Guest Blog by Brian McAfee

Brian McAfee
2838 Mason Blvd.
Muskegon Hts., Michigan USA 49444

(231) 737-8726

brimac6@hotmail.com
 

Stand In Support Of Women And Girls And Against Misogyny In All Its Forms

                                                           by Brian McAfee


   There have been similar stories before but the one that came from India in December of 2012 of a 23 year old medical student who, after getting on a bus with her male friend, was attacked, raped and tortured by a gang of men on the bus. After their initial crimes the men threw her and her male companion, who had been beaten by the thugs, out of the bus and onto the road. The young woman died two weeks later from her injuries.  The rapist murderers were arrested, four received harsh sentences but one was given only three years in a juvenile prison, he is in his late teens.  Despite the obvious evil nature of this kind of conduct it appears to have had little impact in reducing the numbers or nature of attacks against women and girls. While the above mentioned attack outraged millions in India and around the world less than a month ago another took place with equally despicable, if not worse characteristics. On December 31, 2013, a 16 year old girl was gang raped twice and then set on fire, this happened in Calcutta.  Asia News reports that this, sadly, had not been her first victimization they report "The young woman's tragic fate began on 25 October when she was attacked and raped by two men on the outskirts of Calcutta. She was later found in fields near her house". Another story, this one from the Hindustan Times (December 20, 2013) reports on an eight year old girl being raped and killed in Greater Noida, India.

As if competing for most despicable another case out of India  reported last year in the New York Times was of a 4 year old who had been lured by an adult male who offered to buy her a banana, he kidnapped  and raped her. The NYT (Aug. 30, 2013) reported  that her doctor had said  "She suffered severe brain injury and severe injury to her vagina - her heart and lungs stopped functioning. Her heart and lungs stopped functioning". The Doctor went on to say " It is very inhuman  that such a young girl was subjected to sexual abuse".

   Just to India's north-east sits Nepal, a place  of natural beauty and an intriguing history, but here too there appears to be persistent cases of abuse and subjugation of women and girls, denying too many freedom, opportunity or even simply a life.  In one case reported from my friend from Nepal, Kamala Salup, she writes about someone tricked and trapped into a life experience no one should be subjected to. In this case her story begins "My mother had a dream exactly like mine that her daughter would get some education by going to the city and could stand on her own to make her living. But I was brought to this terrible brothel and was sold by my own uncle's son." Her story goes on-"-my right over my own body was snatched away from me. Often a question tormented me from time to time. After all, what was the real meaning of a person to live as a woman?" She goes on-"who was there to love me in that world of money? -But now I have returned to my own country with the germs of AIDS in with me."  This such a sad account, it is so important to keep in mind and especially keep children informed that money has no true value and that love, love for others and an interest in and concern for their well being is in actuality why we are here.  (I encourage you to check out Kamala's excellent and interesting reporting at Kamala B. Sarup at OpEdNews and at her website MediaForFreedom.com)

   Afghanistan also has long had a problem with kidnapping and rapes of girls and women.  There is a struggle that we all should support for the equality of women and girls in Afghanistan. There are regular cases of rape and crimes against women and girls in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Perhaps the best place to keep updated on Women and girls in Afghanistan is http://www.rawa.org. The continued attacks, bombings and occasional poisonings at the girls schools show that for the Taliban or other Islamic groups that may support them girls are not valued at all.

   Women and girls in South Africa have been having a particularly rough time. Statistically South Africa ranks highest in the world for sexual assaults. Nelson Mandela expressed great concern over this issue. Being a man for and about freedom, this issue is about one of the most fundamental aspects of it. His wisdom and conscientiousness should inspire others to work for positive change. Else where on the continent, in Kenya a woman or girl is raped every 30 minutes.

In these locations and throughout the African continent there are women and organizations working to bring about a positive change, they all deserve our support. 

