Ridiculous! Topeka, Kansas Considers Decriminalizing Domestic Violence

A couple of days ago the Topeka, Kansas City Council debated whether or not to decriminalize domestic violence. I know, I know. Just ridiculous. I'm so angry.

On Sept. 8, facing a 10% budget cut, Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor announced he would no longer prosecute misdemeanor cases, including domestic battery (what?!?), at the county level.  At the City Council meeting recently, a proposed change has been made that would repeal the part of code that bans domestic battery (what?!?).

The problem? No one can decide who should be prosecuting the cases of domestic battery--whether it should be taken to municipal court or district court, and who pays for it? The thought process by the city is that by NOT repealing the ban the county won't let DV go unpunished in Topeka and will be forced to pick up the cases.

So, what message is being sent? Domestic violence is unimportant and insignificant. Great. Just great.  Here we have a county which stopped prosecuting DV crimes a month ago and a city which is seriously considering legalizing the crime.  The major issue: everyone professes to supporting punishment for DV, but they all want someone else to pay for it. It has been reported that the county DA has offered to continue prosecuting DVcases, for a one-time payment by the city.

And don't even think that this won't really have an impact. Domestic violence advocates in Topeka have already seen vulnerable people impacted. Since Sept. 8 when the county stopped prosecuting, more than 30 DVcases have been ignored. After being arrested and taken to jail, 16 people have been released when charges weren't filed.

Notably, during the City Council meeting, the public was urged to contact the city governing body and the district attorney’s office to share ideas on how to resolve the matter amicably. The City Council is expected to make a decision next week.

I simply can't believe this situation. Do people really think decriminalizing DV is a solution? I don't even think it should be an option. The fact that this is proposed as an option and so many cases have already been ignored/rejected is abominable. I seriously fear for the citizens of Topeka and the many individuals living with DV. Once again we allow money to impede work to stop a serious social problem. Money.

Check these out for more:

Feministing article

The Frisky article

Fox News w/ video

Images to Consider

Last week I posted some advertisements demonstrating violence against women. This week, I'm posting some images/words I find inspirational and very often true.

Cell Phone Donations for Abuse Victims

Need another way to get involved this month...next month...year around? It's easy. When you get a new phone (because so many of us want the newest, best, smartest phones) don't just throw away your old phone. It's okay to want a new phone--not a problem at all. But, help make change and improve the lives of others as you upgrade your plan.

Verizon does a couple of things to help end domestic violence. For example, they have what is called HopeLine. HopeLine is a project in which Verizon has teamed up with the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) on a listening tour. They're stopping in 8 different cities nationwide.

Additionally, HopeLine is Verizon's arm that collects no-longer-used phones and turns these into support for victims of abuse. Since HopeLine was launched in 2001, more than 8 million phones have been collected! Awesome! And, the Verizon Foundation also has a grant program which has given over $10 million cash grants to domestic violence organizations throughout the country.

The Journey of Hope occurring this month through Verizon has a Facebook page. Check it out, like it, and learn more about it.

Now, while I've focused on Verizon because I know it is actively involved in ending domestic violence, the other phone companies are also doing things to be active participants in our communities. Check out this website for a full listing of companies doing things. For example, AT&T has a program supporting the Troops. They've built a number of towers and provided pre-paid phone car services for soldiers abroad. The website talks about programs by Sprint, Virgin Mobile, Best Buy, Cricket, Phones for Food and more. All of these companies do things with cell phones that you no longer want.

Marchers Rally Against Domestic Violence

In honor of domestic violence awareness month, an article from the Detroit Free Press:


      They walked for a Shelby Township woman killed by her husband. A Detroit woman killed by her boyfriend. For a Grand Rapids police officer shot while breaking up an argument that turned violent. About 100 people marched in the streets of Detroit on Saturday, calling for an end to domestic violence. Some carried poster board silhouettes bearing the names and stories of victims.
      The goal, said organizers, was to remind Detroit that the epidemic of violence, especially against women, needs to be stopped. In 2009, there were 68,113 reported cases of domestic violence in Detroit, said Jaycee Memminger, a survivor of abuse and coordinator of the women's Flip the Script turnaround program at Goodwill Industries in Detroit. She said those are just the ones police know about."We know that most women don't call to report that it's going on in their houses," said Memminger.
      The walk, led by Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee Jr. during October's national Domestic Violence Awareness Month, went from New Center to Wayne State University and back."We don't want young people to think this is normal behavior," Godbee said. "Young people see that, and it becomes normal to them."
      Among the marchers were Marquise Alston, 21, and Shantonae Ellis, 18. The Detroiters said they sometimes see family violence in their neighborhood, and Alston said it's infuriating. He said it's hard to talk about it with the women in his life who may be victims of abuse because they get offended and defensive."It makes my blood boil, these fools out there doing this to women," Alston said. "It's a sensitive subject." 
Memminger said the key to turning domestic violence victims into empowered people is getting them away from their abusers and helping them develop their personal skills, be it managing money, learning computers or going back to school. 
      Eight women in one of her programs are in college, including Linda Conley, 56, who was abused by an older man she was in a relationship with when she was 14. Now, she's studying to be an addiction counselor. Conley said drug addiction fueled her lack of self-esteem, which made her vulnerable to an abusive man. She was beaten and sexually assaulted over the long-term relationship. She said she isn't seeing anyone now, but if she did, she'd have her boundaries set firm. "If we're in a relationship and you have to put your hands on me, we don't need to be together," she said.
-------
A couple of awesome things going on here. First, its fantastic to see members of law enforcement on the front line of standing against crime and violence. They're not just there when on the job, but also as citizens of the community. Additionally, I love that young people, many who are directly impacted by crime and violence, are taking a stand and getting involved.  


