Good morning!

Irene: Uh huh girl. You go. Tell it like it is.

11k7L43: My mother said those same words, sans the Dallas part.

Luis: Like the saying goes, and I am totally off base on this but you’ll get the gist of it – “when you don’t help your neighbors in their time of need, who is going to help you when you need help?” It seems Inhofe and Coburn thought giving Sandy relief was “wasteful spending” when it came to helping their neighbors. No doubt their hands will be asking for help now too.

Danielle: Thank you. I feel that sometimes I post too many articles and don’t write enough. But hey, there are good writers saying lots of important things so reposting them is much more important than what I have to say most of the time. And believe me when I have something to say, I will say it regardless of whether it is good writing or not. Thanks for your support.

So speaking of reposting articles, here is the write du jour from the Huff Po:

What’s At Stake if the Health Law Is Repealed

More than three years ago, Congress passed the Affordable Care Act and President Obama signed it into law. Last year, the Supreme Court upheld it. Millions of Americans have already benefited from its provisions, and millions more are looking forward to benefits that will soon go into effect. And in November, the American people re-elected the president as an affirmation of the law’s promise that no person should go broke if they get sick.

Yet today, for nearly the 40th time since it’s been the law of the land, House Republicans staged yet another repeal vote in their latest attempt to turn back the clock on progress and deny Americans health insurance coverage they can count on.

Here’s what Americans would lose if repeal actually happened:

• Repeal Decreases Access to Quality Care. The 6.6 million young people from South Carolina to Ohio to Utah who have gained coverage under their parents’ health plans up to age 26 would lose that option. Insurance companies in many states could return to the days of refusing coverage to 17 million children living with a pre-existing condition like diabetes or asthma. For the 129 million Americans across the country living with a pre-existing condition, repeal would take away the security of knowing that, beginning next year, their health coverage can’t be revoked or denied. Repeal would also eliminate the free, critical preventive vaccines, flu shots, contraception, mammograms, and other screenings that have already helped 71 million Americans stay healthy and active.

• Repeal Hurts Seniors and Undermines Medicare. For America’s seniors, from Florida to Oklahoma to Nevada, repeal would increase medical costs by hundreds of dollars a month at a time when they could least afford it. It would eliminate the discounts that have brought 6.1 million of them an average savings of $706 on their prescription drugs, enough to cover the cost of several months of groceries. Nearly 50 million Medicare beneficiaries from Virginia to Kentucky to Idaho would lose access to free, life-saving preventive care, including cancer screenings and annual wellness visits. And repeal would undo ambitious delivery reforms that have helped reduce projected Medicare spending by hundreds of millions of dollars over the next ten years.

• Repeal Raises Taxes on the Middle Class and Small Businesses, and Increases Our Deficit. Starting next year, 18 million middle-class families across the country the country would be denied access to a tax credit averaging $4,000 each that would make it easier to purchase health insurance. Small businesses from Pennsylvania to Louisiana would also lose access to tax credits that are already helping to provide coverage for 2 million American workers. And repeal would increase the deficit by $100 billion over the next ten years.

• Repeal Returns Unchecked Power to Insurance Companies. The law has slowed the growth of premium increases by doing away with the worst insurance company abuses. Nearly 13 million individuals and families have saved an average of $150 due to a new rule requiring more premium dollars to be spent on delivering actual care instead of on overhead costs and CEO salaries. Insurance companies must also now publicly justify all premium increases of 10 percent or more. Those two provisions alone have already produced more than $2 billion in rebates for millions of Americans who are privately insured. Repealing the law would return the power of unchecked premium increases back to insurance companies in states that haven’t set up their own protections.

• Repeals Denies Women Control Over Their Own Health Care. For American women in every corner of the country, repeal would bring us back to the days when simply being a woman was a pre-existing condition. Insurers would once again be able to charge women far more than men pay for the same health benefits.

By refighting old battles and reopening old wounds, repeal efforts would take away the peace of mind that affordable health insurance provides for the millions of Americans who can’t afford to go back to the way things were.

For the majority of Americans who already have insurance, the law makes it stronger. And for 25 million Americans who lack the security of health coverage, expanded Medicaid in many states and new Health Insurance Marketplaces opening for enrollment in every state this fall will finally give them access to coverage that fits their budget and meets their health needs.

Because of the law, we’re increasing access to affordable care, slowing premium increases, and bringing down health spending growth to its slowest rate in half a century. We’re making health insurance work for small businesses, and providing the strongest consumer protections in history.

