The Senate Judiciary Committee vote on the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was postponed until this coming week to allow more time for staff to negotiate several sticking points. And well they should, because victims are demanding to know, "Where's all the money going?"
Time and time again, domestic violence victims are being turned away by the very agencies that are supposed to be helping them, or are getting the DV runaround. One Department of Justice audit reached this disturbing conclusion:
$638,298, or about 47 percent, of $1.3 million given to Jane Doe, Inc., also known as the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, was identified as unsupported and unallowable payroll expenditures, unallowable bonus payments, and unallowable and unreasonable conference expenditures.
So the problem isn't a lack of funding. The problem is lack of accountability.
Today, right now, call the senators listed below. Tell them to assure the VAWA reauthorization bill S. 1925 is strengthened to assure accountability so taxpayer money is used the way it's supposed to be:
•Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 email contact
•Herb Kohl 202-224-8992 email contact
•Dianne Feinstein 202-224-3841 email contact
•Chuck Schumer 202-224-6542 email contact
•Dick Durbin 202-224-2152 email contact
•Sheldon Whitehouse 202-224-2921 email contact
•Amy Klobuchar 202-224-3244 email contact
•Al Franken 202-224-1031 email contact
•Christopher A. Coons 202-224-5042 email contact
•Richard Blumenthal 202-224-2823 email contact
Fundamental reform of the Violence Against Women Act is within our grasp...take action now!!
Sincerely,
Teri
Teri Stoddard, Program Director
Stop Abusive and Violent Environments
www.saveservices.org
While we're asking where's the money going let's tell them to replace VAWA with the PVRA so that male victims of domestic violence are not shortchanged. If phoning is not in the equation then send email. Let's tell them to scrap VAWA,replace it with the PVRA and find out where the money is going. The more of us they hear from the better so call or write today.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
CDC report debunked
How the CDC is overstating sexual violence in the U.S.
By Christina Hoff Sommers,
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a study suggesting that rates of sexual violence in the United States are comparable to those in the war-stricken Congo. How is that possible?
The CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey found that, in the United States in 2010, approximately 1.3 million women were raped and an additional 12.6 million women and men were victims of sexual violence. It reported, “More than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius hailed the report for giving “a clear picture of the devastating impact these violent acts have on the lives of millions of Americans.”
In fact, what the study reveals is the devastating impact that careless advocacy research can have on truth. The report proposes an array of ambitious government-sponsored “prevention strategies” and recommends “multi-disciplinary service centers” offering survivors psychological and legal counseling as well as housing and economic assistance. But survivors of sexual violence would be better served by good research and sober estimates — not inflated statistics and sensationalism.
The agency’s figures are wildly at odds with official crime statistics. The FBI found that 84,767 rapes were reported to law enforcement authorities in 2010. The Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victimization Survey, the gold standard in crime research, reports 188,380 rapes and sexual assaults on females and males in 2010. Granted, not all assaults are reported to authorities. But where did the CDC find 13.7 million victims of sexual crimes that the professional criminologists had overlooked?
It found them by defining sexual violence in impossibly elastic ways and then letting the surveyors, rather than subjects, determine what counted as an assault. Consider: In a telephone survey with a 30 percent response rate, interviewers did not ask participants whether they had been raped. Instead of such straightforward questions, the CDC researchers described a series of sexual encounters and then they determined whether the responses indicated sexual violation. A sample of 9,086 women was asked, for example, “When you were drunk, high, drugged, or passed out and unable to consent, how many people ever had vaginal sex with you?” A majority of the 1.3 million women (61.5 percent) the CDC projected as rape victims in 2010 experienced this sort of “alcohol or drug facilitated penetration.”
What does that mean? If a woman was unconscious or severely incapacitated, everyone would call it rape. But what about sex while inebriated? Few people would say that intoxicated sex alone constitutes rape — indeed, a nontrivial percentage of all customary sexual intercourse, including marital intercourse, probably falls under that definition (and is therefore criminal according to the CDC).
Other survey questions were equally ambiguous. Participants were asked if they had ever had sex because someone pressured them by “telling you lies, making promises about the future they knew were untrue?” All affirmative answers were counted as “sexual violence.” Anyone who consented to sex because a suitor wore her or him down by “repeatedly asking” or “showing they were unhappy” was similarly classified as a victim of violence. The CDC effectively set a stage where each step of physical intimacy required a notarized testament of sober consent.
The report also called for more research on “sexism” and urged “collective action” against media messages that “objectify and degrade women.” In the familiar jargon of feminist theory, the CDC said: “It is important to continue addressing the beliefs, attitudes and messages that are deeply imbedded in our social structures.”
Why is the CDC using methods of advocacy research that are anathema to genuine social science? The answer is suggested by a posting on the White House Web site this month by Lynn Rosenthal, a presidential adviser on violence against women:
“Early in the Administration, the Vice President convened federal agencies to assess trends and identify gaps in our response to violence and abuse. We identified data collection as one of the biggest challenges we face in understanding and combatting these crime. Thanks to the hard work of [Attorney General Eric] Holder, the FBI, law enforcement leaders, and the women’s organizations who have long advocated for this change, we are one step further towards meeting that challenge.”
While that passage referred to the FBI’s recently revised definition of rape — and not the CDC survey — it shows how the study fits into the administration’s effort to apply the advocacy agenda of the women’s lobby to rape research. That would explain how feminist theory found its way into the report. But why would CDC officials, who are experienced in resisting political pressure, cooperate?
Perhaps they felt the study would draw needed attention to the genuine problem of sexual violence. That is an understandable but recklessly misguided conclusion. Faulty studies send scarce resources in the wrong directions; more programs on sexism, stereotypes and social structures, for example, are unlikely to help victims of violence. Defining sexual violence down obscures the gradations in culpability that are essential to effective criminal law, and it holds up a false mirror on our society. The CDC should recall this study.
Source:click here
I'm writing my Congressman and Senators on this one. This is just another example of this adminstration running wild and someone has to rein them in.
By Christina Hoff Sommers,
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a study suggesting that rates of sexual violence in the United States are comparable to those in the war-stricken Congo. How is that possible?
The CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey found that, in the United States in 2010, approximately 1.3 million women were raped and an additional 12.6 million women and men were victims of sexual violence. It reported, “More than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius hailed the report for giving “a clear picture of the devastating impact these violent acts have on the lives of millions of Americans.”
In fact, what the study reveals is the devastating impact that careless advocacy research can have on truth. The report proposes an array of ambitious government-sponsored “prevention strategies” and recommends “multi-disciplinary service centers” offering survivors psychological and legal counseling as well as housing and economic assistance. But survivors of sexual violence would be better served by good research and sober estimates — not inflated statistics and sensationalism.
