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Although the Delaware State Senate sent a unanimous message to sexual predators on April 4, we are only halfway to the goal of exposing predators and protecting children! Please ask your Delaware State Representative to help keep children safe from sexual predators by passing S.B. 29 without amendment. Find contact info for your Delaware senator or representative: REPRESENTATIVE Not sure who your Delaware legislator is? How to personalize your letter. If you're short on time, simply copy a letter from one of the four samples below. Paste it into a Word document, insert your legislator's name, and sign your own name and address. Print and mail it. But if you have an extra minute, please personalize the letter. Inserting a sentence about your personal perspective on this critical issue. This will add greatly to the power of your message. Are you: By telling a bit of your personal story, even in one sentence, you will make your letter more memorable and effective. If you only have time to write to one Representative, please start with the legislator from your voting district. A note about e-mailing legislators A word of caution about contacting your legislators via e-mail: While sending an e-mail message to a legislator may be more convenient for you than mailing a hand-written letter, contacting legislators electronically may not be as effective a tool in making your voice heard on SB 29. E-mail communications draw mixed reactions from public officials in Delaware. Many legislators resent broadcast e-mails that clog their mailboxes. Others may not check their incoming messages themselves. This means that your e-mail message may be one of hundreds that a busy staff member in your legislator's office must read, process, and forward on to the legislator. Therefore, before sending a letter electronically, call and ask your elected officials whether they use their e-mail and whether a letter sent via e-mail would be effective and appreciated. Not sure who your legislator is? Click here. (State site) Please send us a quick e-mail to let us know you'e spoken up for children. info@childvictimsvoice.com. 1. A Sample Letter to your Delaware State Representative who has co-sponsored the Child Victim’s Act (SB 29). See a list of co-sponsors. Dear Representative [NAME], I am writing to you thank you for co-sponsoring the Child Victim’s Act (Senate Bill 29). Please continue to give your full and active support for this very important legislation for children. It is important that no crippling amendments are added to the bill. I strongly support this bill for two key reasons. First, it will expose sexual predators who have molested and raped in the past and are still victimizing children now. In fact, many children are at risk right now and will remain at risk because of our archaic statute of limitations. Delaware’s two-year civil statute of limitations for the harm caused by the sexual abuse of children is not acceptable to me. Second, I believe that childhood sexual abuse victims deserve a day in court to confront their sexual abusers and those who shielded these monsters. Two things bother me about the current two-year statute of limitations for child sexual abuse: 1. How can we expect, for example, a 9-year-old child to recognize the harm and bring suit against his abusers by age 11? The notion is absurd. 2. For so many reasons, many people who were sexually abused as children do not have the ability to come forward until decades have passed. Because the criminal statute of limitations has expired, victims cannot prosecute. But the perpetrators are often still at large, and are highly likely to harm more children. I don’t want these predators to sneak up on any other child and unsuspecting family. Delaware has the chance to enact the strongest law in the nation to protect our innocent children from sexual abuse. The Child Victim’s Act can be the blueprint for other states to follow. We must pass this strong bill without amendment. Don’t let pedophiles use our state’s laws against children. Take the side of children. [IF YOU ARE A CONSTITUENT OF THE LEGISLATOR YOU ARE WRITING TO, PLEASE NOTE THIS FACT IN YOUR LETTER OR DELETE THE NEXT PHRASE, “I live in your district …”] I live in your voting district and I am counting on you to rally your colleagues to do the right thing and pass S.B. 29 without amendment as soon as possible. Those of us in your district who care about children urgently need your help. More than 40 representatives and senators have already signed on as co-sponsors. Please consider joining your esteemed colleagues as they stand up for children. Clearly, Senate Bill 29 deserves to be swiftly passed by the House and signed into law by the governor. Thank you for attending to this important issue. Thanks, too, for all you do to serve the people of your district and the state of Delaware. I know I am not alone in my support for the Child Victim’s Act. My neighbors and friends are banding together to take this stand. Sincerely, [Name and full street address and phone number. E-mail address is a plus, too.] Please send us a quick e-mail to let us know you'e spoken up for children. info@childvictimsvoice.com. 2. A Sample Letter to a Delaware State Representative who has NOT YET voiced support for the Child Victim’s Act (S.B. 29). See a list of legislators who are NOT YET co-sponsors. Dear Representative [NAME], I am writing to you to voice my support for the Child Victim’s Act, Senate Bill 29. Please give your full and active support for this important legislation for children. I strongly support this bill for two key reasons. First, it will expose sexual predators who have molested and raped in the past and are still victimizing children now. In fact, many children are at risk right now and will remain at risk because of our archaic statute of limitations. Delaware’s two-year civil statute of limitations for the harm caused by the sexual abuse of children is not acceptable to me. Second, I believe that childhood sexual abuse victims deserve a day in court to confront their sexual abusers and those who shielded these monsters. Two things bother me about the current two-year statute of limitations for child sexual abuse: 1. How can we expect, for example, a 9-year-old child to recognize the harm and bring suit against his abusers by age 11? The notion is absurd. 