She Still Needs Our Help

Trigger Warning:  T  The first article about this case had a title something like "He Confessed but He's Still Free."

A new prosecutor could mean that Daisy Coleman's rapist may finally be brought to

justice. But he's been let off the hook before, and right now is the time to make

sure it doesn't happen again.

Click to sign the open letter from moms and dads demanding justice for Daisy.

click here

Click Here

Melinda Coleman woke up one January morning to find her 14-year-old daughter barely

conscious, lying in the freezing cold at her front door in Maryville, Missouri. But

the real horror came when she realized Daisy had been raped, then dumped in her front

lawn by her attacker.1

Despite his confession, witness accounts, and a mountain of evidence, the charges

were dropped. Daisy's well-connected rapist is free, but the Coleman family has been

bullied, ostracized, and even forced to move out of town.

2

Now, the Colemans have another chance for justice.

 After they took their story to the press, and 70,000 UltraViolet members spoke out,

a special prosecutor was appointed to take over from local authorities.

3

 But Daisy's attacker was let off the hook once before--seemingly thanks to his powerful

family. If we want justice, we have to make sure authorities know we're still paying

attention.

The new prosecutor is reviewing the evidence and will be deciding soon how aggressively

to pursue the case--and before she decides, we need to make sure she hears from all

of us how important it is to hold rapists accountable.

In a horrific crime against a child, the voices of parents can be especially powerful.

That's why mother and UltraViolet member Marian Bradley wrote an open letter for

moms and dads to sign urging justice for Daisy Coleman. Can you add your name to

her letter?

Sign the open letter from moms and dads.

Not a parent?

Please co-sign the letter as a concerned citizen.

Here's the text of the letter that Marian is sending to the special prosecutor assigned

Daisy Coleman's case:

Dear Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker:

We are writing as mothers and fathers who have seen stories like Daisy Coleman's

too many times. From Steubenville, Ohio to Billings, Montana to the countless girls

and women whose stories don't make headline news, too many daughters are raped and

sexually assaulted in this country. This must stop.

In Maryville, you have a chance to get justice for Daisy Coleman and send a message

that these crimes will not go unpunished. You can show the entire country that popularity,

positions of authority, or political connections do not give anyone license to rape

or sexually assault young girls with impunity.

The crimes committed against Daisy deserve a thorough and rigorous prosecution. Thank

you for taking on this case. We're counting on you to get justice.

Signed,

Marian Bradley, Billings, MT

Your name here

The more people who sign this letter, the more powerful our message will be.

Add your name.

Thanks for speaking out,

-Nita, Shaunna, Kat, Karin, Malinda, Adam and Gabriela, the UltraViolet team

1.

Nightmare in Maryville: Teens’ sexual encounter ignites a firestorm against family

, Kansas City Star, October 12, 2013

2. Ibid.

3.

Special prosecutor appointed to investigate Missouri rape case

, Los Angeles Times, October 21, 2013

Want to support our work?

 UltraViolet is funded by members like you, and our tiny staff ensures small contributions

go a long way.

Chip in here.

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And I Thought I Could Leave it with Only a Positive Post!

And I Thought I Could Stop with Only a Positive Post!

Trigger Warning:  But your help is needed.  All you need to do is read the First line of this and you'll know what it's about.

A 14-year-old girl was raped in Maryville, Missouri, but her well-connected rapist

is walking free--despite a mountain of evidence and even a taped confession.

Tell Attorney General Chris Koster: Investigate the rape and cover-up, and get justice

for Daisy.

click here

Click Here

Local authorities in Missouri need to hear from you right away.

Nearly 2 years ago, 14-year-old Daisy Coleman* was raped at a party by a high school

football star and grandson of a powerful local politician in Maryville, Missouri.

But now,

he’s walking free while Daisy and her family struggle to survive with what happened

to her.

1

Immediately after the rape, Daisy and her mother went to the hospital and reported

it to police. Matthew Barnett was charged, and he confessed on tape.

2

But a few months later, county prosecutor Robert Rice--who has close ties to the

alleged rapist's influential grandfather--dropped the charges.

 Worse, the town and high school ganged up not on the rapist, but on Daisy and her

family. Classmates said they hoped she "gets what's comin," calling her terrible

names. The Colemans were forced to move out of town, Daisy's mom lost her job over

the case, and their house was even burned to the ground--the cause of the fire still

undetermined.

