Sex Discrimination. The Rights of Women and Girls in the United States.

I'm straying a little off topic today but I think the overall message remains the same. The other day I watched an episode of Dateline where they interviewed Kathleen Ham, a woman who had been raped some 30 years ago. Thanks to DNA evidence her rapist had been found and prosecuted. He was sentenced to 25 years for the rape. The man also stole four dollars from Ms. Ham's apartment. For that he got 21 years. That just didn't sit right for me. 21 years for four dollars, 25 years for rape. The punishment for rape seemed cheap. The message I got was that Ms. Ham's body, her life, the personal trauma she endured, wasn't worth much more than four dollars.

And what has me even more upset is the sentencing of a rapist this past week from a Judge in Vermont. Judge Edward Cashman sentenced Mark Hulet, 34, to 60 days jail time for repeatedly raping a young girl over the course of four years starting when she was just 6 years old. The reason? The Judge wanted the man to get counseling. He didn't belive punishment worked. Not surprisingly, this judge has had complaints filed against him in the past, to include: "insensitivity to the concerns of female victims of abuse and unfairly favoring fathers in custody battles." To read the article click here.

The only way our laws are going to protect the rights of women and children in this country is if we, the people, demand it! To make your voice heard, write to:

Vermont Congressman Bernard Sanders (I)
bernie@mail.house.gov

Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy (D)
senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov (that's senator_leahy in the email address shown)

Vermont Senator James Jeffords (R)
vermont@jeffords.senate.gov

Burlington, VT newspaper Editor
letters@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com

President Bush
comments@whitehouse.gov
or 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Laura Bush
first.lady@whitehouse.gov

Lynne Cheney
mrs.cheney@whitehouse.gov