Political Quotes

“Mr. President, this week is Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Awareness Week, and it is a sobering reminder of both the breathtaking scale of this tragedy that has plagued Native communities for generations and how far we still have to go to bring justice and healing to the victims and families affected by it. This crisis is likely out of view for most Americans, but it stares us in the face. Murder is the third leading cause of death for American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls, which is 10 times the national average--10 times the national average. American Indians and Alaska Natives are more than twice as likely to experience violent crimes, including rape and sexual assault, than any other group of people in the United States. In Hawaii, 64 percent of human trafficking survivors are Native Hawaiian. Even so, we still don't know the true extent of the crisis because for so long, the Federal Government failed to take it seriously. It was more convenient to pretend as if it didn't exist than to dedicate Federal resources to investigating the crimes and prosecuting those responsible. As a result, in far too many instances, justice has not been served and families have not been able to begin the process of healing. To experience the tragedy of a loved one gone or a neighbor suddenly found dead is horrific in and of itself. But worse, these communities often have to shoulder the burden of finding answers all by themselves while they are grieving.…”