Domestic violence Victims have advocate at a high level (but will it help)
Domestic violence
Victims have advocate at a high level
http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20090705/OPINION01/307059977/-1/OPINION
SUNDAY, JULY 5, 2009
Domestic violence and sexual assault are vexing problems for American society, but terrible for victims to endure.
Will having a White House adviser on those issues make a difference?
President Barack Obama thinks so. Recently Vice President Joe Biden announced the appointment of Lynn Rosenthal to the post.
"What I’m about to say is not a knock or a criticism on the last administration or anybody else," Mr. Biden said, but "one of the sins of omission is this has not been a front and center issue for the last eight years on the national agenda. It used to be."
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Ms. Rosenthal has dealt with the tough issues as former director of a women’s shelter, director of the National network to End Domestic Violence from 2000 to 2006, and head of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
She will advise the White House on domestic violence and sexual assault, promote new plans for combating violence and work with government agencies on related issues.
As senator, Mr. Biden helped to write the 1994 Violence Against Women Act, which increased funding for women’s shelters and law-enforcement training.
American women annually suffer 4.8 million physical assaults and rapes at the hands of their intimate partners, says the National Violence Against Women Survey published in 2000. Men are victims of about 2.9 million assaults from their intimate partners.
The idea of having a White House adviser was explained by National Organization for Women president Kim Gandy, who said after Vice President Biden spoke: "It’s extremely important to have advocacy at the highest level of government for both prevention and services related to the extraordinary epidemic."
It is a terrible problem that must be addressed.
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