3

This is Steubenville all over again.

 And just like the Steubenville case, if thousands of us speak out and shine a national

spotlight on Maryville, we can get justice for Daisy and her family.

 There’s a lot of national media attention on this case right now, and news just

broke that a special prosecutor will be appointed to investigate.

4

 But this case has been slow walked for years. We need to make sure every single

person responsible for delaying justice--including local officials--is investigated

and held accountable.

Will you sign the petition to demand justice for Daisy

?

Sign the petition to ask the Attorney General to investigate everyone involved in the rape and the cover-up.

After the rape, Barnett left Daisy in her yard, barely conscious and wearing a t-shirt.

The temperature in Maryville that night was just 22 degrees. When Daisy’s mom found

her passed out at her front door at 5 a.m., her wet hair was frozen, and she was

injured from the attack. She cried when her mom asked her what had happened.

5

The town of Maryville seems happy to move on and forget the rape now that the charges

have been dropped and the Colemans have left, but Daisy's recovery has been slower.

 She has attempted suicide twice, has been hospitalized multiple times, and spent

three months at a residence for struggling teens. "You’re the s-word, you’re the

w-word… b-word. Just, after a while, you start to believe it," she told a reporter

about the constant torment. Barnett has gone on with his life, enrolling at Central

Missouri University this year.

6

Rape is an epidemic in this country--1 in 5 women will be sexually assaulted, but

only 3% of attackers ever spend a single day in jail.

7 And

 when authorities ignore attacks on young girls and let rapists go free, it perpetuates

a culture and justice system that tolerates rape and blames survivors for the crimes

against them.

Prosecutor Rice told the Kansas City Star

 that this brutal rape was just "incorrigible teenagers" drinking and having sex--ignoring

evidence collected from rape kits and bedding from the crime scene, witnesses' accounts,

and even the taped confession of the rapist.

8

 And if you thought this story couldn’t get worse, since the rape became public,

Daisy's mom has learned that other girls had tried to come forward before--but according

to the sheriff, they were "all liars and... just wanted to crucify those poor innocent

boys."

9

Horrific cases like this one are becoming too familiar--from Jane Doe in Steubenville,

Ohio; to Rehtaeh Parsons in Halifax, Nova Scotia; and Cherice Moralez in Billings,

Montana.

10

 But we can't let this keep happening. Can you sign the petition to make sure that

Daisy's rapist is brought to justice?

Add your name.

Thanks for all you do,

-Nita, Shaunna, Kat, Karin, Malinda, Adam, and Gabriela, the UltraViolet team

*We wouldn't normally identify a sexual assault survivor by name, but Daisy and her

family have come forward publicly in pursuit of justice, and their names have appeared

in the media with their permission.

Sources:

1.

Nightmare in Maryville: Teens’ sexual encounter ignites a firestorm against family

, Kansas City Star, October 12, 2013

2.  Ibid.

3. Ibid.

4.

Maryville, Missouri sex assault case: Hack group Anonymous plans 'Twitter storm'

, NBC News, October 16, 2013

5.

Nightmare in Maryville: Teens’ sexual encounter ignites a firestorm against family

, Kansas City Star, October 12, 2013

6. Ibid.

7.

Nearly 1 in 5 Women in U.S. Survey Say They Have Been Sexually Assaulted

, New York Times, December 14, 2011

Reporting Rates

, Rape Abuse & Incest National Network

8.

Nightmare in Maryville: Teens’ sexual encounter ignites a firestorm against family

, Kansas City Star, October 12, 2013

9.

Maryville Mom Says More Girls Came Forward With Tales of Assault

, Jezebel, October 15, 2013

10.

Sexting Scourge

, Slate, April 10, 2013

Montana judge criticized for 31-day sentence for ex-teacher who raped teen

, Reuters, August 28, 2013

New Music Filled with Life!

New Music Filled with Life!

Oops, will Blogger Allow an exclamation mark?

A number of years ago I had a tape of Native American women singers.  It's much easier to find the guys, so thought I'd check it out.

