Violence Against Women Used as War Tactic in Congo - Please Act!

"Sexual violence in Congo is the worst in the world.
The sheer numbers, the wholesale brutality, the culture of impunity – it's appalling."

>" border="0" height="48" width="140">

— John Holmes, UN
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs

As important as it is to relax and spend time our families over the holiday season, it's equally important to take time to speak out against atrocities occurring around the world.

Take Action now to help women and girls in the war-torn Democratic of Congo before New Year's >>

Any sexual assault is an unacceptable violent crime. But systematic use of rape by armed groups in eastern DRC should be named for what it is: a crime against humanity.

Yet despite years of reports and rhetoric about these atrocities, despite the presence of thousands of UN peacekeepers with a mandate to protect civilians, the attacks continue.

The International Violence Against Women Act (S.2279) would significantly increase U.S. commitment to ending gender-based violence in the DRC and around the world.

Tell the Senate to pass this legislation immediately! >>

Thank you for your heartfelt response.

Truly, Robyn E. Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team

Halliburton Uses Binding Mandatory Arbitration Clause in Gang-Rape Cover Up!

The following is a shocking and horrifying story about how an internationally known company is using a mandatory binding arbitration clause in an employment contract to hide the truth and prevent a woman who was raped to have her day in court and hold her attacker accountable.

“Jamie Leigh Jones, now 22, says that after she was raped by multiple men at a KBR camp in the Green Zone (of Iraq), the company put her under guard in a shipping container with a bed and warned her that if she left Iraq for medical treatment, she'd be out of a job.” – ABC News, 20/20

Read The Whole Story Here

What is just as appalling is that Jamie will never have an opportunity to hold her rapists or her employers accountable in a court of law. Her employment contract, like millions of other Americans, includes a Binding Mandatory Arbitration clause. So instead of having her day in court, she’ll be forced into a privatized justice system with no public record.

“Since no criminal charges have been filed, the only other option, according to Hutson, is the civil system, which is the approach that Jones is trying now. But Jones' former employer doesn't want this case to see the inside of a civil courtroom. KBR has moved for Jones' claim to be heard in private arbitration, instead of a public courtroom. It says her employment contract requires it.” – ABC News, 20/20

The Arbitration Fairness Act (H.R. 3010/S. 1782), would ban Binding Mandatory Arbitration clauses in contracts like Jamie’s, and also in most other consumer, franchise, and securities contracts.

Tell Your Representatives To Cosponsor the Arbitration Fairness Act Today

Yesterday, December 12, 2007, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee heard testimony on the Arbitration Fairness Act of 2007. So now is the time to write to your members of Congress and remind them to cosponsor AFA 2007.

So far, more than 60 members of Congress have joined the bill as cosponsors. Help add your members of Congress to the growing list by sending them a message right now.

Tell Your Representatives To Cosponsor the Arbitration Fairness Act Today

Join me in making sure that America never has to see another case like Jamie Leigh Jones, please take a moment and contact your Representatives today.

As always, thank you for your continued support,

Sean

Sean Peter Flaherty
People Over Profits Campaign

Colorado Moves to Enslave Women

Send this out to everyone you know, especially friends who really need to read this. Your state could be next. Strong stands on what to do are taken, but the facts are there and true. Write back with your comments.
****************************************************************************
Colorado Moves to Enslave Women - 11/25/2007
From www.myspace.com/nationalwcw

Legal Rights for Fertilized Eggs

Yesterday, the New York Times ran a story describing how now there is a ballot initiative underway in Colorado to grant full legal rights to fertilized eggs.

The result: Abortion would no longer be an option, it would be considered "murder." Women who take birth control pills or use IUDs as well as doctors who prescribe them could be charged with "murder" for preventing a fertilized egg from adhering to the uterine wall. Miscarriages could be investigated by the state. Women would be forcefully enslaved to their reproduction.

A year after South Dakota nearly criminalized all abortion; a few months after Ohio proposed a requirement for women to get permission of the man involved before seeking an abortion, or else turn in a list to the state of all their sexual partners; while legal prosecution is underway against the courageous Dr. Tiller for performing late-term abortions; a few months after the Supreme Court upheld the so-called "Partial Birth Abortion Ban;" as a young man in Texas is already in jail for life for assisting his girlfriend in self-inducing an abortion after a judge lied to her about her options; as a movement of Christian fascist pharmacists across the country are refusing to prescribe birth control to women, and so much more All I could think while reading this article is: "PEOPLE: WAKE THE FUCK UP AND STOP SLEEPWALKING TOWARDS FASCISM!"

Women are human beings, not incubators. Intellectually, creatively, politically, and socially we are capable of everything that men are capable of. The fact that we are capable of giving birth is simply one element of our biology -- not the central or defining thing about our capabilities and it should not be the central or defining thing in determining our role in society. If women are not free to determine for themselves when and whether to bear children, then not only do women suffer unspeakably from the disrespect, brutality, foreclosed lives and oppression bound up with this, but society suffers immeasurably from the squandering of half of humanity's potential. The role of women is a defining aspect of any society; If women are not free, then no one can be free.

Right now, two futures for women are posed. Either we step out of bounds of politics as usual, get out in the streets in a furious political uprising, challenge and shake people loose from the ignorance and oppressive relations prescribed in the Bible, put something on the line now OR we are passively accepting the enslavement of the female half of humanity.

