TresSugar

War on Drugs Makes Women the Enemy

TresSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:00:45 -0800

If you've been following the story of Cleveland's alleged serial killer Anthony Sowell, you know it's horrific. Eleven female bodies have been found in and around the man's home, leaving the public wondering how could these crimes go on undetected for years. Writing in the Daily Beast, Cleveland journalist Mansfield Frazier says he knows why: Sowell was able to kill drug-addicted women without anyone noticing because the war on drugs targets women. Let's examine the evidence he uses to support this allegation after the jump.

Stranger Than Fiction: To Catch a Husband

TresSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:00:32 -0800

Sitting in her living room in South Wales, Cheryl Roberts entered a chat room posing as a 14-year-old girl. Why, you ask? After finding suspicious messages on her husband's computer, Cheryl wanted to catch him in the act of trying to seduce young schoolgirls. Unfortunately, she succeeded.

Cheryl's husband David had no idea that as he chatted away in his study, he was really talking to his wife in the living room. Using a webcam, David filmed himself performing "acts of indecency" on himself and he thought he was broadcasting the images to a 14-year-old girl, but it was really his wife. Upon seeing this horrifying display, Cheryl called the cops, who then found a bunch of child porn on his computer. No word if Chris Hansen made an appearance.

David went on to face legal repercussions, and I think it's needless to say that the couple is now divorced. This poor woman!

Have You Ever Been Caught in a Love Triangle?

TresSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:00:00 -0800

Remember Lisa Nowak, the astronaut accused of stalking her lover's new lover? She's avoiding prison after pleading guilty to lesser charges, having already served a couple days in the klink after she was arrested for her notorious crime.

Let me refresh your memory: in 2007, the temporarily love-crazed astronaut drove all the way from Houston to Orlando in a NASA diaper (the better to avoid bathroom breaks), sprayed her astronaut lover's new girlfriend Colleen Shipman with pepper spray in the parking lot of the Orlando International Airport, and was subsequently arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping with intent to do bodily harm and burglary of a vehicle using a weapon. She's not getting a stiffer sentence because, according to the judge, she doesn't have a prior criminal record and because of her service as an astronaut and later the Navy (NASA fired her after this incident).

It's pretty shocking that someone who was a successful astronaut could become so deranged. Have you ever been caught in a love triangle? Hopefully, you didn't completely go cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.

Someone Cared! Woman Called 911 in Richmond Rape Case

TresSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:22:01 -0800

Margarita Vargas, an 18-year-old woman from Richmond, CA (and a graduate of Richmond High) was the lone person who called 911 on the night a teenager was gang raped outside her high school while a homecoming party was still going on. It's alleged that at least 20 people watched and did nothing. Vargas says that her brother-in-law came home and told her he'd seen a woman being raped; it was Vargas who insisted they call the police.

It might seem pretty sad that we're applauding Vargas for doing what people should do, as she said, "without thinking twice," but you'd be surprised how often people are apathetic. So many people are saying, "What do you expect of Richmond?" but I can say, as someone who was grabbed on the streets of San Francisco in broad daylight and ignored when I asked for help - apathy happens everywhere, in all communities. (Just read about the bystander effect.)

Many years ago, I was walking down a busy street in a popular business district in a "good neighborhood" and a man grabbed me inappropriately. I had just bought coffee, so instinctively, I poured it in his face and grabbed onto him, hoping to get him arrested. As I grappled with him, trying to make eye contact with people walking by, riding by on their bikes, driving by, and yelling, "Someone help! This man attacked me!" no one did anything. Eventually, I couldn't hold the man any longer, and he got away, perhaps to assault someone else later. Helping out is rarer than you think, so kudos to Margarita, who even walked over to the school to make sure the police had arrived.

Rape Victim Asks Community to Use Anger to Bring Change

TresSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:00:00 -0800

Adding something positive to a very dark situation, the 15-year-old girl who was gang raped outside her homecoming dance in Northern California asked her supporters to channel their anger toward making sure nothing like this happens again. Speaking to a few hundred people gathered on campus, the victim's pastor read these words on her behalf:

"We realize people are angry about this. But let the anger cause change, change that is necessary to keep our children, our neighbors and our friends safe."

The school district is implementing tougher security following this incomprehensible act of violence. Sadly, the school had been pushing for tighter security measures but didn't have the funding to do so until now. Even still, some worry that fences and lighting won't be enough.

This story has deeply disturbed many of us, so I can only imagine how those in the community must feel not only angry, but scared and confused. After the news that some of the victim's peers are defending the alleged rapists on MySpace, it's comforting to see that there are also many people who support her. Why do you think it took a gang rape watched by 20 people for something to be done to protect young girls at the school?

Say What? Talent Helped Dancing Judge Escape Abuse

TresSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0700

"Abuse, it just survives and thrives in silence."

- Mary Murphy, a judge on So You Think You Can Dance, breaks her silence about the years of abuse she suffered decades ago at the hands of her then-husband.

Years into the marriage, Mary discovered her love for dance, which taught her that she could feel beautiful and talented, and she eventually left her abusive husband nine years into the marriage. Speaking on Larry King Live this week, Mary said even though she repressed the memories for years, she felt compelled to share her story publicly to help raise awareness for other victims.

Très Bizarre: Man Charged For Being Naked in His Kitchen

TresSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Spending more time around the house naked might be good for the planet, but it could also land you in jail. The state of Virginia has charged Eric Williamson, 29, with indecent exposure for hanging out nude in his own home.

Early Monday morning, around 5:30 a.m., a naked Eric was making a cup of Joe in his kitchen. At the same time, a woman and her 7-year-old boy happened to walk through Eric's front yard. She called the police, who quickly arrived on the scene and arrested Eric. The reporting officers must have given Eric a chance to get dressed, because he's wearing clothes in his mug shot.

The police say that Eric wanted the strangers to see him naked. If prosecutors can prove that, Eric might be sentenced to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine. Considering it was so early in the morning and still dark out, it seems unlikely that he was standing in his kitchen naked waiting for random passersby to catch a glimpse. I doubt Eric will be convicted, but he still must be pretty upset about the whole situation. Perhaps the lady cutting through his lawn should be the one facing the law!

Flashback: Self-Defense Made Easy

TresSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:00:00 -0700

This book promised to make self-defense so easy that you could do it with a smile, while standing on one toe no less! Now that she knows the secrets to self-defense, half-pint can show the big bad wolf who's boss.

Source

Front Page: US Won't Prosecute Medical Marijuana Users

TresSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:00:29 -0700

The Justice Department is set to tell prosecutors that it is a waste of resources to arrest people who sell or use medical marijuana. - AP
Criminal charges will be filed against balloon boy's father Richard Heene after police determined that the incident was a hoax. - CNN
Sarah Palin has posted her resume on LinkedIn. - Huffington Post
Home foreclosures are forcing former homeowners into homeless shelters. -New York Times
Where the Wild Things Are lived up to big expectations, coming in at number one at the box office this weekend. - BuzzSugar

Front Page: Jaycee Dugard Opens Up About Life After Rescue

TresSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:00:16 -0700

Kidnap survivor Jaycee Dugard says she is "so happy to be back with her family" after being held from them for 18 years. - People
Wall Street is on track to award record pay this year. The country's top financial workers will make about $140 billion. - Wall Street Journal
The UN has warned that global hunger is worsening, as a sixth of the word's population is undernourished. - BBC News
Michael Jackson's children reportedly will star in a reality show airing in December. - US Weekly
From jail, Roman Polanski is finishing his latest film, The Ghost, starring Pierce Brosnan. – The Times of London