Both of Oklahoma's senators vote Nay on Franken's Amendment, and that's fantastic, only three out of four Senate Republicans gave us that kind of support.  Now, as a commenter on an earlier post has pointed out, Oklahoma has put in place a law requiring rape for abortion seekers.  That's kind of an oxymoron, I guess.  Only sluts get abortions and you can't rape the willing!  Hah!  The AP reports:

Abortion rights supporters have challenged two new Oklahoma laws that would give the state some of the strictest abortion laws in the country by forcing women to answer questions about race and their relationships, and to listen to a doctor talk them through an ultrasound.

...

Opponents of the laws, including the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights, have sued to stop them from taking effect, arguing that both were rolled into larger bills, violating a state constitutional provision requiring bills pertain to a single subject. A district court judge issued a temporary order this week preventing the questionnaire law from taking effect.

Another district court judge overturned the other law, which would require women seeking abortions to undergo an ultrasound and to have a doctor talk them through what they're seeing. The law would require a doctor to use a vaginal transducer in the earliest stages of pregnancy, since that provides the clearest image when the fetus is small. The method is more invasive than the abdominal ultrasounds most pregnant women undergo.

The state has appealed that decision to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. In the meantime, lawmakers who backed the abortion laws have said they'd likely resubmit them as separate measures during the next legislative session.

I applaud you, Oklahoma, in your quest for mandatory rape, and I am praying for your victory in your fight to uphold these laws against the dictates of these activist judges!

So the question is this: Do you support rape?

And, of course, no one (except a rapist) does, right?

Yet, 30 Republican members of the U.S. Senate have been getting phone calls lately from people asking, "Why do you support rape?"

These callers most likely are familiar with the fake Web site RepublicansForRape.org, which recounts the recent skirmish over Sen. Al Franken's "anti-rape" amendment to the Senate defense appropriations bill.

For something so un-funny, the subject has become an exercise in the absurd.

A fake website?  Now that is absurd!  Let me be clear.  This movement is real.  It is so true and so real that some might describe it as trill.

We all agree on two things.  First, the Republican party is the best party in the world.  Our party is the party of record low taxes and near record high deficits.  Our party is the party of free market solutions for the things that we like and paternalism for the things that we don't like.  Our party espouses Christian values.  Our party makes war.  Our party will always stand against socialist programs and government healthcare; except for Social Security, Medicare, Tricare, Medicaid, and others that are too popular to publicly oppose.  Our party is undeniably incredible.

Second, being a "victim" of rape is, at best, a minor inconvenience and can be acceptably swept under the rug.  Binding arbitration can and does deliver sufficient remedies for "victims" of gang rapes so breathtaking that the victim requires reconstructive surgery.  I can't provide any examples of restitution because the proceedings of such cases are kept secret.  There's nothing wrong with that.  In fact, concealing these rapes from the public is the only suitable way to talk about them.  Rape techniques are trade secrets of the rapist – sexual intellectual property – and they deserve protection.

This movement is real and it is growing.  We've got a Democrat on our side now.  We will not go gentle into that good night.

We might be a minority in Congress, but that doesn't mean we can't get our way!  Senator Daniel Inouye, Democrat from Hawaii, may be intervening on our behalf.  From HuffPo:

An amendment that would prevent the government from working with contractors who denied victims of assault the right to bring their case to court is in danger of being watered down or stripped entirely from a larger defense appropriations bill.

Multiple sources have told the Huffington Post that Sen. Dan Inouye, a longtime Democrat from Hawaii, is considering removing or altering the provision, which was offered by Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and passed by the Senate several weeks ago.

Inouye's office, sources say, has been lobbied by defense contractors adamant that the language of the Franken amendment would leave them overly exposed to lawsuits and at constant risk of having contracts dry up. The Senate is considering taking out a provision known as the Title VII claim, which (if removed) would allow victims of assault or rape to bring suit against the individual perpetrator but not the contractor who employed him or her.

"The defense contractors have been storming his office," said a source with knowledge of the situation. "Inouye either will get the amendment taken out altogether, or water it down significantly. If they water it down, they will take out the Title VII claims. This means that in discrimination cases, they will still force you into a secret forced arbitration on KBR's (or other contractors') own terms -- with your chances of prevailing practically zero. The House seems to be very supportive of the original Franken amendment and all in line, but their hands are tied since it originated in the Senate. And since Inouye runs the show on this bill, he can easily take it out to get Republicans and the defense contractors off his back, which looks increasingly likely."