The Detroit 300 is an organization dedicated to ending crime and violence. Check it out. This organization was heavily involved in the march.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month...It's Here!

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM)! Time to get involved! There are so many different things YOU can do to make a difference.  For example, for those of you in the Boulder, CO area, Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (SPAN) has a number of things going on throughout the month of October. Let me tell you about some of the different ways you can get involved with SPAN and truly work toward ending violence against women and girls.

1) SPAN Purple Ribbon Discount
    Reduced rates at local businesses through the month of October including 10% off at Thunderbird Burgers & BBQ, Absinthe House, and more!
    Ribbons are $10 each or 5 for $40. All you have to do to get your ribbon is contact:
 Leah@safehousealliance.org
OR
call 303.449.8623
Super easy and not only do you help those in great need, but you get a discount on yummy food, too!

2) Dining to End Domestic Violence
A number of generous restaurants around Boulder have offered a percentage of their proceeds throughout the month of October. How cool is that? Please go on out to some of these places! Treat yourself and have a good time while simultaneously uniting with the Boulder county community to end domestic violence. The list of places and the days to visit them are below:  :

Double D's Sourdough Pizza, Oct 4
Giovanni's Pizza, Oct 11
Pica's Mexican Taqueria, Oct 12
Zamparelli's Italian Bistro, Oct 18
Foolish Craig's Cafe, Oct 19
Ben & Jerry's, Oct 19
Murphy's, Oct 24
Chili's, Oct 24

Look at all of these fabulous restaurants! I mean, really. I personally suggest double-dipping and going to Foolish Craig's for brunch followed by a short jaunt down to Ben & Jerry's on Pearl. So tasty! What a good Wednesday that would be, right?  Really, all of these restaurants are fantastic. If you haven't been to some of them, this month is a great time to try them out!

3) Make a Donation
If you'd like to contribute directly to SPAN there are 2 ways to go about it. First, you can write a check and mail it to them. Please make checks payable to:
SPAN (Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence)
Mail your checks to:
835 North Street
Boulder, CO 80304
OR
The second way you can make a donation is online. In the high-tech world we live in, I'm positive almost everyone reading this is super savvy and all you'll need to do is go through SPAN's website, here to make your donation. It involves a drop down menu and some fill-ins and you're good to go!

And, for those of you who are internet savvy check out the Colorado Coalition against Domestic Violence. They've got a number of things going on this month--and it's all virtual!

For those of you in Colorado Springs, check out the events TESSA has going on this month. There's tons!

Now, if you're not in Colorado, you still should become involved. It's still October where you are, right? That means Domestic Violence Awareness month for everyone.  Do a quick google search for domestic violence awareness month + your state and I'm sure you'll find events. Or, if you're near a university, see if there are any events being held there. Again, a google search for domestic violence awareness month + the university might bring up options.

I really encourage each of you, no matter where you are, to check out the Domestic Violence Awareness Project (DVAP) is fantastic!

Finally, a super easy way to make a difference is to pass on the word. If nothing else, send this blog post to others in your email list. Or, if you're in/around Boulder or Colorado, tell your friends and family about the restaurants around donating to end domestic violence.

It's so easy. Why not make a difference?

Let me know if you hear about other events this month. I'd love to post them (with thanks to you, of course!). And, if you participate in any of the above mentioned events or others that you find, let me know how they go!

Follow up from previous post--violence in advertisements

My most recent post included a number of advertisements--specifically the recent hair ad which minimizes the black eye the woman has with the statement, "Look good in all you do." When this ad was recently published there was an outcry (thankfully!). The owner of Fluid Hair Salon of course reported that no harm was meant. Why, though, would the implication of intimate partner violence be needed when advertising for a hair salon? "Look good at all you do." What is this even supposed to mean? Is the message: make sure you have nice hair and are dressed nicely when your partner decides to hit you?

I recognize and support the right to free speech (as the owner of the salon cites). I am all for it! But, as I've heard many times before: just because you can do something, doesn't mean that you should. This is an important lesson, I think.

Fluid Hair Salon has published a number of other ads in which women are depicted in more empowering situations (though of course the women are sexualized--as usual). Take a look:

Now, Fluid Salon is known for their edgy and controversial ads. While the most recent ad showing IPV makes me particularly unhappy and uncomfortable and quite frankly angry, Fluid has published other ads that I also find distasteful. Such as the below ad featuring homelessness or homicide.

(Note: I believe the above ad resembles a sex a worker--which is, in my opinion, horrible too.)

Now, in the previous post I made a point to include a number of other ads from years past that also demonstrated violence against women.  Some ads may be more subtle (such as the ad where the man is firmly grabbing the woman's face), while others are quite blatant (as was the case with the Fluid ad).  The messages of violence are all around us. While I applaud those individuals that stated their dissatisfaction over the Fluid ad, I remain concerned that there are so many other advertisements like this one that stay under the radar and are accepted widely.  In my opinion, advertisements depicting gang rape, IPV, sexual objectification and the like are simply crossing the line. Why would these scenes be important to the ad agencies anyway? Seriously.

Interestingly, there is an organization specific to hair salons that fights IPV.  Check out the organization--Cut It Out.

For another good article on the Fluid ad, check this out. (There's a video included as well.)

Hiatus...but think about this

Sorry for the hiatus. I'm back and ready to blog. Well, correction--I'll be back in full swing in a couple of days. For now, though, I wanted to leave you with some images that I'll be blogging about come next post. Look at these, think about them.

The first picture is an advertisement that recently came under great scrutiny. The other pictures are older ads. Trend? I think so.

The below are the older advertisements.

Be back in a couple of days to discuss these and other similar advertisements. Keep your eyes out for my next post and your mind open for the messages we see daily.