Senator Joni Ernst; (https://www.ernst.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-joni)
I am writing you in regard to VAWA as I understand you are tasked with writing the 2021 senate version. First, the Violence Against WOMEN Act by name is discriminatory to men and boys, both gay and straight, who suffer domestic violence and it should be changed to reflect that is directed towards combatting domestic violence within families. Even though legal decisions stated that men and boy victims could not be excluded by name of the act and in practice they are to this day.
I refer you to Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting and their recommendations, (at http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/RADARdocument-Agenda-for-VAWA-Reform.pdf) to correct some of the problems in VAWA. Unbiased DV Research can also be found at https://domesticviolenceresearch.org. I would also suggest Phillip W. Cook’s book “Abused Men: the Hidden Side of Domestic Violence” which should be part of the library of anyone writing DV legislation.
NAGR and other gun rights groups, to which I am a life member, complain that the “Red Flag” laws, long a problem in the family rights arena, are being pushed with 135 “Republican’s” voting for these laws applied to our military personnel. False allegations of abuse, combined with the mistaken belief that all DV is male perpetrators and female victims, have long been used to gain leverage in divorce and child custody proceedings. Additionally, those who bear false witness are rarely, if ever, held accountable for their lies. My horror story of false allegations when I was a NYS Environmental Conservation Police Officer (now retired) can be found at https://nymensactionnetwork.org/2021/04/lets-red-flag-unconstitutional-red-flag-laws/. I wrote about the unconstitutional nature of red flag laws here. What was designed as a shield for victims has been turned into a sword for those that would abuse the system and turn the system into an abuser on their behalf.
As A Republican I can only wonder why those in our party continue to authorize these vast funds which are funneled primarily to left wing groups pushing the anti family socialist agenda. Worse, the programs, when audited, are generally found to be fraught with fraud and misuse of funds. Some of these cases are outlined at https://www.saveservices.org/2021/03/vawa-long-standing-and-widespread-waste-fraud-and-abuse. As a co-founder and past President of the Coalition of Fathers and Families NY Inc. (I hold a Bachelors Degree in Family and Society from SUNY ESC) in the early 2000’s when I was researching this issue one DV services organization advised me how they “counted each client 4 times” by sending them to various “services” such as counseling or legal advice, and counted them even if they said they didn’t need the service. The Washington Times in 2019 reported on the fraud that is occurring in one part of VAWA, immigration citizenship, and that is not alone. In 2011 Sen. Grassley stated, “the problem with VAWA grantees’ administration and record keeping may actually be getting worse.” What was designed as a shield for victims has been turned into a biased political boondoggle, and it continues to this day.
I attended training and was certified by NYS as a police instructor for domestic violence. I can tell you first hand that the training was biased against men and was based on the debunked Duluth Model which has it that all Domestic Violence is perpetrated by men. Primary aggressor was defined as someone who was “larger” and “intimidating” and was nothing less than double speak for “arrest the man”. I found the training to be nothing less than indoctrination which was contrary to police training and tactics conducted in concert with constitutional protections ( I was a certified police special topics instructor on multiple topics). When called on to instruct I refused to do so as the course materials and lesson plan could “not be changed” in any fashion whatsoever. “This Way to the Revolution: A Memoir” by Erin Prizzey, who opened a shelter in England in 1971 explains how the system has been usurped by radical feminists.
While it certainly provides some services for victims of DV we have to ask ourselves at what cost to civil rights and at what cost to American taxpayers. It is well past time for a name change. It is well past time to remove sexual biases against male victims. It is well past time for the program to ensure that it is not undermining the U.S. Constitution and the rights of all individuals guaranteed therein.
James H. Hays, Lt. (Ret) NYS En-Con Police
CC: National Association for Gun Rights provided the following contact emails which were accepted – pat_souders@durbin.senate.gov, john_dowd@leahy.senate.gov, lindsey_kerr@klobuchar.senate.gov, reynaldo_benitez@ossoff.senate.gov, aaron_cummings@grassley.senate.gov, richard_perry@lgraham.senate.gov, “Beth_Jafari@cornyn.senate.gov” Beth_Jafari@Cornyn.senate.gov, steve_chartan@cruz.senate.gov, kyle_plotkin@hawley.senate.gov, doug_coutts@cotton.senate.gov, ted_lehman@tillis.senate.gov, kaleb_froehlich@murkowski.senate.gov