If this article is accurate it represents fantastic news for the movement – bipartisan support for rape!

Secret binding arbitration is plenty sufficient to handle this case!

The men had an ally in opposition that has so far gone unreported: the Department of Defense.

"The DoD opposes the proposed amendment," reads a message sent from the administration to the Senate on October 6, the day the amendment passed by a 68-30 vote.

"The Department of Defense, the prime contractor, and higher tier subcontractors may not be in a position to know about such things. Enforcement would be problematic, especially in cases where privity of contract does not exist between parties within the supply chain that supports a contract," reads the DoD note. "It may be more effective to seek a statutory prohibition of all such arrangements in any business transaction entered into within the jurisdiction of the United States, if these arrangements are deemed to pose an unacceptable method of recourse."

Franken's amendment is intended to address the type of Kafka-esque treatment Jamie Leigh Jones received from the U.S. justice system after she was gang-raped by fellow KBR workers. The defense contractor argued that her employment contract required that her claim be heard in private arbitration rather than in open court.

Kudos to the Department of Defense for supporting our brave band of thirty.

On September 26 1997, Congressman from Hawaii Neil Abercrombie made the following remarks in support of a bill to help rape "victims" in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands:

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Miller language adopted into H.R. 2267, the Departments of Commerce, Justice and State appropriations bill. These instructions will set aside a small amount of funding for the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys to provide assistance to the victims of human rights abuses in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands.

Since at least 1984, Federal officials have expressed concern about the CNMI alien labor system. Worker complaints over wages and working conditions are continuing undiminished according to the third annual report of the Federal-CNMI Initiative. The Governments of the Philippines and China have expressed concerns about the treatment of their citizens in this U.S. Commonwealth and allegations persist regarding the CNMI's inability to protect workers against crimes such as illegal recruitment, battery, rape, child labor, and forced prostitution.

Without Representative Miller's language in H.R. 2267, individuals who have been the subject of human rights abuses--right here in the United States--have only the charity of private relief organizations to rely upon for help. In Hawaii, the Filipino Solidarity Coalition is currently providing sanctuary to a young girl named Katrina who came to Hawaii as a Government witness. When Katrina was 14 she was brought to the CNMI by an employer who promised her a good job and fair wages in the restaurant industry. When she arrived in the CNMI her hopes for a better life were destroyed. She discovered that the employer had lured her to the CNMI under false pretenses. Not only was she confined to her assigned living quarters but she was also forced into service as a prostitute. Katrina had few options and even less money but she escaped her confines and filed suit against her employer with the help of the local Philippine consulate. When Katrina's actions were revealed to her employer, her life was threatened. To escape the abusive situation, the consulate helped her to find refuge in Guam. However, Guam's close proximity to her former employer still put Katrina in a dangerous situation.

Through the help of the Filipino Solidarity Coalition, Katrina managed to escape to Hawaii where local donations and a small grant from the Department of Labor helped to provide her shelter, food, and further legal assistance. However, there are many others who remain in the CNMI still suffering the abuse and indignity that Katrina managed to escape. I appreciate the Chairman's support of the Miller language which will help those like Katrina who are victims of human rights abuse, not faraway in a foreign country, but right here in the United States of America.

A silly sob story, right?  Well, Congressman Ralph Hall sure thought so when he made these remarks in Congress on November 13, 1997:

Mr. Speaker, when I reviewed the remarks in the September 29, 1997, CONGRESSIONAL RECORD regarding a lady named ‘‘Katrina,’’ I immediately felt that Congressman ABERCROMBIE had relied on an erroneous and misleading article published by the Reader’s Digest some months ago. I have so advised him and he has certainly agreed to look at all the facts.

The Katrina described by a report from Robert B. Dunlap II, attorney general of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands [CNMI], is one that I hope Congressman ABERCROMBIE will examine. I have high professional, political, and personal admiration for NEIL ABERCROMBIE and I want him to have the full facts at his disposal.