One song really struck me, by a group called Ulali.  An acapella trio which could sing like a dozen people.  As I was in chemo. at the time I just enjoyed the tape and used it to dance around to, as exercise to gain back muscle strength.

Unfortunately, I cannot find this group's music at a price I can afford and my computer is too old to download from Amazon.  Does anybody working with more current technology know what "autorip" means?

Anyway, I found them on YouTube.  They remind me most of the amazing vocals of an African American group called Sweet Honey in the Rock.  Their harmonies, the way they can slide together from one key to another, Wonderful!

Check out the "Stomp) (meaning Stomp Dance, a call and response style of singing with a particular rhythmic beat from the Southeastern U.S.) called "Going Home".  Also the acapella version of "Mahk Jci" and the series of "Rattlesongs"  The music might both amaze and make you move!

I can't see the pics, but if they are Half as good as the music, they should be interesting, too.

This Man Has the Power and the Money to Make a Difference, Please Help Him Choose Well

Warren Buffett is investing in a steel company that's planning to kick 22,000 Indian

villagers from their homes.

The UN's top experts have condemned the project -- tell Buffett to stop this human

rights disaster now!

Sign the Petition

Warren Buffett is investing in a massive steel company that's planning to force 22,0000

Indian villagers from their homes.

 Now, eight of the UN's top human rights officials have called for an immediate halt

to the project -- and we need to make sure Buffett acts.

If this project goes ahead, thousands of acres of forest will be flattened, and tens

of thousands of poor Indian villagers will lose their homes and livelihoods. The

company behind this disaster is Posco Steel, a South Korean giant, in which Warren

Buffett has invested more than $1 billion.

If Buffett uses his financial might, he can push Posco Steel to address the UN's

human rights concerns

 or stop the project. He claims to uphold the "highest levels" of business ethics

-- but still hasn't spoken out.

Sign the petition to tell Warren Buffett: stand up for human rights and stop Posco's steel plant disaster.

It's rare that eight of the UN's most senior human rights experts all speak out like

this -- and it shows

something is seriously wrong.

And their message is clear: "The construction of [this] massive steel plant … must

not proceed as planned."

Posco Steel is busy claiming they are "highly sensitive" to the community's human

rights -- all while preparing to boot them from their homes and destroy their subsistence

lifestyles. But

despite having one of the largest stakes in Posco Steel and a reputation as a progressive

investor, Warren Buffett has stayed silent.

A wave of media stories in the Washington Post, the Guardian, ABC News, and Business

Week have covered this impending disaster, but

so far Buffett has avoided the heat. Now, we need to tell Buffet to stand up for

his principles

 and demand that Posco Steel addresses these concerns or stops the project.

Click here to hold Warren Buffett accountable for his investment in this gross violation of human rights.

Thanks for all you do,

Paul, Rob, and the rest of us.

 SumOfUs is a world-wide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations

accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.

Figured out the Difference, Obvious, Now

 Figured Out the Difference, Obvious!

The difference between slavery and extended child abuse is that if you live, you Can Eventually Leave.  A slave Never could!  I feel Stupid not to have thought of it yesterday, no excuses.  

Doll Story with Trigger Warning!

Fuzzy Four and Tenna Swirl

Fuzzy Four is a little dark haired doll whose eyes were painted by Ann to show her blindness due to glaucoma and cataracts.  She doesn't talk much and won't go near men on her own.  She has a long braid which has started to come undone and is fuzzy.  She is small, a bit larger than a Kelly ® doll.

There is always an untreated miserable yeast infection she doesn't understand between her legs.  But she has a guardian.

Tenna Swirl has a huge bright swirl of hair all around her head.  Her arms and legs are tiny but she rides a horse.  Her face and belly are bloated.  Whenever Fuzzy Four is afraid, Tenna Swirl comes and rubs her hands together and blows on them.  In this way Tenna Swirl starts a fire which scares away big humans from herself and Fuzzy Four.  These two are always together or Tenna is at least Never very far off!

When I read a book about the Celtic Fire Goddess Tenna, I knew Tenna Swirl's name.

Child Abuse and Slavery

Child Abuse and Slavery

Obviously this writing may be upsetting and should Not be read by those who might be triggered by it.  At the same time, I Want Someone to Know!

