Wisconsin Congresswoman Gwen Moore was one of two lawmakers to introduce a resolution recently, recognizing the intersection of gun violence, violence against women, and misogyny.
“Misogyny continues to be a major driver of gun violence and domestic violence, with too often, fatal consequences for women,” said Moore in a joint statement with Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell.
Both co-chair the Domestic Violence Task Force, which introduced the resolution during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which just concluded last month.
“While I was proud to support the bipartisan ‘Safer Communities Act,’ which worked to close the boyfriend loophole; we must build upon these efforts,” continued Moore in the statement.
“As a domestic violence survivor and legislator, I remain focused on championing legislation, including the ‘Violence Against Women Act’ and gun violence prevention proposals.
The congresswoman noted the resolution was introduced on the heels of a case now before the U.S.Supreme Court, ‘U.S. v. Rahimi.’The court is hearing oral arguments on the Rahimi case, which will determine whether a federal law prohibiting individuals under a domestic violence civil restraining order from possessing guns, violates the Second amendment.
In February 2022, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled that the federal law was unconstitutional. According to the CDC’s ‘The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report,’ more than one in three women have experienced some form of intimate partner violence, including sexual violence, physical violence or stalking in their lifetime. This tragic reality is compounded by America’s gun violence epidemic.
According to ‘Everytown for Gun Safety,’ a nonprofit organization formed in 2013 that advocates for gun control and against gun violence, 70 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner each month, which only magnifies the need for further gun violence prevention measures.
In Wisconsin, 96 lives were lost due to domestic violence homicide/murder-suicide in 2022, the highest number on record so far in the state.
“This loss of life is horrifying, precisely because it is preventable,” said Monique Minkens, executive director of ‘End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin.’
“Now is a critical moment, before the Supreme Court makes a decision in U.S. v. Rahimi. Will they protect true victims of abuse, or further enable those with access to firearms to commit violence against their victims? The choice is theirs.”
Cong. Dingell said in the joint-statement that people with a history of domestic violence shouldn’t have access to gun…period. “The evidence is clear and convincing that the presence of a firearm in an abusive situation makes homicides five times more likely.”
Dingell called on her congressional colleagues to close loopholes in the law that allows abusers to access guns and put women and families in danger.
“We must also confront the root causes of domestic violence, understanding the way individuals who exhibit misogynistic tendencies toward women often go on to commit violence against them.”
The Michigan congresswoman said guns are a deadly tool used by abusers to exert power and control, to intimidate, to terrorize, and often kill victims. Most domestic violence homicides are committed using guns.
“The intersection of misogyny, gender-based violence, and gun violence creates a deadly combination that has gone unaddressed for far too long in our nation, said Ruth Glenn, President of Survivor Justice Action (formerly the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence).
“The presence of firearms in cases of domestic violence is known todramatically increase the risk of homicide and escalate an already dangerous situation. These interconnected issues must be addressed collectively to create a safer future for all survivors.” —Source for this article: Press release from the office of Cong. Gwen Moore.
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Resolution recognizes the
intersection of violence
against women, gun
violence, and misogyny
Milwaukee Public Schools promised transportation stipends due to unreliable busing, Few parents
received them!
The district did not distribute $500,000 it allocated to reimburse parents for gas, bus passes and mileage. Parents say buses still run late.
By Jonmaesha Beltran,
courtesy of Wisconsin Watch
EDITOR’S NOTE: News414 is a service journalism collaboration between Wisconsin Watch and Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service that addresses the specific issues, interests, perspectives and information needs identified by residents of central city Milwaukee neighborhoods. Learn more at our website or sign up for our texting service here.
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“By the time the district mailed out the contracts, 124 of which were returned, 95% of bus routes were running on any given day, Solik-Fifarek said. The majority of contracts went unreturned for a variety of likely reasons, he added, including that the family had switched addresses, switched schools, didn’t get their mail or decided they didn’t need the small stipend.”