In the United States , according to The National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women, one in four women is directly affected by domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and/or stalking. In September of this year the Violence Against Women Act will expire. It has been introduced for renewal and one would hope that Congress manages to get to it before their summer break. Although the bill does have its detractors:
Congress knows that the 25 million American men of marriageable age refuse to marry and take on the risk and responsibility of raising children precisely because of the draconian provisions in legislation like VAWA. They understand precisely how such legislation makes marriage a hostile environment for any man, and they know that this left 21 million potential wives and single mothers alone at the altar, quintupling our illegitimacy rate to two-out-of-every-five childbirths. They know that a father whose family is destroyed by a divorce which was encouraged and is supported by such programs is twice as likely to die of heart disease and cancer, three times as likely to die of diabetes or an accident, four times as likely to die of respiratory disease or to commit suicide or to be murdered, and five times as likely to die of cirrhosis, than he was before his children were taken from him in the name of a cause whose terms have yet to be defined.
Apparently, the Christian Party has a few reservations about legislation that allows federal funds to be spent on hotlines, shelters and legal aid for victims of abuse. It seems that they also have a problem with Jews and blacks and apparently anyone who disagrees with them. They even have a page where you can sign on to have the 19th Amendment repealed. I believe they qualify for the wingnut-whackjob discount.
In light of the hoped for renewal of this act, I would also like to bring to light the continuing outrage that is happening in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Hundreds of maquiladora workers have been killed and neither the government nor the corporations have instituted any type of patrols or security to help protect these women. Ideally, one would like to see a killer apprehended and punished but in the meantime how about some secure transportation for the workers to and from the plants. That isn’t too much to ask, is it Alcoa, DuPont? What about it GE (of course, with investors like these in a 700MW power plant what do you care about 340 women dying)? With the millions you are making by paying lower than market wages while providing minimal health benefits, don’t you think you can afford to ensure that your workers at least make it home alive by putting in place corporate security escorts or demanding that the government increase the number of police rather than a lot of fancy sounding reviews and programs? That’s what I thought.
Also, don’t forget the behavior of our allies in the war on terror. I’ve read this story several times hoping to get past the fact that she was a victim in an “honor” retaliation for an act committed by her brother.
The case has embarrassed President Pervez Musharraf, who is seeking to soften Pakistan’s image for religious extremism through his policy of “enlightened moderation”.
Not embarrassed enough, I’m thinking.