We know our health care system’s problems weren’t created overnight, and they won’t be solved overnight. But Americans are far better off today than they would be without the health care law. And while we work to implement and strengthen the law, it’s clear we’re moving our health care system in the right direction. We simply can’t afford to turn back now.

****

Readers:  Just who is supporting the repubs when they could care less about our health that they would try almost 40 times to repeal ACA? No answer needed, we already know.

Zed: Loved your comment. So true and still laughing.

Fans of Zen Lill: I will post the pretty pics this weekend.

I am really out of time. Now. I. must. go. 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 2008-2012

“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.

I have been told many stories of late, of horrific things that we all know about, that have happened in our past, here in the U.S. and all around the world. And as much as I would like to believe that men have changed, I am proven wrong every time when I read the news.

This write came across my plate. When sick acts of assault and rape that happened during World war II is now currently looked at as a “necessity” for the soldiers to keep them in line…to “maintain discipline”…that just tells me that this is acceptable behavior to men and that this has the potential to happen again. It is once again truly sickening.

Toru Hashimoto, Osaka Mayor, Says Forced Prostitution Of Asian Women During World War II Was Necessary

TOKYO — An outspoken nationalist mayor said the Japanese military’s forced prostitution of Asian women before and during World War II was necessary to “maintain discipline” in the ranks and provide rest for soldiers who risked their lives in battle.

The comments made Monday are already raising ire in neighboring countries that bore the brunt of Japan’s wartime aggression and have long complained that Japan has failed to fully atone for wartime atrocities.

Toru Hashimoto, the young, brash mayor of Osaka who is co-leader of an emerging conservative political party, also said that U.S. troops currently based in southern Japan should patronize the local sex industry more to help reduce rapes and other assaults.

Hashimoto told reporters on Monday that there wasn’t clear evidence that the Japanese military had coerced women to become what are euphemistically called “comfort women” before and during World War II.

“To maintain discipline in the military, it must have been necessary at that time,” Hashimoto said. “For soldiers who risked their lives in circumstances where bullets are flying around like rain and wind, if you want them to get some rest, a comfort women system was necessary. That’s clear to anyone.”

Historians say up to 200,000 women, mainly from the Korean Peninsula and China, were forced to provide sex for Japanese soldiers in military brothels.

China’s Foreign Ministry criticized the mayor’s comments and saw them as further evidence of a rightward drift in Japanese politics under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

“We are appalled and indignant about the Japanese politician’s comments boldly challenging humanity and historical justice,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a daily media briefing. “The way they treat the past will determine the way Japan walks toward the future. On what choice Japan will make, the Asian neighbors and the international community will wait and see.”

Asked about a photo of Abe posing in a fighter jet with the number 731 – the number of a notorious, secret Japanese unit that performed chemical and biological experiments on Chinese in World War II – Hong again urged Japan not to whitewash history so as to improve relations with countries that suffered under Japanese occupation.

“There is a mountain of definitive iron-hard evidence for the crimes they committed in the Second World War. We hope Japan will face and contemplate their history of aggression and treat it correctly,” Hong said.

Abe posed, thumbs up, in the aircraft during a weekend visit to northeastern Japan.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry expressed disappointment over what it called a senior Japanese official’s serious lack of historical understanding and respect for women’s rights. It asked Japan’s leaders to reflect on their country’s imperial past, including grave human rights violations, and correct anachronistic historical views.

Hashimoto said he recently visited Okinawa in southern Japan and told the U.S. commander there “to make better use of the sex industry.”

“He froze, and then with a wry smile said that is off-limits for the U.S. military,” he said.

“I told him that there are problems because of such formalities,” Hashimoto said, explaining that he was not referring to illegal prostitution but to places operating within the law. “If you don’t make use of those places you cannot properly control the sexual energy of those tough guys.”

Calls to the after-hours number for U.S. Forces in Japan were not answered.

Hashimoto’s comments came amid continuing criticism of Abe’s earlier pledges to revise Japan’s past apologies for wartime atrocities. Before he took office in December, Abe had advocated revising a 1993 statement by then Prime Minister Yohei Kono acknowledging and expressing remorse for the suffering caused to the sexual slaves of Japanese troops.

Abe has acknowledged “comfort women” existed but has denied they were coerced into prostitution, citing a lack of official evidence.