The agency’s figures are wildly at odds with official crime statistics. The FBI found that 84,767 rapes were reported to law enforcement authorities in 2010. The Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victimization Survey, the gold standard in crime research, reports 188,380 rapes and sexual assaults on females and males in 2010. Granted, not all assaults are reported to authorities. But where did the CDC find 13.7 million victims of sexual crimes that the professional criminologists had overlooked?
It found them by defining sexual violence in impossibly elastic ways and then letting the surveyors, rather than subjects, determine what counted as an assault. Consider: In a telephone survey with a 30 percent response rate, interviewers did not ask participants whether they had been raped. Instead of such straightforward questions, the CDC researchers described a series of sexual encounters and then they determined whether the responses indicated sexual violation. A sample of 9,086 women was asked, for example, “When you were drunk, high, drugged, or passed out and unable to consent, how many people ever had vaginal sex with you?” A majority of the 1.3 million women (61.5 percent) the CDC projected as rape victims in 2010 experienced this sort of “alcohol or drug facilitated penetration.”
What does that mean? If a woman was unconscious or severely incapacitated, everyone would call it rape. But what about sex while inebriated? Few people would say that intoxicated sex alone constitutes rape — indeed, a nontrivial percentage of all customary sexual intercourse, including marital intercourse, probably falls under that definition (and is therefore criminal according to the CDC).
Other survey questions were equally ambiguous. Participants were asked if they had ever had sex because someone pressured them by “telling you lies, making promises about the future they knew were untrue?” All affirmative answers were counted as “sexual violence.” Anyone who consented to sex because a suitor wore her or him down by “repeatedly asking” or “showing they were unhappy” was similarly classified as a victim of violence. The CDC effectively set a stage where each step of physical intimacy required a notarized testament of sober consent.
The report also called for more research on “sexism” and urged “collective action” against media messages that “objectify and degrade women.” In the familiar jargon of feminist theory, the CDC said: “It is important to continue addressing the beliefs, attitudes and messages that are deeply imbedded in our social structures.”
Why is the CDC using methods of advocacy research that are anathema to genuine social science? The answer is suggested by a posting on the White House Web site this month by Lynn Rosenthal, a presidential adviser on violence against women:
“Early in the Administration, the Vice President convened federal agencies to assess trends and identify gaps in our response to violence and abuse. We identified data collection as one of the biggest challenges we face in understanding and combatting these crime. Thanks to the hard work of [Attorney General Eric] Holder, the FBI, law enforcement leaders, and the women’s organizations who have long advocated for this change, we are one step further towards meeting that challenge.”
While that passage referred to the FBI’s recently revised definition of rape — and not the CDC survey — it shows how the study fits into the administration’s effort to apply the advocacy agenda of the women’s lobby to rape research. That would explain how feminist theory found its way into the report. But why would CDC officials, who are experienced in resisting political pressure, cooperate?
Perhaps they felt the study would draw needed attention to the genuine problem of sexual violence. That is an understandable but recklessly misguided conclusion. Faulty studies send scarce resources in the wrong directions; more programs on sexism, stereotypes and social structures, for example, are unlikely to help victims of violence. Defining sexual violence down obscures the gradations in culpability that are essential to effective criminal law, and it holds up a false mirror on our society. The CDC should recall this study.
Source:click here
I'm writing my Congressman and Senators on this one. This is just another example of this adminstration running wild and someone has to rein them in.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Standing up to the statists
From Rand Paul and Campaign For Liberty:
The one place that has been largely free of government control - the internet - is the statists’ latest target.
Dual bills, SOPA and Protect IP, are set for action in the U.S. House and Senate in the coming weeks.
As I write this, rumors are circulating that SOPA and Protect IP may be scrapped. But as we’ve seen countless times before, including with ObamaCare, the special interests will never stop fighting for more power at the expense of our freedoms. We need to turn the pressure up to make sure these bills are dead for good.
If you value the freedom of information the internet has provided, and, like me, you believe the internet is the best tool for getting our information out and organizing our movement, you must act now.
You know, it seems every day that our freedoms are under assault from Congress and the Obama Administration. More Patriot Act spying. Pushing Real ID. Indefinite detention of American citizens. The list is both staggering and frightening.
It is up to you and me to stand squarely against this Big Government powergrab over the internet.
I’ll do my part here in the Senate. I hope I can count on you.
Please take a careful look at the email below from my friend Matt Hawes, Vice President of Campaign for Liberty. He has some very important information and action items to protect your online freedom. Don’t put this letter aside. Our liberty is in jeopardy, and every American must rally to this cause.
In Liberty,
Senator Rand Paul
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope this letter makes it to you on time.
You see,
The government is certainly hoping you put this letter aside. Throw it in the trash. Assume I am exaggerating the threat they pose to your freedom.
Don't make that mistake.
What they don't want you to know is
Government censorship? Government control over what you can see, hear, and read online?
If they get their way, your news online could look a lot like the above. That's why it's vital you complete the UrgentGram to your representative and senators.
There isn't a moment to waste.
Right now, the same folks that brought you the so-called "Patriot" Act, indefinite detention of American citizens, and an unaccountable TSA and an invasive Department of Homeland Security are preparing to wage war on your freedom online.
The government is fully prepared to take unprecedented power over the internet unless you and I stop them today.
Two bills - SOPA (HR 3261) in the House and Protect IP (S 968) in the Senate - are being pushed by the Big Government leadership of both houses. Action on one or both bills could happen any day.
What is the government trying to do? Gain a foothold in the last truly free place on earth - the internet. It's no secret that websites, social media, and other online communities are a hotbed of anti-government, powerful activism.
From cafes in Cairo to bloggers in Beijing, those living under oppressive regimes organize, spread information, and fight for their freedom with their words and deeds online.
And here at home, from anti-war activists to homeschoolers, anti-tax proponents to civil libertarians, Patriots fight for their freedom online. In addition, these actions by the government will harm the one place where capitalism and the free market are most flourishing.
Entrepreneurship and small business creation are at an all-time high online. An idea and a lot of hard work can launch anything from a good side business to a worldwide enterprise online.
Minimal startup costs. Fewer regulatory hurdles. Lower tax burdens. All of these factors contribute to a thriving online economy - and one that would be directly and massively harmed by SOPA and Protect IP (which should really be called Destroy IP).
The bills give the government the power to put someone out of business for even minor copyright violations. In fact, as originally drafted, these bills give the government the power to shut down websites on even a private allegation of a violation. No investigation. No charges. No trial. No jury. No verdict. Entire websites could be shut down for inadvertent violations, malicious attacks, or a made-up claim.
