Biden & Biden

“Get men involved,” said Vice President Joe Biden at a reception in honor of the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project (DCVLP) for their annual “Voices Against Violence” event at the residence of The Ambassador of Japan and Mrs. Sasae. “Pick up your damn phone. Call. Spread the word. You’ve got to stand up because we can’t beat this until there is not a single woman in America who blames herself for being victimized, not a single man in America who thinks it is justified to raise his hand. You are doing, as my mother would say, you are doing God’s work. You’re saving women’s lives.”

“Imagine what it is like for a woman to pick up the phone and call for help. Imagine what it’s like for a woman who does not have your help to be able to walk into a courtroom. It’s intimidating for her. It’s intimidating for you,” he explained to an attentive audience while thanking all the volunteer lawyers. “I was a trail lawyer. I’ve been in court a lot. I was a public defender and I don’t care how good you are, every time you walk into court, if your palms aren’t sweating, your client’s in trouble. Imagine what it is like for that woman. What happens usually is real simple: The husband says ‘You leave, I’m keeping the kids. You leave, you’re out of the house.’ Who does she have to fight for her? Any good lawyer in this town is going to cost a minimum from $250 to $400 dollars an hour to handle the case. There’s no way she can do that and is the reason why 70 percent of the kids on the street are because of domestic violence.”