On Wednesday night’s episode of Full Frontal, Samantha Bee illuminated a rare example of “government at its very best.” This clip follows up on a March 2016 episode, in which Bee shone a light on the sad and infuriating spectacle or rape-kit backlogs, whereby thousands of kits sit untested throughout the U.S. Oftentimes, these boxes of evidence — which involve a collection process that piles violation upon violation — languish on evidence room shelves rather than being used to locate and prosecute defendants. Then the statute of limitations expires, simply because some law enforcement departments choose to do nothing, which perpetuates the rape culture of society.
As Bee put it at the time, most rapists are not college kids who make “mistakes.” They’re serial offenders, and when rape kits sit untested, their crimes are allowed to flourish in the long term, sometimes for decades. It’s a frustrating plight that Joe Biden also drew attention to during his recent (insane) Law and Order: SVU episode. So, Wednesday night’s Bee-led update prompted sighs of relief at how lawmakers came together in an effort to end this continuing injustice against women.
In the above segment, Bee highlights how the state of Georgia got sh*t done for the common good. She brings us the story of Georgia state Rep. Scott Holcolmb (D) and Speaker of the House David Ralston (R). The former worked arduously to convince his colleagues to deal with the state’s rape-kit backlog by pushing through a bill with unanimous support. And Ralston brought the muscle when inevitable resistance began in the state Senate (“all hell broke loose”). The victory happened, naturally, because Holcomb and Ralston didn’t approach each other as mortal political enemies. Strange times, indeed.
Bee describes their two politicans’ efforts as “Schoolhouse Rock on Steroids.” Wait … government worked? Yes. Let that sentiment fill your psyche before the next incensed Trump tweetfest comes to town. Shouldn’t be long!