Campaign for Liberty could be shut down virtually overnight if someone - say a Federal Reserve official - claimed a YouTube video we promoted was a "copyright violation.
You don't need to think very hard to imagine what a hostile government agent or bureaucrat could do with this power. Our economy AND our freedom are threatened in one massive takeover.
SOPA and PIPA purport to give the government the power to shut down websites and disable search engines in the name of stopping "piracy.
Right. And they say they are only spying on foreign terrorists. Nothing for us law-abiding Americans to worry about.
But let's be honest…
If the government takes the power to regulate the internet and shut down information, no matter what the stated reason, you and I cannot control what they do with that power.
Has the government EVER taken a power it didn't use to stifle freedom? To paraphrase Madison, we are not governed by angels. That's why you and I must act today.
I hope you will take a minute to complete your UrgentGram I have prepared for you.
I hope to deliver yours - along with hundreds of thousands like it - in the coming days.
There is only one hope to defeat SOPA and Protect IP, and that is a massive public outcry and the spotlight of public attention, coupled with strong action in Congress by friends of liberty like Senator Rand Paul.
Already, public reaction has slowed the statists' plans, and proponents of these takeovers are desperate to quickly stop the bleeding. That's why they are trying to speed their power grabs through Congress.
And please, don't be fooled by the bill's authors claiming to have "fixed" SOPA to better protect online freedom. Any claim that SOPA or Protect IP can be fixed is FALSE and should be ignored.
There is no fixing these bills - only killing them. And that's exactly what Campaign for Liberty will do with your help today.
Our team has put together a three-part plan to defeat Protect IP and SOPA:
*** Massive web action: Since the most affected people would be those who work or get most of their news online, Campaign for Liberty will target online sites and communities with web ads, Google ads, banners, and emails. Our goal is to contact at least TEN MILLION people in the coming weeks - a huge undertaking.
*** Targeted media: Our staff will blanket the internet and the airwaves, the blogs and newspapers, as we sound the alarm nationwide!
*** If funds allow, we will launch tv and radio ads as well, alerting talk radio listeners and news viewers of the dangers of SOPA and Protect IP.
This undertaking must be done quickly, and it will not be cheap. That's why, in addition to your completed UrgentGram, I am counting on you to make a contribution to Campaign for Liberty today.
Please chip in a contribution of $50, $25, $10 - or whatever you can afford. Whatever you can do, right now, will have a big impact.
What is your freedom worth to you? I know you are a Patriot who has rallied to our cause many times before. Please stand with us again at this crucial time.
As Senator Paul noted, it's up to us to fight this Big Government power grab. That's why he is leading the fight in the Senate. Campaign for Liberty will have his back by leading a grassroots army.
Thank you for all you do in our fight for Liberty!
In Liberty,
Matt Hawes
Vice President
P.S.
If you don't want the internet to look like this(blackedout), it is vital you act right away. Please complete your UrgentGram to help C4L stop SOPA and Protect IP in their tracks today!
Fight internet censorship by clicking here
This is great,we have a friend in the Senate. Rand Paul can count on me. Can he count on you? Say "no" to the statists by signing today.
The one place that has been largely free of government control - the internet - is the statists’ latest target.
Dual bills, SOPA and Protect IP, are set for action in the U.S. House and Senate in the coming weeks.
As I write this, rumors are circulating that SOPA and Protect IP may be scrapped. But as we’ve seen countless times before, including with ObamaCare, the special interests will never stop fighting for more power at the expense of our freedoms. We need to turn the pressure up to make sure these bills are dead for good.
If you value the freedom of information the internet has provided, and, like me, you believe the internet is the best tool for getting our information out and organizing our movement, you must act now.
You know, it seems every day that our freedoms are under assault from Congress and the Obama Administration. More Patriot Act spying. Pushing Real ID. Indefinite detention of American citizens. The list is both staggering and frightening.
It is up to you and me to stand squarely against this Big Government powergrab over the internet.
I’ll do my part here in the Senate. I hope I can count on you.
Please take a careful look at the email below from my friend Matt Hawes, Vice President of Campaign for Liberty. He has some very important information and action items to protect your online freedom. Don’t put this letter aside. Our liberty is in jeopardy, and every American must rally to this cause.
In Liberty,
Senator Rand Paul
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope this letter makes it to you on time.
You see,
The government is certainly hoping you put this letter aside. Throw it in the trash. Assume I am exaggerating the threat they pose to your freedom.
Don't make that mistake.
What they don't want you to know is
Government censorship? Government control over what you can see, hear, and read online?
If they get their way, your news online could look a lot like the above. That's why it's vital you complete the UrgentGram to your representative and senators.
There isn't a moment to waste.
Right now, the same folks that brought you the so-called "Patriot" Act, indefinite detention of American citizens, and an unaccountable TSA and an invasive Department of Homeland Security are preparing to wage war on your freedom online.
The government is fully prepared to take unprecedented power over the internet unless you and I stop them today.
Two bills - SOPA (HR 3261) in the House and Protect IP (S 968) in the Senate - are being pushed by the Big Government leadership of both houses. Action on one or both bills could happen any day.
What is the government trying to do? Gain a foothold in the last truly free place on earth - the internet. It's no secret that websites, social media, and other online communities are a hotbed of anti-government, powerful activism.
From cafes in Cairo to bloggers in Beijing, those living under oppressive regimes organize, spread information, and fight for their freedom with their words and deeds online.
And here at home, from anti-war activists to homeschoolers, anti-tax proponents to civil libertarians, Patriots fight for their freedom online. In addition, these actions by the government will harm the one place where capitalism and the free market are most flourishing.
Entrepreneurship and small business creation are at an all-time high online. An idea and a lot of hard work can launch anything from a good side business to a worldwide enterprise online.
Minimal startup costs. Fewer regulatory hurdles. Lower tax burdens. All of these factors contribute to a thriving online economy - and one that would be directly and massively harmed by SOPA and Protect IP (which should really be called Destroy IP).
The bills give the government the power to put someone out of business for even minor copyright violations. In fact, as originally drafted, these bills give the government the power to shut down websites on even a private allegation of a violation. No investigation. No charges. No trial. No jury. No verdict. Entire websites could be shut down for inadvertent violations, malicious attacks, or a made-up claim.
Campaign for Liberty could be shut down virtually overnight if someone - say a Federal Reserve official - claimed a YouTube video we promoted was a "copyright violation.
You don't need to think very hard to imagine what a hostile government agent or bureaucrat could do with this power. Our economy AND our freedom are threatened in one massive takeover.
SOPA and PIPA purport to give the government the power to shut down websites and disable search engines in the name of stopping "piracy.
Right. And they say they are only spying on foreign terrorists. Nothing for us law-abiding Americans to worry about.
