[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 25221]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. KENDRICK B. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 20, 2009

  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
month of October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. 
Domestic violence, a widespread tragedy that indiscriminately affects 
families of all races and classes, is a serious crime that has no 
social barriers. From our own family members to medical professionals 
to educators to law enforcement officers to community/clergy leaders--
we must all work together to ensure that we are trained to recognize 
the signs and symptoms of domestic violence and, in turn, prevent the 
crime from continuing throughout our communities.
  I have seen firsthand the impact this issue has on individuals in 
urban and rural areas alike. Domestic violence crosses economic lines, 
geographic lines and ethnic lines. In 2008, Miami-Dade and Broward 
County had a total of 18,312 reported domestic violence cases varying 
from offenses such as aggravated assault to stalking to forcible rape. 
With so many of these unsettling offenses taking place in my District, 
I will continue to ensure that significant progress is being made on 
this issue during my tenure in Congress. It is vital that we direct 
attention to domestic violence and assure that there are available 
resources to assist victims and families in recovering from these 
abuses. We must combat this continuous plague that wreaks havoc on our 
increasingly-stressed health care network, our over-flowing criminal 
justice system, and our day-to-day life within our communities.
  Florida's county and jurisdictional domestic violence offenses in 
2008 totaled an unfortunate 113,123 cases. National Domestic Violence 
Awareness Month should remind us to continue ensuring that Federal 
grants made under the Violence Against Women Act go towards essential 
shelter operations and support services. Moreover, we must ensure that 
shelters and crisis centers receive sufficient funding to provide this 
safety net to some of our most vulnerable citizens.
  Madam Speaker, I stand today before my colleagues to ask for 
continued support and assistance of domestic violence prevention 
programs. It is essential that we not only draw attention to domestic 
violence this month, but continue making progress on this devastating 
problem so that it will no longer affect our communities and families. 
As we remember the victims of domestic violence, we must learn from 
their courage and work to assure that our communities are safe places 
to live, work, and raise our families. In Florida and throughout our 
nation, education, enforcement and support are the keys to solving and 
breaking the cycle of domestic violence.

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