Good morning!

“Just noticing….”

…I guess this weekend is all about Hillary.

A Tale Of Two Visions

Hillary Clinton Argues For “Inclusive Prosperity,” John Boehner Ignores His Past

The Center for American Progress was honored today to host a dynamic panel of women leaders featuring Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Patty Murray, and Rep. Rosa DeLauro to discuss why women’s economic security matters for everyone. Clinton spoke forcefully about the need for workplace policies that work for women and families: “The number one thing we can do to make our economy grow is to tap into the full potential of women who want to be in the workforce,” she said.

Across town, Speaker John Boehner delivered his own remarks on what he termed “resetting America’s economic foundation.” But for all the talk about setting a new foundation for the future, the Speaker reminded us of somebody who can’t remember the past.

Secretary Clinton and Speaker Boehner outline two very different visions of America’s future: Clinton recognizes our changing society and seeks to expand economic prosperity for all Americans; Boehner offers platitudes while ignoring his long track record of hurting the middle class.

What Clinton Says: “Without equal pay, without flexibility or predictability at work, without access to quality affordable childcare, without the ability to take a day off if your child or aging parent gets sick, without paid family and medical leave, this woman is really on the brink.”

TRUTH. With women increasingly the primary breadwinner or co-breadwinner in their families, the workplace policies that exist today are simply from a bygone era. Clinton recognized that challenge and spoke about how 21st century policies would help women–and men. And this isn’t just about helping those at the top, as Clinton says, this is fundamentally about working-class people: “We talk about the glass ceiling? — These women don’t even have a secure floor under them.”

What Clinton Says: “The failure of our political leadership on the other side of the aisle to recognize the importance of making sure that people who work hard and play by the rules — that old description — have a chance to get into the middle class and certainly a chance to stay in the middle class.”

TRUTH. While incomes at the top continue to go up, working-class and middle-class families are being squeezed by stagnating wages and rising prices. Policies like those Clinton addressed in the panel, such as an increase in the minimum wage and policies for women and families, are a critical step to not only helping all citizens achieve economic security but also to really grow the economy and create jobs for everyone.

What Boehner Says: “Let’s fix the whole tax code. Make it pro-growth and pro-family. Bring down the rates for every American, clear out all the loopholes, allow people to do their taxes on two – yes, two – sheets of paper.”

What Boehner Does: The Speaker does not lay out any details of what kind of tax reform he supports, but a look at his support for the Ryan Budget plan is enough: it would raise taxes on middle class families by an average of $1,358 to pay for a$286,000 tax cut for millionaires. This isn’t just unfair—it’s a recipe for economic stagnation. A tax cut for the rich has no measurable effect on growth while a tax cut for everyone else actually does boost the economy.

What Boehner Says: “We have to solve our spending problem. For 53 of the last 60 years, we’ve spent more money than we’ve brought in…It is stealing from our kids and grandkids, robbing them of benefits they’ll never see and leaving them with burdens that are nearly impossible to repay.”

What Boehner Does: There are two sides to any budget deficit, spending and revenue, a reality Boehner has willfully ignored as Speaker. He famously refused a “Grand Bargain” with President Obama in 2011 that would have cut federal spending by $2.2 trillion because the President asked for $650 billion more in revenue and said in 2013 that the “the talk about raising revenue is over.”

And speaking of robbing kids, it’s worth noting that Boehner has refused bills that would help state and local governments halt teacher layoffs.

What Boehner Says: “We’ve gotten to a point in America where litigation has become a first resort instead of a last. The costs are staggering: Americans are spending more per person on litigation than just about any other country, and it’s not even close. Our liability costs are more than 2.5 times the average level of Eurozone economies. Not something to be proud of.”