Recently, top officials in Abe’s government have appeared to backpedal on suggestions the government might revise those apologies, apparently hoping to ease tensions with South Korea and China and address U.S. concerns about Abe’s nationalist agenda.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga repeated the previous government position and said those women went through unbearable pain.

“The stance of the Japanese government on the comfort women issue is well known. They have suffered unspeakably painful experiences. The Abe Cabinet has the same sentiments as past Cabinets,” he said.

Education Minister Hakubun Shimomura said Hashimoto’s remark was unhelpful given the criticism Japan faces from neighboring countries and the U.S. over its interpretation of history.

“A series of remarks related to our interpretation of (wartime) history have been already misunderstood. In that sense, Mr. Hashimoto’s remark came at a bad time,” Shimomura told reporters. “I wonder if there is any positive meaning to intentionally make such remarks at this particular moment.”

Hashimoto, 43, is co-head of the newly formed Japan Restoration Party with former Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara, who is a strident nationalist.

Sakihito Ozawa, the party’s parliamentary affairs chairman, said he believed Hashimoto’s remarks reflected his personal views, but he expressed concerns about possible repercussions.

“We should ask his real intentions and stop this at some point,” he said.

*******

Readers: My heart feels heavy today. Sometimes the plight of women and girls feels like a never ending fight with the odds against us. I just don’t understand how men (not all) can feel so little for women. These are your mothers who gave birth to you – without women you would not exist. Where is the love?

Thanks for reading and being here with me. I HOPE to catch up with all of you over the weekend. It’s Friday – 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 2008-2012

“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!

I HOPE everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day wth their mother. I certaily did!  We went and saw Wanda Sykes on Saturday night. (She is a hoot!) My mother loved it and so did I. And yesterday we tripped around SF, shopping and enjoying a delicious lunch in the sunny and beautiful downtown. I’ve been treating myself to facials from a new friend, so I gifted one to mom. She’s very excited.

How was your Mother’s Day? I HOPE all mothers around the world were loved and appreciated, and that love and appreciation will continue indefinitely.

Speaking of continuing…I wanted to start off this Monday morning and continue where I left off a few days ago: Rape in the military and what is being done to stop this madness.

Hagel: Sexual Assault Report Shows Armed Forces ‘Need Cultural Change‘

The growing problem of sexual assault in the armed forces could threaten the military’s ability to do its job and to recruit strong candidates to serve their country, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said today.

The issue took center stage in Washington after the arrest of the officer who ran the Air Force’s sexual assault prevention office on a sexual battery charge was confirmed Monday, a day before the Pentagon released a report that found sexual assaults in the military have risen 6 percent.

The arrest this past weekend in Arlington, Va., of Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski, who headed the Air Force’s office of sexual assault prevention, sparked outrage about the military’s response to sexual assault among service members. He was removed from his post on Monday after the Air Force found out about his arrest.

“We’re all outraged and disgusted” by the news of Krusinski’s arrest, Hagel told reporters today as the Pentagon released the report on sexual assaults.

“No one in this building is happy,” Hagel said. “We’re disappointed.”

The report details a 6 percent increase in 2012 in the number of reports of sexual assault involving active duty service members as either victims or subjects.

“We need cultural change, where every service member is treated with dignity and respect, where all allegations of inappropriate behavior are treated with seriousness, where victims’ privacy is protected, where bystanders are motivated to intervene and where offenders know that they will be held accountable by strong and effective systems of justice,” Hagel said.

According to the report, there were a total of 3,374 reports of sexual assaults involving service members as either victims or subjects, and of those 2,558 were investigated or prosecuted. These reports involved offenses ranging from rape to abusive sexual contact.

That figure was up from the 3,192 reports received in 2011. The overall increase in reporting was due to a 30 percent jump in reports from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force; the Army saw a 16 perecent decrease in reports.

The Pentagon believes that sexual assaults are underreported and calculates that that there could possibly have been as many as 26,000 incidents of unwanted sexual contact in 2012. That number is extrapolated from a survey sent to 108,000 active duty service members, 24 percent of whom responded.

The survey found that 6.1 percent of women and 1.2 percent of men on active duty indicated they experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact in the 12 months prior to the survey. The Pentagon uses the term “sexual assault” to refer to a range of crimes, including rape, sexual assault, nonconsensual sodomy, aggravated sexual contact, abusive sexual contact, and attempts to commit these offenses.

At a White House news conference President Obama made clear that he has “no tolerance” for sexual assault in the military and said perpetrators are “betraying the uniform that they’re wearing.”