This is no hyperbole. The stated aim of the movement to end abortion is also to end birth control and to reestablish the role of women as that of "helpmeets" to their husbands and fathers. They are not planning on merely taking us back to the days of under-the-table dangerous back-alley abortions, they are laying the legal basis, constructing ethical arguments, and creating a cultural atmosphere where those involved in providing women with either birth control or abortions will be hunted down, tried, and punished as murderers. Meanwhile, "Purity Balls" where girls exchange vows with, and pledge their virginity to, their fathers until they are passed off to their husbands are springing up around the country, "abstinence only" is spreading ignorance and shame throughout the schools and overseas, and homosexuals are being demonized and denied basic legal rights. All this is rooted in a literalist interpretation of the bible with all the horrors that entails. Specifically, but not only, the insistence that women be unto their husbands as their husbands are unto the lord (Ephesians 5:22) and that they leave it up to god (not the use of contraception or abortion) to determine how many children they will bear.

There is nothing "moral" about any of this. The Bible was written two thousand years ago by human beings to justify and instill with supernatural authority the oppressive societies they were seeking to hold together. This was a slave-owning, ignorant, warring and brutally patriarchal society and the Bible, accordingly, insists on the obedience of slaves, the slaughtering of people of other religions, the stoning of non-virgin brides and so much more. This is a book whose relations and "morals" should be left in history. Instead, it is being is being used to justify a Christian fascist agenda, it is very far along, and it is NOT going away without a fight.

Face it: the Democrats, and the "pro-choice leaders" who are tied to them, are not stopping this direction, they are facilitating it! They have accepted and are promoting the Christian fascist logic that there is something wrong with abortion (Hillary calls it a "tragic choice"), that women's most valuable role is as mothers (they claim to be the party that is better, not for women, but for mothers and families), and they are lulling people, one compromise at a time, into a future that no one should want to live in (no one even bothered to filibuster Supreme Court appointees John Roberts or Samuel Alito). At a time when birth control and abortion are more in more danger than at any point since Roe V. Wade, it is widely acknowledged that the Democrats have surrendered the field and would prefer to change the subject.

Meanwhile, there are hundreds of millions of people in this country who if they understood what the sustained assault ..ion is really about and what kind of future it is really leading towards would be revolted. There are those who came of age in the movements of the 60's and 70's who are watching in horror as the advances they fought for and won are being rolled back. There is a new generation that is stirring and looking for a way to change all that is wrong in the world today from the wars of aggression, the torture, to nooses appearing across the country to the oppression, degradation and brutality inflicted on women. And there are others.

Taking the long view, the notion that women are human beings equal to men and capable of participating fully in all realms of human society is still extremely new and extremely embattled on a world-historic scale. It really was introduced to the world on a large stage with the revolutions first in the Soviet Union and later in China because of the level of participation of women and of the transformations in relations between men and women brought about in those societies. Since those revolutions were reversed decades ago, many who once fought for complete liberation for women have lowered their sights and the rulers of this country and others have worked to forcefully reassert traditional morality and traditions chains on women.

Here we see a reminder that there is no guarantee that history will always move forward. What happens in any given era is determined by how the people understand and act on the conditions they find themselves in. Today, we are confronted by a powerful movement to enslave women. But, there also exists the potential power among the people, if we dare to act on it, to challenge and reverse this and makes strides, once again, towards the complete emancipation of women.

Taking the long-view once again it is clear that every advance for women has come from those who have dared to struggle and sacrifice against unjust authority, defy and upend patriarchal notions about the role and nature of women, and move massively outside the channels of official politics. Through this process, much has been learned and new cultures and new ways for women and men to relate have been forged, creating seeds of a world we'd actually like to hand down to future generations.

Today, as two futures for women are posed, what we do will determine not only our destinies, but those of future generations. It is time for all of us to stand up. We need abortion on demand and without apology. We need to challenge, not conciliate with, the "morality" of the Bible, especially as it is taken literally. We need to break people free of the Democrats and their "politics of the possible" for all this is no more than the politics of facilitating monstrosity. We need to put something on the line to bring about a world where women and men relate with equality and mutual respect, where women participate fully in every sphere, and where all of society is enriched because of it. It is time for a new women's liberation movement.

article written by Sunsara Taylor

Check out this video: Domestic Violence - If Anybody Cared

Check out this video: Domestic Violence - If Anybody Cared

Protect Affordable Prescriptions!

Did you know that a federal law inadvertently caused prescription birth-control prices to soar at family-planning clinics, increasing the cost of birth control by as much as $30 per month on some college campuses?

What happened next? NARAL Pro-Choice America organizers on campus like Becky mobilized. Just days after she and others organized a massive day of action at the University of Montana in Missoula, the Student Government passed a resolution calling for legislative action.

And now Congress has answered the call by introducing a bipartisan solution to restore access to affordable birth control.

Will you join college students like Becky across the country and urge Congress to restore affordable birth control today before more women are affected by soaring prices?

Click here to ask your members of Congress to fix the birth-control pricing crisis by cosponsoring the Prevention Through Affordable Access Act.

The drastic increase in birth-control prices has affected not only university health centers but family-planning clinics around the country, making prescription contraception unaffordable for many working women.

