Action Alert/ VAWA

[MYSONSDAD]

Good afternoon,
This is a VAWA Alert from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence!
Take their advice and make your opinion known but PLEASE read these comments first and then decide if VAWA should remain a weapon against families or if we should take a new direction with DV?!

Please take their advice and contact the list below... however  ask them NOT to pass VAWA unless the following questions are considered and then provisions placed within a "Violence Against Victims Act" that will address the needs and protection of ALL victims of Domestic Violence regardless of gender,age or lifestyle!
ALL of our family members deserve no less than our Government's willingness to make sure that discrimination is not financed with our tax dollars!

Where are the provisions for the safety and well being of the men who are evicted due to false restraining orders being placed against them, even though not only may the accusations be false but in fact the men may often be the actual victim of domestic violence? Where are the protections for the men who may be "evicted" by their abusive spouse or partner, are out in the street and the VAWA funded domestic violence organizations refuse to help them because VAWA only funds shelters and services for women!? Men who are victims of domestic violence can't even turn to the DV shelters that women can go to because they are not covered under the Violence Against WOMEN Act. Men who are false accused of DV and are served a restraining order even though they have not harmed anyone are evicted from their homes with NO NOTICE and often end up homeless and possibly losing jobs with no assistance available to them even when their accuser recants and drops the restraining order. VAWA can not be passed until there are provisions in it for ALL victims!
Many VAWA funded organizations are currently seeking more funding to help them protect and shelter a victim's pets, "animal domestic violence victims", while most continue to exclude male children of certain ages and male victims from their protective and supportive efforts!

VAWA MUST undergo serious changes including it's name to reflect the fact that families and communities consist of both men and women so services and support need to be equally available and funded. Children are both male and female and our girls should be protected but not more or better than our boys.

So let's take the advice of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and contact the members of the House Financial Committee and other key people BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!

Tell them to vote against VAWA and vote for an Anti-Domestic Violence Act that will free us from the discriminatory funding and practices that almost half of the victims of domestic violence have to survive in spite of!

Please do this now before time runs out and VAWA is passed without inclusive changes.  
The time do do the right thing is here and men and women who operate with common sense know that it is the right thing to do!
Our daughters and our sons will thank us for the courage to change the mistakes that have been made regarding abusive behaviors in our families AND in our Government!

Take care and be SAFE,
                                       Lee Newman
Executive Director: SAFE-NH
http://www.safe-nh.org




THIS IS WHAT THEY SENT OUT, WE NEED TO COUNTERACT........

   
December 5, 2005  
 
 
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
URGENT VAWA ACTION ALERT




ACT NOW TO SAVE VITAL HOUSING PROVISIONS
PLEASE FORWARD  
 
 
Nationwide, victims of domestic violence and stalking are being evicted for screaming for help, for calling the police, or simply for being the victims of crime.
Often victims of domestic violence are evicted when they get a restraining order because it is considered proof that a "family member or invited guest" committed a crime on the tenant's property – even though the tenant was the VICTIM of that crime!

If evicted, most victims have no where else to go. In fact, many victims fear to report violence or seek help, afraid they will be evicted and possibly become homeless.

Provisions in the Violence Against Women Act would protect victims from these unfair evictions, but the national associations representing public housing authorities oppose them and have even proposed language that makes it EASIER to evict victims!

These groups are organized, and their members are calling Congress right now demanding that these protections be removed from VAWA.

Sections 606 and 607 of the Violence Against Women Act protect victims from being evicted due to crimes committed against them. These provisions were included in the Senate version of VAWA (S. 1197) that passed unanimously in October. However, the House bill (S. 3402) did not include any housing provisions.

The House Financial Services Committee must now decide if they will agree to allow Sections 606 and 607 to be included in the final version of VAWA. They will be making this decision the week 12/5.


HOW YOU CAN HELP
Contact the House Financial Services Committee  
 
 
Members of the House Financial Services Committee must hear from you NOW or these desperately need protections will be stripped from VAWA!!
If you live in one of the states listed below, please call the Representatives listed for your state as soon as possible.

Tell them: ** Your name and the city and state you are calling from.

** "Victims of domestic violence should not be evicted due to the crimes committed against them. Please ensure that Sections 606 and 607 remain in the Violence Against Women Act."

** Tell them why it is important to you and your community that these protections stay in VAWA. Share with them any stories or information you may have regarding these issues.

** "Thank you for helping to protect victims of domestic violence from unfair evictions."


HOUSE FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE
This is the list of members of the House Financial Services Committee. If you live in one of these states, please call ALL of the Representatives listed for your state.  
 