But let's be honest…
If the government takes the power to regulate the internet and shut down information, no matter what the stated reason, you and I cannot control what they do with that power.
Has the government EVER taken a power it didn't use to stifle freedom? To paraphrase Madison, we are not governed by angels. That's why you and I must act today.
I hope you will take a minute to complete your UrgentGram I have prepared for you.
I hope to deliver yours - along with hundreds of thousands like it - in the coming days.
There is only one hope to defeat SOPA and Protect IP, and that is a massive public outcry and the spotlight of public attention, coupled with strong action in Congress by friends of liberty like Senator Rand Paul.
Already, public reaction has slowed the statists' plans, and proponents of these takeovers are desperate to quickly stop the bleeding. That's why they are trying to speed their power grabs through Congress.
And please, don't be fooled by the bill's authors claiming to have "fixed" SOPA to better protect online freedom. Any claim that SOPA or Protect IP can be fixed is FALSE and should be ignored.
There is no fixing these bills - only killing them. And that's exactly what Campaign for Liberty will do with your help today.
Our team has put together a three-part plan to defeat Protect IP and SOPA:
*** Massive web action: Since the most affected people would be those who work or get most of their news online, Campaign for Liberty will target online sites and communities with web ads, Google ads, banners, and emails. Our goal is to contact at least TEN MILLION people in the coming weeks - a huge undertaking.
*** Targeted media: Our staff will blanket the internet and the airwaves, the blogs and newspapers, as we sound the alarm nationwide!
*** If funds allow, we will launch tv and radio ads as well, alerting talk radio listeners and news viewers of the dangers of SOPA and Protect IP.
This undertaking must be done quickly, and it will not be cheap. That's why, in addition to your completed UrgentGram, I am counting on you to make a contribution to Campaign for Liberty today.
Please chip in a contribution of $50, $25, $10 - or whatever you can afford. Whatever you can do, right now, will have a big impact.
What is your freedom worth to you? I know you are a Patriot who has rallied to our cause many times before. Please stand with us again at this crucial time.
As Senator Paul noted, it's up to us to fight this Big Government power grab. That's why he is leading the fight in the Senate. Campaign for Liberty will have his back by leading a grassroots army.
Thank you for all you do in our fight for Liberty!
In Liberty,
Matt Hawes
Vice President
P.S.
If you don't want the internet to look like this(blackedout), it is vital you act right away. Please complete your UrgentGram to help C4L stop SOPA and Protect IP in their tracks today!
Fight internet censorship by clicking here
This is great,we have a friend in the Senate. Rand Paul can count on me. Can he count on you? Say "no" to the statists by signing today.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Twitter is going to censor in certain countries
From Demand Progress:
Oh no! Reuters, CBS, and other outlets are reporting that Twitter is going to start censoring tweets in certain countries:
Twitter announced Thursday that it would begin restricting Tweets in certain countries, marking a policy shift for the social media platform that helped propel the popular uprisings recently sweeping across the Middle East.
Please click here to sign our open letter and urge Twitter to reverse its decision to start censoring.
And this quote is just tragic, as Twitter tries to rationlize away restrictions on speech:
"As we continue to grow internationally, we will enter countries that have different ideas about the contours of freedom of expression," Twitter wrote in a blog post published Thursday.
From the Middle East, to Occupy, to SOPA and PIPA, the importance of open platforms like Twitter couldn't be more clear than it is today.
Will you help fight back, by signing our open letter to Twitter and asking them to reverse course? Just click here.
Nope, it never ends.
-Demand Progress
I can't believe this,first SOPA,PIPA and now Twitter is doing stupid shit. Just because some countries are dictatorships doesn't mean we have to cater to them and bow down to their laws. Those countries are so fucked up people can't wait to get the fuck out of them. If twitter does this they are going to lose a lot of users. Censorship is bad,whether it is from the government or private industry it still sucks. If you have a twitter account you may want to sign this petition because twitter may try more of this crap. Even if you don't but still want to stand up for free speech then by all means sign the petition.
Oh no! Reuters, CBS, and other outlets are reporting that Twitter is going to start censoring tweets in certain countries:
Twitter announced Thursday that it would begin restricting Tweets in certain countries, marking a policy shift for the social media platform that helped propel the popular uprisings recently sweeping across the Middle East.
Please click here to sign our open letter and urge Twitter to reverse its decision to start censoring.
And this quote is just tragic, as Twitter tries to rationlize away restrictions on speech:
"As we continue to grow internationally, we will enter countries that have different ideas about the contours of freedom of expression," Twitter wrote in a blog post published Thursday.
From the Middle East, to Occupy, to SOPA and PIPA, the importance of open platforms like Twitter couldn't be more clear than it is today.
Will you help fight back, by signing our open letter to Twitter and asking them to reverse course? Just click here.
Nope, it never ends.
-Demand Progress
I can't believe this,first SOPA,PIPA and now Twitter is doing stupid shit. Just because some countries are dictatorships doesn't mean we have to cater to them and bow down to their laws. Those countries are so fucked up people can't wait to get the fuck out of them. If twitter does this they are going to lose a lot of users. Censorship is bad,whether it is from the government or private industry it still sucks. If you have a twitter account you may want to sign this petition because twitter may try more of this crap. Even if you don't but still want to stand up for free speech then by all means sign the petition.
From Fight For The Future
Now that Congress has had time to process last week's internet blackout, a consensus has emerged: SOPA and PIPA are toxic for politicians, and going anywhere near them could cost them their re-election.
Freedom is winning.
Together, we've done something amazing-- never have so many people stood up to defend a free and open internet. Here's a San Francisco Chronicle article about how it all came together: The Largest Online Protest in History Started Here.
And here's Carl Franzen at Talking Points Memo:
"Behind the scenes, Hill staffers from both sides of the aisle confirmed to TPM that the entire piracy debate had become so 'toxic' that virtually no lawmakers were likely to be ready to re-engage it anytime soon."
Experienced Congress-watchers are telling us they've never seen anything like this.
Internet users, tech companies, and non-profits joined together to defend fundamental rights on the internet. To a lot of elites in Congress and the corporate world, the internet is just something that lazy teenagers use to spam people with pictures of photoshopped unicorns. The blackout showed that the peer-to-peer internet is about empowerment, and that when we work together we can defeat the corrupt politics of Washington D.C.
The New York Times and Talking Points Memo have both published good articles on how the web blackout was organized.
For months, four senators were the only force blocking passage of PIPA/SOPA. They even promised to filibuster the bill back when most politicians were against them. We need to make sure we support and vote for leaders like them who are willing to going to go out on a limb and oppose SOPA before it was popular to do so. It's great that we pressured all those other shlubs into opposing web censorship, but these guys deserve the real cred and our support: Click here to donate (scroll down).
