Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

Dear colleagues;

To clarify re: O'Reilly and his support for the "It Happened to Alexa" 
Foundation.

I've known Bill O'Reilly for many years.? He wrote the foreward for my book 
"And Justice For Some".? He is a generous and philanthropic man who cares 
about issues many of us deal with every day.? That he doesn't advertise all 
that he does is evidence of his humanity.

I asked Bill last year to help raise funds for the foundation and he agreed 
without hesitation to come to Palm Beach last week to give a talk.? As some 
of you know, I represented Alexa in her criminal and civil legal proceedings 
and have served on the foundation's advisory board since its inception.? The 
fundraiser in Palm Beach last week, at which Bill O'Reilly was the keynote 
speaker, quickly sold out, though there was some sniping by partisan 
political voices who wanted the foundation to disinvite Bill and choose only 
certain types to speak at its events.? Frankly - the controversy helped us 
sell even more tickets, and contrary to some reports, there was far more 
support than criticism.? Moreover, the partisan criticism was generated by 
politically-motivated groups that used push-button internet technology to 
cause people to send emails to the foundation that all looked and sounded the 
same.? In short - it was a meaningless protest rooted in ideological 
pettiness.

The fight against child abuse and sexual violence is not a partisan issue - 
and yet, many organizations that claim to be working on behalf of the 
interests of victims contend that only certain "types" with certain beliefs 
can provide effective leadership.? This attitude more than anything else has 
inhibited reform efforts and has silenced the voices of those who refuse to 
align themselves with only particular ideologies.

I don't agree with Bill O'Reilly on everything - and I've told him as much on 
live television.? That he has continued to invite me to appear on his program 
for more than ten years is proof that unlike other talk-news shows, there is 
no litmus test for a seat at the O'Reilly Factor table. 

The bottom line for those who care about this epidemic should be justice for 
victims, period.? No political party has a handle on how to do this well all 
the time, but make no mistake about it - Bill O'Reilly has done more than any 
other person on television to highlight the failure of our legal system to 
redress targeted violence against women and children.? 

Whether or not you believe that our criminal justice system deserves emphasis 
as the go-to place for prevention, it will always be true that punishment is 
an effective deterrent.? So long as we continue to punish crimes against 
property more harshly than we punish the physical and sexual abuse of women 
and children, we should welcome attention to systemic disparities, including 
unfair judges who have so little respect for women and children's lives, they 
dole out discounts without blinking an eye.? 

Fighting for a fairer legal system is important.? Nobody wants the state to 
have more power - but there's nothing wrong with asking the state to use the 
power it already HAS more FAIRLY. 

I hope we all will be watching carefully - and speaking out against -? the 
type of silliness that suggests there's only one correct ideology and only 
one way to fight the epidemic of child abuse and sexual violence in this 
country.

The issue is more important than any single person or political agenda.? I 
believe we will all be more effective if we can transcend petty differences 
and stay focused on what matters - rather than developing "club-like" 
attitudes that allow only certain ideas to be discussed.? Narrowmindedness is 
not only ineffective, it's unAmerican.

Wendy Murphy