   In Asia the situation for millions of women and girls is shocking and heartbreaking but here too there are people working hard to save girls and women and to end one of humanities most evil practices. In the Asia Pacific area it is estimated that 11.7 women and girls are trafficked. Cambodia is one of the places where the subjugation of females is prevalent, resulting in the selling and at times kidnapping of girls. They are looked at as a commodity or something  to be used instead of as a human being. The Cambodian sex industry is propped up by large numbers of North Americans and Europeans going to Cambodia, and Thailand as sex tourists. There was one case of an American arrested for rape of a little girl, one that had been forced into prostitution. This lone arrest should be multiplied, there should be no tolerance for "johns". Someone who has been very active in informing the world about the plight of thousands of women and girls in Cambodia is Somaly Mam. She had been sold into prostitution as a little girl in Cambodia. She lived almost a decade as a young prostitute in Cambodia until finally through a combination of courage and luck she was able to become free.

She now run the Somaly Mam Foundation which works at freeing girls and women from prostitution, I encourage you to support her organization. Elsewhere in Asia it is estimated that close to 1 million Indonesian women and children have been trafficked. In a U.N. report from last year there was an curious graph that showed the stats for men and rape in some Asian countries. From a U.N. study-"Men Who've Committed Rape, Bangladesh 11.1%, Cambodia 20.8%, China 22.7%, Indonesia 31.9%, Papua New Guinea 60.7%,  Average 24.o%" 

   One of my favorite authors, who had written extensively on Asia issues, Chalmers Johnson, was also a highly respected U.S. military veteran. He was troubled by ongoing sexual assaults by U.S. military personnel on women and girls in both the Philippines and Okinawa. In one case, on Nov. 2, 2005, six marines from Okinawa, who had been dispatched to the Philippines  to train Filipino soldiers in anti terrorist tactics, raped a Filipina student outside of the former U.S. military base at Subic Bay.  Also in 2005, a U.S. Air Force staff sergeant molested a ten year old Okinawa girl on her way to school.

In both cases, and many others both before and after these incidents the U.S. has let these kind of crimes go unpunished through its "Immunity from prosecution" clause in their "Visiting Forces Agreement". I believe the immunity from prosecution is another crime on top of the other crimes.

   Another crime against women and girls that I believe most people in the U.S. are unaware of but it is very close to home.

They are somewhat old but they remain unsolved and hopefully they have stopped. These are the rape/murders of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Beginning in the 1990s the rape and murder of young women and girls started, they likely continued into the 2000s but I have not heard of any recent cases. Aside from the rape murders themselves the other disturbing aspect is that too few people seemed to care. There was at least one book written on the subject, but this too is something we should all care about.

   In the U.S., high school football, one of the countries most significant cultural traditions and an unfortunate exemplar of how off skew some Americans priorities and values are. In Steubenville, Ohio on August 11, 2012, a 16 year old girl was raped by two boys from the Steubenville High school football team. The girls family tried to report the rape but the police did nothing. They and the whole town sided with their "star" players. A very similar case occurred in Missouri.

Daisy Coleman who was a cheerleader at Maryville high school, after she was raped she endured bullying and was run out of town. Her rapist, Mathew Barnett, received a four year suspended sentence and two years probation. Another example of what misogyny does in America, the saddest of the examples, is that of Audrie Pott.  At Saratoga high school in Saratoga California Audrie Pott, who was only 15 when she died, had been raped by three Saratoga high school football players.

They had encouraged her to drink alcohol and after she passed out they raped her and videotaped her being assaulted which they posted on the internet. Audrie committed suicide on September 10, 2012.  Her attackers -two received 30 day sentences- on weekends. the third got 45 days, all three in juvenile hall.

   My concern for these issues began at a early age. When I was 6 my father died leaving my mother with four kids to take care of, of which I was the youngest.  Shortly after my dad had passed away I had a brain tumor and surgery to have it removed and at the time very emotionally dependent on my mother. My dad was a catholic and my mom had been a protestant which of course should not have mattered. But, what did happened is that when my mom needed emotional support from her family she was not getting it. And another thing began to occur, a close male relative of my mother would do something unforgivable, at least to me he would beat up my mother. He was bigger and she was still heartbroken over the death of her husband, my dad. When this happened I was confused and scared too but I would go between them and miraculously this would usually make him stop. I was always relieved that it made him stop and kind of shocked too.

I must have looked quite silly still having a bald head and everything but it all came to an end one day, my mother shot herself. I was 7 and completely heartbroken. I cried myself to sleep for six months. A couple of years later my moms relatives had invited me and my older sister to a "family" Thanks giving dinner, this was the first time they showed an interest in us.

