Assembly Members Amy Paulin, Sandy Galef and Adam Bradley Host “Walk With Me” at Concordia College to Raise Domestic Violence Awareness
October 27, 2006

“This walk is for our neighbors and our daughters. Domestic violence crosses all races and social classes and approximately 1 in 5 female high school students report being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner. These are statistics we cannot and will not accept and so we will join together, legislators and community members, to say that we will not tolerate domestic violence in our homes or neighborhoods.”

-Assemblywoman Amy Paulin

In observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Assembly Members Amy Paulin, Sandy Galef, Adam Bradley, George Latimer, Gary Pretlow, and Willis Stephens along with My Sisters’ Place sponsored the second annual “Walk With Me,” a walk to raise awareness of domestic violence.  The walk took place at 4:00pm on Thursday, October 26th at Concordia College in Bronxville.

Approximately thirty-five college students and community members marched around the Concordia Campus carrying signs and protesting the toll domestic violence takes on victims, families and communities. After the walk, the marchers gathered in the Sommer Center lobby to hear Assembly Members Amy Paulin, Sandy Galef, and Adam Bradley as well as Chief of Police of Ossining Ken Donato, Bincy Jacob of My Sisters’ Place, and Rev. Bob Boehler of Concordia College speak about the community effects of domestic violence.  

“Twenty-five years ago, the realities of domestic violence were not on the legislative or community radars. No one spoke of them” Assemblywoman Paulin stated, “although it was real, it remained behind locked doors. To make domestic violence an abuse of the past, both the community and the law must be aware of domestic violence and then move to reflect and encourage this change.” Assemblywoman Sandy Galef added, “Although we have events like ‘Walk With Me’ which help to raise awareness of the effects of domestic violence, this community outreach is a relatively new phenomenon. I recently attended a conference about women’s rights in India where they mentioned that domestic violence is not even considered a crime. The police don’t have the support networks to handle domestic violence because they don’t even acknowledge that it happens. It’s hard to believe, but that was our society only ten or twenty years ago.” 

On New Year’s Eve of 1994 Anne Scripps Douglas, resident of Bronxville and heiress to the Scripps fortune, was beaten to death, in her own house, by her husband. That incident galvanized the Westchester community and served as the impetus for many social services and domestic violence support networks that are still in place today. “It is fitting to return to the town that first shocked Westchester with the realities of domestic violence,” Assemblywoman Amy Paulin said, “though this time we return not to mourn death and injury, but to prevent it.”

“‘Walk With Me’ represents such a union,” Assemblyman Adam Bradley stated, “this is our opportunity as a community to join together and say that we will not stand by idly when there are victims of domestic violence.  Elected officials, local colleges, service organizations and community members are joining together for the first time to raise awareness of the issue and support the need for cultural and legislative change.” 

Both Chief Donato and Rev. Boehler spoke about how domestic violence had personally affected their lives and families.  They agreed that domestic violence does not only hurt the victim, but the victim’s loved ones, friends, family, co-workers, and extended network of acquaintances.  Chief Donato described it as “the scourge of America,” a single action that may take place far away from the public eye, but have far-reaching consequences on the rest of the community.  Bincy Jacob reminded the crowd that it’s not just the social circle of the victim, but also the tax-payer and community at-large that must fund the necessary social services and police units who respond to domestic violence.

“Walk With Me” began as part of a 2005 statewide initiative led by Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera to raise awareness of the realities and effects of domestic violence in Westchester County.  In 2002 the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office investigated, on average, more than 6 Domestic Violence reports a day, wherein 90% of the victims were women.

In one voice, the legislators concluded, “we are honored to be able to unite the dual responsibilities of State legislator and concerned citizen and join our communities to claim that we, our neighbors and our children have a right for our homes to be our havens.”