rape victims Archives - Where Is The Outrage?

Sunday Evening News Roundup

Sunday Evening news Roundup

Tropical storm/hurricane Isaac appears that it’s veering more westward, away from Florida and toward Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Some projections include landfall around or near New Orleans. Southern Florida is getting some wind and plenty of rain.

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley tries to clearly explain the importance of Mitt Romney’s birther comments that I commented on yesterday. I think he does a very good job.

Ron Paul tells the GOP no thanks about speaking at the convention. Oh, and he says no to endorsing Mitt Romney.

Bill Nye, the Science Guy, is asking parents not to teach their children creationism.

Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, has died. The astronauts of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo projects were brave, smart, stoic and perfect for their time. May he rest in peace.

Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has endorsed President Obama. He said in a statement, “But an element of their party has pitched so far to the extreme right on issues important to women, immigrants, seniors and students that they’ve proven incapable of governing for the people. Look no further than the inclusion of the Akin amendment in the Republican Party platform, which bans abortion, even for rape victims.” Again, I will reiterate that the moderate Republican has been pushed out of the Republican Party. Charlie Crist was a moderate Republican.

By ecthompsonmd|2012-08-27T21:41:40-04:00August 26th, 2012|Elections, Environment, Science|Comments Off

Rape victim confronts Senator Vitter

Now, this is getting something from a blog that got something from another blog and now, I’m giving the information to you. The good news is that you don’t even have to wash your hands. Just read and be revoked by Senator Vitter.

From Think Progress– Rape Victim Confronts Vitter Over His Vote Against Franken’s Amendment Holding Contractors Accountable:

Last month, Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) proposed an amendment to the 2010 Defense Appropriations bill that would withhold defense contracts if companies “restrict their employees from taking workplace sexual assault, battery and discrimination cases to court.” Although the amendment passed, 30 Republican senators voted against it.

One of the Republicans singled out for especially harsh criticism following the vote was Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), who has a track record of siding against women’s rights. The Huffington Post’s Sam Stein reports that at a town hall meeting this past weekend, a constituent confronted Vitter about his vote. The woman, a rape victim, demanded that he explain why he opposed Franken’s amendment. Vitter refused to give her a straight answer.

As Sam Stein noted at the HuffPo–“The exchange was contentious, heart wrenching, and potentially damaging.”

WOMAN: It meant everything to me that I was able to put the person who attacked me [behind bars]. And what allowed me to do that was our judicial process. I showed up in court every day to make sure that happen.

VITTER: And I’m absolutely supportive of any case like that being prosecuted criminally to the full extent of the law.

WOMAN: But there are rape victims who are being kept silent.

WOMAN: But how can you support [a law] that tells a rape victim that she does not have the right to defend herself?

VITTER: Ma’am The language in question did not say that in any way shape or form.

WOMAN: But it is unconstitutional to have a law that says a woman does not have a right to defend herself.

VITTER: You realize Mr. Obama was against that amendment that his administration was against that amendment

WOMAN: But I’m not asking Obama. I’m asking you.

VITTER: Do you think he’s in favor in rape?

WOMAN: I’m asking you Senator. What if it was your daughter who was raped? Would you tell her to be quiet and take it? Would you tell your daughter to be silent?

By ecthompsonmd|2009-11-03T18:20:33-04:00November 3rd, 2009|Senate|Comments Off

Palin and Rape Kits

sarah palin

I heard this story on the Randi Rhodes Show a couple of days ago. I thought that it was too stupid to be true. There was NO way that anyone would ask rape victims to pay for their own rape kits. That’s more than heartless. That is like asking the robbery victim to pay for the robbery investigation. It’s nuts.

From Political Animal:

I was thinking the exact same thing. There just had to be more to this, some exculpatory information that didn’t make Palin sound awful. The Anchorage Daily News looked into the matter and, as it turns out, the policy really was that bad.

[Former Gov. Tony Knowles (D)] broke new ground while answering a reporter’s question on whether Wasilla forced rape victims to pay for their own forensic tests when Palin was mayor. True, Knowles said.

Eight years ago, complaints about charging rape victims for medical exams in Wasilla prompted the Alaska Legislature to pass a bill — signed into law by Knowles — that banned the practice statewide.

“There was one town in Alaska that was charging victims for this, and that was Wasilla,” Knowles said

A May 23, 2000, article in Wasilla’s newspaper, The Frontiersman, noted that Alaska State Troopers and most municipal police agencies regularly pay for such exams, which cost between $300 and $1,200 apiece.

“(But) the Wasilla police department does charge the victims of sexual assault for the tests,” the newspaper reported.

What’s more, USA Today reported that the state sponsor of the legislation on rape kits wrote the bill with Wasilla in mind. It was that one small town, in other words, that necessitated statewide legislation to protect rape victims from this absurd fee.

A Palin spokesperson, contacted by USA Today, said the governor “does not believe, nor has she ever believed, that rape victims should have to pay for an evidence-gathering test.”

That’s good, but there’s still the record to deal with. The town of Wasilla had rape victims to pay for their own medical exams during Palin’s mayoral tenure, and Palin’s hand-picked police chief publicly opposed the state law when it was passed in 2000.

Asked when Palin learned of the policy, and what Palin did to try to change the policy, her spokesperson chose not to respond.

By ecthompsonmd|2008-09-11T17:00:29-04:00September 11th, 2008|Election 2008|Comments Off