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Jan. 22, 2025 Editor, The News-Gazette: In 2019 and again in 2021, our congressional representative, Ben Cline, voted against the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Why? Because he wanted to keep guns in the hands of criminals convicted of domestic abuse and stalking. The lives of women victimized by stalkers and domestic abusers mean less to him than gun access for the predators most likely to rape or kill them.
But now Cline claims he “will continue to stand by women, ensuring their safety in our communities” through his Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act. The bill calls for non-citizens who have been convicted of sex offenses or domestic violence to be deported.
Why does Cline “stand by women” only when they are victimized by criminals from other countries? Why does he care more about ensuring predators’ access to guns if they are born in the U.S.?
If Cline cared about “safety in our communities,” he would be focused on all predators, not just a small subgroup. The number of aliens committing violent crimes against women is a fraction of the number of U.S. citizens committing the same crimes.
If Cline wanted to ensure the safety of women, he would be focused on the greatest threats. He is instead using women’s safety to score a political victory by spreading anti-immigrant fear and hatred ‒ even as he continues to champion gun access for violent U.S. ‒ born convicts. CHRIS GAVALER Lexington
