A single mom with a three-year-old son, convention delegate Chelsie from Rosenberg, Texas considers herself a very blessed person.Two years ago, Chelsie, now 22, was in an abusive relationship. When she broke up with her abusive ex-boyfriend, he continued to follow her. She got a protective order from a judge, but that didn’t stop him. One day he followed her home and shot her in the head with a gun he stole from a neighbor’s house.
If it wasn’t for the grace of God I wouldn’t be here today. But also thanks to Joe Biden and his Violence Against Women Act, my ex is in prison and can’t hurt me again.
Chelsie’s ex-boyfriend was convicted and will spend the next 25 years in prison. And Chelsie came out of the experience a strong advocate for smarter gun control.
There are too many instances of people committing crimes with guns they’re not supposed to have. We need to control that better. In my home state of Texas, it’s very easy to get a gun. All you have to do is go to a pawnshop. They will hold it for three days ad if you pass a simple background check, they’ll give you a gun.
Chelsie hopes Barack will help create a smart gun control policy to help protect others from becoming victims of violence. Since her ordeal, she’s become an advocate for the Violence Against Women Act.
So many people don’t realize what a problem domestic violence is. I know many women who have experienced violence at home and didn’t do anything about it. Joe Biden has brought some much-needed attention to this issue. I was thrilled to see him selected as the nominee for Vice President. We need to let people know that violence is not right, and there is help out there.
Vice Presidential Candidate Joe Biden drafted and sponsored the Violence Against Women Act in the 1990s. This act put violence against women on the national agenda and held batterers accountable.
Joe said, "I consider the Violence Against Women Act the single most significant legislation that I’ve crafted during my 35-year tenure in the Senate. [S]ince we passed the Act in 1994 over a million women have found justice in our courtrooms and obtained domestic violence protective orders."
Read more about the Obama-Biden plan to strengthen the lives of American women.
Chelsie was excited to attend the convention to share her story and bring attention to two important issues. She raised money to get to the convention by holding bake sales, yard sales, and passing around pledge forms to her friends and neighbors. She raised nearly $2,000 to pay for her flight and hotel.
I very much enjoyed the convention. This was my first convention, but it definitely won’t be my last. It’s been so great to be involved. I was deputized to register voters and have been doing that every day in a local minority neighborhood. If I’m not at work, I’m usually out registering new voters.
Chelsie says she supports Barack because he will work for ordinary Americans.
Barack represents all Americans. He ... understands we need important Democratic social programs to succeed. My son is on the SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program) program in Texas, and I was on Medicaid when I first had my son. I used it as a stepping-stone until I got a better job that provided health insurance. I think I represent ... the kind of person Barack is working for.Barack wants to do something to help everybody – no matter what color they are of what walk of life they come from. He’s lived the American dream, and it’s so beautiful to see someone actually make it.
Chelsie says she will do everything she can between now and November to get Barack elected.
I got a second chance in life. Now I want to be involved in politics so that my son will have a better future.
Join Chelsie and find out how you can get more involved in the Obama-Biden campaign and create a better future for all Americans.
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