Day 4: Rape Culture and Society: Effect Beyond the Victims

Rape culture is a term which originated in women's studies and feminist theory, describing a culture in which rape and sexual violence against women are common and in which prevalent attitudes, norms, practices, and media condone, normalize, excuse, or tolerate sexual violence against women. Examples of behaviors commonly associated with rape culture include victim blaming and sexual objectification. Use of the term has recently become more common.

---Victim blaming occurs when the victim(s) of a crime, an accident, or any type of abusive maltreatment are held entirely or partially responsible for the transgressions committed against them. Blaming the victim has traditionally emerged especially in racist and sexist forms.^[1] However, this attitude may exist independently from these radical views and even be at least half-official in some countries.^[2]

---Sexual objectification refers to the practice of regarding or treating another person merely as an instrument (object) towards one's sexual pleasure, and a sex object is a person who is regarded simply as an object of sexual gratification or who is sexually attractive. Objectification is an attitude that regards a person as a commodity or as an object for use, with little or no regard for a person's personality or sentience.^[1][2] Objectification is most commonly examined at a societal level, but can also arise at an individual level.

 **Definitions provided by wikipedia

Rape culture is what is getting in the way of true justice for women who are victims of this heinous crime and unfortunately preventing the topic of rape from being taken seriously. It was only until recently that the FBI voted expand the definition of rape (Oct 18). The new definition--of "rape," no longer "forcible rape"--defines the crime as "penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim (source: Women E-News).

In addition to preventing justice, it also is an obstacle from victims to report rape especially if they will be questioned about their clothes, the amount of alcohol consumed, or where and when they traveled. Truth of the matter is an innocent women will experience something so traumatic it can forever affect her life for years to come. Our rape culture in America is only half the battle as compared to worse rape cultures in other countries like in Eastern Congo where 48 women are raped every hour making it known as "the rape capital of the world".

Rape culture allows for certain beliefs, attitudes, and practices to condone rape. If we want to eliminate violence we have alter the way people perceive it. We need to perceive rape as something which:

-portrays a nation as brute and barbaric society where men have no regard for women and their 

livelihoods to come

-where women are regarded as nothing more than objects when they are mothers, sisters, cousins, and daughters

-plagues the health of a society as victims cannot fulfill roles in society as they live in fear and suffer from trauma

-degrades the quality of life for all members and citizens of a nation (women, men, and children all alike are affected by rape)

Rape affects everyone just like any other crime. It takes its root at the soul within the victim and the negativity spreads to all those around them. We're not making better citizens when we allow men to rape women, blame women for their crime, and expect the men to be pure at heart and the women to be strong. It weakens both people making them less of a human being. It's attacking humanity.

To end rape violence against women, it begins with education. Spread knowledge not stereotypes, blaming, or faulty beliefs and attitudes.

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#16days

Day 2: MenStoppingViolence (MSV)

Just want to take time out to recognize that it's not only women who are making an effort to end violence against other women, but that men are also doing their part. Men have mothers, sisters, aunts, and daugthers and it would pain them to see the women in their life affected by violence. One sure way to help eliminate violence would be to educate the abusers, perpetrators, and those who have witness violence and are at risk themselves. One organization that is dedicating its mission to educating men to prevent violence against women is Men Stopping Violence. The organization offers a 24-week program which provides ongoing support, connection, and opportunities to volunteer.  Their work is focused on prevention--to help make sure it doesn't even happen in the first place.

It's a wonderful effort and to find out more ways to help or about the organization check out their twitter, website and a blog detailing their efforts.
@MenStopViolence
menstoppingviolence.org
Men Stopping Violence  -piece written by William Wolfrum


#16days of Education

@JusticeisBliss1

Day 1 of 16: Ending Violence Against Women

November 25: International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women




Besides being a day to get the best deals in retail, it is also important to observe this day as a movement towards hopefully ending gender violence across the globe. Day1 of this movement will unfortunately be overshadowed by everyone's rush to major retailers to buy Christmas presents and presents for themselves. But please take this day to just reflect on the many young innocent victims of domestic/dating violence, rape and sexual harassment, and unfair and unjust punishments (such as stoning for crimes of morality) who have succumbed to all those injustices today. Everyday, every hour, every second women and girls are silenced when they are senselessly beaten by their spouses and loved ones, raped by people they know or law enforcement, and in countries like Saudi Arabia being flogged for driving a car. We unfortunately have a long way to go when it comes to eliminating violence against women. It starts with education and awareness. If you are ignorant to the situations, then you won't be able to effectively help. Only when a person is aware and educated on the pressing matters such as violence can justice truly begin to take effect.


