I mentioned that I was in DC yesterday. For the last 3 1/2 years, I've been on the National Advisory Committee on Violence Against Women, which is co-chaired by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This was the last meeting for this Committee, under the last Charter and Charge.
Several members of the Committee were surprised at the common ground we found between small government, pro-life, pro-family members and the Domestic Violence (DV) and Sexual Abuse (SA) community members. I wasn't: - of course (excuse me)- OF COURSE - we absolutely, positively, no ifs, ands or buts, will not tolerate the abuse of anyone at the hands of another. Not a single one of us have any sympathy or measuring stick that excuses violence against anyone, especially between people in the family, and in the most vulnerable and intimate moments and circumstances of our lives.
I've always been certain that the reason that I was appointed (besides the fact that I write a lot of letters) was because they couldn't find many in the domestic violence community who were pro-life and pro-family - in other words, grass roots Republican.
In my opinion the reason I stuck out is not because Republicans are too busy with fighting abortion and supporting the family that we ignore, miss, or support violence within the family and sexual abuse. Unfortunately, it's because the DV and SA communities are hostile to Republicans because of the Party's opposition to abortion. I've been subjected to attacks on my religion (that I never even mentioned), ignored, excluded, and laughed at when attempting to function in the SA and DV communities, if I let it be known that I'm pro-life.
Pro-life advocates are fighting abuse of women and children and not just on one front. Small government advocates believe that voluntary efforts outside of government are the answer to social problems. And DV and SA advocates are, by definition, fighting abuse and rescuing the vulnerable.
Common ground exists: we are rescuers. We all want to end violence against women, children, and men. We will not rest until the family and intimate relationships, and especially our children, are be free of abuse, coercion and violence. "Home," "dating," and "sex" should never be words associated with domination, violence, pain and shame.
Let's meet on Common Ground.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Common Ground, again
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2 comments:
"OF COURSE - we absolutely, positively, no ifs, ands or buts, will not tolerate the abuse of anyone at the hands of another. Not a single one of us have any sympathy or measuring stick that excuses violence against anyone ..."
Then I suppose you will have common ground too with those who oppose the war in Iraq, and depart from the Republican party line in this respect. Or are you only pro-certain-kinds-of-life, as witnessed in your discussions of terrorism elsewhere?
You must have me mixed up with someone else.
I believe I entered a discussion about the use of the 5th and 8th Amendment protections, both on this blog and elsewhere. I've never advocated violence.
I watch "Alias," though. And I believe that Sydney would be in much more danger if she had to mirandize every suspect.
I do believe that anti-women terrorists should be made to wear women's clothing and that barking dogs are not violence or torture.
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