What Boehner Does:The Speaker should first take his own advice on frivolous lawsuits before he begins offering policy prescriptions on litigation. After all, he led the charge this summer to win approval of a resolution authorizing him to sue the Obama Administration for waiving the Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate. The lawsuit is the definition of frivolous—not only is it likely to lose, but Boehner doesn’t even support the employer mandate he is suing to enforce!

What Clinton Says: “Congress is living in a evidence-free zone.” When it comes to Speaker Boehner, that’s the truth.

*****

Readers: Thanks, but no thanks, I’ll stick with Hillary’s vision. Boehner is no different than most repubs.

Suzy: Like Paula, I am of the same mind that says, “I will do everything possible to work against them (the republicans) in 2014. Encouraging minorities to vote is just another way to get more Dems to the polls. It isn’t just white women who need to wake up. It is all women. All women, no matter what race, need to get to the polls and support our sisters by voting in the women and men that are going to legislate in our best interest, and not what is convenient or controlling or an example like the write I posted above.

Speaking of security…

Ellen: Incompetent, not caring…whatever. There is no excuse. I agree with you, but I would fire all of them and their superiors. Who cares if the president and his daughters left the White House. This man could’ve had a bomb strapped to him intending to blow up the entire building.

Not only that, it sends all sorts of messages that aren’t good, and inspires many questions. The White House is supposed to be the safest most protected home in our country.

Our Secret Service is supposed to be the best well trained people in the business. You can’t use the excuse that other people were around and they didn’t want to harm anyone that might have gotten in the way. These are trained sharp shooters. It is their job to be able to hit their intended target, still or moving. It is their job to prevent people from entering the White House. Hell..at least let the dogs loose.

This is totally inexcusable and unacceptable. Would this have happened if the president was a white man? I’m not saying it wouldn’t have, but it certainly raises the question.

What does this say to ISIS or other terrorists who see the videos? What message does it convey about breaching the White House?

What’s on your mind? Blog me. 

Peace out. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2014

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

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Good morning!

There is an increase in minority voter registration. It’s a good thing if more people want to get out and vote, right? Right, unless you’re the Right…then…not so good – Minority voters are usually Dems.

Here’s the right..um..I mean the write from Think Progress.

Too Much Democracy?

Georgia Republicans Lament Efforts To Expand Voting Access, Try To Stop Them

As November approaches, Georgia finds itself home to a toss-up Senate race between Democrat Michelle Nunn and Republican David Perdue. With such a competitive race, voters are registering at a higher rate than usual and county election boards are taking steps to expand access to the polls. America has one of the worst turnout rates of any developed country in the world, so you’d like to think that everybody would be cheering this news. But some Republican officials are worried that these measures are resulting in the increased participation of minority voters, and that that fact could spell trouble for their own candidates.

Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp is one of these officials. Think Progress’s Josh Israel reports on new audio released by progressive voting rights organization Better Georgia that captures Kemp sharing his frustration over it’s grassroots effort to register minority voters for the election. Here’s an excerpt from the tape:

Democrats are working hard, and all these stories about them, you know, registering all these minority voters that are out there and others that are sitting on the sidelines, if they can do that, they can win these elections in November.

Using the power of his position, Kemp plans to fight back. On Tuesday, Kemplaunched a “voter fraud” investigation into the voter registration effort, which he says he suspects may have “forged voter registration applications, forged signatures on releases, and applications with false or inaccurate information.” (As a reminder, the problem of voter fraud is essentially non-existent.)

Kemp is not the only one feeling threatened. Just the day before he launched his investigation, another Republican, state senator Fran Millar, complained thatvoting is too convenient for black people. One of Georgia’s largest counties announced last week that it will allow early voting on a Sunday in late October and will open an early voting location in a shopping mall popular among local African-Americans. Millar penned an angry response, explaining that “this location is dominated by African American shoppers and it is near several large African American mega churches such as New Birth Missionary Baptist.” When asked to stand by his comments, Millar only got more offensive, writing in a Facebook post, “I would prefer more educated voters than a greater increase in the number of voters.”