Fixing this mistake is a no-brainer. This new bill won't cost taxpayers a single penny - but the cost of the mistake adds up every day.

The Prevention Through Affordable Access Act was introduced by representatives from both parties and on both sides of the choice issue who agree that access to affordable contraception is the most effective way to prevent unintended pregnancy.

Students across the country - from Montana to Wisconsin, Iowa to Texas - have been fighting for affordable birth control. Now it's our turn.

Click here to tell your lawmakers to ease the burden of the soaring cost of birth control for millions of women today by cosponsoring the Prevention Through Affordable Access Act.

Then click here to ask your friends and family to join you in urging Congress to restore affordable birth control for women with limited budgets.

Thank you for all you do.

My best,


Nancy Keenan
President, NARAL Pro-Choice America

PS: When there is a threat to a woman's right to choose, we need to be prepared. Click here to join our Txt4Choice network and turn your cell phone into a powerful tool for choice.

International Women's Health: How Much Do You Know?

Take the Poll and
Test Your Knowledge of International Women's Health Issues

In some countries, maternal health has improved significantly. A key to success is government leadership.

Around the world, women lack access to health care. This struggle is both a cause -- and a result -- of their status in society.

Test your knowledge of global women's health and rights»

For example, did you know that complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death among young women aged 15 to 19 in low income countries?

By any measure, this situation is unacceptable -- particularly when the vast majority of these lives could be saved with interventions that have been proven to work.

But the challenges are not insurmountable. Knowledge is power - and together we can help women across the globe.

Expand your power: Take our quick poll and see what you learn about global women's health and rights»

Thank you, Natasha Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team

FedUp with FedEx

"I don't intend to recognize any unions at Federal Express."

- FedEx CEO Fred Smith1

Stop Unionbusting at FedEx

Stop unionbusting at
FedEx Ground!

Deliver your message at FedUpwithFedEx.org You'll never look at that bright white delivery truck outside your window the same way again.

FedEx Ground advertises efficiency and professionalism. But a new report shows that when drivers try to form unions, they're met with intimidation and propaganda – even firing.

Tell FedEx you're FedUp with its nasty anti-union tactics!

Deliver your message at www.FedUpwithFedEx.org

To fatten its bottom line, FedEx has strived for years to keep its company union-free. More than 15,000 FedEx Ground drivers have neither a voice at work nor the ability to stand up to the company.

FedEx Ground drivers—who work long hours, often without benefits—are frequently harassed and even fired for supporting a union. According to federal charges and interviews with drivers, here's the complete unionbusting "package" delivered by FedEx Ground management:

* Propaganda: Anti-union posters plastered all over worksites, and a threatening anti-union video distributed to drivers.
* Persuasion: Steak dinners and sudden attempts to address grievances ignored for years, all to discourage workers from supporting union efforts.
* Intimidation: Where persuasion fails, there's outright bullying. High-level management arrive on the scene to harass, isolate, retaliate against, and even terminate union supporters.

So why don't these drivers just quit if they don't like their jobs? FedEx makes them lease their own trucks—which cost around $40,000—so quitting can mean losing a major personal investment. Unions are often their only recourse.

Tell FedEx Ground to shape up or ship out! www.FedUpwithFedEx.org

Stay tuned for more ways to get involved in the coming weeks. And please forward this message to friends and family.

Thank you for helping make sure FedEx Ground drivers get a fair deal.

Liz Cattaneo,
American Rights at Work
www.americanrightsatwork.org

1. The Wall Street Journal, August 4, 1989

Tell Congress: Workers Deserve Paid Sick Days

Nearly half of our nation's workers have no paid sick days to care for themselves or their loved ones when they are ill.

Forward to a friend >>
Read the petition >>

It's unthinkable that 145 countries provide paid sick days and the United States -- the wealthiest nation in the world -- is not one of them. In fact, half of our nation's workers don't have a single paid sick day.

Join me in telling Congress to support the Healthy Families Act now»

Currently, there are no state or federal laws that require workplaces to provide paid sick days. But the Healthy Families Act would provide a guarantee of seven paid sick days a year to full-time employees -- to help them get well or to care for a sick loved one.

Nine in 10 voters polled by Lake Research Partners support a basic workplace standard of paid sick days to care for themselves or sick family members.

Working women shouldn't be forced to risk their jobs to take care of their health or their families.
Tell Congress that we need updated laws that support our nation's workers»

Sincerely, Natasha Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team

What is liberation for women today?

Stop Violence Against Women Month: What You Can Do

October is Violence Against Women Awareness Month: Here's What You Can Do

Photo: Boaz Rottem

October is violence against women awareness month. In addition to being a massive human rights violation, violence against women is a major cause of poverty - it keeps women in poor countries from getting an education, working, and earning the income they need to lift their families out of poverty. For the past year and a half Edge has led a nation-wide campaign with Amnesty International USA

and the Family Violence Prevention Fund to end violence against women worldwide. The centerpiece of this campaign: The International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA), a bill, expected to be introduced in the Senate this fall, that would include solutions for reducing violence against women into all U.S. foreign assistance programs. Now we need your support to get it passed!

This October, join the thousands of Americans who have taken a stand for women worldwide: Sign the petition to make the I-VAWA a reality for women worldwide!

Read more about the I-VAWA

Tell Congress to Stand Up for Working Women's Rights

Every day, millions of working women are forced to choose between a paycheck and caring for their health or their sick child.