“They may consider themselves patriots, but when you engage in this kind of behavior, that’s not patriotic; it’s a crime. And we have to do everything we can to root this out,” he said.

“I expect consequences,” he said. “I don’t want just more speeches or, you know, awareness programs or training, but ultimately folks look the other way. If we find out somebody’s engaging in this stuff, they’ve got to be held accountable, prosecuted, stripped of their positions, court-martialed, fired, dishonorably discharged — period. It’s not acceptable.”

The president said he had spoken with Hagel, telling him that “we have to exponentially step up our game to go at this thing hard.”

On Capitol Hill, senators called sexual assault in the military a “plague” and blasted the Air Force for not making enough progress in remedying the problem.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he was “terribly disappointed” that the military is not doing a better job to prevent sexual assault.

“It appears to me we’re going to have to change the mindset of the military,” Reid said.

Krusinski’s arrest gave new fire to senators calling for the Department of Defense to act “swiftly and decisively” to address the problem of sexual assault in the military — including from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who, at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing with Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Mark Welsh III, at times yelled openly at the two Air Force witnesses over this case and the broader problem.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who will block the promotion of another Air Force general who has pardoned an officer convicted of aggravate sexual assault, said she expects the person who hired Krusinski in the first place to be held to a higher standard on the highering of his replacement.

“This was not someone who understood what this job was about,” McCaskill said. “And I will be watching very carefully who is selected to replace Lt. Col. Kruinski, because I think it is one of those times you’re going to be able to send a message, and I think it’s important you do it.”

Senators Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., today introduced the Combating Military Sexual Assault Act of 2013, which they said will address gaps in the system.

Reid said he believes these are “steps in the right direction.”

“If there is legislation that needs to be done, which I’m quite sure there probably is, we need to move it out as quickly as we can,” Reid said.

Krusinski is expected to be arraigned on Thursday.

*******

Readers: I am at a loss for words this morning. All I can say is that I am grateful that our president Obama, Hagel and anyone else who is determined to remedy this horrific situation for women in the military, is doing something. Thank you.

Jackie: And those 3 words that I chose to describe my mother is not all of who she is to me….she is so much more. :)

Ruth, SM: Did you have a wonderful Mother’s Day? I HOPE you were spoiled by your family. I would love to hear how you, Harris and the girls et al are doing. Love to you.

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 2008-2012

“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!

And this is what conservative thinking and teaching will do for our children.

Elizabeth Smart: Abstinence Education Teaches Rape Victims They’re Worthless, Dirty, And Filthy

Elizabeth Smart became a household name after she was kidnapped from her home in Salt Lake City, UT at the age of 14 and held in captivity for nine months. She was forced into a polygamous marriage, tethered to a metal cable, and raped daily until she was rescued from her captors nine months later. Smart was recovered while she and her kidnappers were walking down a suburban street, leading many Americans who followed her story on the national news to wonder: Why didn’t she just run away as soon as she was brought outside?

Speaking to an audience at Johns Hopkins about issues of human trafficking and sexual violence, Smart recently offered an answer to that question. She explained that some human trafficking victims don’t run away because they feel worthless after being raped, particularly if they have been raised in conservative cultures that push abstinence-only education and emphasize sexual purity:

Smart said she “felt so dirty and so filthy” after she was raped by her captor, and she understands why someone wouldn’t run “because of that alone.”

Smart spoke at a Johns Hopkins human trafficking forum, saying she was raised in a religious household and recalled a school teacher who spoke once about abstinence and compared sex to chewing gum.

“I thought, ‘Oh, my gosh, I’m that chewed up piece of gum, nobody re-chews a piece of gum, you throw it away.’ And that’s how easy it is to feel like you no longer have worth, you no longer have value,” Smart said. “Why would it even be worth screaming out? Why would it even make a difference if you are rescued? Your life still has no value.”

Now in her mid-twenties, Smart runs a foundation to help educate children about sexual crimes. She now believes that children should grow up learning that “you will always have value and nothing can change that.”

Social psychologists and sexual abuse counselors agree that comprehensive sex education can help prevent sexual crimes. Teaching children about their bodies gives them the tools to describe acts of abuse without feeling as embarrassed or uncomfortable, and it also helps elevate their self-confidence and sense of bodily autonomy. A shame-based approach to genitalia and sexuality, on the other hand, sends kids the message that they can’t discuss or ask questions about any of those issues.