BOTTOM LINE: Expanding voting access by increasing opportunities to vote and increasing voter registration is something that deserves to be celebrated in our democracy. Instead, some officials in Georgia, feeling threatened by what might happen if more people exercise their constitutional right, resort to name calling and launching specious investigations that are more likely intended for voter suppression than anything else.

*****

Readers: If we really have one of the worst turnouts of any developed country, we many not be able to change the demographics, but we can change the voting demographic now by just making sure minorities, who usually vote Dem, become the majority at the polls. Voter turnout currently is 38%. That is crazy that we have so little people voting.

A minority bump up at the polls can drastically change the election results. Everyone needs to encourage people to register and vote. Some of you have made comments stating that you need the white female vote to achieve equality (That’s a nod do you Juanita), but that they don’t care about the issue equality. If you feel like you can’t rely on white women, then don’t count on them to achieve equality…do it yourself. Get to the polls and make sure minorities get to the polls…women and men.

It’s happening. Let’s keep it going and defeat those repubs. The time is now.

Thoughts? It’s Friday…start flapping those lips.

Hi, Lois: When I read Morris’ comment I was reminded of a story my mother told me when she was in her late 20′s. My father and her had good friends – he black, she white – and whenever they went out they experienced racism. They couldn’t go into some restaurants, and this was in liberal California. One doesn’t need to imagine what other parts of the world were like, and still are.

Auspicious or not…I love a good love story. Thanks for sharing, Morris. By the way, congratulations to you both for showing us  such a loving and successful marriage. You are both inspirations. xo

Mabel: Yes, big change can come with a demographic change. But I don’t think waiting is the answer. I’m certainly not going to wait. And it doesn’t look like others are either. Did you read today’s write? Debra: I HOPE you read it too.

Paula: I am aways glad the repubs reveal themselves because the more they do the more we know about them, and it isn’t pretty…and we all need to know. I love your conviction. Me too. Let’s keep it going.

Peace Out. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2014

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

Republicans Unanimously Block Equal Pay Bill

CREDIT: AP

After allowing the Paycheck Fairness Act to move forward last week, Senate Republicans turned around on Monday evening and unanimously voted to block the bill, which would ban salary secrecy and tighten rules to try to narrow the gender wage gap.

The vote came weeks after the Republican National Committee claimed that “All Republicans support equal pay.” Senate Republicans have unanimouslyshot the bill down multiple times over the past four years.

The bill includes a number of provisions aimed at preventing the gender wage gap in the first place, which currently means a woman who works full time, year round makes 77 percent of what a similar man makes and hasn’t budged in a decade.

It would ban salary secrecy, in which employers prohibit or strongly discourage employees from discussing pay with each other, thus making it difficult for women to discover unequal practices. While it’s illegal to tell workers they can’t talk about wages with each other without a business justification, since it infringes on the right to engage in concerted activities for mutual aid, it’s still widespread: about half of private sector workers say they can’t talk about pay at work. But in workplaces without this practice, the wage gap shrinks. Among the federal workforce, where pay scales are usually transparent, the wage gap has fallen significantly over the past 20 years. It’s also falling among unionized workers, who similarly tend to have wage transparency.

The Paycheck Fairness Act would also narrow the definitions of what is considered a legitimate business-related justification for pay disparities between a man and a woman with the same skills, responsibilities, and working conditions, while increasing penalties for those who are found to have no reason for gaps. It’s meant to discourage unequal pay scales so that women don’t have to remedy situations by bringing lawsuits, which are time consuming, costly, and increasingly difficult to win.

Republicans say they are in favor of equal pay for women’s work, but they haven’t articulated their alternatives to the Democrats’ bill. Instead they say women are already protected and argue that the gap isn’t as big as the statistics say. But while it’s true that many factors go into the gender wage gap, it can’t be explained away and discrimination is likely at least partly to blame.

