I hope you all are contacting your elected representatives - unless they hear from us, all they know is what the feminists are telling them.
********************************************************
Dear Senator Allen,
Thank you for your honest reply.
I am however, deeply disappointed that you support the VAWA. That law is clearly misguided and an obvious act of pandering to militant feminists. It is a sad day when we have a major piece of legislation giving benefits to a segment of our population based on sex, while also targeting the other sex with governmental force and unearned retribution.
ALL STATISTICS SHOW that men are by far, more likely to be a victim of violence. Males experience extraordinarily higher rates of murder, occupational fatalities, fatalities in military service, suicide, etc. The DOJ reports year after year that men receive longer prison sentences than women for the same crime.
Furthermore, several studies show that women initiate domestic violence as often as men. These studies also show that men are much less likely to report being the target of domestic violence because of social expectations. Approximately 30% (or more) of reported domestic violence cases are of men being assaulted.
You say that you are committed to making Virginia a better place to raise a family. Our government's actions are driving men/husbands/fathers from our families. How do you define a family?
It is troubling to see so much legislation come out of Washington that favors or targets segments of our population based on things like sex, race, age...
I guess my last hope is for the Supreme Court to rule these laws to be unconstitutional.
It is a surreal situation when you consider the facts, verses governmental action. Judging by the actions of our country and government, it is clear that we think men are disposable, and expendable.
Best wishes,
xxx
>From:
[email protected] >To:
[email protected] >Subject: A response from Senator George Allen
>Date: Tue, 4 Oct 2005 14:41:44 -0400
>
>
>Dear John:
>
> Thank you for contacting me regarding domestic violence and assault.
>I appreciate your input and value the opportunity to respond to your
>concerns.
>
> The issue of domestic violence is deeply troubling and I am concerned
>about the growing number of cases in the United States. Approximately
>800,000 individuals each year are victims of a violent crime by a current
>or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend. Out of the approximate 800,000
>domestic violence cases, 85 percent are women.
>
> Please know that I am committed to stopping domestic violence. To
>that end, I supported legislation that provides $520 million for Violence
>Against Women Act programs. Of this $520 million, $391 million will go to
>programs administered by the Department of Justice and $127 million for
>programs administered by the Department of Health and Human Services.
>These programs give needed help to victims of domestic violence by
>providing counseling services, training personnel to deal with domestic
>violence issues, and holding perpetrators accountable.
>
> While apprehending the criminal is half the battle, we must make sure
>that there are services in place to help the victim in their time of need.
>I also support amending the United States Constitution to protect the
>rights of crime victims. Furthermore, we must work on ways to erase the
>stigma that prevents victims of domestic violence from going to the police
>and reporting the crime.
>
> As your Senator, I have sponsored the DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act,
>which will improve investigation and prosecution of sexual assault cases
>with DNA evidence, and assess the extent of the backlog in DNA analysis of
>rape kit samples. I assure you, that I will keep your thoughtful comments
>in mind should any legislation regarding domestic violence come to the
>Senate floor for a vote.
>
> As Governor, I significantly expanded and improved the use of DNA in
>Virginia as a tool for law-enforcement. I enhanced funding by $7.6 million
>for Virginia’s DNA Databank, turning it into a national model that helps to
>identify, capture and convict criminals not only in Virginia but in other
>States as well. I also abolished the revolving door justice system that
>allowed violent criminals out on the streets before they completed their
>entire sentence. By instituting truth-in-sentencing, when a jury or a
>judge convicts an individual for assault and sentences them to 12 years in
>prison, they remain in prison for 12 years. Furthermore, under my
>leadership, I helped amend the Virginia Constitution to include a Victims
>Rights Amendment, which guarantees common-sense protections to every
>law-abiding, innocent citizen to make sure our criminal justice system is
>fair to the real victims when a crime occurs.
>
> Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. If you would like
>to receive an e-mail newsletter about my initiatives to improve America,
>please sign up on my website (
http://allen.senate.gov). It is an honor to
>serve you in the United States Senate, and I look forward to working with
>you to make Virginia and America a better place to live, learn, work and
>raise a family.
>
> With warm regards, I remain
>
>
>Sincerely,
>
>
>Senator George Allen
