A Proclamation Home should be a place of warmth, unconditional love, tranquility, and security. And for most of us, home and family can, indeed, be counted among our greatest blessings. Tragically, for many Americans, these are blessings that are tarnished by violence and fear.
Domestic violence is more than the occasional family dispute.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, it is the single largest cause of injury to American women, affecting six million of all racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds. In our country, a woman is battered every 15 seconds, and 40 percent of female homicide victims in 1991 were killed by their husbands or boyfriends. Yet unbelievably, more than half of women in need of shelter may be turned away due to a lack of space. Women are not the only targets. Young children and the elderly are also counted among the victims, and sadly, emotional scars are often permanent.