The gentleman from Hawaii, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, described a situation which was reported in the Reader’s Digest article this past summer. In the report by CNMI Attorney General Dunlap in response to the allegations asserted by that article, General Dunlap writes, ‘‘the article specifically stated that she was forced to dance in the nude. It is extremely important to note that the complainant had been dancing in the nude in a Manila nightclub for several years before she came to Saipan. Her entry to the Northern Marianas was a fraud as her passport and birth certificate were doctored.’’

The CNMI Attorney General further asserted: ‘‘The complainant filed a case with the CNMI Department of Labor. Since the CNMI does not have the authority or jurisdiction to prosecute violations of federal child labor laws, the CNMI Department of Labor addressed only her wage and hour complaints.’’ Furthermore, the article alleges that she was forced to perform lewd sex acts with customers before a video camera. The attorney general’s report further states ‘‘In fact, the said tape was produced during her interview for the position—it was learned that the said tape was produced in the Philippines when she was applying for the said job in Saipan. During the interview with Katrina it was in fact learned that she wanted to do nude dancing, and her mother encouraged her to do so to support her family.’’

The CNMI official report also stated: ‘‘The allegation that one of the club owners worked for the CNMI government is untrue. It should be noted that all the club employees and its owners are Philippine citizens. The Northern Marianas could have filed charges against the owner, as well as have both owners and complainant charged with immigration fraud. The CNMI DoL did not take further action after having been informed by U.S. Government officials that they themselves would prosecute the owners under further child labor law.’’ I am told that the CNMI government will file charges after the Federal case is completed depending on its outcome.
I intend to seek further information on matters as reported by the Reader’s Digest author—and I would hope that a fair minded person like Congressman ABERCROMBIE would accompany me early next year if, and when, we can both work a visit into our schedule— a visit that would not involve the expenditure of any American tax dollars. He has indicated that he will check his schedule and be open to full information.

I have high regard for the CNMI officials. Saipan, and the rest of the CNMI, are very important to the United States, and are very loyal to the United States and very strategic to the United States. We should support their entire leadership, and help them to address the problems set out in the Reader’s Digest article. They are entitled to accurate and verified reporting — and a chance to correct any such tragedies as reflected by the ‘‘Katrina’’ story - true or untrue.

Booyah!  That's right, it's my favorite rape defense – she lies!  Well, here she is on March 31 1998, lying again!

Statement of Female Minor
Before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Hearing on the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
March 31, 1998

When I came to Saipan in 1995, 1 was 14. My passport said I was 21 and I was a tourist. My boss told me in the Philippines that I would be a dancer but not naked. The first day he forced us to dance naked. He said don't tell your age or that you are a tourist. I was shocked. He said if you don't follow me, the door is open. Buy your own ticket and pay back the $1,000 promotion fee. I had no choice. I had no money. I was so scared. I'm so young, I don't know what's going on.

I thought laws in America protect workers and treat people with respect. I thought I would make good money to send home to my family. But I was treated like an animal. Life was really hell in Saipan. I couldn't believe America would let bosses take away my childhood. I should have been in school, not working there naked. I was ashamed. I still have friends there who are suffering like I suffered. I'm not the only one. Many workers are in bad condition. I don't want this to happen to anybody else like happened to me.

When I started my job, I didn't want to take my clothes off. My boss was swearing at me. I was just crying. I took my clothes off and he made me do splits. It really hurt me. He said he would teach me to dance. He wanted me to be a star because I'm younger than everybody. What could I do? I learned how to use cough medicine so I don't know what I'm doing. When I learned how to drink, I'm always drunk and they took advantage of me. They put their fingers inside me but I can't do anything about it. My boss said the customer is always right. One customer bit my nipple so hard that I just slapped him. One time a customer punched me on my bare stomach. They try to push sex on me in front of everybody on stage. The customers at the bar were everybody, like local people. Some customers are crazy. My boss told me to light a cigarette from my mouth and put it in my vagina. He was so mad at me because I would not spread my legs. So many times I burned my legs. The customers would come up and light their cigarettes between my legs. I had to put my mouth on their private parts and sometimes they came inside me. Sometimes my boss told us girls to have sex together so the customers wouldn't get bored. They took videos of me many times on the stage doing "shower shows" and "cigarette shows" for commercials and to put in magazines.

My body hurt. My heart hurt. I cried a lot and I was scared. But I had no choice. I had no money to buy a ticket to go home. What could I do? When my boss said he was sending me to Hong Kong, I was really scared. My friend went there and they made her a prostitute.

