Call it what it is:
This morning on OPB, I heard a story about a man who shot and killed a civilian woman working at the Fort Lewis PX, then shot himself. The reporter cited the woman's mom, who told investigators that the shooter was the woman's ex-partner, that they had broken up seven months ago, but that he "wouldn't let her go" and "threatened to kill himself". This clearly illustrates the fact that this was a domestic violence fatality. Despite this information, the reporter said that investigators are not clear on the "motive" for the killing. The words "domestic violence" were not used once - and checking the New York Times and the Oregonian, neither paper is naming this as a domestic violence fatality.
The WSCADV Fatality Review Project cites recent separation as a significant factor in domestic violence fatalities: "In at least 47% of the homicides committed by a
domestic violence abuser in Washington state, the victim had left, divorced, or
separated from the abuser, or was attempting to leave or break up with the abuser at
the time of the murder. In a Florida study, 60% of the women killed were separated or
in the process of leaving"
They also found that "firearms were the most common weapon used in domestic violence homicides" and that homicide-suicides "comprised a significant portion of domestic violence homicides."
Stalking behavior, threats of suicide, recent separation, and gun ownership - all red flags for lethality within the context of domestic violence. I hope the investigators name this situation for what it is, and that the media follow suit - we can't effectively support survivors or move forward in ending domestic violence if we don't acknowledge how lethal it can be.
Showing posts with label National News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label National News. Show all posts
Friday, August 7, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The Glass Crack: Painfully Palin
(originally posted 10/08 at wordpress)
by Gwen Davis
With the presidential election mere weeks away, I have become increasingly interested in the Sarah Palin debacle. One news organization postulated that the initial excitement that surrounded the Republican Vice Presidential nominee was a result of voters considering her to be an answer to a non-existent Hillary Clinton Democratic ticket. Unfortunately for Republicans, hopeful women, and many swing voters Sarah Palin is not Hillary Clinton — to the relief of Democrats.
I recently received an email from a very good, liberal friend of mine from Colorado. The email contained an article written by Eve Ensler, playwright best known for The Vagina Monologues. The article expressed Ensler’s disgust over the McCain/Palin ticket. “I am a Feminist and have spent my life trying to build community, help empower women and stop violence against them,” she writes. “It is hard to write about Sarah Palin. This is why the Sarah Palin choice was all the more insidious and cynical.”
by Gwen Davis
The Glass Crack is a new weekly column from PSU Grad Student Gwen Davis that revisits the previous week’s news stories and looks at them through a feminist eye. Granted, personal opinions, bias, rhetorical questions, and perhaps even a few logical fallacies will appear. At times it may seem like the author is confused, and that assumption is totally correct because many ways of the world—especially people—do not make sense. Comments, suggestions and guest columns are welcome and encouraged. Let this be an honest place to discuss the unfair, the beautiful, the perplexing, the wrong, and the right.
The title of the column is a reference to those 18 million cracks in the ceiling Hillary Clinton spoke of in her concession speech:
Although we weren’t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it’s got about 18 million cracks in it. And the light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and sure knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time. That has always been the history of progress in
- Hillary Clinton
With the presidential election mere weeks away, I have become increasingly interested in the Sarah Palin debacle. One news organization postulated that the initial excitement that surrounded the Republican Vice Presidential nominee was a result of voters considering her to be an answer to a non-existent Hillary Clinton Democratic ticket. Unfortunately for Republicans, hopeful women, and many swing voters Sarah Palin is not Hillary Clinton — to the relief of Democrats.
I recently received an email from a very good, liberal friend of mine from Colorado. The email contained an article written by Eve Ensler, playwright best known for The Vagina Monologues. The article expressed Ensler’s disgust over the McCain/Palin ticket. “I am a Feminist and have spent my life trying to build community, help empower women and stop violence against them,” she writes. “It is hard to write about Sarah Palin. This is why the Sarah Palin choice was all the more insidious and cynical.”
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Herstory: Barbara Lee
(originally posted 05/08 at wordpress)
by Katherine Johncock
Barbara Lee is a fearless leader protecting the American people’s rights. She is a member (democrat) of the House of Representatives for California’s 9th district. Born July 16, 1946 in El Paso, Texas Lee moved to California in 1960 with her military family parents. As a young single mother of two, Lee received her Bachelor’s degree from Mill’s College in Oakland, California and went on for a Master of Social Work at the University of California, Berkeley. Barbara Lee is probably most well known for being the only elected representative (including both the house and the senate) who voted “no” on granting the executive branch unchecked military power after the September 11, 2001 attacks. This heroic act is often overlooked although it demonstrated unwavering dedication to the people’s freedom. After serving on the International Relations and Financial Services Committees in 2007 she joined the House Appropriations committee. Check out the video of her speech to the house after September 11th! She sounds so prophetic. Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf1N-y9Mbo4 For more information about Barbara Lee check out: http://lee.house.gov/
by Katherine Johncock
Feminist Community Dialog - Join in!!
