Audience moved by Biden's speech against violence

Wednesday, March 31, 2010 By Terry Bibo

PEORIA — Beyond being the highest-ranked speaker ever to address the Partners in Peace awards, Vice President Joe Biden may be the highest rated as well.

"It was great to have a speaker who knew the topic," said CEFCU CEO Mark Spenny as the crowd trailed out after Wednesday's event at the Civic Center.

"This is probably the most on-point speaker we've ever had," agreed CEFCU's Sue Yoder.

Biden was preaching to the 1,100-member choir when he discussed his passion for 1994's Violence Against Women Act at the sold-out event for the Center for Prevention of Abuse. He said he actually was inspired by the gentle example of his own father, who taught him that the worst sin was abuse of power - and that passion hasn't abated in almost 20 years. Progress has been made, but with families and shelter budgets under stress from the economy, there is still a long way to go.

"No man. No man. No man - under any condition, other than self-defense - has any right to raise his hand against a woman," Biden reiterated. "Until then, we're going to have to do fundraisers. In the process, we're going to make my father very, very proud."

Biden's self-proclaimed "acolyte," U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., lauded the domestic violence initiative, even as he introduced former U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood as "a person devoted to civility and bipartisan efforts." Now the U.S. Secretary of Transportation - first choice in the Democratic Obama Cabinet, according to Biden - the Republican LaHood referred to the vice president as "a game-changer" on the domestic violence issue. LaHood said he used earmark money to help change that game when he was in Congress.

"I wanted to do the things in my district that were important, that we needed to do, that couldn't be done in any other way," LaHood told the crowd. "I'm proud of every one of your tax dollars that went to the Center for Prevention of Abuse . . . You as taxpayers should be proud, too. It was money well spent."

LaHood praised the foresight of the center's executive director, Martha Herm, saying she "devoted her life" to helping women and children and the elderly. She deferred to the organization's volunteers, sponsors and staffers - and Biden's domestic violence law.

"It did create a paradigm shift in what our society says is appropriate behavior," Herm said.

"This is very unique. Mr. Biden has a long history of commitment to prevention of abuse against women," said Dr. Rick Miller, a Center for Prevention of Abuse board member. "His credentials when it comes to abuse are impeccable. This is something we should, on a bipartisan basis, be able to appreciate."