Today I felt angry and sick.  This morning on the news there was a brief mention of the fact that a football player's son was murdered by child abuse.  The broadcaster said the boyfriend of the football player's ex-partner had done the killing and that four children per day die from abuse.  Die from it, NOT, are Murdered by it.

Then the broadcaster stated that it was hard to know what to say and he and a sports commentator talked about the player's great careeer and ended up laughing.

So Why didn't the broadcaster Think of something relevant to say?  Too much Work, Too much Feeling, or would it make unpopular news?  He found Plenty to say when the bombings of the World Trade Center, The Pentagon, and the attempted bombing of the White House happened in Sept. 2001.  For days and nights he was on the air.

Many thousands of people were killed at once, but if terrorists systematically killed four Americans per day, wouldn't it be big news?  No, sick people, DON'T!

My general rule of thumb is "Never think about the far past, it helps no one."

Today my sister came over and it seems things have been coming unbidden into her mind lately.  She too, knows not to go looking for them.

You have to understand, my sister, like me, never cries where anyone can see.  We both got that knocked out of us pretty early.

But one of the things which has come to her unbidden is that my mother  chose, ( partly as a decision to please her husband) to take in foster kids. The things which enrage both of us most aren't those which happened to us, they are the things which we saw and heard being done to others and were too afraid or unable to stop.

My sister was younger than ten.  Two of the foster kids were ciblings, a toddler and an infant.  They both had scars from cigarette burns and whippings with coat hangers all over their bodies, Before they came to our home.  The infant couldn't stop crying. My sister remembers mother picking up the baby from the back and shaking it so hard that its head, arms, and legs, flopped like a rag doll.  She began to cry as she told me and said there were some things she just couldn't forgive.  She asked if I'd ever heard of "shaken baby syndrome.  I know someone who is blind from it.

I just put my hands over my face, picturing that tortured child being shaken, to death?  Did the baby live?  And I tried not to vomit.

Unfortunately, this brought back less toxic memories and memory bits for me.  Teetthing on an electrical cord and being told to stop.  When I did it again, it felt so Good against my sore gums at five or six when baby teeth were falling out, nothing was done.  When I got shocked mother laughed, reminding me that she had told me to stop.

What is the difference between abuse and slavery?  Slavery is the systematic violation of an entire Group of people by another Group with more power, and often more wealth.

Abuse is slavery on a tiny, never ending, scale.  I was forced to peal   the dead skin from mother's feet, to message her greasy neck, and to be used sexually by her.  My sister was forced to brush her greasy hair and pick up her snotty clean X's.  We both got more than our share of child care duties,  especially my older sister.  My sister said their was one thing mother had done to me which she couldn't forgive.  I didn't ask, so she didn't say.

We were her body servants as well as striking posts, and the stories could go on forever.

I keep wondering if that baby died and it was covered up or if subsequent brain damage was attributed to its First parents.  But I didn't know what might be triggered in my sister if I asked.  Would it send her into a mental tail spin down into hell?    I didn't ask.  Should I?  Would it help or harm her to remember?

There is no way I could begin to tell all I Do remember in less than a book.  And doubtless, no one would know what to say.  So what's the F---ing point?

I know it's worse for others who've seen fellow children murdered.  What should we do, can we do, to help ourselves with no money for shrinks and almost no shrinks who "know what to say" let alone DO around us?

I remember the time Ann came to me whimpering in a child's voice, asking if a relative had tried to kill her sister.  All I could do was hug her, since she felt safe letting me do so, and encourage her to tell me what she meant.

Even though I wasn't quite sure "what to say" I do know one thing.  If those of us treated in such a fashion all came from one color or socio-economic group we would be called "slaves" Not "abused children."  

By saying this I do not mean to discount the systematic separation of families, destruction of love relationships, rape, and other constant violence against slave populations.  I'm just Sick of being alone with it today, that's all.

Would You Pay a Quarter More for a Piece of Clothing if No One Died to Make It?

Eight workers just died in a fire at a Bangladeshi factory that supplied Walmart

and Gap.

How many more workers need to die before they

sign the Bangladesh Safety Accord

?

Sign the Petition

Breaking:

 we’ve just learned that

 a deadly factory fire broke out at another factory in Bangladesh yesterday,

killing eight people and injuring another 50. It's just the latest in a string of

tragedies that have struck garment workers in Bangladesh.