When we went it turned out me and my sister was too serve them all thanksgiving dinner, we would be allowed to sit down and only after everyone else had been served and eaten. A important digression, one of my vivid childhood memories is of my mom, knocking on these relatives doors wanting to talk, wanting some emotional support, and I would see them peeking from behind the drapes as my mom was knocking on their door. She would come back to the car crying.

My moms emotional turmoil and her abandonment by her family when she needed them most, and her eventual suicide is at least in part why I have always empathized and sympathized with women and girls. I could not save my mom but I do feel that all the women and girls of the world are part of my family too.  I strongly encourage you all to reach out and help all our mothers, sisters and daughters to make sure they are all safe and free.


      I welcome any comments-Brian McAfee  brimac6@hotmail.com

Uniting Progressives Forum held in Duluth, Minnesota... articles and photos

Link to article in the Duluth Weekly Reader:

http://duluthreader.com/articles/2014/01/09/2728_the_kind_of_politics_that_minnesota_and_the_rest


Article:

The Kind of Politics That Minnesota - and the Rest of the World - Needs

Comments 2

There is an important political experiment happening here in Duluth this coming weekend. The one day event is called “Building Progressive Political Power in Minnesota”.

Progressive activist folks all over the nation have become suspicious of, weary of and/or outright angry with the Big Money/Big Business influences that are increasingly corrupting both of the political parties in two party system. These altruistic patriots who remember the era when America was a haven for the down-trodden have become disgusted - almost to the point of despair - by the anti-union/pro-corporate/anti-environment/anti-sustainability right-wing forces that are heavily influencing the elected officials and party bureaucrats of both the Republican (including its Libertarian branch) and the Democratic Parties in Minnesota.

Therefore, many of these progressive activists will be getting together this Saturday (January 11, 2014) at 11 AM at the First United Methodist Church (Copper Top) to discuss what can be done to counter what the cunning, uber-rich 1% (who are in the corporate/investor classes) have been doing to the 99% of those who find themselves underneath them in the un-democratic plutocratic class system (where the elite rule) that has evolved in America.

Following is a list of some of the topics to be discussed at the conference by a variety of presenters, panel discussions and small group discussions:

1) progressive political organizing (all participants)
2) livable wage legislation and full employment for all (Minnesota Greens and Uniting People),
3) universal single payer health care (Minnesota Citizens Federation and Physicians for a National Health Program),
4) issues concerning indigenous people (Idle No More);
5) wolf hunting (Northwoods Wolf Alliance);
6) grassroots political organizing (Minnesota Greens),
7) big money in state and national politics, especially since the Citizens United decision of 2010 (Move to Amend),
8) out-of-state, for profit, extractive mining corporations that are willing to risk the poisoning of the aquifers and the environment (WaterLegacy),

Vern Simula’s Recent Message to His Constituents

Vern Simula, the visionary and primary organizer of the conference, wrote a recent letter to some of his email correspondents. In his lament (and ultimate his call to action) Simula wrote:

“To put it bluntly, we are in crisis.

“We are in crisis with our economy, our climate, our environment, our system of government.

“We’ve tried for years and decades to change things for the better - but the trends only worsen.

“We’ve organized, we’ve demonstrated, we’ve worked on campaigns - and nothing really changes.

“We’ve voted for Democrats who promised progressive legislation - and very little changes.

“We keep on blogging and emailing and petitioning online, mostly talking amongst ourselves - and still nothing changes.

“Except the endless wars continue; the corporate subsidies continue; the corporate domination and corruption of our government continues; the environmental ravaging by mining and oil companies continues; the wealth/income disparities continue. And all the while, human devastation caused by poverty, joblessness, homelessness and inadequate healthcare continues to increase and the quality of life and financial security for most Americans deteriorates.”

“We need to put our heads together . . . to figure out how we can bring our concerns  - the progressive message - into the public square in a way that it can’t be marginalized . . . or ignored.

“We, on the progressive Left  need “more political clout.”  How to build that political clout is the basic agenda for the forum.”


Not Satisfied With Voting for the “Lesser of Two Evils” Anymore?

