Women - have you ever been in a public restroom and seen this #1-800-799-SAFE (7233) on a poster?

[jillan]

We have Joe Biden to thank for that.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-mckay/reminder-to-pumas-biden-i_b_120785.html

Sen. Biden's most significant legislative accomplishment was probably the passage in 1994 of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Sen. Biden was the original sponsor and architect of this landmark legislation, which has saved countless lives since its adoption.

VAWA is the most comprehensive federal legislation addressing domestic violence that has been adopted in the history of our nation. In addition to establishing stiffer penalties for gender-related violence, VAWA established the National Domestic Violence Hotline, provided grants to law enforcement and prosecuting agencies, and provides essential funding to Domestic Violence Shelters across the nation.

Sen. Biden's commitment to this issue has remained steadfast even as he expanded his Congressional responsibilities as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He authored the reauthorization of VAWA in 2000, and included a comprehensive plan to end domestic violence in his platform while running for President during this past year. Sen. Biden even took to the pages of the Huffington Post last October to express his support and leadership on this important issue.

In my career advocating on behalf of children and in support of policies that prevent child abuse and other forms of family violence, it is extremely rare to find a legislator who is willing to make such issues a priority. Sen. Biden is the rare exception who does more than offer rhetorical comments about the value of families and our children; he has actually taken action and gotten results.

************************
In 2007, this act was extended to women all over the world with the cooperation of the WHO (World Health Organization).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_Against_Women_Act


Even tho *they* may have a woman on their ticket, WE have the ticket that is truly looking out for women's interests.

[vanderBeth]

1. I didn't know it was possible, but I am managing to love Joe more.

:loveya: :loveya: :loveya:

He's more of a feminist than Palin.

[jillan]

2. I don't think Palin has a feminist bone in her body.

She doesn't support any feminist causes.

[hamsterjill]

7. Exactly. She's not a feminist.

In fact, she's anti-feminist.

[Ian David]

3. Under McCain / Palin, you'd have machines that say, "Please insert $1,200 if you were raped." n/t

[ZombieHorde]

4. gender-related violence

Is gender-related violence worse than other forms of violence, such as money-related violence or religion-related violence? What type of non-consensual violence is the least troublesome? Which type is the most troublesome?

[jillan]

9. All violence is bad. In this case, Biden concentrated on rape, domestic abuse.

I don't know what the % of abuse against woman is as compared to the other forms of abuse.

Maybe someone else can come up with protection acts for other crimes.

[ZombieHorde]

11. Should rape be considered torture, or should it have its own classification?

Legally speaking.

[jillan]

15. Does it bother you that women who are victims of domestic abuse and date rape have been helped

this legislation?
Because from your posts, it makes it sound that way.

To answer your question, I believe rape should have it's own classification.
Torture is too vague a term, it can cover a variety of techniques. Rape means rape.

[ZombieHorde]

17. " have been helped (by) this legislation?"

How has it helped them?

Does it bother you that women who are victims of domestic abuse and date rape

I don't have a full understanding of the situation, but what I seem to know does bother me.

[CrispyQ]

5. Happy to kick this to the greatest!

Biden is one of our most outstanding statesmen. He genuinely cares about people & this country.

:hi:

[Politicub]

6. Biden is fantastic!

He exemplifies democratic values :)

[BrainStorm]

8. We also have Biden to thank for

Anita Hill.

Talk to me more about Obama. I totally trust him.

[jillan]

10. And for not having Robert Bork on the bench.

Hey - if you don't like Biden, don't respond.

[BrainStorm]

12. I owe too much on my credit cards to like Biden.

:)

[medicswife]

13. kick!!!

:loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya:



Joe, Jill, Beau and Hunter



Joe age 10



Joe and Jill



Joe's High School Yearbook photo

[WCGreen]

14. When I was healthy, I was honored to serve as a board member at

one of the Battered Women Shelters here in Cleveland.

You don't know how important it truly is until you see the numbers, the jaw dropping numbers, of women who have passed through these shelters on a way to a better life. A life without fear, a life with the threat of violence taken away.

[jillan]

16. God bless you for having done that!

[ZombieHorde]

18. Do you have any insight on why so many men beat their wives?

What were some of the most common themes that you have heard?

A woman once told me that some shelters will not accept woman who have sons of a certain age with them. Have you ever heard of this?

[WCGreen]

19. To tell the truth, I just saw the stats. They didn't want anyone to

interact with the shelter itself to keep it completely anonymous. Loss lips sink ships.

But what I did know is that our shelter took in anyone with a need.

As far as the reason why some men beat their partners while the majority of spouses don't physically abuse their partner is up for grabs. Abuse cuts across all racial, economic and geographical demographic measures. But what they have found is that if your father abused your mother and he suffered no consequence, you were more likely to abuse your spouse.

There are a number of excuses given such as economic stress, drinking and drug abuse is a big factor, but it really comes down to the fact that most beaters have gotten away with it for so long they thing they have a right to keep the spouse in terror.

[ZombieHorde]

20. Loss lips sink ships.

That is understandable.

But what I did know is that our shelter took in anyone with a need.

That is good to hear. I hope that the woman who told me about that one shelter was mistaken.

is up for grabs

This would be a worthy project to fund. Prevention is the best medicine.

if your father abused your mother and he suffered no consequence

That makes sense.

most beaters have gotten away with it for so long

It is the first hit that I find to be the most interesting.

[madmusic]

21. Data

New York Times reporter Fox Butterfield, in his book, All God's Children, gives examples of these costs. Nearly 100,000 youngsters were incarcerated in the United States in 1995, which represents a tripling of the numbers in two decades. The chronic juvenile offenders often end up in adult prisons. The cost of running the nation's adult prisons (including parole and probation) totaled $50 billion, up from just $4 billion in 1975. These figures do not include the billions spent on police work.

Butterfield traces the costly origins of violence by looking closely at a single case, that of convicted murderer Willie Bosket, considered the most violent criminal in the New York penal system where it costs $75,000 a year to jail a juvenile. Bosket has a quick mind but lacks empathy or conscience. He bragged about committing scores of robberies and stabbings before he shot and killed two Manhattan subway riders in separate 1978 crimes. He was 15 at the time, a violent, abused, and neglected child who had been in and out of foster care and juvenile lockups.

"The seeds of Willie's problems were planted early," writes Butterfield. When Bosket was born his father was in prison for murder. His mother lived in Brooklyn with men who beat her and the boy. She neglected him, beat him. In Butterfield's words, Willie began the "long journey into a kind of social void" at an early age. In public school, he threw tantrums, hit teachers, fought other kids, skipped class, and ran the streets robbing and, finally, killing.

"Children who are beaten learn to treat others the same way, using aggression to get what they want," Butterfield concludes. In other words, they are conditioned to react violently.

The Willie Bosket case is an extreme example of how a violent personality was formed and at what cost.

Recent studies of brain development and function reveal that the impact of parenting on emotional competence and stability starts very early. Children who are cared for and loved learn self-worth, empathy, and self-control.

http://www.milbank.org/reports/violence.html

The above article is a good overview. Search it for Healthy Start too. Washington state found a similar program was more effective at reducing crime and more cost effective than building prisons.

EDIT: I'm still not sure about Biden's version of FISA.

Oprah Winfrey is pushing Biden's http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20080911_tows_predators">The PROTECT Our Children Act.

CNet has the details: Senator: http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9920665-7.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=NewsBlog">Let's monitor P2P for illegal files.

The comments there are about what I was thinking.