*****

Readers: I really don’t get it. I am so sick of the repubs claiming one thing and their actions don’t backup their claims. What woman in her right mind would vote for men who block a bill that would narrow the gender wage gap? If that language is too confusing for you, please tell me why you would vote for men who are not in favor of equal pay for women’s work. Really…I want to know. Blog me.

Speaking of women…

Let me address the NFL and the player’s abuse of women. Fifty Six players have been arrested for domestic violence since Roger Goodell became the commissioner.  And of the fifty six arrested only 13 were suspended from games in total. Some of the players didn’t get any penalties…some only got fines. This is really disgusting.

In my opinion, if we are going to take a hard stance on domestic violence, these players need to be suspended from the NFL indefinitely. The ramifications need to be strict enough that they won’t even consider raising a hand…and the way to hit ‘em hard is in their wallet – take their million dollar contracts away and perhaps they’ll limit the beating up of others where there is a level playing field. (no pun intended.)

Goodell has basically given these players a license to abuse when there are hardly any consequences for acts of domestic violence. Rep. Jackie Speier calls on Goodell to resign, and I couldn’t agree with her more. But he won’t. He made a cool 44 million last year. There is no way he s going to give up that pay.

As Rep Jackie Spier said, “It is really all about money.” Yep. Again, I couldn’t agree more. Meanwhile women’s lives are in danger because the dollar is more important than the well-being of women. That’s what their actions are saying when domestic violence is prevalent, and nothing is being done to stop it.  How many more women need to be abused before this is taken seriously?

John:  Perhaps before you address the article you should actually read the article. The couple you are referring to is not the couple that is in the write that I posted. Just saying…

And even if it was, who cares? Lots of people have sex in the open. If it was between two white people we wouldn’t be having this conversation and you wouldn’t come to the assumption that the woman was a prostitute. It is because the sex is happening between a white man and a black woman, that you say “…it’s not out of normal thinking to assume…she might have been a prostitute.“ What you’re assuming, and what you think is “normal” to assume, is that no white man would have sex with a black woman unless she was a prostitute. You’re racist. Just saying.

I guess I am not the only only thinking this as I just read Morris’ comment. 

Done for the day. Your turn. Blog me. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2014

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

From CNN.

Hollywood couple stopped by police, say they were racially profiled

(CNN) – Hollywood actors Cherie Johnson and Dennis White say they were improperly stopped by police, put in handcuffs and harshly questioned during a recent weekend getaway in South Carolina. They claim the incident took place because of their race.

“It hurts me more that telling the story, other people are not surprised,” Johnson said in an interview on HLN’s” Showbiz Tonight” on Monday. “They’re not shocked about what we went through. So many people have gone through it, too.  I don’t understand how come they haven’t fought it and how come they just let it go.”

Johnson, best known for her roles in TV shows “Punky Brewster” and “Family Matters,” and White, from the movie “Notorious,” are speaking out about their treatment by a Marion County sheriff’s deputy on September 22.

“I’ve been stopped by the police before, but I’ve never been fearful for my life,” Johnson said on Sunday. “They need some kind of sensitivity training.”

The Marion County sheriff issued a statement on Monday promising to investigate the allegations of racial profiling.

The couple, who were in the area after conducting an acting workshop in North Carolina, shared White’s account with freelance writer Krystol Diggs, who posted it to CNN iReport. CNN could not independently verify their account but spoke directly to Johnson and Diggs about the incident.

Johnson and White say they were on their way to Myrtle Beach for a quick romantic getaway when they pulled off the rural highway and parked by a cotton field. Johnson said she had never seen cotton before and told White she wanted to take a picture.

As the couple walked back to the car, they said, they noticed a police car with its lights on parked behind theirs. White and Johnson, who are both African-American, say the white officer harshly questioned them about drugs — he found none — and the cash he found in their bags.

Johnson was the national cheer representative for the Just Say No to Drugs campaign in the ’80s.

