The act of rape has to be one of the most violating acts one human being can commit against another. It is a disgustingly brutal practice that allows the attacker to feel more powerful by exerting their will over their victim. Rapists need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, but we as a society must be able to care for their victims as much as we possibly can. However Sarah Palin and her police department in Wasilla did not feel that way eight years ago and the state of Alaska had to override their decision to charge rape victims for forensic exams.
From McClatchy:
Speaking to a teleconference audience of reporters around the nation, former Gov. Tony Knowles and current Ketchikan Mayor Bob Weinstein -- both Democrats -- accused Palin of misleading the public in her new role as the vice presidential running mate of Arizona Sen. John McCain.
While some of their complaints have already been aired, Knowles broke new ground while answering a reporter's question on whether Wasilla forced rape victims to pay for their own forensic tests when Palin was mayor.
True, Knowles said.
Eight years ago, complaints about charging rape victims for medical exams in Wasilla prompted the Alaska Legislature to pass a bill -- signed into law by Knowles -- that banned the practice statewide.
"There was one town in Alaska that was charging victims for this, and that was Wasilla," Knowles said.
I don't even think this classifies as "compassionate conservatism" for the GOP. Charging victims for the tests that help bring their rapists to justice is absolutely disgusting. Grover Norquist wants to reduce government so that it can drown in a bathtub, but this is just beyond the pale. Honestly, as a taxpayer I am glad to pay my share where a small fraction goes to funding these tests that run a few hundred dollars. Any conservative that thinks Palin is still a good choice should be ashamed of themselves, not just for their failed ideology but the true heartlessness that Palin's adherence to that ideology shows the residents of Wasilla, Alaska and the entire country.
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