Photograph By ALEX RÍOS
Texas Border Business
By David Diaz
With one in three adult women in Texas having been victims of abusive men, Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, says he will continue to support increased state funding for family violence centers, which provide shelter and support services to battered women and their children, while he continues to vote for laws that will punish batterers.
“It’s real simple. In Texas, a man should never hit his wife or girlfriend, daughter, mother, grandmother, sister, any family member, or any woman or child,” said Canales, who is a member of the crime-fighting House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence.
“I don’t care if such a wretched man is drunk, on drugs, angry, jealous, envious, narrow-minded, or just plain mean. In Texas, we will have a jail cell waiting for you.” Canales’ comments came as the nation was observing October 2016 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which included a proclamation from President Obama, who explained the importance of “shining a light on this violation of the basic human right to be free from violence and abuse.” The physical and emotional scars of domestic violence “can cast a long shadow,” Obama added.
“Too many individuals, regardless of age, ability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, circumstance, or race, face the pain and fear of domestic violence. During National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we pledge to ensure every victim of domestic violence knows they are not alone, and foster supportive communities that help survivors seek justice and enjoy full and healthy lives.”