(originally posted 04/08 at wordpress)
Topic: The Voting Feminist
by Blythe Pavlik
This is a critical time in the world. This is a time in which our vote is an extension of our voice and ultimately of our CHOICE. While every election is vital, this election offers two avenues of change in the status quo. As a person who identifies strongly as a feminist, I am intrigued by the debates rising from various feminist groups about loyalty to feminism through voting.
I would like to open up the SheSheet for a conversation about feminism and its role in this particular election. Nationally there is a fair amount of conflict and controversy over which candidate a person identifying as “feminist” should vote for. The controversy stems from feminist groups that believe the feminist vote should automatically go to a female candidate (Clinton) and that feminists who are Obama supporters are betraying the feminist cause. Do you agree or disagree... why?
Some news reports discuss the difference in feminist generation gaps as one factor in indicating the cause of conflict. What do you think?
Topic: The Voting Feminist
by Blythe Pavlik
This is a critical time in the world. This is a time in which our vote is an extension of our voice and ultimately of our CHOICE. While every election is vital, this election offers two avenues of change in the status quo. As a person who identifies strongly as a feminist, I am intrigued by the debates rising from various feminist groups about loyalty to feminism through voting.
I would like to open up the SheSheet for a conversation about feminism and its role in this particular election. Nationally there is a fair amount of conflict and controversy over which candidate a person identifying as “feminist” should vote for. The controversy stems from feminist groups that believe the feminist vote should automatically go to a female candidate (Clinton) and that feminists who are Obama supporters are betraying the feminist cause. Do you agree or disagree... why?
Some news reports discuss the difference in feminist generation gaps as one factor in indicating the cause of conflict. What do you think?
The Women’s Resource Center
would be honored to have your opinion on the matter.
Where do you stand on this issue? Do you believe it is the responsibility of each feminist to support a female candidate no matter her politics or do you believe that the core point of feminism is to provide the freedom of CHOICE? Are you a feminist who also identifies as a conservative or Republican?
Dialog about our rights, votes and freedoms is vital and welcomed.
Please enlighten us with your respectful and thought provoking views.
We look forward to hearing what you have to say!!
Feminist Food For Thought: "Goodbye to All That (#2)" by Robin Morgan
(originally posted 03/08 at wordpress)
This is a thought-provoking read for anyone interested in feminist issues, regardless of your position in the democratic primary election.
Goodbye To All That (#2) by Robin Morgan
February 2, 2008
“Goodbye To All That” was my (in)famous 1970 essay breaking free from a politics of accommodation especially affecting women (for an online version, see http://blog.fair-use.org/category/chicago /).
During my decades in civil-rights, anti-war, and contemporary women’s movements, I’ve avoided writing another specific “Goodbye . . .” But not since the suffrage struggle have two communities—joint conscience-keepers of this country—been so set in competition, as the contest between Hillary Rodham Clinton (HRC) and Barack Obama (BO) unfurls. So.
Goodbye to the double standard . . .
—Hillary is too ballsy but too womanly, a Snow Maiden who’s emotional, and so much a politician as to be unfit for politics.
—She’s “ambitious” but he shows “fire in the belly.” (Ever had labor pains?)
—When a sexist idiot screamed “Iron my shirt!” at HRC, it was considered amusing; if a racist idiot shouted “Shine my shoes!” at BO, it would’ve inspired hours of airtime and pages of newsprint analyzing our national dishonor.
More...
—Young political Kennedys—Kathleen, Kerry, and Bobby Jr.—all endorsed Hillary. Senator Ted, age 76, endorsed Obama. If the situation were reversed, pundits would snort “See? Ted and establishment types back her, but the forward-looking generation backs him.” (Personally, I’m unimpressed with Caroline’s longing for the Return of the Fathers. Unlike the rest of the world, Americans have short memories. Me, I still recall Marilyn Monroe’s suicide, and a dead girl named Mary Jo Kopechne in Chappaquiddick.)
Goodbye to the toxic viciousness . . .
Carl Bernstein's disgust at Hillary’s “thick ankles.” Nixon-trickster Roger Stone’s new Hillary-hating 527 group, “Citizens United Not Timid” (check the capital letters). John McCain answering “How do we beat the bitch?" with “Excellent question!” Would he have dared reply similarly to “How do we beat the black bastard?” For shame.
Goodbye to the HRC nutcracker with metal spikes between splayed thighs. If it was a tap-dancing blackface doll, we would be righteously outraged—and they would not be selling it in airports. Shame.
Goodbye to the most intimately violent T-shirts in election history, including one with the murderous slogan “If Only Hillary had married O.J. Instead!” Shame.
Goodbye to Comedy Central’s “Southpark” featuring a storyline in which terrorists secrete a bomb in HRC’s vagina. I refuse to wrench my brain down into the gutter far enough to find a race-based comparison. For shame.