According to White’s account, Officer Shad Barfield told Johnson there was a warrant for her arrest, which she disputed, and the officer later recanted. He handcuffed White and then Johnson but did not arrest them.

“After he told me that I did not have a warrant for my arrest, and he started asking me about drugs for the third time, I said, ‘Are you doing this because we’re black?’” Johnson told HLN. “And that was when everything took a turn for the worst. He patted the car, he walked back to his car, he put on gloves. The next thing I knew, he was handcuffing Dennis.”

“He told me … I was being detained for his safety because he didn’t know me,” Johnson said.

“At this time I became distraught,” White wrote in his account of the incident. “I have been racially profiled several times in my lifetime but it touched my core when my woman was included.”

Marion County Sheriff Mark Richardson issued a statement on Monday in regard to the actors’ claims: “Discrimination in any form, including racial profiling, is strictly prohibited by this department and as Sheriff of Marion County SC, I can assure you I will take immediate and appropriate action to investigate the allegations of racial profiling made by Mr. White and Ms. Johnson. This matter will be dealt with by an internal investigation within the department and I will also ask the State Law Enforcement Division to review the allegation made against Deputy Barfield.”

It was Johnson’s first experience being handcuffed. Several of her family members work in law enforcement, Johnson said, adding that she’s “never been afraid of cops or had bad opinions of them.”

This time was different.

After thoroughly searching the car, the officer removed the handcuffs and let the couple go.

“No apology, no nothing,” White wrote.

White says he won’t stop talking about the incident until “that racist cop” is reprimanded and punished.

“We’ve been conditioned to just think that it’s OK — that we have to just sweep it under the rug,” White told HLN. “But we’re not doing that no more. We’re fighting.”

By Monday morning, the story had received nearly 700,000 views — making it the fourth most-viewed iReport of all time — and hundreds of comments about racial profiling and law enforcement in South Carolina and elsewhere. Many readers said they had experienced similar situations.

Actress Kinnik Sky was among those who shared the story on her Facebook page. Sky, who was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, said she knew White and Johnson’s account “to be absolutely true.”

“I was like, ‘Wow, boy can I relate,’ because I am fearful of the cops as a whole, especially in South Carolina. My experiences have always been horrible.”

The former “American Idol” finalist said whenever she returns from Los Angeles to her hometown she gets stopped by police “80% of the time” and questioned about drugs. On a recent trip she was “stopped, pulled over and questioned about every drug known to man,” she said.

What’s your reaction to White and Johnson’s story? Sound off on iReport

Her account is strikingly similar to what Johnson and White said they experienced. Johnson said she contacted Marion County for an incident report but was told that one was never filed. In the meantime, she’s voicing her views on Twitter and Facebook so others can know what she and White went through.

“I’ve always been a fan of speaking up and sharing your story,” Johnson said. “We’re way more powerful in numbers than we are alone.”

*****

Readers: I post these atrocities because the word needs to get out that racial profiling is still going strong. Not to mention…another unarmed black me got killed. Can racsim get any worse? Oh, yes it can. Until the community comes together and doesn’t stop screaming and protesting to bring about change, or people take matters into their own hands a la “Alycedale” style, the cops will continue to be thugs with guns.

Get the word out.

Thoughts? Blog me.

Peace & Love. We could sure use more of both don’t ya think?

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2014

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

A few days ago on the 13th of September, VAWA celebrated its 20th anniversary. Football season is here. And yet, it seems there is more talk about the abusive players, and how the NFL is handling them,  than there is about the actual games.

A write from Think Progress.

Not Just Ray Rice

On The 20th Anniversary Of VAWA, Important Stories On Domestic Violence

Tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) – the landmark legislation that was signed into law by President Clinton to provide more institutional resources for domestic violence victims. The anniversary comes at a time when the country is engaged in a national conversation about NFL player Ray Rice, his wife Janay, and the NFL’s responsibility to adequately respond to incidences of domestic abuse within their ranks.

