And the Afghanistan war marches on. The House approved funds on Thursday to fund the troop surge that Obama has proposed in advance of next summer’s troop withdrawal. The catch, though, is that the withdrawal did not get approved: so what we have is an approval of funds for more troops but a rejection of any sort of withdrawal timetable. Not exactly what had been promised or pushed for by the administration…

Read more >

Not Ever, a project of Rape Crisis Scotland, has launched an amazing new ad campaign.  A man in a bar glances over at a pretty girl and a short skirt and leers "She's asking for it."  

Cut to the woman shopping for skirts at a clothing store.  Unable to decide between two skirts, she explains to the clerk "I'm going out tonight, and I want to get raped.  I need a skirt that will encourage a guy to have sex with me against my will."  "Definitely the blue," the sales clerk responds.

We recently had a flurry of comments by an anti-feminist troll a few weeks ago.  One of the tactics he trotted out was to ask "wouldn't you blame the home-owner for having their house broken into, if they had left it unlocked?"  The problem is that the only thing these two scenarios have in common is that they are both crimes.  


Read more >

If you know about the horrors of genocide occurring in the Congo right now, you probably feel as powerless as I do. How on earth can we stop these atrocities from happening? Children serving as soldiers, rape as an everyday occurrence where women expect it, forced marriages, families ripped apart, displacement, and vast amounts of bloodshed—it’s enough to make one lose hope for humanity. We always say “Never Again” when it comes to such acts—such as during the Holocaust or the Rwandan genocide—yet the violence continues, as strong as ever.

Read more >

Edward Abbey once wrote, "The Earth has fed me for half a century; I owe the Earth a body.  The debt shall be paid."

It is in this quote I don't see an imminent passing, but realize how great the world is and all that it is.  Many have speculated that a person, right before their last breath, sees visions of parts of their life before they pass on.  It is those moments of madness that make living that much more special.

Read more >

3. You think he’s not “really” abusing you.

Many women believe that what is happening to them isn’t abuse because they aren’t being punched in the face. In reality, abuse constitutes as so much more. Jealousy and possessiveness, for example, are one of the most common signs of abuse. Others include controlling behavior, a sense of superiority to you, extreme mood swings, manipulating you, punishing you, not having his actions match his words, abusing past women or animals, and being unwilling to seek help for his own actions.

2. You think he needs you.

Read more >

7. You think this is a normal relationship.

This actually touches back on reason #10. People who grow up witnessing abusive relationships between parents, caregivers, relatives, and anyone else in their lives as children—or who’ve only experienced such kinds of relationships overall in their lives—believe that this is a normal way for two grown adults to behave.

It is not. Real, loving relationships are based on mutual respect; people who love each other do not purposely hurt one another like this.

6. You are scared of him.

Read more >

You’ve seen it before. You may have even experienced it yourself. A friend or other loved one is in a relationship with a real piece of work. This is a guy who constantly disrespects her, treats her badly, calls her horrible things, and maybe even physically abuses her. She makes excuses for him when he wants to control everything she does, insults her in front of her friends, or leaves marks that makeup cannot conceal.

You try to get her to leave him with everything you have in you. You care about her so much that you wish you could just pluck up the jerk and put him in another country so she won’t even be tempted to be with him. But you can’t change her (just like she can’t change him—but more about that later.) She has to want to change herself.

Read more >

Ring the bell.

That’s all the Breakthrough Institute is asking people to do to stand up against domestic violence. The Institute’s Bell Bajao! (Ring the Bell!) Campaign was inspired by a real retired bank clerk who overheard a couple fighting and simply rang the doorbell to intervene. At the Institute’s website, you can watch the videos made to highlight the importance of simply stopping domestic violence as it occurs. (Trigger warning—there is violent, disturbing dialogue, though no physical violence is visually portrayed.)

Read more >

The fast-paced nature of this world is getting out of control.  It is getting ridiculous.  Many are in such a hurry to get somewhere, and sometimes nowhere, so fast, that it beyond perplexes me.  When I can, I take the trip from Lakewood, Colorado to Boulder to help out an incredible farmer.  The drive is about an hour up heavily trafficked Wadsworth Boulevard.  A stoplight halts progress at almost every block, but it’s the observations that cause a shake of the head.

Read more >

For the second time today, my glasses are wet.

The first time, it was a good wetness. My daughter and I worked out in the yard, pulling weeds (and arranging them into alphabet letters) and having a good time. This time, however, it is from sheer heartache. I can’t remember the last time I bit my fist and sobbed—right out of a movie, eh?—but just now, I did just that.

Read more >