What's next? The Fight is not over, already new threats to web freedom are starting to emerge (particularly in Europe) and we're getting ready. Stay tuned,
and for more updates, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Thank you again for standing up for a free and open internet!
- Donny and Fight for the Future
I guess it's the stunt we pulled that has assholes like Chris Dodd fuming,which probably explains his reaction. Fuck him and fuck their attempts at censorship. Like Donny said this ain't over so stay tuned.
Freedom is winning.
Together, we've done something amazing-- never have so many people stood up to defend a free and open internet. Here's a San Francisco Chronicle article about how it all came together: The Largest Online Protest in History Started Here.
And here's Carl Franzen at Talking Points Memo:
"Behind the scenes, Hill staffers from both sides of the aisle confirmed to TPM that the entire piracy debate had become so 'toxic' that virtually no lawmakers were likely to be ready to re-engage it anytime soon."
Experienced Congress-watchers are telling us they've never seen anything like this.
Internet users, tech companies, and non-profits joined together to defend fundamental rights on the internet. To a lot of elites in Congress and the corporate world, the internet is just something that lazy teenagers use to spam people with pictures of photoshopped unicorns. The blackout showed that the peer-to-peer internet is about empowerment, and that when we work together we can defeat the corrupt politics of Washington D.C.
The New York Times and Talking Points Memo have both published good articles on how the web blackout was organized.
For months, four senators were the only force blocking passage of PIPA/SOPA. They even promised to filibuster the bill back when most politicians were against them. We need to make sure we support and vote for leaders like them who are willing to going to go out on a limb and oppose SOPA before it was popular to do so. It's great that we pressured all those other shlubs into opposing web censorship, but these guys deserve the real cred and our support: Click here to donate (scroll down).
What's next? The Fight is not over, already new threats to web freedom are starting to emerge (particularly in Europe) and we're getting ready. Stay tuned,
and for more updates, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Thank you again for standing up for a free and open internet!
- Donny and Fight for the Future
I guess it's the stunt we pulled that has assholes like Chris Dodd fuming,which probably explains his reaction. Fuck him and fuck their attempts at censorship. Like Donny said this ain't over so stay tuned.
From Demand Progress
Hollywood thinks Congress is on their leash: Motion Picture Association of America President Chris Dodd just threatened to cut off Hollywood campaign contributions to any member of Congress who doesn’t pass his Internet-censorship legislation.
After Congress shelved the controversial PIPA and SOPA bills, Dodd told Fox News:
“Those who count on quote ‘Hollywood’ for support need to understand that this industry is watching very carefully who’s going to stand up for them when their job is at stake. Don’t ask me to write a check for you when you think your job is at risk and then don’t pay any attention to me when my job is at stake.”
Click here to urge your lawmakers to free themselves from Hollywood's choke collar. Tell them to give back the MPAA's money.
This is what corruption looks like in Washington. It’s outrageous that Dodd — himself a former senator — is leveling these threats. Our elected officials must send a signal back to Dodd and the rest of K Street that our nation’s laws can’t be bought.
It's time that Congress showed that its votes are no longer for sale. Congress must give back the MPAA’s dirty money or give it to charity. Congress must make it clear to the world that it won’t be bullied into supporting censorship.
Please click above to urge your lawmakers to return Hollywood's dirty dollars.
Thanks!
-Demand Progress
Can you believe the gall that Dodd displayed? Fuck him and fuck Hollywood. I hate the misandric movies they put out so as far as I'm concerned they know where to put it and I insist they shove it in sideways. Le'ts sign that petition and put assholes like Dodd in their place.
After Congress shelved the controversial PIPA and SOPA bills, Dodd told Fox News:
“Those who count on quote ‘Hollywood’ for support need to understand that this industry is watching very carefully who’s going to stand up for them when their job is at stake. Don’t ask me to write a check for you when you think your job is at risk and then don’t pay any attention to me when my job is at stake.”
Click here to urge your lawmakers to free themselves from Hollywood's choke collar. Tell them to give back the MPAA's money.
This is what corruption looks like in Washington. It’s outrageous that Dodd — himself a former senator — is leveling these threats. Our elected officials must send a signal back to Dodd and the rest of K Street that our nation’s laws can’t be bought.
It's time that Congress showed that its votes are no longer for sale. Congress must give back the MPAA’s dirty money or give it to charity. Congress must make it clear to the world that it won’t be bullied into supporting censorship.
Please click above to urge your lawmakers to return Hollywood's dirty dollars.
Thanks!
-Demand Progress
Can you believe the gall that Dodd displayed? Fuck him and fuck Hollywood. I hate the misandric movies they put out so as far as I'm concerned they know where to put it and I insist they shove it in sideways. Le'ts sign that petition and put assholes like Dodd in their place.
Monday, January 23, 2012
VAWA again
I received the following from SAVE concerning the authorization of VAWA:
The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) this coming Thursday at 10am. As you know, we have found many flaws in this bill, which is why we created the Partner Violence Reduction Act (PVRA).
The Partner Violence Reduction Act:
1.Gives priority to real victims.
1.Reduces false allegations.
2.Removes provisions that violate the Constitution.
1.Protects families.
1.Provides legal assistance for alleged victim and alleged offender.
2.Requires third-party accreditation.
1.Curbs immigration fraud.
2.Makes the law gender-inclusive.
Today we'd like you to call members on the committee. Tell them to reject VAWA and to support the Partner Violence Reduction Act. More info: click here
Please contact the members listed below:
•Chuck Grassley (202) 224-3744 email contact
•Orrin G. Hatch (202) 224-5251 email contact
•Jon Kyl (202) 224-4521 email contact
•Jeff Sessions (202) 224-4124 email contact
•Lindsey Graham (202) 224-5972 email contact
•John Cornyn (202) 224-2934 email contact
•Michael S. Lee (202) 224-5444 email contact
•Tom Coburn (202) 224-5754 email contact
Call them once, call them twice, call them several times. Call Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Ask your family, friends, church family, co-workers and neighbors to call. And don't forget to ask your facebook, twitter and google+ friends too.
It's now or never, folks!
Sincerely,
teri
Teri Stoddard, Program Director
Stop Abusive and Violent Environments
www.saveservices.org
Looks like it's time to apply the pressure again to safeguard our rights and keep from losing any more. If you are unable to make the calls then send email telling these Senators that you are less than thrilled with VAWA with all its anti-male sexism and that you want them to enact the PVRA instead. The more of us they hear from the better so contact them today.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) this coming Thursday at 10am. As you know, we have found many flaws in this bill, which is why we created the Partner Violence Reduction Act (PVRA).
