An attitude change for domestic violence

It's an epidemic, one that cries out for an intense, sustained and comprehensive response -- a generational struggle.

Let me illustrate the kind of change I'm talking about.

When I was a boy, seat belts were new, and hardly anyone used them -- indeed, most cars didn't have them. Back then, littering was tolerated. Tobacco was smoked everywhere -- in restaurants, at work, even on airplanes. You could even drink yourself into a stupor and get behind the wheel of a car, with the knowledge that even if you were caught, you'd merely spend a night in jail.

Once, those acts were considered the rights and freedoms of the individual. But over time, a consensus has formed that such behavior is reckless. We've informed the public, passed laws and stigmatized those activities in a way that has changed hearts and minds.

But the social evils and destructive powers of domestic violence and sexual assault still rage.

This issue is personal for me. As a freshman legislator, I did ride-alongs with Anchorage police officers and discovered that two-thirds of the calls were based on domestic violence. I saw women and children who had been beaten. This had a profound effect on me, and I worked to toughen the laws.

But providing for harsher criminal sentences, while appropriate, has not eliminated this scourge. We must change more than statutes -- we must change attitudes.

That's why I have unveiled an initiative that will address every facet of domestic violence and sexual assault. We'll put more abusers behind bars through enhanced investigation tools, tougher prosecution and beefed-up law enforcement. We'll help victims heal by protecting them from being re-victimized by the trial process and by strengthening shelters, and we'll focus on prevention with a public education campaign to make certain every Alaskan is aware of how serious this problem is. I've introduced legislation and have included funding in my operating budget to achieve these goals.

This initiative differs from past efforts in that we are guarding against a "follow-through gap," in which new programs are launched and then languish. I am creating the position in the Department of Law of a coordinator for domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and response. This individual will coordinate among state agencies, nonprofit entities and the federal government to make sure that we are doing all we can to end this horrific cycle of violence. We can never let up.

And that means all of us, working together.

In the past, domestic violence and sexual assault too often have been treated as someone else's problem. "It's a downtown problem." "It's a village problem." "It's an alcoholics' problem."

But from now on, we must consider it our problem. It's your problem. It's my problem. Domestic violence and sexual assault must become as unacceptable as drunk driving. Please join me in doing everything possible to spread the message that these grievous offenses against Alaskans will be tolerated no longer.