2. For so many reasons, many people who were sexually abused as children do not have the ability to come forward until decades have passed. Because the criminal statute of limitations has expired, victims cannot prosecute. But their perpetrators are often still at large, and are highly likely to harm more children. I don’t want these predators to sneak up on any other child and unsuspecting family. Delaware has the chance to enact the strongest law in the nation to protect our innocent children from sexual abuse. The Child Victim’s Act can be the blueprint for other states to follow. We must pass this strong bill without amendment. Don’t let pedophiles use our state’s laws against children. Take the side of children. This is why I’m writing you today. [IF YOU ARE A CONSTITUENT OF THE LEGISLATOR YOU ARE WRITING TO, PLEASE NOTE THIS FACT IN YOUR LETTER OR DELETE THE NEXT PHRASE, “Those of us in your district …”] Those of us in your district who care about children urgently need your help. More than 40 representatives and senators have already signed on as co-sponsors. Please consider joining your esteemed colleagues as they stand up for children. Clearly, Senate Bill 29 deserves to be swiftly passed by the House and signed into law by the governor. I know I am not alone in my support for the Child Victim’s Act. My neighbors and friends are banding together to take this stand. Thank you for attending to this important issue. Thanks, too, for all you do to serve the people of your district and the state of Delaware. Sincerely, [Name and full street address and phone number. E-mail address is a plus, too.} Please send us a quick e-mail to let us know you’ve spoken up for children. info@childvictimsvoice.com. 3. Short Form Sample Letter to a co-sponsor of the Child Victim’s Act. Dear Representative [NAME], Thank you very much for co-sponsoring the Child Victim’s Act. Your continued strong and active support for S.B. 29 bill will protect children from sexual predators right now and in the future. This bill will give victims of child sexual abuse their day in court to confront the person who abused them and any institution that allowed the abuse to happen through gross negligence. Child victims of all forms of sexual abuse, including incest, should be given the chance to finally speak up about the unspeakable actions they were subjected to. A shocking number of sexual assault victims are children. Worse yet, for so many reasons, child sexual abuse is highly underreported, which means that these predators are able continue to harm more children. The Child Victim’s Act addresses this society-wide problem in a substantial way. [IF YOU ARE A CONSTITUENT OF THE LEGISLATOR YOU ARE WRITING TO, PLEASE NOTE THIS FACT IN YOUR LETTER OR DELETE THE NEXT PHRASE, “I live in your voting district and …”] I live in your voting district and I am counting on you to rally your colleagues to do the right thing and pass S.B. 29 without amendment as soon as possible. Thank you for attending to this important child civil rights issue. Thanks, too, for all you do to serve the people of your district and the state of Delaware. Sincerely, [NAME and full street address and phone number. E-mail address is a plus, too.] Please send us a quick e-mail to let us know you'e spoken up for children. info@childvictimsvoice.com. 4. Short Form Sample Letter to a Delaware State Representative who is NOT YET a supporter of the Child Victim’s Act. Dear Representative [NAME], Please support the Child Victim’s Act. Your vote for S.B. 29 will protect children from sexual predators right now and in the future. This bill will give victims of child sexual abuse their day in court to confront the person who abused them and any institution that allowed the abuse to happen through gross negligence. Child victims of all forms of sexual abuse, including incest, should be given the chance to finally speak up about the unspeakable actions they were subjected to. A shocking number of sexual assault victims are children. Worse yet, for so many reasons, child sexual abuse is highly underreported, which means that these predators are able continue to harm more children. The Child Victim’s Act addresses this society-wide problem in a substantial way. [IF YOU ARE A CONSTITUENT OF THE LEGISLATOR YOU ARE WRITING TO, PLEASE NOTE THIS FACT IN YOUR LETTER. IF NOT, SIMPLY DELETE THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT PARAGRAPH, “I live in your voting district and …”] I live in your voting district and I am counting on you to do the right thing and help pass S.B. 29 without amendment as soon as possible. Thank you for attending to this important issue. Thanks, too, for all you do to serve the people of your district and the state. Sincerely, [NAME and full street address and phone number. E-mail address is a plus, too.] Please send us a quick e-mail to let us know you’ve spoken up for children. info@childvictimsvoice.com. 5. Very Short Form Sample Letter to a Delaware State Representative who is a co-sponsor of the Child Victim’s Act. Dear Representative [NAME], I am very glad to hear you are a co-sponsor of the Child Victim’s Act (S.B. 29). It is extremely important to me that the Delaware State House of Representatives passes S.B. 29 without amendment. Thank you for your leadership in sponsoring this important legislation for children. Sincerely, [NAME and full street address and phone number. E-mail address is a plus, too.] Please send us a quick e-mail to let us know you’ve spoken up for children. info@childvictimsvoice.com. 6. Very Short Form Sample Letter to a Delaware State Representative who is NOT YET a supporter of the Child Victim’s Act. Dear Representative [NAME], I was very glad to see that the Delaware State Senate passed the Child Victim’s Act (S.B. 29) on April 4. It is extremely important to me that the Delaware State House of Representatives passes S.B. 29 without amendment. Thank you for your attention to this important legislation for children. Sincerely, [NAME and full street address and phone number. E-mail address is a plus, too.] Please send us a quick e-mail to let us know you’ve spoken up for children. info@childvictimsvoice.com. |
Child Victim's Voice