The records we’ve obtained so far show that

the factory supplied both Walmart and Gap.

 The media is just starting to report on the latest tragedy. Let’s make sure that

as the news breaks, tens of thousands of consumers are putting the blame squarely

where it belongs -- on the shoulders of greedy companies like Gap and Walmart.

It shouldn't take more deaths to convince them to protect their workers by signing

the binding Accord of Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.

Walmart and Gap -- don’t let more Bangladeshi workers die. Sign the Fire and Building Safety Accord now!

Since the Tazreen factory fire last November, we've joined with activists around

the world and pleaded for apparel brands to sign the Bangladesh Safety Accord, which

could make tragedies like this a thing of the past. In the wake of the horrific Rana

Plaza factory collapse, which killed more than 1,000 workers, more than 90 companies

agreed to serious reforms, but

Walmart and Gap pushed a non-binding PR stunt of a safety plan. Bangladeshi workers

are still paying the price

 with their lives.

The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh that Walmart and Gap refused

to sign was designed to prevent tragedies like this one.

 Under the Accord, factories will undergo fire safety inspections, mandatory repairs

and renovations, and apparel brands will be required to help pay for any safety upgrades.

The Accord's inspections will be starting soon, and with hundreds of factories to

cover, it won’t fix everything overnight. In fact, several companies that have signed

sourced from the factory that burned down yesterday. This latest tragedy just underscores

why a new safety standard is so urgently needed, and the fact remains that

the Accord is the only credible plan to stop future disasters.

Incredibly, Walmart and Gap praised the Bangladeshi firm responsible for this disaster

as a “top supplier.”

It's just another reminder that we can't trust corporations with people's safety,

which is why the independent inspections and legally-binding commitments to safety

improvements that the Accord creates are so important. We can't rely on Gap and Walmart's

corporate-controlled "alliance for worker safety" to do much more than give corporations

an excuse to avoid getting serious about worker safety.

Not only have Walmart and Gap refused to sign a binding safety agreement, they have

also refused to compensate the victims of the factory disasters in which they've

been implicated. In recent years, over a thousand workers have lost their lives in

factory fires and collapses in Bangladesh, and hundreds more have been injured so

severely that they'll never work again. That means that thousands of families have

lost a primary breadwinner and are still struggling to survive.

Walmart and Gap have made billions off of Bangladeshi workers -- they have a responsibility

to make sure that their victims receive full and fair compensation

.

When Walmart, Gap, and their allies walked away from the Accord,

we knew more workers would die as a consequence

. We can’t let this go on any longer. Let’s make sure that Walmart, Gap, and the

media hears us loud and clear as this story breaks.

Tell Walmart and Gap to sign the Fire and Building Safety Accord now and to pay full compensation to all  factory disaster victims.

Thanks for all you do,

Rob, Angus, Paul, Kaytee, and the team as SumOfUs.org

**********

More information:

Bangladesh garment factory fire kills at least 10 people

, CBC, Oct. 8th, 2013.

www.sumofus.org/

 SumOfUs is a world-wide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations

accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.

You can follow us on

Twitter

, and like us on

Facebook

This is TOO Much

Reward the people selling pesticides which kill the bees who polinate my heirloom seed garden?  Reward the companies engineering plants which can kill bees Before they are ever Bought for a garden?  Reward the people killing insects birds eat?  Reward the people impoverishing small farmers, driving them out of business and into cities where they and their children go Hungry?  Reward the companies suing the European Union, against All Democratic principles to Force them to allow genetically modified foods Into their markets?  Too bad Blogger wouldn't let Me put the word Obscene into the title, but there it is.

Monsanto & Syngenta executives will soon be rewarded with

The World Food Prize,

 a prestigious award known as "the Nobel Prize of agriculture."

Tell The World Food Prize Foundation not to reward these awful companies.

Sign the Petition

Share on Facebook.

In an obscene development,

a Monsanto executive is winning this year’s “Nobel Prize of agriculture” -- the prestigious

World Food Prize -- for creating GMOs.

 Receiving it legitimizes the sort of rampant genetic modification Monsanto pioneered,

and helps validate a ruthless business model that impoverishes farmers and monopolizes

our food.

