The Peace Corps has come under fire from former volunteers who were raped and sexually assaulted during their service and say the agency promoted a "blame the victim" culture. The New York Times details the stories of former Peace Corps rape victims like Jessica Gregg, a Mozambique volunteer who was drugged and sexually assaulted in 2007. Gregg says "a Peace Corps medical officer 'made me write in my testimony that I was intoxicated' and suggested that 'I willingly had sex with this guy.'" About 22 Peace Corps women have reported being the victim of rape or attempted rape each year between 2000 and 2009.
Republicans like Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and Rep. Ted Poe (R-Tex.) have demanded greater scrutiny of the Peace Corps' treatment of sexual assault victims, and the House Foreign Affairs Committee is holding a hearing on the issue on Wednesday. Sadly, House Democrats don't seem too enthused about supporting the GOP's effort to demand greater support for Peace Corps rape victims. Only one House Democrat, Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-Mass.), has co-sponsored Poe's bill to strengthen the Peace Corps' capacity to respond to sexual assault. According to the Times, other Democrats are "skittish" to back the bill out of concern that Republicans could ultimately use the bill to undercut the Peace Corps and cut funding.
That's a poor excuse for failing to support victims of rape and sexual assault who've put their personal safety at risk in the name of public service. Even if the Republicans do try to use this issue as a weapon to undermine support for the Peace Corps, Democrats shouldn't simply assume a defensive crouch at the expense of these women.
How wishy washy can you get - "We're more concerned about this adversely affecting funding for the Peace Corps" rather than focusing on providing services for women who were attacked so they can fight back and get the justice they deserve? Ugh. Sometimes politics makes me sick.
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
You don't see the big picture SC- You gonna let a rapist bring down the Red Cross? They do more good than bad and one isolated incident shouldn't negate all the good they do.
