RADAR Alert: Protect Our Children, Tell Congress to Hold VAWA Hearings Now

Each year the parents of 1 million American children get a divorce.

In an estimated one-third of divorces, an allegation of domestic
violence is made, often in the form of a restraining order. These
restraining orders have become so widespread that they are referred to
as “silver bullets,” “slam-dunks,” or simply, “divorce planning.”

In half of all restraining orders, there is not even an allegation
of violence. (http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/VAWA-Restraining-Orders.pdf)
Even in those orders that do allege violence, often the person who
requested the order was mutually involved, the dispute was minor, or
the allegation of violence was flat-out false. So it is estimated that
80% or more of DV allegations represent trumped-up and even malicious
claims of domestic “violence.”

Click "Read more..." for more.

In 85% of divorces, custody is awarded to the mother, thus
depriving the children of contact from their father.

That means each year, false claims of domestic violence contribute
to over 200,000 children losing daily contact with their father. That's
about 550 children each and every day. And that's a huge tragedy
for our children and for our nation.

This spring, 25 organizations from across the country banded
together and signed on to a Resolution to counter the negative impact
of VAWA. The Resolution
is shown at the end of this Alert.

We are requesting that Congress hold hearings on the massive civil
rights violations that are happening each and every day, as a direct
result of VAWA-funded programs.

This Alert is the last call for our VAWA Spring Campaign.
This is it. Please contact your Representative and two Senators with
this very simple message:

WE WANT CONGRESS TO CONDUCT HEARINGS ON THE MASSIVE CIVIL
RIGHTS ABUSES OF VAWA. AND WE WANT THE HEARINGS NOW.

Please make a telephone call to the Legislative Aide who deals with
judicial or family issues. Or better yet, fax a copy a copy of the
Resolution to your elected official.

Please do it now, for a better future, for our children.

RESOLUTION

Regarding the Violence Against Women Act

1. Whereas, in 2000 Senator Orrin Hatch directed the
   executive branch to “ensure that men who have been victimized by
   domestic violence and sexual assault will receive benefits and services
   under the Act” ^{href="http://www.mediaradar.org/alert20060421.php#sdendnote1sym" > 1}
   
2. Whereas, despite that statement of Congressional
   intent, male victims continue to be turned away from VAWA-funded
   shelters. ^{href="http://www.mediaradar.org/alert20060421.php#sdendnote2sym" > 2}
   
3. Whereas, the language of the 2005 Violence Against
   Women Act now recognizes that male victims of domestic violence are in
   need of treatment and protection, and requires VAWA-funded programs to
   provide them with such services. ^{name="sdendnote3anc"
   href="http://www.mediaradar.org/alert20060421.php#sdendnote3sym" > 3}
   
4. Whereas, VAWA funds judicial education programs that
   instruct judges to disregard constitutionally-protected due process
   provisions, ^{href="http://www.mediaradar.org/alert20060421.php#sdendnote4sym" > 4}
   
5. Whereas, judges often issue restraining orders
   without any direct threat of harm, ^{name="sdendnote5anc"
   href="http://www.mediaradar.org/alert20060421.php#sdendnote5sym" >5,
   href="http://www.mediaradar.org/alert20060421.php#sdendnote6sym" >6}
   and restraining orders are widely used as “part of the gamesmanship of
   divorce.” ^{href="http://www.mediaradar.org/alert20060421.php#sdendnote7sym" >7,
   href="http://www.mediaradar.org/alert20060421.php#sdendnote8sym" >8}
6. Whereas, the Massachusetts Trial Court found that
   less than half of all restraining orders issued in that state involved
   even an allegation of physical violence, ^{href="http://www.mediaradar.org/alert20060421.php#sdendnote9sym" > 9}
   
7. Whereas, it has been estimated that each year one
   million protective orders are issued in the United States, and about
   500,000 of such orders represent a direct violation of due process
   protections, ^{href="http://www.mediaradar.org/alert20060421.php#sdendnote10sym" >10,
   href="http://www.mediaradar.org/alert20060421.php#sdendnote11sym" >11}
8. Whereas, 15% of such protective orders are issued
   against women and 85% against men. ^{name="sdendnote12anc"
   href="http://www.mediaradar.org/alert20060421.php#sdendnote12sym" > 12}
   
9. Whereas, research shows that most instances of
   partner aggression are minor in nature, ^{name="sdendnote13anc"
   href="http://www.mediaradar.org/alert20060421.php#sdendnote13sym" >13}
   and such cases require counseling, not legal intervention,
10. Whereas, VAWA-funded programs and policies often
    discourage couple counseling and partner reconciliation, and
11. Whereas, various VAWA incentives serve to promote
    family break-up, ^{href="http://www.mediaradar.org/alert20060421.php#sdendnote14sym" >14}
    which results in children losing daily contact with one of their
    parents. ^{href="http://www.mediaradar.org/alert20060421.php#sdendnote15sym" > 15}
    

Therefore, the undersigned organizations request that:

1. The VAWA appropriation bill for FY2007 include report language
   directing the DoJ Violence Against Women Office to provide Congress, no
   later than December 30, 2007, with client utilization statistics of
   VAWA-funded programs and services, in compliance with the
   male-inclusive requirements of Section 40002(b)(8) of the 2005 Violence
   Against Women Act.
2. The Senate and House Appropriations Committees support and
   approve President Bush’s budget request to fund the Violence Against
   Women Act at the $347 million level in FY2007.
3. The United States Congress establish a panel to investigate the
   claims that the Violence Against Women Act promotes the excessive
   issuance of restraining orders, which often leads to family break-up
   and inappropriate loss of parent involvement.

Signed:

Date of RADAR Release: April 21, 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/.

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