Something that the population is afraid to talk about, and is hardly acknowledged in society is the topic of rape. Even less known is the shocking amount of rape that occurs daily and the amount of rapists that still walk the streets as free citizens.

These offenders are not suffering the consequences of their actions simply because their victim’s rape case may be one of the thousands still sitting on the shelf in local police departments. These kits contain crucial DNA evidence and records regarding the event. It is estimated that as many as half a million kits across the US are waiting to be processed, that means half a million victims are waiting to bring their perpetrators to justice.

Whether by a friend, family member, or complete stranger rape causes more damage to a human than many realize. It often results in depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal thoughts or actions, and severe anxiety. No one should have to live in constant fear, especially in the country that represents freedom, justice, and safety. To uphold our government and way of life these rapists have to be prosecuted and finally own up to their actions.

Although it is hard to find reasons why these kits should not be processed, they still exist. Each kit costs up to $1200 to go through and countless hours for the policemen and investigators. Many argue that this money could be used for different things, that there are more important things happening than rape. What about terrorism, murderers, and wars?

I am not trying to discard the seriousness of those events however rape isn’t something to be taken lightly either. When you imagine that 683,000 people per year are being raped, which equals 56,916 per month; 1,871 per day; 78 per hour; and 1 per minute, it’s hard to not want to help. My proposal includes educating the masses on the severity of the problem. What could be more important than keeping our communities safe? I believe that if everyone knew the truth on this then the money being spent would not be as much of an issue. 71% of rapists are repeat offenders so while we are trying to figure out the situation and why this is happening, these offenders are out there looking for new victims.