TresSugar

Front Page: Fort Hood Shooting Suspect in Stable Condition

TresSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:59:12 -0800

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the suspect in the Fort Hood shooting, is in stable condition; he was set to be deployed to Afghanistan. - New York Times
Meet Kimberly Munley, the police officer who brought down the gunman. - CNN
Texas polygamist sect leader Raymond Jessop is convicted of sexual assault. - AP
The jobless rate hit 10.2 percent in October, a 26-year high. - Wall Street Journal
Obama signs bill offering tax credit to first-time home buyers. - AP
The Parents Television Council is up in arms about the upcoming threesome episode on Gossip Girl. - PopSugar

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?

TV Showing More Violence Against Women

TresSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:05:37 -0700

I typically avert my eyes when graphic scenes flash across my television screen, so it boggles my mind that violence is such a celebrated form of entertainment. A new report from the Parents Television Council suggests that the prevalence of violence on TV is getting even more disturbing. The report reveals that violence against women and teen girls is up 120 percent, while violence shown on television general has raised by only two percent in recent years.

Questions remain about the conservative group's study. For example, it doesn't precisely define what it considers "violence." Still, the results cannot be completely ignored. Showing more examples of violence against women could desensitize viewers and make it appear more acceptable.

The Parents Television Council is calling for more government regulation against such violence on TV. Do you support that, or should viewers censor what they watch themselves?

Photos courtesy of NBC

Women Around the World Persecuted For Being "Witches"

TresSugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:00:00 -0700

It's hard to believe that in this day and age, countless women around the world are being accused of something that sounds pretty medieval. According to the UN, women accused of being witches are persecuted and sometimes murdered around the world. Even children thought to be witches are being targeted, too. The UN estimates that this violence is impacting the lives of millions of people.

So where is this unbelievable violence taking place? It's happening in places from South Africa, to India, Nepal, and Papua New Guinea. In Nigeria, homeless children are driven out of towns because they are suspected of witchcraft. While different cultures hold diverse beliefs about witchcraft, UN experts believe that those suspected of having "supernatural" powers are typically targeted when a society faces rapid cultural or social change. In these cases, the vulnerable get the blame for the community's misfortunes.

Violence associated with witchcraft caught the attention of the UN because it's causing an international refugee problem. In addition to being victims of violence, the accused are often forcibly displaced or trafficked. Let's hope now that the widespread witch-hunting has gained international attention, something will be done to help these people.

Violence Works? Would-Be Abortion Providers Reconsider

TresSugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:00:00 -0700

Some medical professionals opt out of performing abortion because of religious objections, but after the recent murder of Dr. Tiller, personal safety concerns are prompting medical students to reconsider their decision to become abortion providers.

The Washington Post interviewed students this week who say they "took a step back" after an alleged antiabortion activist murdered the late-term abortion provider. Devin Miller, 23, is the leader of her school's "Medical Students For Choice" group. She planned on becoming an OB-GYN and expected to terminate pregnancies from time to time. Now, she says, "It's very hard to be confronted with the constant negative energy and constant fighting."

Abortion is one of the most common procedures in American medicine: statistics suggest that nearly one-third of American women will have an abortion by the age of 45. But if the fear of violence or stigmatization continues, there won't be anyone to provide the procedure. Already, 87 percent of US counties have no abortion services, and in a country of 300 million people, there are only 1,787 doctors who perform abortion.

If you were a medical student, do you think you would consider becoming an abortion provider?

One in Three Teen Girls in UK Reports Abuse by Boyfriends

TresSugar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:25:56 -0700

Results from an in-depth study paint a depressing picture of widespread sexual abuse across the UK. One-third of teen-girl participants reported suffering unwanted sexual acts while in relationships, and a quarter of them said they had been physically assaulted by their boyfriends.

