Last week, the United States Senate voted to renew the Violence Against Women Act. However, as far as equal rights in the year 2013 there were 22 Republican members of the Senate who voted against the passage of this very important bill. 
It must be emphasized that among these 22 Republican Senators who apparently believe that there should not be a law that protects women against violence were Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell from Kentucky and Marco Rubio from Florida, who is being touted as a leading Republican candidate for president in 2016.
This is just another example of a Republican party that continues promote a political agenda  that is totally outside the main stream of the American public. 
We now await what action House Republican leader John Boehner will do with this bill passed by the Senate. Will he support the the Violence Against Women Act and urge the Republican majority to vote yes or will he just act to keep it from ever reaching the floor of the House for a vote?
The spotlight is now squarely on the Republican party. Will they come out and defend the right of every female living in the United States of America regardless of age, race and religion and vote to pass the Violence Against Women act or will they join ranks of those Republicans who in the year 2013 still do not recognize that women have equal rights.
Clifford Silvers
Milford