If that wasn't baffling enough,

the founder of Syngenta, the same biotech giant joining Bayer in suing Europe to

keep selling bee-killing pesticides, will also win the prize

 -- and with it, a share of the $250,000 prize money. We cannot allow this prize

to legitimize frankenfoods and bee killers.

The ceremony is in just over a week, so we need to act now.

Tell the World Food Prize Foundation not to reward Monsanto and bee-killer Syngenta’s outrageous practices.

Winning this prize will encourage the wider use of genetically engineered crops

 and be a huge obstacle to those fighting to investigate the long-term effects of

its frankenseeds --

which is exactly what Monsanto wants

. In 2008, Monsanto made a $5 million pledge to the World Food Prize Foundation,

part of its plan to buy the credibility it can’t legitimately earn. By handing its

benefactor this award,

the Foundation risks undermining the credibility of the most respected prize in agriculture.

In protest,

81 Councilors of the World Future Council have penned a statement blasting the World

Food Prize Foundation for betraying its purpose

. In the words of the esteemed authors: “GMO seeds reinforce a model of farming that

undermines sustainability of cash-poor farmers, who make up most of the world's hungry…

The most dramatic impact of such dependency is in India, where 270,000 farmers, many

trapped in debt for buying seeds and chemicals, committed suicide between 1995 and

2012.”

Despite the criticism, Monsanto and Syngenta executives are set to receive their

prize on World Food Day, October 16 -- a slap in the face to everyone harmed by their

products.

 We don’t have much time, so we need to publicize this obscene decision -- if enough

of us get word of this out, and let people know the World Food Prize is threatening

its reputation, we can shame it into choosing a more suitable candidate.

Genetically-modified crops do not deserve the highest praise. Don’t reward Monsanto and Syngenta.

Thanks for all that you do,

Claiborne and the rest of us.

P.S.

Please share this campaign on Facebook

**********

More Information:

And The Winner Of The World Food Prize Is ... The Man From Monsanto

, NPR, 19 June 2013

Choice of Monsanto Betrays World Food Prize Purpose, Say Global Leaders

, NPR, 26 June 2013

 SumOfUs is a world-wide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations

accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.

You can follow us on

Twitter

, and like us on

Facebook

.

Was this email forwarded to you?

Click here

 to add yourself to SumOfUs.

Starting Today, Government Shut-Down Causes

Domestic violence shelters and rape crisis services may be forced to close their

doors if the government shutdown doesn't end soon.

Can you tell John Boehner and the House to end the shutdown?

click here

Click Here

Starting today, some

rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters may be forced close their doors

, pushing survivors out onto the streets.

1

Especially in rural, poor communities, these services rely heavily on federal grants

to keep running.2

 But with the federal government shut down, funding provided for these services under

the Violence Against Women Act ran out Friday. Services won’t be restored until Congress

passes a government funding bill.

3

For a woman who needs help after she’s been raped or a safe place to protect herself

or her children from an abusive partner, the impact of this shutdown could be life

or death.

And it's not just shelters and crisis centers--WIC, the vital nutrition program for

moms and small children is running out of funding.

4

  Head Start programs are closing their doors, leaving thousands of kids without

this critical early education--and their parents without childcare.

5

As the shutdown continues, outrage has been building against Speaker John Boehner

for blocking a vote to fund the government--even though there are enough Republican

votes in the House to end the shutdown.

6

If we can add to the growing public outrage, we can generate so much negative media

attention that everyone--even Boehner--will see just how angry people all over the

country are

. Can you sign the petition?

Tell Speaker Boehner and the House to end the shutdown.

Sadly, this isn’t the first time that conservatives have held up the life-saving

Violence Against Women Act. Last year, they blocked the bill from being renewed for

months, leaving shelters wondering if they could keep their doors open.

7

Now, conservatives are playing politics with women’s lives all over again.

 Here’s what one woman told The Dish

 about how the shutdown affects shelters like the one she runs:

8

I run a small, rural domestic violence and rape crisis center in Northern California.

We are the only provider of this kind for the entire county… the State of California

cannot draw down the VAWA [Violence Against Women Act] funds to pay us for our services

– which by the way, are mandated by law… Right now almost every shelter in the state

is housing not only adult victims of abuse, but many, many children, all of whom

may be forced to hit the rickety road soon, compliments of the mostly male members

of the "shutdown coalition."

