The protection of women a human issue, not a partisan issue

The editorial “Congress must use its power to protect women from rape, abuse” [Editorials and Opinion, seattletimes.com, Jan. 4] is to be commended. There is no question that reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act is the right thing to do. It contains provisions that include all women in America, no matter what color or sexual preference.

In this time of remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it would be a step backward if this work is left undone.

The act has passed the Senate. Washington has a powerful ally in the Republican-controlled House, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers. She can step forward, break the gridlock and demand we do the right thing.

This is a human issue, not a partisan issue. As citizens, we can demand it. Email, call or write your U.S. representative and let them know it matters.

-- Willie Dickerson, Snohomish