[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16580]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          PAYING TRIBUTE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 2, 2011

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, as October comes to a close, I rise today to 
celebrate what was Domestic Violence Awareness Month as well as bring 
attention to the one of many serious issues mainly women and children 
in our society are struggling with domestic violence. In the United 
States, every nine seconds a woman is assaulted or beaten by stalkers 
or her partner. And believe it or not, domestic violence is the leading 
cause of injury for women in America. According to a study, victims of 
domestic violence are more than rapes, muggings and car accidents 
combined. It really is difficult to see that even in this great Nation 
of ours such unfortunate events can take place. We, as a nation, must 
take collective action to make the case that violence is not the 
solution and it never is acceptable.
  Each year, ten million children in this country have witnessed 
various forms of violence within the household. This, itself, I 
believe, is unfortunate. The result of these acts has weakened women's 
voice and positioned children in a situation where they have to grow up 
without parents.
  There is no doubt that domestic violence creates viral impacts for 
our society. Each year, the Federal government injects hundreds of 
million of dollars fighting against the cause by creating support 
programs. In a smaller scale, many have suffered physically and 
emotionally. In addition, victims would be forced out of work due to 
injuries; this further positions them in a more economical 
disadvantage. Women in this country and around the world deserve more 
respect. They are the important element in our society. In fact, they 
are the mothers of our Nation's future. This epidemic must be stopped.
  Many of us know that violence against women has existed for a very 
long time in our history. When the settlers set foot in America, they 
adopted an old English common law, which authorized a husband to use 
force upon his wife, for correction purposes. Not until 1871, that we 
began to see women's liberation movements, which ultimately abrogated 
men's legal right from committing violence on his spouse, at least in 
Alabama. It became a nationwide concern in 1970 when the issue was put 
under magnifying lens, while grassroots movements began to grow. Prior 
to the movement in 1970s, domestic violence was not considered a public 
issue, since violence mainly took place in one's private property. At 
the time, the government had taken measures to ensure victim's access 
to care and support. Though not until a decade later that legislations 
were proposed as an attempt to take on the issue. In 1994, two 
legislations were enacted as an effort to respond to this ongoing 
problem, the Family Violence Prevention and Service Act and the 
Violence Against Women Act. In 2006, the Congress reauthorized VAWA 
2005 and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act 2005. These 
legislations have created new programs to assist and ensure the safety, 
well-being of survivors and victims. I am also pleased to see that the 
President has been showing strong support for this campaign. For 
FY2011, President Obama requests $649 million dollars for violence 
against women programs. As of last year, there are 1,920 shelters to 
house and assist victims, nation-wide. Our Nation has come a long way 
on this issue and we still have many more unmet challenges to face. 
Brighter days are ahead of us.
  I would like to take this moment to recognize all my colleagues in 
the House of Representatives, government agencies in the great State of 
New York, local non-profit organizations such as Greater New York City 
Chapter of The Links, Dominican Women's Development Center, Safe 
Horizon 100 Black Women, and many others in my Congressional District 
who have shown tremendous dedication and enthusiasm to fight domestic 
violence, whether it is to seek for more protection or to ensure that 
support programs continued to be funded.
  Mr. Speaker, in my very own district a not-for-profit organization, 
We All Really Matter or W.A.R.M., is leading the community to reach out 
to battered women who have just been released from the shelters. On the 
27th of October, W.A.R.M. will be holding its Second Annual Domestic 
Violence Panel to present positive faces of women who have been abused. 
This event will be a great resource for the community to learn more 
about domestic violence as well as allowing victims the break the 
silence.
  We must continue to do all we can to eradicate violence in every 
household in America. I strongly urge victims to speak up and reach out 
to your local community about the issue. Do not allow shame and fear to 
silence you. The best way to solve a problem is to confront it, not to 
shy away from it. You are the voice of change in our community. Our 
commitment is to ensure that there will be no more victims. We all 
really matter and we all deserve to live in a community where there is 
no place for violence.

                          ____________________