RADAR ALERT:
Tell Senator Lugar: "Don't Export Family Break-up. Say 'No' to I-VAWA."

Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman and presidential-hopeful Joseph Biden plans on asking the U.S. Congress to legislate for the entire world! Author of the well-intentioned but deeply flawed Violence Against Women Act, Biden will soon be introducing an international version, dubbed "I-VAWA." This would be accomplished by awarding grants to other countries to implement VAWA-like initiatives.

For a reminder of how the U.S. version of VAWA has undermined the basic freedoms and legal protections that once characterized the U.S. as a free society, read RADAR's recent alert at http://www.mediaradar.org/alert20070129.php.

Many members of Congress have expressed concern that foreign countries' resentment of the U.S. has increased due to our unilateral action in Iraq. That resentment will pale in comparison to the resentment that will result if Congress passes I-VAWA, and thus assumes the right to impose legislation on other countries.

Thus it is especially important to tell Sen. Richard Lugar, the Ranking Republican Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, that the U.S. should not be wasting hundreds of millions of your tax dollars to impose our own flawed policies on foreign governments through I-VAWA.

This week we are asking every one of you to call, fax, or email Sen. Richard Lugar's office:

Phone: 202-224-4814
FAX: 202-228-0360
Email: senator_lugar@lugar.senate.gov

In your call or letter, please emphasize the message:

"Don't Export Family Break-up. Say 'No' to I-VAWA."

Since I-VAWA will directly affect citizens of other nations, we'd like to suggest that our friends outside the U.S. not hesitate to let Sen. Lugar's office know their opinion of this proposed law.

As always, be sure to express your opinion in a polite and respectful fashion.

Date of RADAR Release: March 12, 2007

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R.A.D.A.R. – Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting – is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://mediaradar.org