But closed shelters and crisis hotlines aren’t the only way that women are being

hurt by the shutdown. Critical programs that support women and families all over

the country are also at risk--or have already been closed.

Nearly 9 million of our country’s poorest moms, infants, and kids under 5 rely on

WIC--the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.

9

WIC helps new moms get breastfeeding help, formula, and healthy food. But as of Wednesday,

funding for the program was stopped.

 The USDA estimated that most states would be able to keep giving out benefits "for

a week or so."

10

While Speaker Boehner blocks a vote to reopen the government, rape and abuse survivors

are being turned away from shelters, and moms and kids are going hungry.

 If we all speak out now, we can make sure he knows how angry we are. Can you add

your name?

Add your name.

Thanks for speaking out.

--Nita, Shaunna, Kat, Karin, Malinda, Adam, and Gabriela, the UltraViolet team

Sources:

1.

Government shutdown: which agencies are next in line to close?

, The Guardian, October 4, 2013

2.

Domestic Violence Programs Brace For End Of Federal Funds After Friday

, Think Progress, October 3, 2013

3. Ibid.

4.

Government Shutdown: 9 Million Moms And Babies At Risk As WIC Program Halts

, Forbes, October 2, 2013

5.

Victims Once More, Head Start Families Struggling Under Shutdown

, Huffington Post, October 4, 2013

6.

Here's A Tally Of Which House Republicans Are Ready To Fund The Government, No Strings Attached

, Huffington Post, October 1, 2013

7.

House GOP Lets Violence Against Women Act Passed By Senate Die Without A Vote

, Huffington Post, January 2, 2013

8.

The View From Your Shutdown

, The Dish, October 3, 2013

9.

Government Shutdown: 9 Million Moms And Babies At Risk As WIC Program Halts

, Forbes, October 2, 2013

10. Ibid.

Want to support our work?

 UltraViolet is funded by members like you, and our tiny staff ensures small contributions

go a long way.

Chip in here.

You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.

Anti-Depressants

Anti-Depressants

I can trace the violence in my family back at least as far as the Civil War.  From there, how far back do you want to go?  Should the Forced Expulsion of "The Trail of Tears" in 1838count, etc.

In any case the personal violence of adults against children has a long history.  There was, I believe, a strong cultural clash between the very religious and patriarchal Scottish people and the matriarchal, matri-local Cherokees they married.  The expectations of Cherokee manhood and Scottish manhood differed widely in terms of sexuality, divorce, a woman's role, abstenance from liquor, and other matters.  Cherokee men disappointed Scottish women, being branded immoral, weak, etc.  The English women beaten by their husbands determined Never to lose control as their mothers had and married Cherokee men who failed to be strong enough in the religious (fundamentalist Christian ways and Penticostalism) of their wives, what a mess!  To be sure, in each generation there were one or more people who Refused to be violent.  But I'm sorry to say that alcohol, many marriages, and violence toward and neglect of children prevailed.

Can I prove all of this?  No, that would mean asking the dead to rise and speak the truth and the living to admit things they don't want to remember.

Everyone in my family on the maternal side and one branch of the paternal side has had serious problems. My mother's mother, my mother, and all of her children have, at one time or another, been treated with medications (usually anti-depressants) to moderate their moods.

My sisters and I can only say "Thanks for the genes And environment" then do our best. 

I have used prescribed anti-depressants off and on since age 15.  But I am ready to stop taking them.

After going through a scary withdrawal from low dose Elavil to help me sleep (I took the generic but don't know how to spell it correctly) and Zoloft for depression, (three weeks of misery) I started Cymbalta.

There was a constant headache, lack of deep sleep,  more itching all over than from allergies alone,  constipation, and the feeling which  grew each day that I was being Driven by someone Other than me.  After four or five hours of lighter sleep than usual I would hit the floor running racing against What?  And my mind multi-tasking far ahead of my body's ability to keep up, though I worked steadily.  At night my mind wouldn't Shut Up!  Cymbalta also impairs "sexual function."  I am not involved with anyone but do not choose to have those human feelings and possibilities  cut off by a drug.