Tell Congress that working women need paid sick days»

Robbie from Wisconsin was fired when she left her job to take care of her son -- who had just been hit by a car:

"When a car hit my son, he didn't tell me right away, because he was worried I would lose my job. My older child called me at work and said, 'Mom, Eric's crying. He got hit by a car. You have to come home.' I told my boss, who said I'd be fired if I left. I knew my child had to go to the emergency room, so I left anyway -- and I was fired. The x-ray showed Eric had a broken arm."

Currently, there are no state or federal laws that require workplaces to provide paid sick days. In fact, half of our nation's workers don't have a single paid sick day. But the Healthy Families Act would provide a guarantee of seven paid sick days a year to full-time employees -- to help them get well or to care for a sick loved one.

In a country that prides itself on family values, we need to do a better job of valuing our families. Join me in telling Congress to support the Healthy Families Act now»

Sincerely, Natasha Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team

Which Way Are You Headed?

I need your help to convince members of Congress who seem to have lost their direction to do the right thing.

In a matter of weeks - possibly days - Congress will decide whether to put an end to George W. Bush's devastating global gag rule. For seven years, this immoral policy has forced family-planning groups to cut staff, close health centers, raise fees, and stop supplying birth control to some of the world’s poorest women.

My staff and I are working day and night to ensure that Congress abolishes this dangerous rule, and here’s how you can help:

Make your contribution right now, and we’ll send a moral compass to key lawmakers on your behalf – symbolizing your hope that they find their way back on this moral choice.

Your contribution will help NARAL Pro-Choice America:

• Educate lawmakers about how harmful Bush's policy is to the world's poorest women.
• Coordinate a National Call in day to Congress.
• Fund phone banks, robo calls, and online action alerts to motivate pro-choice activists.

Our goal is to flood key lawmakers with hundreds of moral compasses to make this critical point: It is morally wrong to deny the world's poorest women and their families basic health services! You can point these lawmakers back in the right direction today by donating.

For the first time in recent memory both chambers voted to do away with Bush's misguided policy. However, anti-choice politicians on Capitol Hill and in the White House are trying to derail this opportunity. But you can help ensure that lawmakers are pointed in the right direction by sending a moral compass today.

Help point these critical members of Congress in the right direction with an urgent donation. Help end Bush’s global gag rule.

But please don't hesitate. Take action now to help restore funding for contraception and other basic health needs for the world's poorest women.

Thank you,

Nancy Keenan
President
NARAL Pro-Choice America

How much do you know about the future president?

We've been hearing a lot from the presidential candidates during recent debates - but do you know where all the candidates stand on a woman's right to choose?

You might be surprised... click here to test your knowledge of the presidential candidates' position on choice!

The next president could appoint one or more new Supreme Court Justices and will have the chance to sign or veto legislation that affects women's reproductive health here and around the world. That is why pro-choice voters like you need to know where all the candidates stand on a woman's right to choose.

Test your knowledge of the candidates by taking our quiz today!

You may think you know about the presidential candidates, but some of their comments and positions will surprise you - and we can't afford another president who puts politics over women's health.

Please, put your knowledge to the test today, get the facts, and then encourage your family and friends to see if they can match your smarts. By working together and educating each other, we will elect a pro-choice president in 2008!

My best,





Nancy Keenan
President, NARAL Pro-Choice America

Man (sort of) Makes 13 year old Son Tape Him Abusing Wife

A Special Update from Ritu, Edge's President

I want to take this time to thank you for your work on behalf of women and girls in poverty around the world. Because so many of you signed petitions and contacted your Members of Congress, we've secured bi-partisan endorsement for the GROWTH Act! And just two weeks ago, the GROWTH Act was introduced in the Senate! Now we have to get this bill through both chambers of Congress and we need your help to do it. If you have not considered donating to Edge before, this is the time to take the next step and contribute.

Passing this legislation is the first step toward a brighter future for women and girls in poverty. We must raise an additional $300,000 to support critical communications, outreach and advocacy work this fall, and we can do it if every member in our network becomes a donor.

Please consider making a contribution to Edge now by visiting our giving page here and help us achieve our vision: women and girls all over the world growing and thriving. To learn more about the GROWTH Act, click here.

Sincerely,
Ritu
Co-Founder and President

Verizon calls NARAL "unsavory" and "controversial"

I've got some bad news for you: even your cell phone isn't safe from censorship.

Last week Verizon Wireless deemed NARAL Pro-Choice America too "controversial" and "unsavory" to approve a short code for our text-messaging program.

Not familiar with the term "short code"? That's okay. The bottom line is that Verizon won't let its customers access our text-messaging program.

Verizon's decision sends chills down my spine. What kind of company would deny its customers who signed up to receive information the ability to use their cell phones to participate in our democracy? That's just wrong.

I've sent a letter to Verizon president and CEO Lowell McAdam asking him to end his company's policy. But Verizon hasn't contacted me with an official response - so now I'm asking for your help. Please send your own message to Verizon opposing their decision today!

The principle at stake here is simple. Verizon Wireless' customers have every right to decide what actions to take with their phones, regardless of their political views.

If you think that Verizon, which controls 25 percent of the cell-phone market, has no business deciding what information their customers can and can't receive, I hope you take action today.

Thank you for standing with us.

