You go Girl! WGF supports Representative Bennington’s efforts to protect victim’s rights.
Representative Lisa Bennignton has taken some courageous efforts this week to protect the rights of sexual assault victims and we want to say – kudos, you go girl! – and encourage you to send her a supportive note too! Here is what’s happening. Representative Bennington is sponsoring a bill, HB 1137, which would give child sexual abuse victims more time to seek legal action against their assailants. However, House Judiciary Chairman Representative Tom Caltagirone has stated that he will not let House Bill 1137 move forward. So, in response, Representative Bennington has added an “obstacle” amendment to a bill by Rep. Caltagirone which he cares deeply about.
Rep. Caltagirone’s bill mandates that certain canine procedures be performed by veterinarians. Rep. Bennington has added an amendment to that bill which says that in an effort to further protect animal rights, the legislature would make boiling live lobsters illegal. While Representative Bennigton does not expect the bill to pass as is, her intention was to raise awareness to the fact that State Representatives should care at least as much for child victims of sexual assault, as they do for their canines.
This is not the first time that Bennington has stood up for victims. She proposed a bill that would have required hospitals to inform rape victims about the availability of emergency contraception. Unfortunately, the bill never reached the full House for vote. But we wanted to celebrate her courageous efforts on behalf of women and children. They remind us once again why it is so crucial for more women to run and become elected to public office.
I just finished reading "The Way the Crow Flies"(Ann Marie MacDonald is the author). Good reading! A child cannot "tell" when a trusted adult (teacher, uncle, cousin, father) is molesting them. This book illustrates that so clearly and the tragic results are terrifying. The writer speaks to this, as well as sexual identification. She is not saying male molestation leads to Homosexuality. She treats both topics individually. We do need a way to help our chldren come forward when they have been touched, before it goes further. This is the first book I've read that clearly shows why they do not.
ReplyDeleteMy sister has had this experience and I knew it was happening, but I could not tell either. Her life has been hell. She has blamed our parents for "not protecting her". But she and I were the ones that did not tell. This book illustrates some of the reasons we could not. READ IT, if you need to deal with this, or, especally if you want to empower your child to "tell".