GOP Tries To Water Down Violence Against Women Act, Expresses Willingness To Tolerate Some Domestic

[kpete]

Source: Think Progress

.........................

Although the full details of Grassley and Hutchinson’s watered down protections for domestic violence victims have yet to be released, it is likely that they will map Grassley’s previously stated opposition to providing greater support for LGBT, undocumented, and tribal victims of domestic violence. The Hutchison/Grassley amendment will likely leave out some victims who face particularly harsh discrimination. If Senate Republicans embrace Grassley’s earlier objections to reauthorizing VAWA, they will show that they are willing to tolerate a certain amount of domestic violence by ignoring certain victims:

For Native victims: In 86 percent of reported rapes or sexual assaults on Native women, the perpetrators are non-Native. While Hutchison has criticized the tribal provisions, saying that ‘any American’ could be imprisoned by tribal courts, in actuality, the provisions allow tribal members to prosecute a non-tribal people who commit domestic violence and who either live or work on a reservation, or are married to a tribal member. The Grassley / Hutchison amendment requires any domestic violence to be prosecuted in federal courts, meaning that rural tribal victims won’t seek help. Additionally, federal prosecutors “already decline to prosecute half of Indian Country crimes that are referred to them,” and with the added number of domestic violence crimes, victims are likely to never see justice.

For LGBT victims: The new version of the bill also lacks any additional provisions for the LGBT community, blanketing over LGBT-specific issues with gender neutral language that lumps the needs of gay and lesbian protections in with the needs of straight couples. The original version of VAWA says that domestic violence shelters cannot discriminate against gay, lesbian, or trans people, but the new version says nothing about this issue. Grassley has said that he does not believe discrimination in shelters is an issue — despite the fact that “44.6 percent of LGBT/HIV-positive survivors of intimate partner violence were turned away from shelters.”

For undocumented victims: The Grassley/Hutchison version of the bill takes out the added visas for undocumented people who are beaten and seek assistance from the state. The visas are put in place so that victims aren’t too scared to contact the authorities when they find themselves physically harmed or in danger. When such protections don’t exist, people are forced to work outside of the law to protect themselves.


.......................

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/04/26/467789/kyl-vawa-tribal-provisions/

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. In Kansas, the guy Brownback appointed to run SRS said

he recommended cuts to battered women's shelters because "battered women need to go home and repair their marriages".

I wish I was making that up.

[efhmc]

4. What is that person's name and where can I reference this?

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. His name is Rob Siedlecki

and he thankfully resigned after serving less than a year.

[saras]

6. Women's shelters need to offer armored cars and weapons training then...

...some of those "marriages" could only be repaired by melting them to slag, mixing them with dirt, and mining the raw ingredients all over again.

[madrchsod]

13. there`s a thug in wisconsin that basically said the same thing....

i wonder what group is giving these guys their talking points?

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. This guy In Kansas came from Florida

I think he worked for Jeb before he came to Kansas.

[RainDog]

21. you know, metaphorically ram a sharp object up his anus

such a person should not be allowed to be involved in legislation b/c HE IS TOO FUCKING STUPID.

why is America afflicted with such horrible, stupid politicians? Is it because too many Americans are horrible and stupid?

If you don't vote to keep such assholes away from power, you are being horribly stupid.

[anti-alec]

2. Every single Republican lawmakers needs to be removed and thrown into a nuthouse

Use the DoD money that we waste on stupid empire building to secure buildings and jobs for new nuthouse for Republicans.

They continue to attack women and victims.

[RainDog]

22. Really. They belong in locked-down mental health facilities.

the ones for people who are a threat to others' safety.

[goclark]

3. How Big of them

to consider being kind to a group other then those that look like they do and have $$$$$$$ like they do ~

If they ever get elected they would reverse everything.

[Daniel537]

5. Replace Grassley/Hutchison with Amhadinejad/Khamenei

and tell me this crap doesn't sound like modern day fascism?

[xxqqqzme]

7. What a relief to know

WoW! is just a liberal media/Democratic party fabrication.

It is becoming more and more difficult for me to have ANY tolerance for rethuglicans.

