CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Legislation ensures
help for rape victims
Rape is rape. The debate surrounding whether female rape victims may or may not become pregnant as a result of the rape dilutes the issue at hand. Rape is about violence. It is a socially tolerated, pervasive sex crime of power and control used to humiliate, devalue and objectify a person.
The effects of rape are devastating and can have long-term effects on victims due to a violation of their privacy, dignity, security and humanity.
Instead of trying to define a woman’s potential for getting pregnant when she is raped, we need to re-focus our attention on believing and supporting victims as they work through their healing process, and on holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes.
Rape is preventable. Georgia communities must challenge attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that perpetuate rape. We need to work together in the future to pass integral pieces of legislation at the state and federal level, such as the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) — which failed to make it through the House in 2012 — to ensure that services for victims of rape continue to be available.
JENNIFER BIVINS, PRESIDENT AND CEO, GEORGIA NETWORK TO END SEXUAL ASSAULT
Offenders with guns
merit stiff sentences
In a free society, there is no way to prevent a tragedy such as the Newtown horror. Probably none of the suggestions now being touted — even those suggested below — would have prevented that.
An effective approach to minimize the number of such incidents would be “gun use control.” The use of a gun in the commission of any crime should be a felony, with a mandatory punishment of multiple years in prison. Such a law should be vigorously enforced. After release, those convicted under this law should be listed in a gun-crime registry that would require notification of any change of address.
Using a gun to protect life or property is not a crime; it is common sense. Unfortunately, one of the most effective means of reducing the number of mass killings would violate our right to free speech — that is, a federal law banning signs that read, “Gun Free Zone.”
JOHN STANFIELD, PEACHTREE CITY
EUGENE PATTERSON
Editor helped lead city
through civil rights era
As an Atlanta resident and daily Atlanta Journal (and/or Constitution) reader for most of my 70 years, I was captivated to read your article memorializing Gene Patterson (“Strong voice on civil rights dies,” News, Jan. 14).
I appreciate your refreshing my memory about the significant contribution he made toward leading Atlanta through the civil rights movement — and into a better world.
DANIEL I. MACINTYRE IV, ATLANTA