Nine out of 10 of the 13- to 17-year-old girls surveyed said they had been in an intimate relationship. The research revealed that a girl in a relationship had a higher risk of abuse from a partner if she had previously been physically abused by an adult family member or if she had an older boyfriend. In fact, three-fourths of the young girls with a significantly older boyfriend said they were victims of abuse.

The girls reported that they put up with the abuse, which ranged from slapping, punching, and biting to forced kissing, sexual touching, or rape, because they felt scared, guilty, or fearful that they would lose their boyfriend.

Let's hope this knowledge will help parents, teachers, and others who work with young people find ways to protect them from abuse and stop the cycle of domestic violence.

Man Arrested For Assaulting Woman During Monopoly Game

TresSugar — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:00:00 -0700

We have several rubrics here at TrèsSugar that this news story could have fit under. Stranger Than Fiction. Très Bizarre. And then there's the less-oft-used Dumbass of the Day. The following story is a rarity - I will file it under all of the above.

A 54-year-old Michigan man was playing Monopoly Saturday night with a female friend. He tried to buy Park Place and Boardwalk from her, but she wasn't budging. So what did the guy do? He hit her in the head and broke her glasses. Needless to say, he was subsequently arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault and battery.

May I add another charge? Terminal stupidity.

Source

Nothing Goes Together Better Than Guns and Alcohol

TresSugar — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:00:00 -0700

As of yesterday, patrons of alcohol serving establishments in Arizona and Tennessee can exercise their second amendment rights while downing a cold one. How . . . American.

The new laws allowing registered gun owners to carry concealed guns into bars and restaurants that serve alcohol are part of a trend of loosened gun control laws. Ironically, right after the election last November, gun shop owners reported record sales, suspecting that customers feared that a Democratic federal government could curtail the right to bear arms.

Complaints by Arizona and Tennessee's business owners that the new law would hurt business went unaddressed. (Hurt how you ask? You know, when "1 or 2% of would-be Dirty Harrys," as one restaurant owner plaintiff put it, decided to mete out vigilante justice.) As for critics who point to recent public shootings, proponents of the new laws say that the violence shows the need for private citizens to protect themselves with firearms.

Teen Scouts Learn to Fight Terrorists and Illegal Immigrants

TresSugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:30:00 -0700

When I was a Girl Scout, we spent most of our time working on badges, preparing for camping trips, or selling delicious cookies. Well you can forget all that. Today's girls (and boys) involved in the Explorers program, an affiliate of the Boy Scouts of America, learn how to combat terrorists, illegal immigrants, and border violence. Since 9/11, Homeland Security has worked closely with the program, with the hope of creating more agents.

Cathy Noriego, a 16-year-old participant, told the New York Times that the guns attracted her to the program. During exercises, the group uses compressed-air guns that fire plastic bullets - but they also fire the real stuff at the range. Cathy said of the guns, "I like the sound they make. It gets me excited."

I feel uneasy about training kids as young as 14 to become armed border patrolmen and women or anti-terrorist vigilantes. The potential for extreme nationalism - brought on by teaching children that non-Americans are a threat - also worries me.

Do you think the Explorers program offers valuable life lessons about leadership and discipline, or does the program perpetuate a culture of violence?

Source

Front Page: Suicide Attacks Kill at Least 75 People in Iraq

TresSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:00:46 -0700

Two suicide-bomb attacks in Iraq killed at least 75 people today and injured 113. They targeted a quiet residential neighborhood and Iranian tourists. - New York Times
Amidst this wave of violence, the suspected leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq was arrested. - AP
President Obama is pushing for more legal protections for Americans who use credit cards. - San Jose Mercury News
Voter turnout in South Africa has been huge. ANC, the ruling party, looks headed for an easy victory. - LA Times
Wildfires in Myrtle Beach, SC, have destroyed homes near the popular beach area. - AP
A Senate intelligence report shows that Condoleezza Rice and Dick Cheney approved waterboarding as early as 2002. - CNN
Fox News anchor Shepard Smith got so passionate yesterday condemning torture that one of his expletives had to be bleeped. - Huffington Post

Source