as the House Judiciary Committee tabled a bill that would have increased penalties for criminal domestic violence while passing a bill to stiffen penalties for cockfighting. And a tape of the meeting revealed members laughing at a quip about women being repeated victims of domestic abuse.

Some Democrats called for Altman to resign or for House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville, to remove him from the committee.

This week, Wilkins and Jim Harrison, R-Richland, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, have made extraordinary attempts to get a new bill passed. And Altman has apologized for his comments, a sharp turnaround from his clueless response to public outcry last week. On a weekly public television program that originates from the House, Wilkins wouldn't reveal his comments in a private conversation with Altman. "There is no secret that I find his comments inappropriate," Wilkins said. He tried to paint a bright picture by saying that Altman had signed on as a sponsor of new criminal domestic violence rules.

South Carolina may well wind up with a better criminal domestic violence law, one that increases fines and makes the crime an automatic felony if it occurs in front of a minor.

South Carolina needs to improve the lot of people who are abused by their partners. In 2003, 51,814 domestic assaults occurred in South Carolina. South Carolina is among national leaders of women who are killed by their husbands.

Charleston voters will have to take steps to make sure that they are represented by a responsible person in the House. The old adage that people generally get the government they deserve rings truer than ever.