I personally have long been disgusted with the Democratic Party that has shifted away from many of the progressive political stances it embodied in the years of my early involvement with it. We used to have a surplus of real patriots who truly represented the common person and who were truly progressive, peace-minded thinkers and doers. I remember being proud to actively support Jack Kennedy, Bobbie Kennedy, George McGovern, Hubert Humphrey and Paul Wellstone, all of whom truly stood for peace and justice and the people. Lately however, I have become – at best - only capable of generating luke-warm support for some of the candidates that the Democratic Party bosses (in the proverbial smoke-filled room) have chosen for us to vote for. Too many of those candidates are only the lesser of two evils – and therefore I reluctantly vote.

For most of us altruistic Minnesotans, the assassination of Paul Wellstone was another punch to the solar plexus that was not much different from the blow we took after the political murders of the progressive leaders JFK, MLK and RFK. Part of the reason some of us idealists felt so bad after Paul’s murder was the fact that Wellstone was actually a “green” before his time. (For those who question the assassination assertion above, watch the short preview of the Snowshoe Films documentary “Wellstone: They Killed Him” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-bmmpoDndw and http://www.snowshoefilms.com/wellstone.html).

And so, since that last assassination of dangerous liberals (after which the Democratic Left finally got in step with the less deadly NeoCon/NeoLiberal corporate/militaristist agenda), I have come to regard myself as having no major party affiliation. I now regard myself as just a citizen with “green values” and no longer am a contributor to or promoter of centrist Democrats (whether center/left or center/right). During the election season, I only vote for Democrats because there are never any Republicans on the ballot who are even close to having a single “green” value. At least some of the Democratic candidates have a few of those values.

To familiarize readers with what are meant by progressive “green values” (which seems to be a primary motivation behind the conference this weekend) please read the following 10 points, which I obtained at a Green Party Minnesota website. Some readers may realize that they resonate with a majority of these values and want to join the progressive movement.

And perhaps even some members of the Democratic Party might be inspired to try to shift their party away from their deserved reputation of being a “Republican Light” political party.

10 KEY GREEN PARTY VALUES

1. Grassroots Democracy

Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect his or her life and should not be subject to the will of another.
Therefore, we will work to increase public participation at every level of government and to ensure that our public representatives are fully accountable to the people who elect them. We will also work to create new types of political organizations which expand the process of participatory democracy by directly including citizens in the decision making process.

2. Social Justice and Equal Opportunity

All persons should have the rights and opportunity to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment.
We must consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and society at large, barriers such as racism and class oppression, sexism and homophobia, ageism and disability, which act to deny fair treatment and equal justice under the law.

3. Ecological Wisdom

Human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our planet. We support a sustainable society which utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we must practice agriculture which replenishes the soil; move to an energy efficient economy; and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.

4. Non-Violence

It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to society’s patterns of violence. We will work to demilitarize, and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, without being naïve about the intentions of other governments. We recognize the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in helpless situations. We promote non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward lasting personal, community and global peace.

5. Decentralization of wealth and power

Centralization of wealth and power contributes to social and economic injustice, environmental destruction, and militarization.
Therefore, we support a restructuring of social, political and economic institutions away from a system which is controlled by and mostly benefits the powerful few, to a democratic, less bureaucratic system. Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all citizens.

6. Community Based Economics

Redesign our work structures to encourage employee ownership and workplace democracy. Develop new economic activities and institutions that will allow us to use our new technologies in ways that are humane, freeing, ecological and accountable, and responsive to communities. Establish some form of basic economic security, open to all. Move beyond the narrow “job ethic” to new definitions of “work,” jobs” and “income” that reflect the changing economy.  Restructure our patterns of income distribution to reflect the wealth created by those outside the formal monetary economy: those who take responsibility for parenting, housekeeping, home gardens, community volunteer work, etc. Restrict the size and concentrated power of corporations
without discouraging superior efficiency or technological innovation.

7. Feminism and Gender Equity

We have inherited a social system based on male domination of politics and economics. We call for the replacement of the cultural ethics of domination and control with more cooperative ways of interacting that respect differences of opinion and gender. Human values such as equity between the sexes, interpersonal responsibility, and honesty must be developed with moral conscience. We should remember that the process that determines our decisions and actions is just as important as achieving the outcome we want.

