STANDING UP AGAINST RAPE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT WITH HIV/AIDS
Following is the testimonhy I presented to the House Committee and Human Services in support of my House Bill 258.
Madame Chair, Honorable Members of the Committee:
My name is Representative Bob Lynn, District 31, Anchorage. Thank you for hearing House Bill 258, that makes a rape or sexual assault by a person with HIV or AIDS an aggravating factor for sentencing.
The key words here are rape and sexual assault, and the question is whether the court should consider it an aggravating factor if the perpetuator convicted of a rape had HIV/AIDs. That’s what this bill is all about, and nothing more.
How or why a perpetuator of rape or assault acquired HIV/AIDS, or the particular sexual orientation of the perpetuator, or any perceived stigma someone might claim against anyone – guilty or innocent of anything – because of being infected with HIV/AIDS is irrelevant to the bill we are considering today. Those topics have nothing whatsoever to do with this bill.
This bill is only – repeat only - about whether or not being infected with HIV/AIDS should be an aggravating factor for the court to consider at the sentencing of a rapist or sexual assaulter. I think it should, and I hope you agree.
Some might ask why should only HIV/AIDS be considered in this bill? What about Herpes C? What about syphilis or gonorrhea, or other sexually transmitted disease? Or what about every other disease known to modern medicine? Why not include those diseases in this bill? The answer is simple. HIV/AIDS is a potentially fatal disease. No only does the victim suffer the horrific consequences of rape or sexual assault, the victim of rape or assault must suffer the effects of a delayed death sentence – because, the fact of the matter is, HIV/AIDS is fatal and it’s victims usually have a shorter life span than criminals condemned to death on death row.
I must tell you, I’m very proud of the work and considerable research my staff has done on the aspects of this bill. You can see some of the results of this research in your bill package – especially the question and answer paper. Mike Sica of my office has become very knowledgable on this subject, and I believe you would be well served, and I would request, that you listen to his testimony before you ask me any questions. Again, this bill is about victims of rape or sexual assault, and whether the fact that the perpetuator of the rape or assault had HIV/AIDs should be an aggravating factor at sentencing.
NOTE: A representative of the Alaska AIDs Assistance Association in Anchorage testified, by teleconference, with outrage against my bill, claiming that the bill "stigmatised" victims of HIV/AIDS, and that HIV/AIDS is not a deadly disease.
NOTE: The House Committee on Health and Human moved this bill, with all members recommending "Do Pass," to the House Judiciary Committee.
Madame Chair, Honorable Members of the Committee:
My name is Representative Bob Lynn, District 31, Anchorage. Thank you for hearing House Bill 258, that makes a rape or sexual assault by a person with HIV or AIDS an aggravating factor for sentencing.
The key words here are rape and sexual assault, and the question is whether the court should consider it an aggravating factor if the perpetuator convicted of a rape had HIV/AIDs. That’s what this bill is all about, and nothing more.
How or why a perpetuator of rape or assault acquired HIV/AIDS, or the particular sexual orientation of the perpetuator, or any perceived stigma someone might claim against anyone – guilty or innocent of anything – because of being infected with HIV/AIDS is irrelevant to the bill we are considering today. Those topics have nothing whatsoever to do with this bill.
This bill is only – repeat only - about whether or not being infected with HIV/AIDS should be an aggravating factor for the court to consider at the sentencing of a rapist or sexual assaulter. I think it should, and I hope you agree.
Some might ask why should only HIV/AIDS be considered in this bill? What about Herpes C? What about syphilis or gonorrhea, or other sexually transmitted disease? Or what about every other disease known to modern medicine? Why not include those diseases in this bill? The answer is simple. HIV/AIDS is a potentially fatal disease. No only does the victim suffer the horrific consequences of rape or sexual assault, the victim of rape or assault must suffer the effects of a delayed death sentence – because, the fact of the matter is, HIV/AIDS is fatal and it’s victims usually have a shorter life span than criminals condemned to death on death row.
I must tell you, I’m very proud of the work and considerable research my staff has done on the aspects of this bill. You can see some of the results of this research in your bill package – especially the question and answer paper. Mike Sica of my office has become very knowledgable on this subject, and I believe you would be well served, and I would request, that you listen to his testimony before you ask me any questions. Again, this bill is about victims of rape or sexual assault, and whether the fact that the perpetuator of the rape or assault had HIV/AIDs should be an aggravating factor at sentencing.
NOTE: A representative of the Alaska AIDs Assistance Association in Anchorage testified, by teleconference, with outrage against my bill, claiming that the bill "stigmatised" victims of HIV/AIDS, and that HIV/AIDS is not a deadly disease.
NOTE: The House Committee on Health and Human moved this bill, with all members recommending "Do Pass," to the House Judiciary Committee.
posted by Blogs by Rep Bob Lynn | 9:01 PM
1 Comments:
I commend you for your firm support and vigorous defense of HB 258. You hit the nail on the head - AIDS is fatal, the others are not. This justifies the stand-alone emphasis.
Unfortunately, AIDS has been politicized by the gay rights lobby, which has long since abandoned any pretense of wanting mere "tolerance" and now demand affirmation, celebration, and even formal protection against the First Amendment rights of critics. Rather than settling for acceptance, they seek to completely redefine our culture. They've waged political warfare against the Boy Scouts and have seeded our high schools nationwide with "homosexual embassies" innocuously described as "Gay-Straight Alliance" clubs. Some of our high schools have these clubs. We must stand firm against the onslaught of these extremists, as Fred Dyson is in the State Senate.
I live in Sharon Cissna's district, but I agree with most of your values and appreciate the way you represent your district.
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