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Defining "Violent"

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Syndicated columnist Thomas Elias has this column on California's grievously wrong definition of "violent."

There isn't a woman alive who was ever raped while either intoxicated or unconscious who doesn't consider the entire experience violent.

But that's not how these crimes are defined legally in California. The same for human trafficking of a child, abducting a minor for prostitution, drive-by shootings at inhabited homes or cars, felony domestic violence, solicitation to commit murder, among others.
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But a series of bills aiming to expand the list of crimes defined as violent died in legislative financial committees. Too expensive, was the verdict. That was the reason given when the Assembly Appropriations Committee just about one year ago killed a bipartisan measure aiming to classify all rapes and all human trafficking as violent.

An initiative to address the problem is presently awaiting signature verification.  Whether it will make it in time for the 2018 ballot is in doubt.  An initiative should never have been necessary.  California's legislators have a lot to answer for.

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