james,
Just two decades ago to the day, Congress passed a crucial and long overdue piece of legislation that has saved millions of lives across the country: The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
I was proud to vote to reauthorize VAWA in Congress, and I fought off attempts by some to weaken the law. But while protections have grown stronger over the years throughout the country, we still have a great deal of work to do at the state level -- particularly here in Arkansas. Our state has frequently been ranked as one of the 10 worst states in the nation when it comes to men killing women, a typical indicator of domestic homicide.
It's not enough to celebrate the fact that Congress took action twenty years ago. Just this week, we saw the reminders of what domestic abuse continues to look like on the national news. Now it's time for Arkansas to take action and enact strong laws to stop domestic violence here in our own backyard.
That's exactly what I plan to do as governor -- but I want to know that you're standing with me.
Do you think it's time for Arkansas to take strong action to stop domestic violence? Click here to let me know you agree.
For far too long, domestic violence was considered a private matter -- something families should deal with on their own, even if this meant condemning millions of women, children, and men to unbearable, unending abuse. Even if they escaped from their abusive partners, survivors often found that they didn't have the support they needed in their communities to feed their families and rebuild their lives, and were forced to return to their abusers.
VAWA helped change that. But that's not enough -- not when there are still 24 people per minute who are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States, adding up to more than 12 million women and men over the course of a year.
I've made tackling domestic violence the cornerstone of my "Tougher, Smarter Crime Reduction Plan for Arkansas" -- a plan I developed in consultation with law enforcement, prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, policymakers, and victim advocates who see first-hand the consequences of allowing this violence to continue.
To put this plan into action, though, I need your support.
Stand with me and declare your support for stronger laws, better training for officials, and more funding for support programs and shelters. Click here to let me know I have your support.
As a nation, we should be proud of what we have accomplished over the last twenty years since VAWA was passed. But as Arkansans, we can and must do more here at home.
I hope you'll stand with me and keep fighting to stop domestic violence.
Sincerely,
Mike Ross
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