by Lea Bossler, Carlton
To say that Montana’s children and women are in grave danger as a direct result of government corruption and incompetence is not an exaggeration.
Luckily for Montana, we have an opportunity to select a US Senator who has experience correcting those issues, from citizens organizing at the local level all the way to identifying threats from within at the highest levels of government.
Alani Bankhead isn’t a “no-name” because she has been spending her adult life getting the work done, not seeking notoriety. That makes her THE name. Her work experience sets the bar high, and even if others do prove to be good people, they still haven’t put hundreds of pedophiles and corrupt officials in jail like Alani has.
I am a several time sexual assault survior, plus escaping an abduction attempt where I heard them say “we can’t lose her, she is perfect for our client.” Agencies that have dismissed and severely underserved me include: Billings PD, University of Montana PD, City of Missoula PD, Missoula Municipal Court, and Missoula District Court. I will not recreate in Mineral, Lake, or Yellowstone Counties without trusted accompaniment due to their gross mishandlings of missing women.
Statistically speaking, there are about 400,000 survivors of sexual violence in Montana, with 1.1 million being our state population, and the vast majority of those survivors are women. Now, we should name our abusers, yes, but that only puts us in harms way unless the societal systems “protect and serve” the vulnerable. I don’t have to be the one that tells you that they don’t.
We all know the names: Rebekah, Jermain, Arden, Nefataree, Rickisha, Emily, Mika, Ashley, Shawna… I could go on and on, and you could too.
It is time for the 400,000 to rise up and demand a government that values our lives. How many more names will we have to list before we do just that?
Alani Bankhead will hit the ground running in DC on directly aiding Montana’s women and children, because that is already proven in her career.
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