Stripping Power From Rapists

Imagine this scenario, horrible as it is.

A woman, maybe someone you love, is raped. She ends up pregnant by the rapist -- rare, but possible.

Abortion is not an option for her, for whatever reason. She chooses adoption.

But there is a hitch. The father -- the rapist -- must terminate his custodial rights. And he will not do so, unless his victim agrees not to file charges or testify against him. There would be no justice for the victim, and the rapist would be free to rape again.

That can't happen in North Carolina, thanks to Representative Sam Ellis. The legislature recently passed legislation to automatically terminate the parental rights of convicted first and second degree rapists in that state. They can be regained only if the rapist petitions a court and proves that the restoration would be in the child's best interests. A mighty high burden, don't you think?

The scary thing? It took FOUR YEARS to get it through the legislature! Four years to decide that a criminal has no right to control the life and dictate the choices available to his victim!

Contact your legislators, folks. Demand legislation like this in your home state.

And tell them they had better not take four years to pass it.