The Massachusetts Republican Party needs to clarify it's position on undocumented rape victims immediately, and State Representative Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton) needs to apologize and perhaps even resign.  

There has been a national outcry after Rep. Fattman declared to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette that an undocumented rape victim "should be afraid to come forward" and report the crime.  His attempts to clarify his statements offerred no apology, and did not clarify whether an undocumented rape victim should be deported for reporting the crime to local police.  Rep. Fattman's statements effectively encourage predators to prey on unauthorized migrants, and he's discouraging victims to come forward.  If Rep. Fattman cannot use his public office responsibly then perhaps it is time for him to resign.

This issue get's to the heart of the debate over the implementation of Secure Communities in Massachusetts and around the nation: whether we should be turning our local police into border patrol agents.  The Massachusetts Republican Party owes it to the public to clarify it's position on this issue.