Nonethless, abstinence-only education programs have a long history of imparting harmful messages that shame youth about their sexuality instead of teaching them the facts they need to safeguard their health. A high school in West Virginia recently made national headlines after hosting a conservative religious speaker who allegedly told students “if you take birth control, your mother probably hates you” and “I could look at any one of you in the eyes right now and tell if you’re going to be promiscuous.” In Smart’s home state of Utah — which is home to a large religiously conservative Mormon community — sex education is currently mandated, but lawmakers have repeatedly pushed to weaken the state law and reinstate an abstinence-only curriculum.

**********

Readers: Can you imagine someone thinking that they are a used piece of chewing gum, worth nothing, because of having sex? How much lower can you go if you are raped? Can you imagine someone telling you your mother hates you because you’re taking birth control? Yes, I can because it is happening. And now we are seeing what happens when ridiculous sick speak is spoken and spread throughout conservative religious households.

Yes, there is no doubt parents need to educate their children about sex. The question is just what are they telling their kids about sex? And how are they educating them? Evidently, how Elizabeth Smart was educated is clearly not the way.

When will conservative religious parents get this? I don’t expect much from the fathers because men just have a need to control women and their bodies and can’t seem to get passed that, enough to care about the reality of rape for women and girls.  The more important question to ask is when will the mothers say ‘enough of this BS’, stop following lockstep behind their husbands, have a voice, and protect and teach their daughters? That is the crux.

Thoughts? Anything to say? Blog me. 

Happy Saturday – thanks so much for being here with me! Peace  & Love…

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 2008-2012

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

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Good morning.

Lewis: Thank you. I am glad that it is a hard read for you. More men need to understand what women are up against and how scary it can be for women. Because unfortunately for women the angst is not just a hard read but reality. Please do pass along my advice to the women in your life. And pass along the other advice here as well, as there are comments from others such as Zen Lill, that should be checked out too. ZL has had first hand experience and a father who was a cop to boot. She has offered up some wise words.

Mike, TM: It has been awhile. Nice to see you here. I always look forward to what you have to say. Thanks for the detailed report, and for your informed opinion. That story is shocking. Who can be trusted? Obama continually has his work cut out for him. Thankfully he can at least put his trust in one man. I can only imagine what may have gone down had this ended differently. There is no logic with the “rabid racists.”  They are disease that if given they chance would eventually destroy their own livelihood. I HOPE all is going well for you.

Onto Today’s write…

This is a perfect example of what I was talking about yesterday. Here we have the Air Force’s Sexual Assault Prevention Officer who is charged with sexual assault. Wha’at?! See what I am saying? The men who are supposed to protect us are going after us…the ones we might need to fear. And in this case, yes, this is a man in uniform – his job is to protect women. And look at what he does. He is a sorry case for a protector, let alone a man.

Girls: Our lives are in our own hands. I hate to say it, but I am compelled to say trust no man, and make sure to always err on the side of caution. And if you’re wrong, who cares, it means nothing. If you’re right, it means everything. It could just save your life.

Here’s the write:

Air Force’s Sexual Assault Prevention Officer Charged With Sexual Battery

A lieutenant colonel who ran the Air Force’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office was arrested and charged with sexual battery over the weekend in a D.C. suburb.

In a statement Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was said to have expressed “outrage and disgust” over the arrest, which comes as the Pentagon prepares to release a report Tuesday showing the number of sexual assaults in the military increased in 2012.

Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek confirmed to ABC News that Lt. Col. Jeff Krusinski, chief of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, was arrested this weekend in Arlington, Va.

The Arlington County Police Department’s crime report said that shortly after midnight on Sunday “a drunken male subject approached a female victim in a parking lot and grabbed her breasts and buttocks.”

“The victim fought the suspect off as he attempted to touch her again and alerted police,” the crime report said said. “Jeffrey Krusinski, 41, of Arlington, Va., was arrested and charged with sexual battery.”

ARLnow.com first reported the arrest.

Stefanek said Krusinski was in charge of the Air Force’s five-person sexual assault prevention branch. Brig. Gen. Eden Murrie, the Air Force’s director of services, oversees the office.

“[Krusinski] was responsible for writing plans and programs that supported victims of sexual assault,” Stefanek said in a statement to ABC News. “He worked on prevention programs for sexual assault.”

Stefanek said the case was currently under investigation by local authorities and that Krusinski had been removed from his position immediately upon authorities learning of the alleged attack Monday.