My best,


Nancy Keenan
President
NARAL Pro-Choice America

Threadbare Excuses at American Eagle

Harassment, Intimidation, Unionbusting Tell American Eagle you expect better from its contractors! As the weather cools down and school starts up, you might think about picking up some new fall fashions from American Eagle Outfitters. While American Eagle, one of the biggest clothing retailers in North America, has a corporate code for contractors that supports workers’ rights to join a union, it seems one of the company’s contractors is cut from a different cloth. Workers at American Eagle’s Canadian distribution contractor have a shocking story to tell. When these men and women first tried to form a union, they say they were subjected to harassment and intimidation—all part of a massive unionbusting campaign. Write a letter to American Eagle demanding that the company enforce its code of conduct at the distribution center. How far will American Eagle’s contractor go to suppress workers’ rights to join a union? The company flew in a unionbusting firm to run a campaign against employees the very same day the workers petitioned for union certification. According to workers, the company: Made workers attend daily, two-hour anti-union meetings, Plastered huge “vote no” posters all over the workplace, and Mailed an anti-union DVD to each worker’s home. We call that unionbusting – and it’s simply unacceptable. Despite promising to treat workers with “dignity and respect,” American Eagle has not lifted a finger to enforce its code of conduct. As the largest customer of National Logistics Services, the company that owns and operates the distribution center, American Eagle can make a difference in the lives of these workers. But instead the company has turned a blind eye - claiming it holds no responsibility for the way its distributor treats workers, who say they suffer from stagnating wages, little job security, and daily disrespect from management. Contact American Eagle and say that this just doesn’t fit! You know as well as I do that the company can choose to do the right thing. These workers have a right to join a union, free from harassment and fear. Thank you for taking action on behalf of these workers! Liz Cattaneo, American Rights at Work www.americanrightsatwork.org

Visit the web address below to tell your friends about American Rights at Work and the Employee Free Choice Act. Tell-a-friend!

If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for American Rights at Work.

Pro-choice Senate victory is in sight if you act today!

We just heard that we can score a major victory for the world's poorest women - help us make it happen!

Sens. Boxer (D-CA) and Snowe (R-ME) plan to hold a Senate vote to repeal President Bush's appalling "global gag rule," which blocks U.S. funds from going to any overseas health clinic if it uses its own, private, non-U.S. funds to provide legal abortion services, give referrals, or even take a public pro-choice position.

We've been working to end this extreme policy ever since Bush enacted it on his first day in office. With Congress now in pro-choice hands, we have our best chance in years to end this misguided policy - and a vote could happen as early as tomorrow.

Take action now and urge your senators to vote to repeal the global gag rule. After you take action, be sure to forward this message to at least five friends. Let's make sure that senators in all 50 states hear from pro-choice supporters!

Thank you for taking action today to ensure that women around the world aren’t denied critical health services because of horrendous Bush policies.

My best,

Nancy Keenan
President
NARAL Pro-Choice America

Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this opportunity to repeal President Bush's global gag rule.
Tell-a-friend!

Bloomers by Jeanne Angelheart

In 1850 Amelia Bloomers invented BLOOMERS--liberating women from the constrictive confines of their clothing; BLOOMERS made a powerful statement about women's rights! "These baggy pantaloons worn with a short skirt over them were scandalous when the first appeared, but most women loved them, for they freed them from dangerous and unhealthy clothing. "I am still loving their freedom, today! They have become my uniform

Execution of a teenage girl in Iran

This is a horrific story!! It is in five different videos. A young teenaged girl who was executed when she was only 16 years old for "Crimes against Chastity". She was raped and tormented by the same "Moral Police", captors who jailed her for her crimes, beginning at age 13.

This is a admirable documentary which was made courageously under the suppression of fact of mullahs regime Shown by BBC01.And following the brutal murder of Zahra Kazemi the Canadian national journalist.











Please watch these videos so that this lovely young girl did not die in vain!!

STEP UP! Help A Working Mother In Dire Straits

Hey folks,

This story is not an easy one to tell. And the courage it took for the woman to let me tell it to you is immense.

Her name is Cy. She’s a sweet, hard working mother of 4 kids. One of them just 20 months old. Right now, all 5 of them are stuck in the middle of nowhere with no money, no place to stay, and I assume nothing to eat.

I’m telling you this story because you can help. Her kids need help. And I feel compelled to use my influence on the internet to persuade you to help.

Imagine your boyfriend breaking your hands so you could no longer use the internet. Imagine having your head slammed into the doorway. Imagine having your ribs busted by someone you lived with and had a relationship with.
After you watch that video, ask yourself a question: If it was a close friend of yours, what would YOU do to help?

No one should have to suffer domestic abuse like this. Obviously, you now see why I need your help. Please take a few seconds to watch the video below and see how you can help get Cy to a better place tomorrow…

Here’s what Cy needs…

Some money to get to a new city. She has a safe place to go and once there, will start looking for shelter for her kids. Right now she is stranded with nothing. In fact, her Paypal is -$250 after this monstrous ordeal.

I urge you to please dig deep into your heart and do whatever you can to help out Cy and her kids. I told her I would only help if she promised to move to the new city, start a new life, and surround herself with supportive people.

Right now, she just needs some supportive people. I’m not asking a lot from you, just whatever you can possibly do. Maybe it’s just tell a friend. Maybe it’s just a prayer. Please help however you feel comfortable doing so.

