Difference between revisions of "User:RahalMccall69"
(Engadget giveaway- win a Garmin Edge 1000 courtesy of Spinlister!) |
(Scared silent and forced to wait - News) |
||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
@@@ | @@@ | ||
− | + | Fear of reprisal is the No. 1 reason rape victims keep <a href=http://capstone.edu.sg/images/gucciusaonlineoutlet.php>gucci outlet</a> quiet after an assault. That鈥檚 according to a special report issued by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2013 that analyzed female sexual violence across a 16-year span. In fact, from 2004 to 2010, 鈥渇ear of reprisal鈥?has increased by 25 percent. Sometimes women feel that keeping quiet is the only option.Threats of continued violence are real and very close to home. A former student at the University of Missouri who was raped by a member of the school鈥檚 football team explained in an interview aired recently on ESPN鈥檚 鈥淥utside The Lines鈥?how her assailant threatened to kill her if she told anyone what he did. However, if rape results in pregnancy, silence won鈥檛 keep a woman safe.In addition to bruised bodies and broken dreams, rapists can leave their victims with unwanted pregnancies. Despite what believers of Todd Akin鈥檚 brand of science may think, rape can and does lead to pregnancy. The numbers differ but the data suggests that between 3,200 and 50,000 pregnancies result from rape each year.Abortion, while never an easy choice, sometimes may be the only answer for a traumatized, fearful victim. While abortion is still legal in the United States, our state continues to pass laws <a href=http://capstone.edu.sg/clreplicashoes.php>Christian Louboutin Outlet</a> to make this option more dangerous and more difficult. HB 1307 passed by the Legislature in May and vetoed by the governor in July extends the current 24-hour waiting period for an abortion to 72 hours. Our existing laws provide ample time for women to consider their decision; adding another 48 hours to this process only pushes abortion later into pregnancy and exacerbates the trauma caused by rape.House Speaker Tim Jones indicated this summer that he wants to override the governor鈥檚 veto on Sept. 10 and enact a 72-hour waiting period 鈥?with no exception for victims of rape and incest. As a mother of two daughters, I believe that forcing a victim of rape to carry a pregnancy caused by her attacker any longer than necessary is cruel.At a time when elected officials in Congress are addressing the serious problem of sexual assault on college campuses, Missouri legislators should not be passing laws that bring more trauma and angst to the victims of rape and incest.I understand that our Republican-led Legislature feels a duty to protect the unborn, but I hope they also understand <a href=http://www.museosangennaro.com/Public/wdluk.php>Louboutin Shoes Outilet</a> that there are Republicans like myself who value conservative ideals like limited government and personal responsibility, but also empathize with young women and teenage girls who face rape-related retaliatory violence. I urge our elected officials to not add to their emotional anguish and please vote no on the override of HB 1307 at this year鈥檚 veto session.Linda Rallo is the 4th Ward alderman in Town and Country. | |
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + |
Revision as of 22:09, 25 September 2014
@@@ Fear of reprisal is the No. 1 reason rape victims keep <a href=http://capstone.edu.sg/images/gucciusaonlineoutlet.php>gucci outlet</a> quiet after an assault. That鈥檚 according to a special report issued by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2013 that analyzed female sexual violence across a 16-year span. In fact, from 2004 to 2010, 鈥渇ear of reprisal鈥?has increased by 25 percent. Sometimes women feel that keeping quiet is the only option.Threats of continued violence are real and very close to home. A former student at the University of Missouri who was raped by a member of the school鈥檚 football team explained in an interview aired recently on ESPN鈥檚 鈥淥utside The Lines鈥?how her assailant threatened to kill her if she told anyone what he did. However, if rape results in pregnancy, silence won鈥檛 keep a woman safe.In addition to bruised bodies and broken dreams, rapists can leave their victims with unwanted pregnancies. Despite what believers of Todd Akin鈥檚 brand of science may think, rape can and does lead to pregnancy. The numbers differ but the data suggests that between 3,200 and 50,000 pregnancies result from rape each year.Abortion, while never an easy choice, sometimes may be the only answer for a traumatized, fearful victim. While abortion is still legal in the United States, our state continues to pass laws <a href=http://capstone.edu.sg/clreplicashoes.php>Christian Louboutin Outlet</a> to make this option more dangerous and more difficult. HB 1307 passed by the Legislature in May and vetoed by the governor in July extends the current 24-hour waiting period for an abortion to 72 hours. Our existing laws provide ample time for women to consider their decision; adding another 48 hours to this process only pushes abortion later into pregnancy and exacerbates the trauma caused by rape.House Speaker Tim Jones indicated this summer that he wants to override the governor鈥檚 veto on Sept. 10 and enact a 72-hour waiting period 鈥?with no exception for victims of rape and incest. As a mother of two daughters, I believe that forcing a victim of rape to carry a pregnancy caused by her attacker any longer than necessary is cruel.At a time when elected officials in Congress are addressing the serious problem of sexual assault on college campuses, Missouri legislators should not be passing laws that bring more trauma and angst to the victims of rape and incest.I understand that our Republican-led Legislature feels a duty to protect the unborn, but I hope they also understand <a href=http://www.museosangennaro.com/Public/wdluk.php>Louboutin Shoes Outilet</a> that there are Republicans like myself who value conservative ideals like limited government and personal responsibility, but also empathize with young women and teenage girls who face rape-related retaliatory violence. I urge our elected officials to not add to their emotional anguish and please vote no on the override of HB 1307 at this year鈥檚 veto session.Linda Rallo is the 4th Ward alderman in Town and Country.