Resurrection After Rape Community Group
Discussion, question-and-answer, general social support, and journal processing for progress-oriented rape survivors. No crisis, no damaging or triggering conflicts--this is for individuals who want to contribute to collective, cooperative action toward the goal of making actual PROGRESS through rape trauma. Much of this work is based on the book "Resurrection After...
Shame on them: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/02/violence-against-women-act-_n_2398553.html
Congress had a lengthy to-do list as the end of the year approached, with a series of measures that needed action before 2013 began. Some of the items passed (a fiscal agreement, a temporary farm bill), while others didn't (relief funding for victims of Hurricane Sandy).
And then there's the Violence Against Women Act, which was supposed to be one of the year's easy ones. It wasn't.
Back in April, the Senate approved VAWA reauthorization fairly easily, with a 68 to 31 vote. The bill was co-written by a liberal Democrat (Vermont's Pat Leahy) and a conservative Republican (Idaho's Mike Crapo), and seemed on track to be reauthorized without much of a fuss, just as it was in 2000 and 2005. In other words, VAWA has typically been a non-partisan issue. Until now.
But House Republicans insisted the bill is too supportive of immigrants, the LGBT community, and Native Americans -- and they'd rather let the law expire than approve a slightly expanded proposal. Vice President Biden, who helped write the original law, tried to persuade House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) to keep the law alive, but the efforts didn't go anywhere.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
VAWA is the primary source of funding for most (*thousands of) domestic violence shelters and rape crisis programs. It funds all of the following:
*Hospital care for rape victims, including forensic examinations and medical treatment for injuries
*Free counseling for victims at rape crisis centers
*Training of law enforcement on sexual assault/domestic violence issues
*Equipment and personnel to test forensic evidence to enhance prosecution of perpetrators
*Grants to encourage successful rape convictions by training judges, detectives, and prosecutors
*Prevention education of domestic and sexual violence
*Rural rape crisis program development
*Maintenance of state domestic violence/sexual assault coalition staff
*Native American programs to assist tribal rape victims
*Services for LGBT victims of domestic and sexual violence
*Programs to aid victims of stalking and human trafficking
We saw funds cut for DV/SA services before (in the last few years), and I've occasionally posted updates about widespread closures of shelters and crisis programs, including one state (Kansas) that simply removed domestic violence statutes from its state laws and announced its attorney general would no longer prosecute batterers because of funding cuts. I sounded the alarm in August 2011 here: http://www.dailystrength.org/people/165148/journal/2319833 In Fall 2011, my position as Director of Rural Sexual Assault Programs was eliminated due to preliminary budget cuts. I was worried about coming off "too political," but seriously, fuck that now. This is too dreadful a matter to be dainty about that.
We're about to enter a very dark time. Victims are about to find that nearly ALL crisis services nationwide have been cut or eliminated, except for those receiving sufficient private funding (yeah right!) to continue. No joke, no exaggeration, no scare tactics here--this is seriously the GOP eliminating funding for nearly EVERY rape crisis and domestic violence program in America.
Congress had a lengthy to-do list as the end of the year approached, with a series of measures that needed action before 2013 began. Some of the items passed (a fiscal agreement, a temporary farm bill), while others didn't (relief funding for victims of Hurricane Sandy).
And then there's the Violence Against Women Act, which was supposed to be one of the year's easy ones. It wasn't.
Back in April, the Senate approved VAWA reauthorization fairly easily, with a 68 to 31 vote. The bill was co-written by a liberal Democrat (Vermont's Pat Leahy) and a conservative Republican (Idaho's Mike Crapo), and seemed on track to be reauthorized without much of a fuss, just as it was in 2000 and 2005. In other words, VAWA has typically been a non-partisan issue. Until now.
But House Republicans insisted the bill is too supportive of immigrants, the LGBT community, and Native Americans -- and they'd rather let the law expire than approve a slightly expanded proposal. Vice President Biden, who helped write the original law, tried to persuade House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) to keep the law alive, but the efforts didn't go anywhere.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
VAWA is the primary source of funding for most (*thousands of) domestic violence shelters and rape crisis programs. It funds all of the following:
*Hospital care for rape victims, including forensic examinations and medical treatment for injuries
*Free counseling for victims at rape crisis centers
*Training of law enforcement on sexual assault/domestic violence issues
*Equipment and personnel to test forensic evidence to enhance prosecution of perpetrators
*Grants to encourage successful rape convictions by training judges, detectives, and prosecutors
*Prevention education of domestic and sexual violence
*Rural rape crisis program development
*Maintenance of state domestic violence/sexual assault coalition staff
*Native American programs to assist tribal rape victims
*Services for LGBT victims of domestic and sexual violence
*Programs to aid victims of stalking and human trafficking
We saw funds cut for DV/SA services before (in the last few years), and I've occasionally posted updates about widespread closures of shelters and crisis programs, including one state (Kansas) that simply removed domestic violence statutes from its state laws and announced its attorney general would no longer prosecute batterers because of funding cuts. I sounded the alarm in August 2011 here: http://www.dailystrength.org/people/165148/journal/2319833 In Fall 2011, my position as Director of Rural Sexual Assault Programs was eliminated due to preliminary budget cuts. I was worried about coming off "too political," but seriously, fuck that now. This is too dreadful a matter to be dainty about that.
We're about to enter a very dark time. Victims are about to find that nearly ALL crisis services nationwide have been cut or eliminated, except for those receiving sufficient private funding (yeah right!) to continue. No joke, no exaggeration, no scare tactics here--this is seriously the GOP eliminating funding for nearly EVERY rape crisis and domestic violence program in America.
The consequences will be both devastating for those who need the help, and costly to the country as care / help delayed so often compounds the problem, making it more expensive and much more painful to heal.
Matt, it's not fair either on you, your work is so vital, and financial struggles - especially when you have children - are so hard to work through.
I have gone online immediately I read this and put comments on the UK amazon site for the two books. Come on brits - join me there!!!