8. Respect for Diversity

We believe it is important to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of respectful relationships across these lines. We believe that the many diverse elements of society should be reflected in our organizations and decision-making bodies, and we support the leadership of people who have been traditionally closed out of leadership roles. We acknowledge and encourage respect for other life forms than our own and the preservation of biodiversity
.
9. Personal and Global Responsibility

We encourage individuals to act to improve their personal wellbeing and, at the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social harmony. We seek to join with people and organizations around the world to foster peace, economic justice, and the health of the planet.

10. Future Focus and Sustainability

Our actions and policies should be motivated by long-term goals. We seek to protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of or “unmaking” all waste we create, while developing a sustainable economics that does not depend on continual expansion for survival. We must counterbalance the drive for short-term profits by assuring that economic development, new technologies, and fiscal policies are responsible to future generations who will inherit the results of our actions. Make the quality of life, rather than open-ended economic growth, the focus of future thinking.

Comments

Gary (and other Readers), please take a look at The Reset Button document, on the ResetButtonMovement (dot) Org website. I know that you (Gary) were there, and heard a brief introduction about The Reset Button, but I'd ask to make sure you follow-up.

Something actually new and actually different and not a rehash of the efforts (over the course of my lifetime) that have been ineffective - if the real goal is to end up with a "government of the people" rather than an Elite/oligarch controlled corporatocracy.

Dennis Leahy

01/15/2014

Reply

I would like to point out that participants in the Forum agreed to circulate this Open Letter to Governor Mark Dayton and the DFL's super-majority. I would encourage people to print it off and ask their friends to sign:

January 2014

An Open Letter . . .

TO: Governor Mark Dayton and the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party Legislative Caucus.

FROM: Your Constituents


Enough! We are not waiting any longer!

As DFL candidates, you campaigned on a promise to enact legislation that provides low-wage workers a real, living wage — not just a “minimum” wage.

Your campaign language explicitly called for “workers being entitled to living wages!” It promised a Living Wage Act, but no progress was made in your first super-majority session.

All it would take, you said, was for Minnesotans to give the DFL a super-majority. Well, we voters delivered it to you! You have it! But now, instead of advancing Living Wage legislation, the DFL is floating another “minimum wage” bill that will just perpetuate poverty wages for many Minnesota workers!

For years, the DFL leadership has claimed Republicans were the lone obstacle to establishing a Living Wage in our state. That obstacle has been removed. You are now in the driver’s seat!

We, the workers of Minnesota, gave you the legislative votes to enact the Living Wage legislation you promised us.

We expect you now to do so. You could call it “The Minnesota Living Wage Act of 2014.”

Most importantly, we need to begin with a realistic dollar amount. Living Wages need to be calculated based on realistic levels of cost-of-living. U.S. Census data suggests at least $15 per hour; while, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), hourly wages of $22 and $26 at 40 hrs/week are needed to cover basic necessities. When making decisions on determining basic needs for a dignified life, the testimony from low-income Minnesotans should also be taken into consideration.

A Living Wage must also be subject to regular cost-of-living adjustments. The Consumer Price Index is our best indicator, and it should be used to adjust a new Minnesota Living Wage level quarterly or at least semi-annually.

If you should fail to enact such legislation, we will assume that you were just baiting us with nice-sounding campaign rhetoric, and that you are pulling a switch on us by simply advancing more employer-friendly “minimum wage” legislation, that does nothing to alleviate the hardships of Minnesota’s working poor.

Perhaps you think any increase is better than nothing. We don’t!

Minnesota has long been considered a progressive bellwether. Do something significant now for her working men and women. It is what everybody morally deserves — the prospect of a dignified life.

Be courageous. Lead our state — and our nation — in securing the right of every worker to earn a decent living.

It can begin with the Minnesota Living Wage Act of 2014.

You can make it happen!

Sincerely,

Your fellow Minnesotans

(as the undersigned, with our signatures attached herein)

Alan L. Maki

01/20/2014

Videos of the Forum are expected to be posted soon.

 

Photos (click on pics to enlarge)