In praise of Ted Poe -- Republican Representative from Texas.

[ThatPoetGuy]

Some young women who went abroad with the Peace Corps found themselves in hostile situations. Victims of sexual assault found the Peace Corps less than sympathetic to their cases.

This has been in the news, and there's legislation moving through the House of Representatives that would force changes in the way the Peace Corps responds to cases of sexual assault. I haven't studied the legislation enough to comment on it, but reading the news I saw a familiar name: Ted Poe.

Wow. Ted Poe. Anyone remember him? Here's a reminder for those who don't.

A young woman named Jamie Leigh Jones was working as an administrative assistant for KBR/Halliburton in Iraq. She was twenty years old. Her coworkers drugged her and gang-raped her, vaginally and anally -- seven of them. Afterwards, with the evidence still on her body, the rapists couldn't release her right away, so they kept her locked up for days.

Jones' father, Tom, got in touch with his congressman -- Ted Poe. Poe was outraged. He made a series of calls to the State Department, and the State Department sent forces in Iraq to rescue the twenty-year-old from her rapist/captors at Halliburton/KBR.

But Ted Poe didn't stop there. He spent years trying to get the criminals punished. Despite being a Republican, he went on a vendetta against this very Republican company. He wanted to crush those seven men and everyone else involved in the rape and imprisonment of Jamie Leigh Jones.

Poe went on teevee to voice his outrage. He said he thought the rape "was not an isolated incident" and encouraged "other victims to notify" his office.

In February, Poe took the House floor and denounced rape and sexual assault in the military. You can watch it here:
http://servicewomen.org/2011/02/congressman-ted-pope-speaks-out-against-rape-and-sexual-assault-in-the-military/

I honestly have no idea where Poe stands on any other issues. But for taking on this one, for going so deeply against the grain of his political affiliation, for standing up for what's right, for helping victims in an environment of lawlessness, I salute the guy.

[Taverner]

1. Definitely a man of character

[Old and In the Way]

2. It's a shame that there aren't more Ted Poe's in the Republicon Party.

Seems like he's acting in the best interest of a constituent. I have no idea where he stands on other issues, but we should praise him on this one.

[Zen Democrat]

3. He was a hanging judge in Texas before he ran for Congress.

I think he held the record at one time for most death penalty convictions.

He did a good thing in this case.

[Geoff R. Casavant]

4. I recall he was also famous for creative sentencing.

Using public shame as a deterrent. For example, sentence a guy to a year in jail, but cut it to 3 months if the guy would spend three months standing on a corner wearing a sign describing his crime.