I thought about taking Cymbalta only in the morning.  But did I want that racing feeling, unable to sit down feeling all day? 

Last night I skipped a dose, the lowest dose available, and woke up after feeling a bit more Rested.  I felt like Me in an indefinable way.  I used the rest room and decided I hadn't gained two pounds since starting Cymbalta, I was "full of it."

I also discovered to my surprise that although my mind felt sleepy, I was getting things done this morning just as fast as always.  And I Liked me better, was less irritable, only laughing when the dog accidently sprinkled my shoe in the yard.  I have more ringing in my ears than usual, a slight headache which could be allergy related or not, and a bit of dizziness which could be allergy related or not.

When I tried to tell myself to take my Cymbalta this morning I just decided I Hated that racing, driven feeling. One of my inexpensive enjoyments was listening to an audio book Loud or via headphones as I sewed or beaded.  But when taking Cymbalta I just found the book an irritant, keeping me from focusing on my work.  It will be interesting to see if I can enjoy books again as I gradually withdraw from this medication.   I will probably take it every other day for the purposes of safer withdrawal, but I think I want to try and live Without these medications.  I will continue with anti-anxiety meds.  This is a scary choice to try.  But if my brain chemistry for depression hasn't been corrected by now, will it ever be?  We'll see.

Give it a Try or Tries

Yes, there is gridlock, just like there was for Social Security sign ups in 1935, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Medicare Drug Prescription Plan under President Bush.  It's a pain but all of these programs Have proven to work.  As one who has spent Hours of my life dealing with government agencies via phone because often their websites were so Hard to navigate I have Some idea what you may b going through.  Hang on, please give it a try.

I wanted to share a note from my coworker Judy Waxman at the National Women's Law

Center — the organization that created

This Is Personal

. On Tuesday, NWLC launched a new tool for health insurance enrollment,

Word of Mom.

 Check out the video below and share it with your moms, sisters and brothers, daughters

and sons, and whoever else you think might need a little dose of Mom.

Thanks for keeping it personal,

Thao Nguyen

Campaign Director

This Is Personal

From: Judy Waxman, National Women's Law Center

Sent: October 1, 2013

To: Thao Nguyen

Subject: The Mom Effect

National Women's Law Center

Dear Thao,

My daughter.

Like every mom, I would move heaven and earth to keep her safe. So while she's still

in school and under 26 years old, I'm glad I'll be able to keep her on my health

plan.

But soon, she'll be like millions of other young adults — living without insurance

benefits from a full-time job and looking for health care options she can afford.

And like many other young people, this will be at the bottom of her long list of

to-do's right below "dropping off laundry at Mom's house" and above "calling Mom

back."

Thankfully, I just friended her on Facebook. And it's not just to keep an eye on her.

Today, as the country enters the official sign-up period for the health insurance

marketplaces, the National Women's Law Center wants to enlist the power of moms everywhere

to help encourage young people to get enrolled.

And we've made it easy! Go to

WordOfMom.org

 to watch this video and find out how you can encourage the young people in your

life to get covered:

Video - Word of Mom

The government may be shut down, but that will not stop you and your family from

enrolling. You can still sign up, compare plans and learn about your options, despite

the gridlock in Washington.

Use our Word of Mom reminder tool at

WordOfMom.org

 to gently nudge your loved ones via Facebook, email or Twitter to enroll at

HealthCare.gov

 and give them the best reason to enroll — because Mom said so.

Sincerely,

Judy Waxman

Judy Waxman

Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights

National Women's Law  Center

Google Sells Ivory Against its Own Policy?

*****************************

Friends,

The ivory trade is slaughtering elephants by the hundreds in horrific massacres that

rip apart herds and leave orphaned calves to starve. But despite an official policy

against selling products from endangered animals, Google still traffics ivory --

taking money from ivory sellers to promote their products.

Google offers thousands of ivory items on its shopping sites around the world. Its

lax enforcement of its own policies allow unscrupulous sellers to find easy markets

for illegally poached ivory.

 Google needs to stop this horrific practice today.

Please join me in calling on Google to stop trafficking in ivory immediately.

http://action.sumofus.org/a/google-ivory-trade/?sub=taf

Thank you

 SumOfUs is a world-wide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations

accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.

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