You can view Cy’s Product here…

If you are not interested in the product, but would like to just help with a couple bucks for daily needs, please send paypal payment to the email below….

cyprice @ gmail.com ( obviously without the spaces )

Thank you everyone, it means a lot to me and many of Cy’s friends.

ARE YOU IN AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP?

If you find that you are in an abusive relationship it is important to get out of there as soon as possible?  Right now you may be saying, "Yeah, right, but that is easier said than done"

One resource that you might consider is  to contact your local YWCA.  The one in my community sponsors a Women's Shelter.  A safe, secure place where women (and their children) can live anonymously for up to a month while they try to restart their lives.  They also provide counseling, help to find a job, day care, and clothing. 

A friend of mine came to me in need last spring.  I was able to point her in this direction and she is now on a whole new path in life after enduring years of mental and sometimes physical abuse from her husband.  The important thing is that you make the decision to get out.  There are people out there who will help you.

Elaine

India elects first female president - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

India elects first female president - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

India elects first female president

Posted 42 minutes ago
Updated 6 minutes ago

Pratibha Patil has scored a landslide win, despite several scandals. (AFP: Noah Seelam)

India has elected its first female president, in what supporters are hailing as a boost for the rights of millions of downtrodden women, despite a bitter campaign marked by scandal.

Pratibha Patil, the ruling coalition's 72-year-old nominee, has easily beaten 84-year-old Opposition-backed challenger and standing Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in a vote by the national Parliament and state politicians.

Ms Patil has won by a large margin, securing 66 per cent of the votes.

A stream of well-wishers is thronging her residence in New Delhi, while people are dancing in the streets in the new President's home town of Jalgaon.

"This a victory of the people," Ms Patil said after official results were announced.

"I am grateful to the people of India and the men and women of India, and this is a victory for the principles which our Indian people uphold."

A junior minister in the Prime Minister's office, Prithviraj Chavan, says Ms Patil's win is a historic moment for India.

"In the 60th year of India's independence, a woman will be elected as the president very shortly. We are very happy," he said.

Ms Patil, a lawyer and the Governor of the north-western desert state, Rajasthan, emerged on the national stage when the Congress-led coalition and its communist allies failed to agree on a joint candidate.

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi plucked Ms Patil from relative political obscurity, saying her election would boost the cause of gender equality and would be a historic moment.

Supporters hoped Ms Patil's nomination would help bring issues that plague women in India, like dowry-related violence, into the public spotlight. A woman is murdered, raped or abused every three minutes on average in India.

Scandals

But Ms Patil was buffeted by accusations that she protected her brother in a murder probe and shielded her husband in a suicide scandal, in a campaign described by analysts as the most vitriolic in India's post-colonial history.

There were also claims of nepotism and involvement in a slew of financial scams.

Ms Patil, a demure figure who dresses conservatively in a sari pulled over her hair, has denied any wrongdoing.

She was also mocked for telling television viewers that a dead spiritual guru gave her a "divine premonition of greater responsibility".

India's top news magazine, India Today, put her on its front cover with the headline: "Embarrassing Choice".

Analysts say Ms Patil has a tough act to follow in the form of India's popular outgoing President Abdul Kalam.

Congress rebuffed his bid for a second five-year term because, analysts say, it wanted a party loyalist.

The silver-haired, shaggy-locked missile scientist, who became a national hero after overseeing successful tests in 1998 that turned India into a nuclear

power, was dubbed the "People's President" for his populist style.

Under the constitution, the Prime Minister holds the executive reins but the President plays a role in forming governments at state and federal levels, making the post hotly contested.

Ms Patil's presidency reflects the growing power of some women in India, where an increasing number are taking part in the work force and in schools and hold senior positions in corporations as India enters the globalised economy.

India has had a few female icons in the past, most famously Sonia Gandhi's mother-in-law, Indira, who was one of the world's first female prime ministers in 1966.

Need Emergency Cash?

Make Your Single Life Sensational

“There is a ‘right way’ and a ‘wrong way’ to pursue happiness when you’re single. I’ve seen this happen over and over again with my friends, and I have made the same mistake myself...” author Karin J. MacKenzie “Every young woman should read this book.” -- Dr. R.C. Gilkie, Halifax, N.S.

At last. A book for women that goes beyond the traditional dating manual advice and offers simple, key steps to creating a great life filled with friendships, romance and joy! Only $19.95 - Order Here!

A terrific life can be yours for the asking Dear friend, If you’re single, chances are you’re trying to ‘correct’ that status and find someone special with whom to spend your life. Maybe you’ve been dating casually without spectacular results. Perhaps your social life could use a boost. If you’ve been out there looking for ‘the one’, I hate to break the news that you’ve probably been making a lot of classic mistakes that are actually repelling romance and keeping your single life flat, rather than fabulous. My new book has a proven blueprint for success that will quickly show you how to transform yourself into a vital, attractive woman with new friends and new hobbies, and attract more romantic attention toward yourself. Get ready to live the life you’ve always wanted, and be happier than you ever imagined! Karin J. MacKenzie

Have a vision to defeat procrastination

Have you discovered your purpose in life? Do you have long-term goals? Finding and focusing on your long-term goals is a powerful cure for procrastination. A vision is simply a statement of what you want to achieve in life, and how you plan to achieve it. Without a vision, it's easy to fall into a lifestyle of procrastination. And without a clear statement of your vision, you're more likely to give up on projects in the face of difficulties.