#16days of Activism to end violence
How you can help:
http://www.saynotoviolence.org/16days2011

UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women

OWS vs the people in power

Mayor Bloomberg has made numerous attempts to try and thwart the momentum of the OWS protesters but to no avail. He tried taking away their heat generators during the snowstorm and today ordered NYPD to clear out Zuccotti park for what was "maintenance" purposes. The message is clear: the people in power are scared. The movement is growing and despite efforts to discourage protesters, they've only made them more fired up. No one thought the protesters would last this long and this not only bothers Mayor Bloomberg but every politician whose city has been run down and taken over by Occupiers. Kudos to Bloomberg for keeping OWS relatively peaceful, unlike many of the unfortunate events that happened in Oakland, Atlanta, and now Seattle with stories of a child and a pregnant woman being pepper sprayed.

Politicians should be more focused on the message instead of finding ways to stop and in some instances harm the occupiers. No one is listening to the message and it's only growing because of that. The 99% has woken up and they're angry. When politicians, Washington, and CEOs decide to make note of that and actually listen, then will the peace return to their cities. Till then, the momentum will continue. The rage and frustration with politics and lousy business ethics is their fuel and it's not going on E anytime soon. 

OWS- W/O the camping

"This movement isn't dependent on a single location. It will find a home."

Occupy Wall Street Website- Stay up to date with the lates

"They showed us their power. And we're showing them ours"

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NBA Lockout: Where's Our Negotiations?

Every basketball fan around the nation is experiencing great difficulty dealing with the possibility that there will be no NBA this season. It's unsettling and everyone seems to be taking their anger out on the NBA team owners, taking sides with the already rich millionaire basketball players. They're siding with them in hopes that they will get an even more exorbitant salary and end this lockout, in turn lashing out their anger out on owners calling them "greedy" and "money-hungry" people who don't seem to care about the game. The players are upset they were given an ultimatum and are willing to put their fans in a sports related emotional depression all because they don't agree with pay cuts offered by their owners.

Doesn't this sound all too familiar? Except in this situation, people get to choose their own terms. Everyone seems to be expressing their anger towards the owners like these negotiations are something new; this is how the world works. The NBA players are now in a situation which millions of Americans have been facing ever since the recession started but they didn't have a choice. Across the nation, people have seen huge cuts in their paychecks, some who even live paycheck to paycheck struggling to pay bills and feed their children. People have had to deal with ultimatums given by their companies with their jobs on the line. Unemployment checks are not negotiable. You get what you get regardless if it didn't match your checks before your company decided to lay you off. Do these regular Americans get to negotiate like our beloved NBA players? Did they get a chance to negotiate budget cuts which would then adversely affect their livelihoods and ability to properly feed and take care of their children.

Those who have the most money and control the nature of our employment unfortunately have a hold on us. Before you get angry at the NBA owners, take a look around and recognize that this is just the way of the land. Instead of getting angry that you won't see your precious NBA teams play, be angry that the people who have the most wealth have the most say. It's not fair to the NBA players and it's not fair to regular Americans. The difference is these NBA players can hire fancy lawyers and fight back. We can't. If professional athletes can get screwed over, then what's our future going to be like, those with the little voices but make up a majority of the population?

Food for thought. 


Follow: @JusticeisBliss1

How we damaged "marriage": Kim K, gay marriage, & keywords

Defining marriage through dictionary.com the first item you will find is:

mar·riage

[mar-ij]

noun 1.

a. the social institution under which a man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies, etc. Antonyms: separation.

b.a similar institution involving partners of the same gender: gay marriage. Antonyms: separation.
So we get that part it's an institution which enjoins two people legally, religiously, or both.  (I'm sure it was only until recently circa 2000s that part b. was listed). Keyword: Institution.

Moving on to other defintions:
 2. the state, condition, or relationship of being married; wedlock: a happy marriage. Synonyms: matrimony. Antonyms: single life, bachelorhood, spinsterhood, singleness; separation.
 3. the legal or religious ceremony that formalizes the decision of two people to live as a married couple, including the accompanying social festivities: to officiate at a marriage. Synonyms: nuptials, marriage ceremony, wedding. Antonyms: divorce, annulment.
4.a relationship in which two people have pledged themselves to each other in the manner of a husband and wife, without legal sanction: trial marriage.
5. any close or intimate association or union: the marriage of words and music in a hit song. Synonyms: blend, merger, unity, oneness; alliance, confederation. Antonyms: separation, division, disunion, schism.


