The past four
weeks RADAR has released a series
of Special Reports that document
how the Violence Against Women Act
violates persons’ civil rights on
a massive scale:
Restraining orders:
According to the FBI, over 1 million
restraining orders are issued each
year. Half of these restraining
orders do not include even an allegation
of violence. These orders are widely
used as a legal ploy during a divorce
proceeding.
Must- and pro-arrest
policies: Twenty-two jurisdictions
have mandatory arrest laws for DV
cases, and 8 others strongly encourage
arrest. And 33 states mandate arrest
if a restraining order has been
violated, even for the smallest
technicality.
Primary aggressor
laws: Worse, 24 states have laws
on the books that discourage dual
arrests, and instead rely on a “primary
aggressor” assessment which amounts
to blatant gender profiling and
the inevitable arrest of the man.
No-drop prosecution:
Many jurisdictions require prosecution
of the case, even if the woman withdraws
her complaint. In some cases, prosecutors
have coerced a woman into testifying
against her will by threatening
to have the state take custody of
her children if she refuses to testify.
Discrimination
against male victims: It is estimated
that only 1-5% of victims served
by VAWA programs are males. Worse,
in many cases when a man does reach
out for help, he finds himself accused
of the very crime to which he has
become the unwitting victim.
This week, RADAR
releases its fifth Special Report,
“Bias in the Judiciary: The Case
of Domestic Violence.” The report
reveals how judicial education programs
openly tell judges to disregard
men’s civil rights, and shows how
fast-track prosecution programs
operate on the principle, “guilty
with no opportunity to prove otherwise.”
The report can
be viewed at:
http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/Bias-In-The-Judiciary.pdf
VAWA, and the 600-odd
state laws it has engendered, is
the product of a poisonous gender
ideology that claims domestic violence
is a tool of patriarchal dominance.
But its real target is not just
men, because many women also have
become caught up in VAWA’s law enforcement
abuses.
The real target
of VAWA is the family. Why? Because
every instance of marital discord
– a shove, a thrown object, even
a sharp word – is now subject to
state intervention and criminalization
of the alleged perpetrator. The
family unit cannot withstand this
assault for much longer.
It is time to cast
political correctness and complacency
aside.
WE WANT CONGRESS
TO CONDUCT HEARINGS ON THE MASSIVE
CIVIL RIGHTS ABUSES OF VAWA. AND
WE WANT THE HEARINGS NOW.
Telephone or fax
these Chairmen:
|
Voice phone: |
Fax: |
Congressman Steve Chabot,
Chairman
House Constitutional Subcommittee
|
202-225-2216 |
202-225-3012 |
Sen Sam Brownback, Kansas,
Chairman
Senate Constitutional Subcommittee
|
202-224-6521 |
202-228-1265 |
Be polite, yet
firm in your request.
Your telephone
call or fax will help stop the VAWA
assault on families.
Date of RADAR Release: April 16, 2006
R.A.D.A.R. – Respecting
Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting
– is a network of concerned men
and women working to assure that
the problem of domestic violence
is treated in a balanced and effective
manner.
http://www.mediaradar.org. |