9/30/09

HR 105

The SPEAKER. The Chair recognizes the gentlelady from Luzerne County, Representative Mundy.

Ms. MUNDY. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in support of HR 105. This is an important resolution. The goal is to raise awareness of the very serious issue of domestic violence here in Pennsylvania.

In 2007, 121 Pennsylvanians died as a result of a lethal incident of domestic violence. Of them, 95 were victims and 26 were perpetrators who committed suicide or were killed by police. Pennsylvania ranks fourth in the nation in murder-suicides, most of which were incidents of domestic violence.

Yes, men were victims, too. Of the 95 victims killed in domestic violence incidents, in 1997, 32 were males. Twenty-eight of those males were adults over the age of 18. One was a teenage boy under the age of 18, and three boys were 12 years old or younger. These statistics show the face of an ugly problem, but we cannot just bury our heads in the sand and say this problem does not exist, as the gentleman from Butler would have us do. We have an obligation to do everything in our power to expose    this ugly truth, to expose the horrors and dangers of domestic violence, and to increase awareness of a very serious problem.

The gentleman's rationale for opposing this resolution is twisted. It demonstrates a complete ignorance and insensitivity to the thousands of men, women, and children across the Commonwealth and across the country who have been victims of domestic violence.

 I ask for your affirmative vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.