Political Quotes

“I rise today in support of declaring October National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence encompasses all acts of violence against women within the context of a family or intimate relationships. It is an issue of increasing concern because it has a negative effect on all family members, especially the children. It is also leading cause of injury to women in the United States, where they are more likely to be assaulted, injured, raped or killed by a male partner than by any other type of assailant. During 1998, an average of two domestic homicides occurred in my State of West Virginia each month. Across the United States, it is estimated that as many as 4 million instances of domestic abuse against women occur yearly. We must fight this scourge. These statistics are devastating, but behind every statistic there is a face, a family, a woman, a child who is in a violent relationship and the children are trapped in these violent unstable homes living in fear. I am asking every Member of Congress to spread the word about domestic violence so we can help these women and children live a life free of fear. This epidemic is something in our communities that we need to be aware of, and October is a month to shine a light on the problem of domestic violence throughout our country.”