UNC Chapel Hill must support those who report sexual assault

Here in Chapel Hill we are dealing with the shocking news that a woman who reported her sexual assault complaint through the UNC Honor Court is now facing “an Honor Court trial herself, accused of ‘intimidating behavior’ against a fellow student she says raped her.” Now she could potentially face a range of punishments, up to and including expulsion. I am so angry about this. I was in a coffee house this morning in line with a lot of UNC students and I wanted to jump... Read more

We need churches to Put Safety First, but we are not all on the same page yet

The whole concept of child safety can truly be stated in essence, “Put Safety First,” which sounds so simple, but can actually be very difficult to achieve. One of the biggest obstacles is figuring out what to do when you find you are part of an organization that is failing to do all it can to protect children. I believe very strongly that in that case there is no choice to stand by and do nothing. So when you find yourself in this situation,you either need to do all you can to... Read more

Washington DC musings: Abuse prevention, equality, and social justice

Watching President Obama deliver his second Inaugural address this week, I was struck by how much the President referred back to our country’s founding principles, emphasizing equality for all. The Declaration of Independence and Constitution were full of visionary ideas that have taken us more than 236 years to fully realize. It is just really sinking in for me how ambitious the Founding Fathers’ ideas were, that all men are created equal and we all deserve life, liberty and the... Read more

New Year’s thoughts: Safety crises and lessons from India and the USA

Visiting India can provide a shock to the system–the sights, the sounds, the colors, the social issues, often seem more intense than I am used to back home in the US. On this trip we landed in India in the middle of an unfolding social crisis, as the country confronts the gang rape and resulting death of a 23-year old paramedical student in New Delhi. The young woman has not been named publicly, but has been called “Nirbhaya” (“Fearless”) by The Times of India. ... Read more

Feelings of rage and helplessness after the Sandy Hook School shootings

Like so many Americans, today I’ve been reading a lot facts about the Sandy Hook Elementary School murders, but on the inside I am left with a lot of feelings and the question, “Will this time be any different? Will we take action to take charge of gun safety?” Before this latest tragedy I had been feeling like we as a society had become numb to gun violence. It was only four days ago that a shooting at a mall in Portland Oregon left three people dead, including the... Read more