House and Senate Should Reauthorize VAWA Before 2013

Article here. Excerpt:

'Now that the election is over, the ruthless political ads have stopped, and the majority of Facebook newsfeeds have gone back to descriptions of what we had for lunch that day, it’s time to get back to reality. It is amazing how fired up people can get over politics, but after the big day, we lose that passion. No matter how exhausted you may feel, civic duty does not end at the polling booth. Regardless of your political affiliation, we all have either known someone or been the victim of domestic violence ourselves. It is a societal disease that permeates through class, age, religion, gender, race, culture, education level and sexual orientation.

Here are some sobering facts: 1 in 4 women have been beaten or raped by a partner during adulthood. Every day, 3 women are killed by a current or former intimate partner. These statistics point out horrific facts about American society and what we tolerate. Domestic violence is one of the most chronically under-reported crimes. While men can also be victims, women are disproportionately affected. After the smoke clears, life isn’t about donkeys and elephants. It is about real, human lives.'