The Partner Violence Reduction Act:
1.Gives priority to real victims.
1.Reduces false allegations.
2.Removes provisions that violate the Constitution.
1.Protects families.
1.Provides legal assistance for alleged victim and alleged offender.
2.Requires third-party accreditation.
1.Curbs immigration fraud.
2.Makes the law gender-inclusive.
Today we'd like you to call members on the committee. Tell them to reject VAWA and to support the Partner Violence Reduction Act. More info: click here
Please contact the members listed below:
•Chuck Grassley (202) 224-3744 email contact
•Orrin G. Hatch (202) 224-5251 email contact
•Jon Kyl (202) 224-4521 email contact
•Jeff Sessions (202) 224-4124 email contact
•Lindsey Graham (202) 224-5972 email contact
•John Cornyn (202) 224-2934 email contact
•Michael S. Lee (202) 224-5444 email contact
•Tom Coburn (202) 224-5754 email contact
Call them once, call them twice, call them several times. Call Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Ask your family, friends, church family, co-workers and neighbors to call. And don't forget to ask your facebook, twitter and google+ friends too.
It's now or never, folks!
Sincerely,
teri
Teri Stoddard, Program Director
Stop Abusive and Violent Environments
www.saveservices.org
Looks like it's time to apply the pressure again to safeguard our rights and keep from losing any more. If you are unable to make the calls then send email telling these Senators that you are less than thrilled with VAWA with all its anti-male sexism and that you want them to enact the PVRA instead. The more of us they hear from the better so contact them today.
Friday, January 20, 2012
SOPA and PIPA postponed
From Demand Progress:
Wow. We just won.
From the Associated Press:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he was postponing a test vote set for Tuesday "in light of recent events."
So, in other words, because of all of us. Absolutely amazing.
Demand Progress has been fighting this legislation for more than a year -- having grown from nothing to over one million members during that period.
Even the Motion Picture Association's Chris Dodd is awed by what just happened. Here's what he said yesterday:
"This is altogether a new effect,” Mr. Dodd said, comparing the online movement to the Arab Spring. He could not remember seeing “an effort that was moving with this degree of support change this dramatically” in the last four decades, he added.
Thanks so much for your work on this. You're amazing.
-Demand Progress
This protest was huge and it made history. I'm sure Dodd has seen a lot of things in Congress but this just awed him. That is the power of the net,it is the great equalizer.
Here is what Fight For The Future had to say:
Hi everyone!
A big hurrah to you!!!!! We’ve won for now -- SOPA and PIPA were dropped by Congress today -- the votes we’ve been scrambling to mobilize against have been cancelled.
The largest online protest in history has fundamentally changed the game. You were heard.
On January 18th, 13 million of us took the time to tell Congress to protect free speech rights on the internet. Hundreds of millions, maybe a billion, people all around the world saw what we did on Wednesday. See the amazing numbers here and tell everyone what you did.
This was unprecedented. Your activism may have changed the way people fight for the public interest and basic rights forever.
The MPAA (the lobby for big movie studios which created these terrible bills) was shocked and seemingly humbled. “‘This was a whole new different game all of a sudden,’ MPAA Chairman and former Senator Chris Dodd told the New York Times. ‘[PIPA and SOPA were] considered by many to be a slam dunk.’”
“'This is altogether a new effect,' Mr. Dodd said, comparing the online movement to the Arab Spring. He could not remember seeing 'an effort that was moving with this degree of support change this dramatically' in the last four decades, he added."
Tweet with us, shout on the internet with us, let's celebrate: Round of applause to the 13 million people who stood up - #PIPA and #SOPA are tabled 4 now. #13millionapplause
We're indebted to everyone who helped in the beginning of this movement -- you, and all the sites that went out on a limb to protest in November -- Boing Boing and Mozilla Foundation (and thank you Tumblr, 4chan)! And the grassroots groups -- Public Knowledge, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Demand Progress, CDT, and many more.
#SOPA and #PIPA will likely return in some form. But when they do, we'll be ready.
We changed the game this fall, and we're not gonna stop.13 million strong,
Tiffiniy, Holmes, Joshua, Phil, CJ, Donny, Douglas, Nicholas, Dean, David S. and Moore... Fight for the Future!
P.S. China's internet censorship system reminds us why the fight for democratic principles is so important:
In the New Yorker: "Fittingly, perhaps, the discussion has unfolded on Weibo, the Twitter-like micro-blogging site that has a team of censors on staff to trim posts with sensitive political content. That is the arrangement that opponents of the bill have suggested would be required of American sites if they are compelled to police their users’ content for copyright violations. On Weibo, joking about SOPA’s similarities to Chinese censorship was sensitive enough that some posts on the subject were almost certainly deleted (though it can be hard to know).
...
After Chinese Web users got over the strangeness of hearing Americans debate the merits of screening the Web for objectionable content, they marvelled at the American response. Commentator Liu Qingyan wrote:
‘We should learn something from the way these American Internet companies protested against SOPA and PIPA. A free and democratic society depends on every one of us caring about politics and fighting for our rights. We will not achieve it by avoiding talk about politics.’"
press release is here
Like I said,way to go everybody. We did it.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Governmental harassment
From Demand Progress:
Fight Back: Government Shuts Down MegaUpload
Unbelievable: After history's largest online protest, the U.S. Government nonchalantly responds with the middle finger. The Wall Street Journal reports:
The FBI shut down Thursday one of the world's most popular file-sharing websites, MegaUpload.com, and announced the arrest of four of the people behind it in a global crackdown against the suspected online pirates.
Here -- check it out: If SOPA and PIPA pass it'll just broaden the government's power to do things like this: MegaUpload.com. (And make it ILLEGAL for us to link to sites that are seized -- like we just did in the last sentence.)
As MegaUpload's website notes -- er... noted:
The fact is that the vast majority of mega's Internet traffic is legitimate, and we are here to stay. If the content industry would like to take advantage of our popularity, we are happy to enter into a dialogue.
This is what we're up against. Please tell President Obama and your lawmakers to put an end to it. NOW.
Just fill out the form at right to tell Obama and your lawmakers to stop messing with the Net!
click here to sign the petition.
It would be a good idea if we all preserved our freedoms by signing this petition otherwise our rights are gone. To safeguard them sign today.
Fight Back: Government Shuts Down MegaUpload
Unbelievable: After history's largest online protest, the U.S. Government nonchalantly responds with the middle finger. The Wall Street Journal reports:
The FBI shut down Thursday one of the world's most popular file-sharing websites, MegaUpload.com, and announced the arrest of four of the people behind it in a global crackdown against the suspected online pirates.
