Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Friday, March 08, 2013

New Violence Against Women Act Includes Historic Protections for Native American and LGBT Survivors

President Obama has signed into law historic new protections for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault with the expanded reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Initially passed in 1994, the bill lapsed in 2011 after Republicans blocked it over the new protections. The measure was approved after House Republicans finally allowed a vote last week. It includes a landmark addition that empower Native American tribal authorities to prosecute non-Native Americans for abuses committed on tribal lands. For the first time ever, it will also specifically include gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender survivors. We’re joined by two guests who attended Thursday’s reauthorization ceremony at the White House: Juana Majel Dixon, first vice president of the National Congress of American Indians, and Mara Keisling, a transgender rights activist and founding executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality

Video
Source: Democracy Now!
Author: -

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