Goodbye to the sick, malicious idea that this is funny. This is not “Clinton hating,” not “Hillary hating.” This is sociopathic woman-hating. If it were about Jews, we would recognize it instantly as anti-Semitic propaganda; if about race, as KKK poison. Hell, PETA would go ballistic if such vomitous spew were directed at animals. Where is our sense of outrage—as citizens, voters, Americans?
Goodbye to the news-coverage target-practice . . .
The women’s movement and Media Matters wrung an apology from MSNBC’s Chris Matthews for relentless misogynistic comments (www.womensmediacenter.com ). But what about NBC’s Tim Russert’s continual sexist asides and his all-white-male panels pontificating on race and gender? Or CNN’s Tony Harris chuckling at “the chromosome thing” while interviewing a woman from The White House Project? And that’s not even mentioning Fox News.
for the rest of the article, visit: http://www.womensmediacenter.com/ex/020108.html
This is a thought-provoking read for anyone interested in feminist issues, regardless of your position in the democratic primary election.
Goodbye To All That (#2) by Robin Morgan
February 2, 2008
“Goodbye To All That” was my (in)famous 1970 essay breaking free from a politics of accommodation especially affecting women (for an online version, see http://blog.fair-use.org/category/chicago /).
During my decades in civil-rights, anti-war, and contemporary women’s movements, I’ve avoided writing another specific “Goodbye . . .” But not since the suffrage struggle have two communities—joint conscience-keepers of this country—been so set in competition, as the contest between Hillary Rodham Clinton (HRC) and Barack Obama (BO) unfurls. So.
Goodbye to the double standard . . .
—Hillary is too ballsy but too womanly, a Snow Maiden who’s emotional, and so much a politician as to be unfit for politics.
—She’s “ambitious” but he shows “fire in the belly.” (Ever had labor pains?)
—When a sexist idiot screamed “Iron my shirt!” at HRC, it was considered amusing; if a racist idiot shouted “Shine my shoes!” at BO, it would’ve inspired hours of airtime and pages of newsprint analyzing our national dishonor.
More...
—Young political Kennedys—Kathleen, Kerry, and Bobby Jr.—all endorsed Hillary. Senator Ted, age 76, endorsed Obama. If the situation were reversed, pundits would snort “See? Ted and establishment types back her, but the forward-looking generation backs him.” (Personally, I’m unimpressed with Caroline’s longing for the Return of the Fathers. Unlike the rest of the world, Americans have short memories. Me, I still recall Marilyn Monroe’s suicide, and a dead girl named Mary Jo Kopechne in Chappaquiddick.)
Goodbye to the toxic viciousness . . .
Carl Bernstein's disgust at Hillary’s “thick ankles.” Nixon-trickster Roger Stone’s new Hillary-hating 527 group, “Citizens United Not Timid” (check the capital letters). John McCain answering “How do we beat the bitch?" with “Excellent question!” Would he have dared reply similarly to “How do we beat the black bastard?” For shame.
Goodbye to the HRC nutcracker with metal spikes between splayed thighs. If it was a tap-dancing blackface doll, we would be righteously outraged—and they would not be selling it in airports. Shame.
Goodbye to the most intimately violent T-shirts in election history, including one with the murderous slogan “If Only Hillary had married O.J. Instead!” Shame.
Goodbye to Comedy Central’s “Southpark” featuring a storyline in which terrorists secrete a bomb in HRC’s vagina. I refuse to wrench my brain down into the gutter far enough to find a race-based comparison. For shame.
Goodbye to the sick, malicious idea that this is funny. This is not “Clinton hating,” not “Hillary hating.” This is sociopathic woman-hating. If it were about Jews, we would recognize it instantly as anti-Semitic propaganda; if about race, as KKK poison. Hell, PETA would go ballistic if such vomitous spew were directed at animals. Where is our sense of outrage—as citizens, voters, Americans?
Goodbye to the news-coverage target-practice . . .
The women’s movement and Media Matters wrung an apology from MSNBC’s Chris Matthews for relentless misogynistic comments (www.womensmediacenter.com ). But what about NBC’s Tim Russert’s continual sexist asides and his all-white-male panels pontificating on race and gender? Or CNN’s Tony Harris chuckling at “the chromosome thing” while interviewing a woman from The White House Project? And that’s not even mentioning Fox News.
for the rest of the article, visit: http://www.womensmediacenter.com/ex/020108.html
Clinton and Obama - Change U.S. Forever
(originally posted 02/08 at wordpress)
by Blythe Pavlik
This morning I had a warm feeling flood through me when thinking about the current democratic presidential campaign. It felt a lot like hope. It was a significant feeling – politics was inciting good vibes! Quite suddenly it dawned on me that history (ourstory) was taking place. At this very moment we are transforming progressively as a country. At this very moment, steps that have never before been taken in the United States are being taken with gusto!
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