Keywords in those defintions: two, pledged, intimate association, union


However, if you were to ask a majority of Americans how they felt about marriage they would have such a negative perspective and probably wouldn't associate marriage with the keywords listed. They would probably be more inclined to associate marriage with the antonyms (the exact OPPOSITE of the definition)- separation, divorce, annulment, division, disunion

When people bring up marriage,  the topics of discussion are failed celebrity marriages, high divorce rates, the question if homosexual couples should be allowed to marry,  and instead of regarding it as an institution belittle it to the status of a piece of paper. They're never usually stories of successful marriages which has now been currently gauged as making it to at least five years to ten years.

Maybe we should stop and question ourselves: Could our high divorce rates be due to our negative and bleak views on marriage. No one sees marriage as this keyword: intimate association especially as we watch Bridezillas be more concerned about their dress, cake, and money than actually institution of marriage itself. They only see one when instead they should see the keyword: two.

We should also stop and question ourselves why we oppose gay marriage so much when it seems that even straight couples take it for granted. "Gay couples will destroy the institution of marriage" a common phrase constantly expressed when speaking in opposition of allowing gay marriages. If we can allow Kim Kardashian to marry for whatever reason whether it was for love or publicity, then why is it we can't allow two people who are actually in love to get married and actually stay married?

We've lost sight of the true definition of marriage and all that it entails and for what? To be amused by multiple failed celebrity marriages? To overspend on marriages we can't afford and then to ultimately overspend on divorce lawyers? To avoid marriage just because of what we see around us or believe sometimes inflated divorce statistics?

Put simply: We don't value marriage and we laugh about it only to turn around point and judge our gay population for wanting to do something we ourselves don't even take seriously. 

If we change our views, our attitudes, our beliefs or if we take the keywords of marriage and actually see marriage for what it really is and not what it's portrayed to be.  Then just maybe we can save ourselves the trouble and live happily ever in love, but if not then until divorce do us part.  

Obama and Student Loans

"Living with student debt has now surpassed credit card debt...That's not a fair way to get started" - President Barack Obama, University of Colorado, Denver

Finally! It isn't the exact bailout that we all wanted for our student loans, but it's some type of reform to help college students in need. The only question is: will it really affect as many students as Obama claims? The best way to find options to help with student loan debt is to research and always stay informed. You're ultimately the person who can really help yourself in your financial situation. Most importantly, don't stay in the dark about your debt!  Don't understand something?  Don't ever be afraid to ask your former institution's financial aid office questions that you need assistance with.  If you graduated and you're currently unemployed, talk with representatives about your options about a payment plan which will work for you. If you're unsure of any paperwork that needs to be filled to get extended time, then call and ask and then call and ask some more until you are fully aware. The point is never to depend on some elected official who doesn't really know you or your situation to get you the help you need. Despite this loan reform, there's other things you have to watch out for and know if this will even affect you in the long run.


Here are some links to keep you informed and educated about Obama's Student Loan Reform!

3Qs: Evaluating Obama's Student Loan Reform

Obama's historic loan reforms could impact UR

Who will benefit from Obama's student loan reform?- CBS news

The Power of the 99%

Recently in the news: The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Bank of America has canceled all plans to charge any of its customers a fee for using a debit card! 


Not too long ago 22 year old Molly Katchpole created a petition to send to the CEO of Bank of America to drop its $5 monthly fee. With more than 300,000 signatures, today is , a victory. It's not only a victory it symbolizes the power of the little people, the 99%. All it took was one person to see change and do something about it. 


People can mock and patronize the occupiers all over the nation and globe but at the end of the day we're sending a strong message with our actions. We have what the big companies want. They wouldn't be the big companies they are today without our assistance and most importantly our money. Because we decided to fight back and join Molly, close accounts, start new accounts with smaller banks like Credit Union, and sign pledges that vow that by November 5 people will take their money out of big banks--we've scared them! Now, no other bank wants to follow in Bank of America's footsteps and charge a monthly fee because they saw what we did in response and how strongly we reacted.


The point of this all is to tell these big companies that they're nothing without us. We can't afford not to pay attention to the news and what companies are doing. Be vigilante constantly and always know your rights. It's more than occupying, it's taking action! It doesn't matter how old your are or your educational background, we all can create change even in the smallest ways like starting an online petition.


We're the majority of the population in America versus a mere 1% that is mostly sustained by OUR money and attention. Don't listen to the media and other skeptics who think that this whole protest is a waste of time. Obviously it's not. The big companies are finally scared of the little guys. The 99% was asleep for awhile, but now that we're awake, we're taking charge.