Here -- check it out: If SOPA and PIPA pass it'll just broaden the government's power to do things like this: MegaUpload.com. (And make it ILLEGAL for us to link to sites that are seized -- like we just did in the last sentence.)
As MegaUpload's website notes -- er... noted:
The fact is that the vast majority of mega's Internet traffic is legitimate, and we are here to stay. If the content industry would like to take advantage of our popularity, we are happy to enter into a dialogue.
This is what we're up against. Please tell President Obama and your lawmakers to put an end to it. NOW.
Just fill out the form at right to tell Obama and your lawmakers to stop messing with the Net!
click here to sign the petition.
It would be a good idea if we all preserved our freedoms by signing this petition otherwise our rights are gone. To safeguard them sign today.
We've made progress
We've made progress but there is much work to be done. We've let them know how we feel about SOPA and PIPA and that these two bills are exetremely unpopular.
I received email from the following:
From Demand Progress:
One last email -- and this one's easy:
Today has been amazing, but there's one thing that could completely stop SOPA and PIPA in their tracks:
President Obama has expressed concerns about the bills, but hasn't pledged to veto them.
Please click here to urge President Obama to promise to veto SOPA and PIPA.
There's enough opposition to these bills now that even if they pass, the won't be able to overcome a veto.
A promise to veto the bills will force opponents into a full retreat, and be the perfect way to cap off this week's protests.
We'd be able to declare a victory for the Net, free speech, and democracy.
Please click on the above link to urge President Obama to promise to veto SOPA and PIPA.
Thank you! It's extraordinary: After more than a year of fighting, we're on the verge of winning this thing.
From Fight For The Future:
Today was nuts, right?
Google launched a petition. Wikipedia voted to shut itself off. Senators' websites went down just from the sheer surge of voters trying to write them. NYC and SF geeks had protests that packed city blocks.
You made history today: nothing like this has ever happened before. Tech companies and users teamed up. Tens of millions of people who make the internet what it is joined together to defend their freedoms. The free network defended itself. Whatever you call it, the bottom line is clear: from today forward, it will be much harder to mess up the internet.
The really crazy part? We might even win.
Approaching Monday's crucial Senate vote there are now 35 Senators publicly opposing PIPA. Last week there were 5. And it just takes just 41 solid "no" votes to permanently stall PIPA (and SOPA) in the Senate. What seemed like miles away a few weeks ago is now within reach.
But don't trust predictions. The forces behind SOPA & PIPA (mostly movie companies) can make small changes to these bills until they know they have the votes to pass. Members of Congress know SOPA & PIPA are unpopular, but they don't understand why--so they're easily duped by superficial changes. The Senate returns next week, and the next few days are critical. Here are two things to think about:
1. Plan on calling your Senator every day next week. Pick up the phone each morning and call your Senators' offices, until they vote "no" on cloture. If your site participated today, consider running a "Call the Senate" link all next week.
2. Tomorrow, drop in at your Senators' district offices. We don't have a cool map widget to show you the offices nearest you (we're too exhausted! any takers?). So do it the old fashioned way: use Google, or the phonebook to find the address, and just walk in, say you oppose PIPA, and urge the Senator to vote "no" on cloture. These drop-in visits make our spectacular online protests more tangible and credible.
That's it for now. Be proud and stay on it!
--Holmes, Tiffiniy, and the whole Fight for the Future team.
___
P.S. Huge credit goes to participants in the 11/16 American Censorship Day protest: Mozilla, 4chan, BoingBoing, Tumblr, TGWTG, and thousands of others. That's what got this ball rolling! Reddit, both the community and the team behind it, you're amazing. And of course, thanks to the Wikimedians whose patient and inexorable pursuit of the right answer brought them to take world-changing action. Thanks to David S, David K, Cory D, and E Stark for bold action at critical times.
P.P.S. If you haven't already, show this video to as many people as you can. It works! click here
Senate contact info:click here
This is great,even Obama is on our side. This is indeed good news but we must keep it up if we are to prevail. Contact President Obama and your senators and let them know how disgusted you find censorship and that it has no business in a free society. Do so right away,because the rights you save may be your own.
I received email from the following:
From Demand Progress:
One last email -- and this one's easy:
Today has been amazing, but there's one thing that could completely stop SOPA and PIPA in their tracks:
President Obama has expressed concerns about the bills, but hasn't pledged to veto them.
Please click here to urge President Obama to promise to veto SOPA and PIPA.
There's enough opposition to these bills now that even if they pass, the won't be able to overcome a veto.
A promise to veto the bills will force opponents into a full retreat, and be the perfect way to cap off this week's protests.
We'd be able to declare a victory for the Net, free speech, and democracy.
Please click on the above link to urge President Obama to promise to veto SOPA and PIPA.
Thank you! It's extraordinary: After more than a year of fighting, we're on the verge of winning this thing.
From Fight For The Future:
Today was nuts, right?
Google launched a petition. Wikipedia voted to shut itself off. Senators' websites went down just from the sheer surge of voters trying to write them. NYC and SF geeks had protests that packed city blocks.
You made history today: nothing like this has ever happened before. Tech companies and users teamed up. Tens of millions of people who make the internet what it is joined together to defend their freedoms. The free network defended itself. Whatever you call it, the bottom line is clear: from today forward, it will be much harder to mess up the internet.
The really crazy part? We might even win.
Approaching Monday's crucial Senate vote there are now 35 Senators publicly opposing PIPA. Last week there were 5. And it just takes just 41 solid "no" votes to permanently stall PIPA (and SOPA) in the Senate. What seemed like miles away a few weeks ago is now within reach.
But don't trust predictions. The forces behind SOPA & PIPA (mostly movie companies) can make small changes to these bills until they know they have the votes to pass. Members of Congress know SOPA & PIPA are unpopular, but they don't understand why--so they're easily duped by superficial changes. The Senate returns next week, and the next few days are critical. Here are two things to think about:
1. Plan on calling your Senator every day next week. Pick up the phone each morning and call your Senators' offices, until they vote "no" on cloture. If your site participated today, consider running a "Call the Senate" link all next week.
2. Tomorrow, drop in at your Senators' district offices. We don't have a cool map widget to show you the offices nearest you (we're too exhausted! any takers?). So do it the old fashioned way: use Google, or the phonebook to find the address, and just walk in, say you oppose PIPA, and urge the Senator to vote "no" on cloture. These drop-in visits make our spectacular online protests more tangible and credible.
That's it for now. Be proud and stay on it!
--Holmes, Tiffiniy, and the whole Fight for the Future team.
