Benny Shendo, Jr. was in attendance today at a lecture by Yale professor and Santa Fe Institute Fellow, Elisabeth J. Wood, on what we can learn from wartime rape and sexual violence.Shendo (shown in picture at left with event MC, actress and activist, Ali MacGraw) has been clear in his campaign, "Rape and domestic violence is a troubling matter that we must make a priority here in New Mexico, across the U.S. and around the world. The experts agree, prevention is the key and that means addressing the issue comprehensively. We cannot keep sweeping this issue under the rug just because it makes people uncomfortable. Our families are at stake and we must work harder to keep them safe."
Barbara Goldman, Executive Director of the Santa Fe Rape Crisis and Trauma Treatment Center which sponsored the lecture and fundraiser, expressed her admiration for Shendo for making the issue a central part of his campaign. "No one wants to talk about this stuff, and it takes real courage for a political candidate to take it on."
