Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization

The Republican party counter-bill of the VAWA reauthorization, which removed provisions from the original bill that extended services to immigrant, Native American, and LGBT survivors, has passed in the House of Representatives. This bill is a huge step back in the fight to end sexual violence. By specifically denying services to populations that are already vulnerable or under served, this bill would exacerbate the already disproportionate violence committed against these groups.

This is a great segment from Rachel Maddow, that really sums up how messed up this all is:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#47454638

-Emily, NPA Volunteer

Man Acquitted of Rape, Despite Massive Evidence Against Him

Timothy West broke into a house through the kitchen window at 1:30 in the morning in March of 2009. He then threatened a woman with a knife and raped her twice. At the end of the 3 hour ordeal, West asked the woman for her number, and she gave it to him (hoping to catch him later). Her brother called 911 right after West left the home, and police became involved.

The next day when West texted the survivor, she asked him why he raped her. He "apologized" and then asked her "You mad at me?... I can't call you no more?" He also admitted that he chose her house at random. This whole conversation was recorded by police. The bravery of the woman in giving her phone number to her rapist in hopes of bringing him to justice resulted in clear evidence against him.

Despite all of that, West was acquitted of all charges.

This exemplifies the struggle survivors face when trying to get justice. This woman's case had clear evidence, and even an admission of guilt from the rapist caught on tape. It also involved a scenario that is traditionally thought of as clearly rape, a break in by a stranger and a weapon being brandished. If the justice system did not manage to get justice for this survivor, it's no wonder that women or men raped by acquaintances or partners, using coercion or threats instead of a weapon or countless other scenarios are not able to get justice. Clearly, something is wrong with the system if such a clear case cannot get a conviction.

Many of the comments on the original NY Times article say something along the lines of "Why was her rapist texting her? She must have known him and just decided to call rape."

To that, I'll relay the words of another commenter:

"hjo4: Rapists get off on power and control. Being able to call his victim, wantonly confess to his crime, and insist that she accept his apology for violating her is right in line with that. Rapists take all sorts of risks such as taking trophies from victims, harassing them, using the same neighborhood as his hunting grounds all in spite of it increasing his chances of getting caught."

Read the article here.

NPA Continuing Ed: Stalking

I recently came across this clip from SNL called "Peeper's Insurance" that really upset me. The link to the video is below, as well as some of the highlights:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/119788/saturday-night-live-peepers-insurance#s-p1-sr-i4

"We know that you're okay, because we're watching you."

"You pay nothing, but we're still there, ... when you're getting out of the shower."

"Thomas Peeper's Insurance. We're keeping an eye on you."

This reference to "peeping toms" in a comedic arena is in extremely poor taste and is downright offense. SNL makes light of a serious issue, a crime that is very real. Stalking terrifies up to 3.4 million people each year in the US. It is not something people should be laughing about.

This video is creepy as well as being offensive. The spokesman for "Peeper's Insurance" is watching a family, through the windows at night. He watches a girl and boy kiss on the couch. He watches a woman get out of the shower. He watches a woman unplug a drain, which is a thinly veiled reference to a hand job. The man is clearly deriving some sort of sick pleasure from watching these people. I'm not laughing at this.

It is really not okay for a tv show to belittle such a grave issue into nothing more than a joke. This sends the wrong messages about stalking, making it seem amusing and not at all serious. It is insulting to people who have been stalked, and is very triggering. What's worse is that this video was aired during the first ever Stalking Awareness Month. This is a time that is meant to promote knowledge and due regard of this crime. Instead, it is being minimized and trivialized by a major tv show.

In short, SNL, this is not okay.

For more information on stalking and Stalking Awareness Month, check out http://www.stalkingawarenessmonth.org/

-Emily Rion

We still have so much work to do. Devastating news out of Guinea, Africa:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/world/africa/06guinea.html