If you haven't written your vision, you need to make this your No. 1 priority. Your goals and your attention will shift from one project to the next, year after year, if you don't have a vision to guide you.

- Make a written list of your lifetime goals. Wishing won't make it happen-writing down a goal is the first action you can take to conquer procrastination. Find out more about overcoming procrastination

Child Custody for Women

One of the saddest situations happens when a child has been bribed or manipulated into turning against the mother--and frequently this mother is, in our opinions, the better of the two parents. A case we are actively working with right now illustrates what we are talking about. The mother, a warm and hard-working professional, runs into all of the following from her ten year old daughter, when she tries to phone or comes to pick the girl up for a visit.

"I don't want to talk now. I'm busy." (The child slams the phone down.)

"You know I don't like to see you!"

"You're bothering us; don't call me !" (The mother, rightly, wonders who the "us" is in this statement.)

And the mother frequently hears what is a sure sign of a bribed or manipulated child, words and sentences that are obviously not of the child's own creation, but rather from the bitter and vindictive other parent:

"You decided to leave us. This is all your fault. You're not entitled to share in my life anymore."

Unfortunately, most mothers singled out to be the victims of such vitriolic attacks are poorly equipped to deal with them. They start out trying to be calm and loving, but all too soon are worn down by the hurt, frustration and road blocks continuously thrown up when they attempt contacts with the child. They end up either retreating, or counter-attacking---neither of which can lead to a happy outcome. It is essential that mothers caught up in this kind of trap learn the four strategies that can be truly effective and helpful in this situation.

The \'Secret\' to Having Fun as a Single Mom

It is interesting what you can attract to your life.  Some things seem to come to you just when you need it.  For example, I was just surfing the net the other day when I came across this new parenting ebook that took me be surprise.  It turned my notions of being a good parent upside down, but at the same time, it was just what I needed to hear. 

It had been a long day and I was tired of saying (for the umpteenth time), “No, don’t do that!”  I’m a single mother (when my husband is traveling for his job) and I’m not doing a very good job (or at least I feel like I’m not helping my kids be their best).

I was taking a break by surfing the net when I ran across this parenting guide called “Mom Has Fun Parenting Method”.  Well, I can tell you that title caught my eye because fun was the very last thing that I was experiencing!

Well, needless to say, I signed up for the free eClass! 

If you’re a single mom (or dad) or just a tired parent, discover how you can put the ‘fun’ and ‘wonder’ back into parenting.

Liberate yourself with the SECRET

The secret law of attraction has been around for quite a long time – actors and actresses with wonderful romances and business pro’s earning millions of dollars a year put the secret law of attraction to work for them time and time again, and you can easily put it to work, too.

The secret law of attraction is all about thinking of what you want, and willing it to you. Your thoughts will manifest themselves into reality – that’s the basics of the secret law of attraction.

Really, the secret law of attraction is that easy! Find out more at the Secret Law of Attraction

Women's Rights

n previous years, generations ago women were considered property of the husband or father to whom they belonged. Now as we have progressed into the 21st century women have stepped up to the plate and are an integral part of society and politics, on an entirely equal footing with men. In the past, women were considered as belonging to their husbands or fathers, now they are the CEO's of major corporations. Women today are a very important part of society, with women in jobs such as judges, Senators, Congress, and even Governors - a feat that would have been highly surprising even twenty years ago.

These positions were not possible previously, with widespread social reform needed to bring about this change. In previous years, women were only allowed to work on the family farm, or be a teacher, rather than being afforded experience in practical situations. Women were expected to be married by the end of their teenage years, and were overlooked in conversations as being unable to contribute anything valid. When elections were first started, women were not allowed to vote, they were barely allowed the right to run their own homes.

As society has progressed, we have seen women moving from the back of the line, to the front of the public eye, occupying more and more positions of authority and respect. Find out more at Current Legal Issues

A response to the previous post and my reply

"I don't really understand the reasoning behind your concern about women not being able to receive abortions from military medical facilities. And yes, I'm a man, so I'll admit I don't understand the female mindset.

I'd like to think (as unreasonable as that may be) that military service should not be a huge sex party, complete with morning-after pills, and emergency abortions. Whatever happened to accepting responsibility for your actions? I also don't understand the theory that any kind of animal testing, or a person wearing a fur coat is a huge crime, but having an abortion is no big deal...just because it's the woman's right to choose. Why are animals protected, and children not? I thought liberals liked to stand up for the little guy. Seems to me that in this age of STDs running rampant, that these folks that love to tell everybody how they should live, could exercise a little common sense in birth control and contraception.

You also might remember back to the wonderful Clinton years, where the military was darn near budget cut out of existence. To heck with equipping the soldiers with what they need to defend our country, we'd rather have abortions on demand for our servicewomen. Give me a break.

Like I said, I'm a man and don't understand the woman mindset completely, but there's my two cents worth.

Garry"

And, my reply to Garry is:

"I'd like to think (as unreasonable as that may be) that military service should not be a huge sex party, complete with morning-after pills, and emergency abortions. Whatever happened to accepting responsibility for your actions?"

