[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16130]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 25, 2011

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
recognize October as domestic violence awareness month. Domestic 
violence affects individuals from all parts of the country throughout 
communities in every state, regardless of age, economic status, race, 
religion, nationality, or educational background.
  According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, as 
many as one in every four women will experience domestic violence in 
their lifetime. Whether in the form of physical or verbal aggression, 
this harrowing statistic highlights the largely obscured threat of 
domestic abuse that is tearing entire families apart.
  This form of violence commonly occurs within the personal confines of 
the home, hidden from the watchful eye of the public and is 
consequently difficult to track. Some victims may often even feel too 
embarrassed to speak out against their partner, while others may simply 
be too afraid out of fear of further violence. This is simply 
unacceptable in any society.
  We must work diligently to expose these crimes by speaking up for 
those who cannot. We must make resources available to help the millions 
of victims today who may continue to experience abuse tomorrow. Sadly, 
we must also mourn the losses of those who could not find help in time 
before the violence turned fatal.
  While the people of this nation have taken great strides to address 
domestic violence, there is still much work to be done. Despite the 
tremendous successes we've seen in Congress and throughout the private 
sector to provide legal and financial support in the defense of these 
victims, our efforts must not cease until domestic violence is 
eliminated.
  Mr. Speaker, it saddens me to hear that there are still so many 
victims of domestic violence among us. Yet a bigger injustice would be 
to ignore this harsh reality. That is why domestic violence awareness 
month is imperative so that we may shed further light on an issue that 
continues to erode the social fabric of our great society.
  Until we can sufficiently reduce or eliminate domestic violence, it 
is pivotal that we continue to openly denounce these crimes and seek 
out those who look to harm innocent people and spoil the lives of 
future generations.

                          ____________________