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September 8, 2008

Dear Fellow Veteran,

In a time of war when all America seems to support our military and appreciate the dedication and bravery of all the men and women of our armed forces, it reminds me of a time when I, along with many of you, held on to the same dedication and bravery in a war that was unpopular with the American people.  I felt the same disappointment as many of you and I worried about how the people back home felt about us and what type of greeting we would get when the war ended.

We are in a separate war now in the United States, a war that doesn't appear on CNN or your six o'clock news.  I, obviously, am talking about the epidemic of domestic violence which now plagues the United States and the world.  According to the U. S. Department of Justice, over 4 Million women suffer some form of domestic violence each year in the United States.  They even went further to say that “Every 9 Seconds A Woman Suffers From Domestic Violence”.  Statistics show that in the United States - 1,300 women are murdered each year by their partner.

Statistics also tell us that child abuse occurs in up to 70% of the homes where domestic violence occurs.  When a parent is victimized by domestic violence, children are abused at a rate 15 times the national average.

In establishing Life’s New Beginnings, our mission is to promote public awareness of domestic violence and how it affects people, businesses, and the economy.  Domestic violence affects all of us.

Domestic violence affects our healthcare system due to the staggering costs of providing medical treatment to victims of the abuse.

Our homes should be the one place we can go and feel safe and secure.  But, what is it like to get off work and go home to a place of violence?  What is it like to get a four day holiday and get all stessed out about it, because we know that this just means more beatings?  What is it like to fear going to bed or getting up in the morning?

Our states have laws that give more protection to an animal than the law gives to a victim of domestic violence.  Don't get me wrong, I think animal cruelty is disgusting and I feel that a person who abuses an animal, will abuse a human being.  But, our legislative bodies of this government are aware of the domestic violence epidemic, so why don't they do something?  In my personal opinion, the reason is that the people of the greatest nation on earth haven't demanded it.

We've had enough, how about you?

If you feel that domestic violence is truly a problem and you are ready to do whatever it takes to stop the violence, then we need your help.  Our major concern in our efforts to provide information is funding.  The cost of printing brochures, pamphlets, postcards, letterhead, bulletins, etc. can sometimes be overwhelming.  The cost of Public Service Advertising is even more overwhelming.  We travel to organizational meetings to promote public awareness of domestic violence, which is also very expensive. We also need billboards in every city announcing that domestic violence is a national concern.

We are asking for your help in whatever donation you can make and in supporting our efforts, you will be saying that you understand domestic violence is a problem and you want to help stop it.

No woman deserves to suffer the physical, sexual, and emotional abuse of domestic violence, period.

We look forward to hearing from you,

Sincerely,

Kenneth D. Bradford, Sr.

President

Life's New Beginnings

P. O. Box 440

Springfield, TN. 37172

Phone:  615-384-8611

FAX:  615-384-2128

E-Mail:  info@lifesnewbeginnings.org

Web:  www.lifesnewbeginnings.org

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Every 9 Seconds A Woman Suffers From Domestic Violence