Mike Collins: “I appreciate the gentlewoman's concern; but, also, I do understand this issue, as someone who has been in the legal…”

“I appreciate the gentlewoman's concern; but, also, I do understand this issue, as someone who has been in the legal community, been a counselor, also a chaplain in the Air Force who has had to deal with sexual assault issues, and also served on the local board of Rape Response. I do get these issues. I don't disagree with the gentlewoman that there are concerns here, that we do need to be sensitive and we do need to do this. My concern lies simply in the fact that we need to put this funding and these resources not to a bifurcated process, but we also need to continue to make sure that this goes to law enforcement, because someone who mistreats and someone who is a victim of sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking--it is a crime, and it needs to be treated as that. We need to make sure our law enforcement personnel can have better resources and better access so that the victims can be taken care of and the perpetrators can be locked up. That is my concern here, not that I don't understand what the victims may be going through. Although I have never personally been a victim, I have counseled on many occasions people who have been victims. So, I would just caution, so we understand the differences in our opinions, why someone may hold an opinion. And mine was simply from a law enforcement perspective, not that I was ignoring or ambivalent toward the feelings of those who have been victimized.…”