 
Alabama Spencer Bachus (R-6th-AL) (p) 202.225.4921 Artur Davis (D-7th-AL) (p) 202.225.2665
Arizona Rick Renzi (R-1st-AZ) (p) 202.225.2315

California Joe Baca (D-43rd-Ca) (p) 202.225.6161 Barbara Lee (D-9th-Ca) (p) 202.225.2661 Gary Miller (R-42nd-CA) (p) 202.225.3201 Edward R. Royce (R-40th-CA) (p) 202.225.4111 Brad Sherman (D-27th-CA) (p) 202.225.5911 Maxine Waters (D-35th-CA) (p) 202.225.2201

Connecticut Christopher Shays (R-4th-CT) (p) 202.225.5541

Delaware Michael N. Castle (R-1st-DE) (p) 202.225.4165

Florida Gina Brown-Waite (R-5th-FL) (p) 202.225.1002 Tom Feeney (R-24th-FL) (p) 202.225.2706 Katherine Harris (R-13th-FL) (p) 202.225.5015 Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-20th-FL) (p) 202.225.7931

Georgia Tom Price (R-6th-GA) (p) 202.225.4501 David Scott (D013th-GA) (p) 202.225.2939

Illinois Melissa Bean (D- 8th-IL) (p) 202.225.3711 Judy Biggert (R-13th-IL) (p) 202.225.3515 Luis Gutierrez (D-4th-IL) (p) 202.225.8203 Donald A. Manzullo (R-16th-IL) (p) 202.225.5676

Indiana Julia Carson (D-7th-IN) (p) 202.225.4011

Iowa James A. Leach (R-2nd-IA) (p) 202.225.6576

Kansas Dennis Moore (D- 3rd-KS) (p) 202.225.2865 Jim Ryun (R-2nd-KS) (p) 202.225.6601

Kentucky Geoff Davis (R-4th-KY) (p) 202.225.3465

Louisiana Richard H. Baker (R-6th-LA) (p) 202.225.3901

Massachusetts Michael E. Capuano (D- 8th-MA) (p) 202.225.5111 Barney Frank (D-4th-MA) Ranking Member (p) 202.225.5931 Stephen F. Lynch (D-9th-MA) (p) 202.225.8273

Minnesota Mark R. Kennedy (R-6th-MN) (p) 202.225.2331

Missouri Wm. Lacy Clay (D-1st-MO) (p) 202.225.2406 Emanuel Cleaver (D-5th-MO) (p) 202.225.4535

New Jersey Scott Garrett (R-5th-NJ) (p) 202.225.4465

New Mexico Steve Pearce (R-2nd-NM) (p) 202.225.2365

New York Gary Ackerman (D-5th-NY) (p) 202.225.2601 Joseph Crowley (D-7th-NY) (p) 202.225.3965 Vito Fossella (R-13th-NY) (p) 202.225.3371 Steve Israel (D-2nd-NY) (p) 202.225.3335 Sue W. Kelly (R-19th-NY) Vice Chairwoman (p) 202.225.5441 Peter T. King (R-3rd-NY) (p) 202.225.7896 Carolyn B. Maloney (D-14th-NY) (p) 202.225.7944 Carolyn McCarthy (D-4th-NY) (p) 202.225.5516 Gregory Meeks (D-6th-NY) (p) 202.225.3461 Nydia M. Velazquez (D-12th-NY) (p) 202.225.2361

North Carolina Walter B. Jones, Jr. (R-3rd-NC) (p) 202.224.3415 Patrick McHenry (R-10th-NC) (p) 202.225.2576 Brad Miller (D-13th-NC) (p) 202.225.3032 Melvin L. Watt (D-12th-NC) (p) 202.225.1510

Ohio Paul E. Gillmor (R-5th-OH) (p) 202.225.6405 Steven C. LaTourette (R-14th-OH) (p) 202.225.5731 Robert W. Ney (R-18th-OH) (p) 202.225.6265 Michael G. Oxley (R-4th-OH) Chairman (p) 202.225.2676 Deborah Pryce (R-15th-OH) (p) 202.225.2015 Patrick J. Tiberi (R-12th-OH) (p) 202.225.5355

Oklahoma Frank D. Lucas (R-3rd-OK) (p) 202.225.5565

Oregon Darlene Hooley (D-5th-OR) (p) 202.225.5711

Pennsylvania Michael G. Fitzpatrick (R-8th-PA) (p) 202.225.4276 Jim Gerlach (R-6th-PA) (p) 202.225.4315 Paul E. Kanjorski (D-11th-PA) (p) 202.225.6511

South Carolina J. Gresham Barrett (R-3rd-SC) (p) 202.225.5301

Texas Al Green (D-9th-TX) (p) 202.225.7508 Jeb Hensarling (R-5th-TX) (p) 202.225.3484 Ruben Hinojosa (D-15th-TX) (p) 202.225.2531 Randy Neugebauer (R-19th-TX) (p) 202.225.4005 Ron Paul (R-14th-TX) (p) 202.225.2831

Tennessee Harold E. Ford, Jr. (D-9th-TN) (p) 202.225.3265

Utah Jim Matheson (D-2nd-UT) (p) 202.225.3011

Vermont Bernard Sanders (I-1st-VT) (p) 202.225.4115

Wisconsin Gwen Moore (D-4th-WI) (p) 202.225.4572


If you have any questions or need additional information, contact Allison Randall at the National Network to End Domestic Violence at [email protected] or 202-543-5566














 
 

"Children learn what they live"