[SemperEadem]

8. Kay Bailey Hutchison should be ashamed of herself

for co-sponsoring this "open season on women" bill. How she can look at herself in the mirror behind this is a wonder to the ages.

[liberalhistorian]

9. I live in Indian Country, my husband works in tribal law,

and the GOP's ignorance and hate regarding the provisions meant to give tribal courts jurisdiction over non-natives is simply, breathtakingly infuriating. The majority of sexual violence and domestic assaults against Indian women are committed by non-tribal members and tribal courts DO NOT HAVE jurisdiction over non-tribal members. Period. End of story. They DO NOT HAVE jurisdiction. The U.S. Attorney for the region, the federal government IOW, has jurisdiction, but they often decide not to press charges. But they WILL press charges against most even minor offenses committed by Indians. And non-members who commit violence and assault know this and use the system to get away with their shit. And these motherfucking neanderthal ignorant hateful racist motherfucking GOP'ers couldn't care less and are all set to let them get continue getting away with it. After all, the victims are only Indian women, who cares, right?? And our state's goddamn congress critters are no help, even though we have NINE Indian reservations within the state and this is a huge issue for them. Fuckers.

[riderinthestorm]

11. Disgusting! K&R for more exposure nt

[Iliyah]

12. How Christian

of them huh? Go GOP, you self-righteous assholes.

[Dawgs]

14. Good. The more bigoted and racist the better.

Means the end of the Republican party sooner than later.

[catbyte]

15. Assholes. GOP=political pornography

No redeeming social value whatsoever. Congratulations, GOP. You just gave abusers a license to brutalize my sisters on the rez. Federal prosecutors already hardly ever bother to prosecute, this is despicable.





That's right, GOP. Just keep pushing and pushing and pushing us. We will remember in November and we will regain the House and retain the Senate & White House. We will marginalize you right out of existence and relegate you to the place you so richly deserve--the dustbin of history.

Diane
Anishinaabe in MI & mom to Leo, Sophie, Taz & Nigel, members of Dogs Against Romney, Cat Division
"We ride inside--HISS!”

[AZ Progressive]

16. The GOP are nothing more than advocates of predators to enforce social darwinism

Last edited Thu Apr 26, 2012, 02:34 PM - Edit history (1)

Social Darwinism in terms of Economics (the rich, corporations and other businesses preying on the non-rich), the Workplace (Employers abusing their employees in part because they know their employees wouldn't be able to find another job easily), race (whites preying on blacks and hispanics and native americans), sex (men preying on women, straight people preying on lgbt people), religion (the christians preying on the non-christians, the abuse of muslim people), etc...


There's absolutely no respect for humanity in the minds of the GOP members. The world that the GOP envisions is a very scary place, a world where if you are not a straight white christian male, your going to have to live constantly in fear and have to protect your own self, a world where you can't have any comfort financially (because of no laws protecting you as an employee as well as the predatory businesses that can easily screw you), a world where you won't have real freedom (because you have to conform to or please the majority in order to survive), a world full of bullies and where bullies rule, the new dark ages.

[Smilo]

17. If Mary - mother of Jesus - came back

today - they would stone her for her immorality. The GOPT are quite envious of the Taliban.

These thugs are all about do as we say, not as we do. They don't care about anyone's rights - least of all womens.

[gtar100]

18. If they want to exclude anybody, they should exclude themselves first.

Do unto others... isn't that one of the tenets of their purported "faith"?

The fact that anyone would look for loopholes with issues of violence speaks volumes about their mental state.

[Quantess]

20. Take a good look, women!

Make no mistake, women: the GOP is not on our side.

[newspeak]

23. I volunteered at a domestic violence shelter

and not all victims are women. We had a couple cases of men coming in-men who were taught not to harm women. Who knew they'd marry a psycho from hell. However, women and children are mostly the victims. when the economy goes down, domestic violence against women and children go up. More funds should be allotted instead of less. Maybe the repugs think the churches are going to handle it. Handle it, like the priest told my mom after she had the shite beat out of her "pray to forgive him and maybe he'll change." What a load of absolute bullfekkingcrap!!!!!

These repugs are either bully-abusers or totally ignorant. One thing they are not--friends to women. I'm seeing a mentality better suited for living in SA or Iran. Maybe they'd like to relocate.