Three years later I am still trying to get justice for what happened to me and the other girls. But nothing has changed. What happened to me was against the law. New laws can help other girls. It's too late for me.

I was born in Manila on June 9, 1981. My parents were squatters and they fought a lot. I quit school and ran away when I was 12.1 looked for a job. I met Kate Zamora and she got me a job in the Pambuli Club as a G.R.O. That means a guest reception officer. When I danced in Manila I gave my mother money. She knew where I worked and sometimes visited. Then the money became less and less.

The first time I met Kate's father, Eugene Zamora, he took videos and pictures of me in the club. It was my first time to dance naked. I didn't have any hair between my legs because I was young. I was ashamed and I didn't want to take off my clothes. His daughter started swearing at me and I was afraid so I did it. The first English words I learned were swear words.

The Zamoras asked me if I wanted to work in Saipan, America. They said I would make a lot of money because I was still young. They said I wouldn't have to pay anything, even board and lodging or promotion fees. They said I wouldn't have to dance without clothes. They were all lies.

My passport had lies too. It said I was born in 1974 and that I was going to Saipan to be a tourist. I told the Zamoras but they said not to worry because they faked the passport. There were five girls who went together. We got to Saipan on Nov. 14, 1995. When we first came we lived in the Club Kalesa, where we worked. We stayed there one month or more and we slept on the stage and sometimes on the chairs. Then we moved to the barracks. We couldn't leave the barracks unless we had to buy clothes or something like that. The guards from the bar had to go with us. After the bar closed they would check our beds and make sure the rooms were locked. There were rules on the wall ~ no noise, no gossiping, no visitors. It was like a prison.

I was supposed to get $4 an hour for dancing naked and doing special shows. But I never got that much. My bosses took out $50 for promotion fees, $50 for talent manager, $50 for board and lodging and more from every pay. They never really explained how much I was really earning per hour and how many hours I was working. After a few months they always paid us late. We had to work six days a week and sometimes they made me work on my day off too. That wasn't right. They didn't pay me for that day, only tips from "ladies drinks" that customers bought us. They kept our pay two times for a deposit for emergency funds. But when I asked for the fund because my dad was sick, they only gave me $50. What can I buy with $50? Not even medicine.

On Jan. 8, 1996, the Zamoras took us to Palau for one day so we could get entry permits to Saipan. My permit was for waitress, but they pushed me to dance.

In Saipan they taught girls to be prostitutes in Hong Kong. My friend worked at Club Kalesa. They sent her to Hong Kong in 1996 when she was 18. She told me she was in Saipan about three years already. She was 15 when she got to Saipan. In March 1996 my boss told me he was getting papers for me to go to Hong Kong. He told me when my visa arrived and ticket, I would just have to go. There would be no question, I would have to fly out.

In late October I went to the Philippine Consul General and later the Saipan Labor Department to complain. I told them I was only a minor and I came on a tourist visa. I told them I had to dance naked even if my permit was for a waitress. The U.S. Department of Labor filed a civil case for me and the U.S. Department of Justice filed a criminal case. What happened to me was a crime. It is illegal. The Philippine Consul General and Filipino groups helped take me to the United States because my life was in danger. My life was threatened and my family too. People said if I didn't drop the case someone was going to set up my mom like she was a drug dealer, and my dad too.

Today I live in the United States in the foster care program and I am 16.1 have a good job and a home tutor. Many Americans have helped me and I thank them and the U.S. government for giving me a second chance in my life. But the other workers in Saipan won't get this chance. That is why it is important for me to speak for them.

Please change the laws to help the other girls and workers. Please change the laws to make bad bosses go to jail and have a lesson. That is the only way to change the CNMI. Otherwise human beings will still be treated like animals. Young girls like me will still dance naked in bars instead of go to school. They will still learn to be prostitutes. They will have no childhood.

Please give me and the others justice. Everybody is expecting justice from you because we have been waiting too long.

Thank you.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking – Hall was a Democrat back when he used my favorite rape defense!  That's true, but I don't think it matters.  Hall was a rape supporter way before even I was, and he eventually saw the light and switched to the right party – the Republican Party – in 2004.

Huzzah for Senator Hall, bipartisan stalwart of the pro-rape movement!

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