*****Many of our service women, even in the year 2007, are subjected to sexual harassment and even rape- yes, I said RAPE- by their fellow soldiers. Pregnancies result- remember Lynndie England, for example. I am sure there are many more.

*****It's also amazing to me how male service members have access to Viagra, and other male sexual enhancement drugs and NOBODY questions THAT; but service women aren't supposed to have access to contraceptive services and abortions which are still LEGAL, despite the efforts of the right-wing women-hating losers.

"I'd like to think (as unreasonable as that may be) that military service should not be a huge sex party"

*****Garry, the MEN are part of the so-called sex party, and should be taking responsibility for their actions, too. Too often, throughout history, men DON'T take responsibility.

"You also might remember back to the wonderful Clinton years, where the military was darn near budget cut out of existence."

*****Garry, actually the Clinton years WERE wonderful, compared to the unholy mess that this county is in now, thanks to Bush and Cheney, and the right-wing agenda. I don't know about the military being cut out of existence. but Bill Clinton brought us 8 years of peace and prosperity. People had jobs; people could make ends meet; many people even had extra money in their pockets. Bill Clinton opened the strategic reserve to keep the cost of gas lower for the working people. Now, people are suffering, both in this country and in Iraq. The only winner of this war will be Halliburton and the subsidiary Kellogg Brown and Root, the former of which was Dick Cheney's former employer (GEE! What a coincidence!). I long for those wonderful days when we had a President who cared about the people of this country in office, and not a bunch of robber baron war profiteers.

Why are servicewomen being denied birth control?

Approximately 350,000 women currently serve in the U.S. military, making up almost 15 percent of all active-duty personnel. But federal law does little to protect their reproductive rights: not only are they banned from accessing abortion care at military medical facilities, but some cannot even obtain emergency contraception, which can prevent unintended pregnancy if taken soon after sex, at their base pharmacy.

Don't wait! Please urge Congress to ensure that emergency contraception is stocked at every military health-care facility.

Our government should provide the highest standard of care to women who have volunteered to serve our country, plain and simple. In 2002 health officials at the Defense Department agreed, and approved Plan B® to be stocked at military medical facilities. However, weeks later, President Bush's political appointees overruled the decision without discussion or explanation.

This week, Congress has an opportunity to improve health care for women in the military with a bill sponsored by lawmakers in both parties and on both sides of the choice issue. The Compassionate Care for Servicewomen Act simply adds Plan B® to the list of medications that must be stocked at every military health-care facility.

Please take action today to defend the rights of those who defend us. Urge your lawmaker to support the Compassionate Care for Servicewomen Act to ensure that emergency contraception is available to women on every military base.

A vote could take place as early as tomorrow, and it is going to be very close. Take action today!

Horrendous abuse of Moslem women by their husbands and other male relatives

Muslim feminist fights for women's rights in Italy

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Silvia Aloisi
ROME - Reuters

They may have hoped for a better life in a rich European country, but many Muslim women migrating to Italy suffer abuse by their husbands and live isolated from the rest of society, a Muslim feminist leader says. "We are not integrated at all. Many of the women who came here 15 years ago have not moved one inch forward, they live in a ghetto, they do not speak Italian, they do not go to school and often they do not work," Souad Sbai told Reuters. "Worse, they are often beaten up and abused by their partners: and I do not mean a slap in the face. I mean broken bones, knife wounds and burns with boiling-hot oil," she said.

Unlike in France or Britain, many Muslim immigrants in Italy come from rural regions of the Maghreb, where conservative views about women rights prevail: "Once in Italy, men adopt a do-it-yourself vision of Islam that completely marginalises women."

Sbai, who is 45 and has lived in Italy for 27 years, is the head of the country's Moroccan women's association, a moderate Muslim group campaigning for women's rights and giving legal advice to victims of abuse. Along with other Muslim leaders she helped the Rome government draw up guidelines for immigrants. The so called "Charter of Values", published last week, states that Muslim women should not wear veils that cover their face and reiterates that forced marriage and polygamy are banned in Italy.

More than 1 million Muslim immigrants live in Italy, mostly from North Africa, and about 40 percent of them are women who often joined their husbands a few years after they came to start a new life. But while the men in the family usually find a job and learn at least some Italian -- moving up the integration ladder -- their wives tend to stay at home and look after the children. Many end up depending entirely on their partner who may have conservative views on whether they should go out or find a job.

Statistics show that the percentage of legally registered Muslim women in Italy is much lower than that of men. In the case of Moroccans, the biggest group of Muslim immigrants in Italy, 86.5 percent of those who registered to live and work legally here were men against 13.5 percent of women. Among Tunisians, the percentages were 95.4 for men against just 4.6 for women.

"INVISIBLE"

"Many women become the property of their husbands, who often take their documents or don't get them residence permits, so they do not legally exist in Italy and they cannot go back home," said Sbai. "To the rest of society, these women are invisible. You will not see them dining in a restaurant, or queuing up at the doctor or going to the hairdresser. You will not see them doing the kind of stuff that would be normal in their own country."

She takes the example of Najat Hadi, a 46-year old Moroccan who sought Sbai's help after her Egyptian husband, beat her up repeatedly, including lacerating her breast with a spiked club, because she rebelled against his authority and did not accept the second wife that he brought home one day. The husband has since disappeared with two of Hadi's children.