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

FBI’s redefinition of rape to include men shows importance of Safety At All Levels of Society

Justice has been improved in the United States this week! The FBI/Justice Department’s updating of an 80-year-old definition of rape is an excellent example of how laws made at the highest levels of society affect all of us. The old federal definition of rape, circa 1929-2011 was “the carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly and against her will.” The most glaring omission you will notice right away was that only women could be raped. No wonder the rape of men is not taken as... Read more

Dominique Strauss-Kahn rape accusations and connecting the dots of cultural violence

Too often, violence is not an aberration from society, but built into the system. That is why we must keep speaking up and acting to end violence of all kinds. The sexual assault allegations about IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn have me so angry I can hardly sleep at night. The idea of the world’s most powerful banker sexually attacking a hotel worker who is an African immigrant is absolutely terrible, and terrifying to all women. I also wonder how all citizens of countries who depend... Read more

Now that’s what we call safety at all levels–White House anti-bullying conference

We are thrilled that the White House hosted an anti-bullying conference last week. The President and First Lady Michelle Obama shared their goals for the conference through a video posted on Facebook. As leaders and parents, the Obamas want American children to know that bullying can be stopped, and bullying behavior does not have to be accepted as a normal part of growing up. The Obamas understand that bullying can have destructive consequences and that it’s up to each of us to do our... Read more