Indianz.Com > News > StrongHearts Native Helpline: Women denied right to safety with court decision

Right To Safety Denied
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
EAGAN, Minnesota —
On February 2, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in their ruling of “United States v. Rahimi” declared that the ban on access to firearms as it relates to domestic violence is unconstitutional because the statute 922(g)(8) (1994) restriction of the Second Amendment right [does not] fit within our Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation. Further, that unless and until a crime has been committed and convicted — said perpetrator is a law abiding citizen.
There are many reasons that survivors of domestic violence do not report their victimizations to law enforcement. Two of the most common are fears that the criminal justice system will fail them, as it too often does, and fear of reprisals from the partner who has harmed them. Both fears are real.
“This action has removed one of the few tools that survivors have to protect themselves and their children. It is hard to reconcile the courts’ reliance on antiquated laws and their perceived intent with the statistics on femicide,” said CEO Lori Jump, StrongHearts Native Helpline.
“By ignoring data and factual evidence, the courts subject survivors and children to gun laws that refuse to protect them,” said Jump, a citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
Studies by experts across the nation and the world have proven that domestic violence and femicide are intricately linked. For example:
- Abusers with access to a gun are five times more likely to kill their female victims.
- Every month, an average of 70 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner.
- 92 percent of all women killed with guns in high-income countries in an average year were from the United States.
5th Circuit Court of Appeals
Decision: United States v. Rahimi (February 2, 2023)
StrongHearts Native Helpline is a culturally-appropriate, anonymous and confidential service that provides support and advocacy to Native American and Alaska Natives impacted by domestic and sexual violence. Call or Text 1-844-762-8483; or to chat online visit our website: strongheartshelpline.org.
Search
Filed Under
Tags
More Headlines
Man in ‘Make America Great Again’ hat charged with attempted murder of Native activist
Native America Calling: Farewell to Reservation Dogs
Cronkite News: Senate committee looks at water in Indian Country
Native America Calling: Native baby food and a new Native cookbook
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing on ‘Water as a Trust Resource’
People’s World: Film shares story of theft of Black Hills from Lakota Nation
‘Your debt is due’: Tribes on alert as U.S. government looms toward shutdown
Native America Calling: Troubling trends: government shutdown and COVID-19
NAFOA: 5 Things You Need to Know this Week
Tom Cole: Mental health must be our nation’s priority
Chuck Hoskin: Cherokee Nation committed to freedom of the press
Native America Calling: How the Pontiac rebellion changed history
Cronkite News: Republicans lead U.S. government into another shutdown
Native America Calling: The scope of the massive Arizona Medicaid scam expands
Criminal charges announced in Indigenous identity fraud case
More Headlines
Native America Calling: Farewell to Reservation Dogs
Cronkite News: Senate committee looks at water in Indian Country
Native America Calling: Native baby food and a new Native cookbook
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing on ‘Water as a Trust Resource’
People’s World: Film shares story of theft of Black Hills from Lakota Nation
‘Your debt is due’: Tribes on alert as U.S. government looms toward shutdown
Native America Calling: Troubling trends: government shutdown and COVID-19
NAFOA: 5 Things You Need to Know this Week
Tom Cole: Mental health must be our nation’s priority
Chuck Hoskin: Cherokee Nation committed to freedom of the press
Native America Calling: How the Pontiac rebellion changed history
Cronkite News: Republicans lead U.S. government into another shutdown
Native America Calling: The scope of the massive Arizona Medicaid scam expands
Criminal charges announced in Indigenous identity fraud case
More Headlines