I wish this headline was a joke. I sincerely do.
But what other explanation can there be when Sarah Palin charged rape victims — victims, not the attackers — $1,200 for a chance to catch the criminals who assaulted them?
Details via Feministing.com:
A rape kit is a sexual assault forensic evidence kit, used to collect DNA that can be used in criminal proceedings to assist in the conviction of those who commit sex crimes. The kit is performed as soon as possible after a sexual assault or attack has been committed. It is usually humiliating and uncomfortable for the victim — imagine enduring that and then paying $1200 just so that the criminal who assaulted you might be caught.
Let’s put this into perspective. One of the services that almost every American (with the exception of a few hardcore Libertarians, I suppose) agree that our government should provide is policing and investigation into crime, especially of a violent nature. Rape, one of the most difficult to prosecute, disproportionately affects women — young women, in fact. If Palin wants to play fierce mother hen in her stump speeches, I suggest she explain how it is that she wouldn’t do everything in her mayoral power to make sure that rapists be caught and prosecuted.
What adds insult to injury here is her stance on abortion for rape victims. So, not only did she neglect to support women who were raped in getting the evidence they needed to get justice, but she doesn’t believe they should have the right to choose what happens with their bodies after they’ve endured such violation.
As one commenter put it:
She’s a disgusting human being. How many women can honestly afford $1200 for a rape kit? And how soulless and spiritually bankrupt do you have to be to even consider charging women for this?
This article appears in Sep 9-16, 2008.
“Let’s put this in perspective”???
How about providing some sort of reference for such inflammatory comments? Do you honestly expect us to believe that a rape victim in Alaska will actually be billed for the investigation? Come on! Quit twisting the facts for your political ends…
References:
http://cronespeaks.wordpress.com/2008/09/08/sarah-palin-revictimized-rape-victims/
http://raford.wordpress.com/2008/09/09/daily-palin-sarah-thinks-rape-victims-should-be-charged-for-their-own-rape-kits/
http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2000/05/23/news.txt
I suppose I could have made the headline “Sarah Palin loves money more than caring for fellow human beings, and therefore charged victims adding to their emotional trauma,” but that was a little wordy.
Way to twist the original article. Guess you left out the part where Palin wasn’t even mentioned, just the police chief of Wasilla who said “Ultimately it is the criminal who should bear the burden of the added costs.”
I’m not a Republican, just a supporter of responsible journalism.
Have you seen the actual crime stats?
There’s no proof that anyone was actually ever charged. Other states do this–they charge the insurance co., and if the victim can’t pay, the state does.
Is Daily Kos going to find the woman who paid for her own rape kit? Maybe she had Trig, too.
http://safety.fizber.com/Alaska/Wasilla/
I am an alaskan and this is true.
unfortinutaly the victoms had to go over saras head to get this stoped. She was the mayor when this was going on and Wasilla was the only place charging for the kits in the state. She could have stoped it she hired the police cheif. Not only was she the mayor but she had been sience 96 and was councel woman befor that.