Protect Our Defenders, one of the leading groups for military victims of sexual assault, said the incident was an example of “long standing and pervasive” problems in the military.

“If these allegations are true, this is one more example on a long list of how fundamentally broken the military justice system and culture are. The idea that the head of the Air Force’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) could be arrested for sexual assault indicates the depth of the problem. It’s outrageous,” the group said in a statement.

Late Monday, a statement from Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said Defense Secretary Hagel had spoken with Air Force Secretary Mike Donley about Kurskinski’s arrest.

“Secretary Hagel expressed outrage and disgust over the troubling allegations and emphasized that this matter will be dealt with swiftly and decisively,” Little said.

Saying “sexual assault has no place in the United States military,” he added that Hagel “will soon announce next steps in our ongoing efforts to combat this vile crime.

“The American people, including our service members, should expect a culture of absolutely no tolerance for this deplorable behavior that violates not only the law, but basic principles of respect, honor, and dignity in our society and its military,” he said. “Secretary Hagel is firmly committed to upholding the highest standards of behavior in America’s armed forces and will take action to see this through. “

News of Krusinski’s arrest comes as the Pentagon will release Tuesday its annual figures for sexual assault in the military. The figures will show 3,374 sexual assaults reported in fiscal year 2012, a 6 percent increase from the 3,192 reported in 2011.

The military defines sexual assault as ranging from incidents of sexual harassment and inappropriate touching to rape.

Pentagon officials believe sexual assaults go underreported and estimate that the actual number of incidents of unwanted sexual contact in 2012 may have been 26,000, a sharp increase from the estimated 19,000 in 2011.

Some lawmakers responded strongly to news of Krusinski’s arrest.

“When I saw this it made me literally sick to my stomach,” Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., said. “How many more reasons do we need to take cases of rape and sexual assault out of the chain of command?”

Speier introduced legislation in April that would establish a Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Council and create an enhanced Sexual Assault Oversight and Response office within the military.

“It is clear that the status quo regarding sexual assaults in the military is simply unacceptable,” Gillibrand said in a statement emailed to ABC News. “Next week, I am going to take this issue head on by introducing a set of commonsense reforms. We have to reform how the military handles sexual assault cases and take on the culture that perpetuates this kind of behavior.”

Defense Secretary Hagel ordered a review of rules surrounding military convictions for sexual assault in March after an Air Force general decided to throw out an F-16 fighter pilot’s jury conviction for aggravated sexual assault.

******

Readers: A sick fuck yes? What more can I say that hasn’t already been expressed. It’s Friday…you know what to do – Blog me.

Saba: Thank you.

Pakwa: Thank you too. I do what I can, and HOPE and plan to do more.

Robert, RT: Thank you – that is so very kind. Nice to see you here as well. Thanks for your additional input. I wish you had better news for us too. As always it is better to know. But enough knowledge – something has to be done with all that we know.  The vile behavior of men just cannot continue like this. Sending you my best.

Zen Lill: Thanks too for your input. You have mentioned using “secret words” before. I think that is excellent advice. I’ll be on the road around 12:30 for a 1:30 appointment. If it works out for you, try me then.

Anonz: Well, this is certainly a surprise. It looks like today is the day for the “regular” boys to visit. It’s like “old home week.” Nice to hear from you as well.

I came across today’s blog topic this morning. I think it addresses your request. I’ve read and posted quite a few writes on rape in the military and it obviously hasn’t gotten any better. Your news is very disturbing, and I am HOPEful that things will change because of those in charge.

I can’t imagine knowing the camaraderie that we know is created in the military, where women and men fight side by side, protecting each other’s backs, only for women to then have to defend and protect themselves from the very same men that they committed to defend and serve with.

The message from men says, stand by me and fight with me, watch my back, give your life for me if necessary, but don’t be surprised if I turn on you in my time of need and do whatever I see fit with you. Of course most men don’t want to give up on those “benefits.” It is truly a sick sick way of thinking, and even more disgusting when their barbarous behavior is acted out. And just as sick to know that this is common, accepted, and a blind eye is turned.

Well, HOPEfully not for much longer. Thankfully there are real men like you, Hagel and Obama, who care a great deal about women, and more specifically, women in the military, to do something to stop this horrific mess in the military. Yes, we need much more support from men; that is crystal clear. And women need to be there for each other in all areas where we are challenged, so that our presence and voices will make a difference.

I HOPE you are staying safe and well. My best to you.

Peace & love.

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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