Here’s a rundown of stories related to this issue that you don’t want to miss:

• How The Country Has Changed Under The Violence Against Women Act. We have more resources to address and prevent domestic abuse and fewer people are becoming victims of violence. But there is more work to be done.
• Brutally Honest Sportscaster Delivers Powerful Commentary On Ray Rice. James Brown on CBS: “Our language is important. For instance, when a guy says ‘you throw the ball like a girl,’ or ‘you’re a little sissy,’ it reflects an attitude that devalues women. And attitudes will eventually manifest in some fashion.”
• Domestic Violence Kills More People Than Wars, Global Study Finds.Researchers say that violence at home is an overlooked issue that deserves more international attention.
• Gabrielle Giffords: 20 Years After VAWA, There’s Much More Work To Do. Even though many couples are choosing to marry later in life, our laws haven’t been updated to address dating partner abuse.
• You Shouldn’t Ask Why Janay Rice Stayed. The people asking that question don’t understand the reality of domestic violence. They should place responsibility on the abusive partner, not the survivor.
• Columbia University Students’ Powerful Display Of Support For A Rape Victim Seeking Justice. Students are banding together to help Emma Sulkowicz, a senior visual arts major who’s carrying her mattress everywhere as long as her rapist remains on campus.
• Domestic Violence in The Times: From Civil Unrest to Spouse Abuse.The term “domestic violence” has appeared in The New York Times throughout its history, but until the 1980s it mostly referred to civil unrest and rioting rather than acts of violence in the home. Its usage has spiked since 2010.
• Nearly A Third Of U.S. Women Have Experienced Domestic Violence.Ray Rice’s violent act has been widely condemned, but it is also all too common: More than 31 percent of women in the United States have been physically abused by an intimate partner at some point in their lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Fox News Mocks Victim Of Ray Rice Elevator Assault: ‘I Think The Message Is, Take The Stairs’. Victim of domestic violence who don’t leave after they’ve been abused send a “terrible message,” says Fox’s Brian Kilmeade.

BOTTOM LINE: It shouldn’t have taken a video leaked to the world to make the NFL finally take strong action against Ray Rice. It shouldn’t be forgotten, either, that domestic violence is a problem that extends far beyond the headlines: more than 31 percent of women in the United States have been physically abused by an intimate partner at some point in their lives. And 20 years after the Violence Against Women Act passed Congress, it shouldn’t be forgotten that there is still much more we can do to protect all women from abuse.

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Readers: What is going on? The only way that this abuse is going to stop is when women’s health and safety is made a priority and the consequences of the perp’s actions are serious. How much more leeway are men going to get before this is stopped? It’s so simple. Make the laws so detrimental for the dirty deed doers that they will not even consider raising a hand.

But first we need to get politicians in office that will support women. That is the big push. Because as long as the repubs are in control you can kiss that idea goodbye. They have no intention of supporting women.

Ugh…this is so frustrating that our future lies in our own hands and we aren’t taking control. I sure HOPE women get a clue, support their sisters, and do the right thing when the time comes, or this is going to be a never ending conversation and battle to boot.

I know I am not the only one who is sickened by all of this. What’s your thoughts on all that is going on? Blog me.

Robert I: Are you around? It’s been awhile. I HOPE you’re doing good.

Lucy, ST:  I saw the photo and read the write. :)

Gwen, Lacy: So sorry to hear about your mother, and sister. So devastating. “Yes, he looked liked such a nice church-going man. He always gave to the community. Never said anything bad about anyone…always kept to his own business…blah blah blah.” THAT should be the profile to be suspect of. Wishing you and your families peace.

Carol: Yes, Health Info usually gave out great info. I can’t say I know what happened to them but perhaps now that they have been requested, they will come back and post. (hint hint)

Peace out. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

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