Student writes letter to Senator Duckworth supporting HR-1585 (VAWA)

Senator Duckworth

8 South Old State Capitol Plaza

Springfield, IL 62701

Dear Senator Duckworth,

I am writing to you today to ask for your help in getting the Violence Against Women Act HR 1585 (VAWA) reauthorized for the most recent term. This bill, which was passed by the House in April of 2019, currently sits in the Senate a year later with no progress made towards a vote. While I understand that you yourself would undoubtedly vote to pass this bill, I also believe that you have the power to reach out to your counterparts on the Republican side of the aisle and impress upon them the importance of the reauthorization of the VAWA.

As a citizen of the city of Springfield and a Community Health Worker for the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, I have worked with many men and women who have been impacted by relational violence. The programming and protections provided by the VAWA are vital in decreasing the number of those incidents and in ensuring that those who are committing the crimes are fully prosecuted. The reauthorization of this bill every four to five years has ensured that new crimes and new groups that need protection are being added to the law. I understand that this particular reauthorization may be held up by the addition of the transgendered community or by the removal of the right to purchase a handgun by someone convicted of domestic violence, but I implore you to share the bigger picture with your fellow Senators. This law has had huge impacts including a decline of 72% in the rate of serious intimate partner violence against women and a 60% decline in the annual rate of rape and sexual assault perpetrated against girls and women.

From a personal perspective, as a survivor of domestic violence, I know and understand the importance of the resources available to someone as they move through and beyond a relationship of this type. I depended greatly on some of the programming that has been created from the funds made available by the VAWA and would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for this bill and what it has helped to create.

Senator, I understand that this is not an easy sell. I am sure that the idea of limiting access to handguns under any situation is probably something that feels like a non-starter with some of your colleagues. The bill does not suggest the limiting of all guns, simply handguns which are easier to purchase and conceal, and only for those who have already demonstrated their ease with violent behavior. That limitation does not carry more weight than the physical and mental health of the men, women and children who live in our country.

I look forward to seeing this bill passed with these new additions and the protections and funding for these vital programs redistributed. I trust in your ability to get this will be happy to continue to provide my support to your upcoming campaigns.