New Hope Rises in Spring

The month of April signals the renewal of life after the harsh winter conditions have subsided. People's moods begin improving in harmony with the blooming of the daffodils. But for some, there is little to be hopeful about; the abuse remains a daily constant, infused with taunting glimmers of escape, which are quickly crushed by those in control of them.

Girls like Gracie (above) are rare - most kids don't "survive" child abuse - they endure it throughout their youth, and it's effect destroys their adult life. The saddest part of it is how many people witness abuse, yet do nothing to stop it. These are usually the same people who sing the blues about how "bad" the world has become, and the ones who are so quick to defend any threats to their personal "liberties."

 

 Thankfully, there are growing groups of concerned human beings who spend hours upon hours of their unpaid, personal time to work towards creating a world without abuse. They take it personally when bystanders look the other way instead of intervening for a victim. We refuse to remain silent about those who live as prisoners in their own homes. Our goal is to trample "rape culture" with A Warriors' battle cry of "NO MORE!

Being a victims' rights advocate is the easiest and most rewarding thing I have ever done. It becomes a part of your daily routine, and social media conveniently sends the message to those who need to hear about it. In April, I have signed at least 15 petitions and sent over 20 letters to lawmakers for the following campaigns:

Child Abuse Prevention Month

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

NO MORE Abuse Campaign

Crime Victims Rights Week

I have been blessed to meet a law professor who is fighting against revenge porn, the uncle of a woman who survived a murder/suicide, and a number of book authors. They don't care where I come from or what I can do for them, and neither do I. We work in harmony to influence sustainable change in a domineering patriarchal culture; one where power is bought, bartered for, and sold.

An Ode to Women's History Month

March madness aside,

could you pause and reflect

upon a faint light cast?

A spirit of courageous sisters

suffering poverty and neglect,

a torch lit, struggling yet to be passed.

Her battle rages forth,

though countless women have died

with her freedoms in sight.

Spiting oppressive injustice,

the life of her abuser's hands' tied;

mislead by the serpent's bite.

Stalker Bingo

How will your stalker line up his fantasy today...

Respect Week

It is clearly evident that parents and teachers must do more to prevent dating violence, and the best way to do so is by having conversations about relationships before these kids start to date. We need to have them with girls AND boys, because love and respect cannot be found on a one-way street. The social messages our kids are hearing about "hooking-up "are currently contributing to a maladaptive "rape-culture." Unless we counter-act the negative by reinforcing the positive aspects of relationships, we will continue to see a rise in teen suicides and incarcerations.

There is an event going on this week in high schools across America. The National Youth Advisory Board, sponsor of the Love is Respect campaign, has designated the week of Valentine's Day as "Respect Week." Part of the National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, the message of healthy, respectful relationships is being sent to youth at a time in life when they most need to hear it.  For more information, please visit the campaign website.

Stalking Awareness Month

Imagine that you don’t feel safe. 

Someone is following you, texting and e-mailing you, and you are afraid. 

In one year, 6.6 million Americans were victims of stalking—a dangerous crime that can happen to anyone. 

If you or anyone you know is being stalked, or to find out more about stalking, contact your local police department or domestic violence agency.

The Holiday Horrors

If there is one primary objective a stalker has for the holidays, it most definitely involves ruining yours.  After all, how dare you have a moment or two of joy while your stalker is wallowing in a sea of self-pity, and loathing those who allowed him to end up there!  This justifies every nefarious deed the stalker schemes up during the times normal people are enjoying a cup of holiday nog and trimming the tree. 

Why can't they just let it go?  Because deep down inside that tiniest vapor of soul they have left, they know that they fucked up a really good gig they had with you.  Stalkers cannot fathom the idiocy of failure; after all, they perceive themselves as a super-hero or a deity to be worships by the common people.  And you had the audacity to trip them up - you made them "look" bad.  For this, you will pay, pay dearly, and then pay some more. 

There is one thing every criminal profiler knows - the weakest point of a stalker is his own self-righteousness.  Stalkers will protect their "hero" persona above all else.  If they know that you have the power to strike back, they might back down, but only if they have enough self-control to do so.  The irony here is how much of it they lose without the wall of stability you provided for them.  The best they can do is to keep playing the game of cat and mouse. 

The question then becomes:  who is the cat and who is the mouse?  With stalkers, it seems that we are the ones who must keep the control.  Our attitude of confidence must overpower any fear-mongering tactics used against us.  The douchebag must be kept on the defensive, so to speak.  How can we serve his ass to the fool on a silver platter?  As he thinks up his dirty little deeds, we already have a counter-attack planned. 

Bring it and we will reflect it right back atcha!