Getting political...

So I did a thing. I agreed to participate with a commercial for Eugene DePasquale for PA Attorney General. While I do follow politics pretty closely, I wouldn't normally get too engaged with a race for Attorney General. I am more of the Washington DC politics kind of person. Until this race came along and our connection to it.

Through my lobbying efforts for HB1847, I spoke with someone who I was unaware was involved with Eugene's campaign. She shared my story with him and he reached out to learn more about our family and what we had been through. Eugene was Pennsylvania's Auditor General and uncovered a massive backlog of untested rape kits, which he eliminated. But his opponent is Dave Sunday, the DA who approved the plea deal for the man who assaulted Grace. All of the sudden, I was interested.

I have to be really clear about this; Grace had no say in the plea deal. Sexual assault is about power. Even more so in situations involving police, as ours did. When we decided to press charges, Grace said she was willing to take the stand and face down the defense. She was willing to go through all of the investigations and everything that went along with it. The legal process was brutal for Grace, as well as the entire family. When it hit the local media, she "toughed-it-out" and dealt with all of the fallout. It became a frequent topic of conversation for her high school classmates, forcing her to change schools and graduate early. So in the end, to be told that the cost of her trauma and humiliation was probation for the man that betrayed her was more than a slap in the face.

But participating with the campaign was not an easy decision. I am grateful that Dave took our case, not every victim is so fortunate. I am also grateful that Joseph admitted guilt. But Dave is an elected official and is therefore open to scrutiny. In the end, I decided to do the ad because I am an advocate for my child and for all of the other victims who's voice in never heard. Would they have been satisfied with that deal? I doubt it. Ultimately, I made the decision to participate because it's crucial for voters to consider how Sunday's past decisions may reflect his commitment to justice for victims.

I would love to hear what you think of this decision, drop me a note and let me know.