VAWA WARS: WE WIN, AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S COMING NEXT!

We have your number and we know who the players are. Yesterday, the House Judiciary Comittee reauthorized the VAWA act, without including the amendments that had been proposed to include special interest groups and let them in on a piece of the funding.

In general, the amendments that had been proposed would have allowed three special interest groups to use VAWA funds for their own special interests: 1) Funds for Native American Women who are victims of abuse on reservations from non-native abusers; (they are women, and already can receive assistance under VAWA), 2) Immigrant visas to increase to over 3000 allowable so that immigrants that come here and claim domestic abuse can obtain a visa to stay here, and 3) the most frightening thing, to include LGBT groups (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) to receive VAWA funds if they claim they are victims of violence; since when are gay MEN to be included under VAWA funds? So, the judiciary comittee shot down the proposed revisions and these groups will not be included.

But this is not the most victorious matter in this issue; we already know there is corruption when it comes to VAWA funds, and victims rarely see any of the money. Most of the funding goes to salaries of non-profit executives. Case in point; I will reference the movement to reform domestic violence that is growing in this country. Survivors are speaking out about the lack of assistance from organizations that purport to help, but are nothing more than clearinghouses for thousands of dollars of government funding that goes to the executives. A survivor is lucky if they receive assistance of food, clothing, and maybe shelter when they get out of the abuse. Safety planning often consists of a used cell phone from which the victim can call 911 if the abuser approaches her again. There might be temporary assistance for shelter, but no assistance for job opportunities and planning. And there are rarely any advocates; most shelter services might offer help fill out paperwork for a FAPA (restraining order) against the abuser, but they do not go to court and advocate with the victim if the abuser contests it. Most Judges do not uphold and endorse restraining orders if there is not an extensive amount of evidence of abuse. So, all these organizations receiving VAWA funds set up websites, write books, give out information about abuse, and refer the victims to a hotline, that refers them to another hotline, and refers them to another hotline...... But don't they tell them to JUST GET OUT? That's what they tell the victims, then leave them to try and survive on their own, while they run with the money. We have a long way to go, but we will not stop. They don't know what's coming next. We will hold them accountable. We will expose the lies and get at your purses.