___
P.S. Huge credit goes to participants in the 11/16 American Censorship Day protest: Mozilla, 4chan, BoingBoing, Tumblr, TGWTG, and thousands of others. That's what got this ball rolling! Reddit, both the community and the team behind it, you're amazing. And of course, thanks to the Wikimedians whose patient and inexorable pursuit of the right answer brought them to take world-changing action. Thanks to David S, David K, Cory D, and E Stark for bold action at critical times.
P.P.S. If you haven't already, show this video to as many people as you can. It works! click here
Senate contact info:click here
This is great,even Obama is on our side. This is indeed good news but we must keep it up if we are to prevail. Contact President Obama and your senators and let them know how disgusted you find censorship and that it has no business in a free society. Do so right away,because the rights you save may be your own.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Defeat internet censorship
From Fight For The Future:
Tomorrow, January 18th, 2012, will be the largest internet protest in history. Thousands of sites across the internet, including some of the biggest in the world, will be blacking out and directing people to contact Congress to kill the web censorship bill, SOPA and PIPA. We want to get you involved.
Join us on the historic day by blacking out your site. Copy the code below and paste it into the header of your theme (Wordpress users: use the SOPA Strike plugin) to black your site out in protest of SOPA/PIPA. It will activate automatically on Jan. 18th, displaying this page and directing visitors to contact Congress, and will deactivate at the end of the day.
In just 7 days, the Senate will vote on forever altering the free and open internet by instituting a new regime of extra-judicial, corporate-led website takedowns. This is a fundamental fight about who has power in society -- the people with the means to communicate freely or the governments and corporations that feel threatened.
For the full state of play on the censorship bills, take a look at this infographic we've put together. Click here. The clock is ticking, and we're still 35 senators short of the number we need to kill the bill.
From Demand Progress:
SOPA and PIPA are on the ropes, but it's time to throw a knockout punch.
As the web prepares for the biggest protest in its history, we're launching a new campaign at VoteForTheNet.com click here.
Will you sign our pledge to work against candidates who support Internet censorship? Just click above.
VoteForTheNet.com will serve as a hub for electoral activism against SOPA and PIPA, and in support of a free Internet.
Politicians need to understand that they'll feel heat from the voters if they stand against a free Internet and freedom of expression.
Click on the above link to pledge to work against candidates who support Internet censorship.
And please help spread the word by linking back to VoteForTheNet.com and using these links to share it with your friends.
I'm going to be observing this blackout. If the script doesn't work then this blog will be read-only until Thursday Jan. 19. If it does or doesn't work let Congress know that censorship won't be tolerated in a free society.
Tomorrow, January 18th, 2012, will be the largest internet protest in history. Thousands of sites across the internet, including some of the biggest in the world, will be blacking out and directing people to contact Congress to kill the web censorship bill, SOPA and PIPA. We want to get you involved.
Join us on the historic day by blacking out your site. Copy the code below and paste it into the header of your theme (Wordpress users: use the SOPA Strike plugin) to black your site out in protest of SOPA/PIPA. It will activate automatically on Jan. 18th, displaying this page and directing visitors to contact Congress, and will deactivate at the end of the day.
In just 7 days, the Senate will vote on forever altering the free and open internet by instituting a new regime of extra-judicial, corporate-led website takedowns. This is a fundamental fight about who has power in society -- the people with the means to communicate freely or the governments and corporations that feel threatened.
For the full state of play on the censorship bills, take a look at this infographic we've put together. Click here. The clock is ticking, and we're still 35 senators short of the number we need to kill the bill.
From Demand Progress:
SOPA and PIPA are on the ropes, but it's time to throw a knockout punch.
As the web prepares for the biggest protest in its history, we're launching a new campaign at VoteForTheNet.com click here.
Will you sign our pledge to work against candidates who support Internet censorship? Just click above.
VoteForTheNet.com will serve as a hub for electoral activism against SOPA and PIPA, and in support of a free Internet.
Politicians need to understand that they'll feel heat from the voters if they stand against a free Internet and freedom of expression.
Click on the above link to pledge to work against candidates who support Internet censorship.
And please help spread the word by linking back to VoteForTheNet.com and using these links to share it with your friends.
I'm going to be observing this blackout. If the script doesn't work then this blog will be read-only until Thursday Jan. 19. If it does or doesn't work let Congress know that censorship won't be tolerated in a free society.
Friday, January 13, 2012
California eliminates Commission on Women
Due to budget problems in California the state eliminated the California Commission on Women. The program was cut by California Governor Jerry Brown. This is a courageous move and as you can imagine it is one that has the feminasties shitting in their panties and squealing like the swine they are. It is more than eliminating a useless government program it is also about standing up to the feminist lobby and saying "enough,we won't allow you to abuse us anymore". It is about standing up to a form of evil and a very powerful one at that. What Governor Brown did is a gutsy move and he should be congratulated for it. He can be contacted here. Let him know that he did a courageous thing and that he is applauded for doing so. Let's tell him that gender issues are not just women's issues and that what men have to say are valid concerns as well. The more of us he hears from the better so let's contact him today.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Senate to vote on censorship bill
I received the following from Fight For The Future,here it is:
On January 24th the Senate will vote on their version of the internet censorship bill SOPA. This is our best chance to kill the internet censorship bill.
The problem? We need 41 Senators to agree not to rush a vote, and right now we've got 2. That's why we're asking you to take an unusual step: We need you to request an in-person meeting with your Senators.
Can you ask for an in-person meeting with your Senators? Click here to get started.
Most Senators are home right now for the January recess. And most--even those who've signed on as cosponsors--do not understand these bills and the terrible consequences they'll have for the internet, the economy, and free speech. If they're blindsided by the strength and clarity of our objections, we can bring them over to our side. The future of the internet depends on it.
If you do get a meeting you won't be alone-- post it to the forums and we'll organize others to join you. We can also provide materials and help with preparation. Leading up to the vote we'll also be swarming townhall meetings and public appearances, as they're announced. But right now, we need to set up these in-person meetings.
Please, click here to ask for a meeting. We've got your back.
We've taken the time to ask each Senator's office the best way to request a meeting. But we need you to take the plunge-- it'll only take a few minutes.
After you set up your meeting, be sure to share information on the forums. Did you get a date and time for a meeting? Did you learn any other information that will be useful for others trying to set up a meeting? If you can take on an organizing role, say so.
And please, stay active and keep spreading the word about the need to meet your Senator. There is an absolute firestorm of news and energy around
stopping SOPA/PIPA on the internet, but it's not always visible to Senators and their staff.
Be visible. Schedule a meeting. This is our best chance to stop SOPA, and it could be our last.
Thanks for everything you do this month,
--Holmes, Tiffiniy, Donny
P.S. The Reddit community has been an anti-SOPA firestorm. These meetings are our best hope for beating SOPA, and we think Reddit needs to know about it. If you agree, help us spread the word on Reddit.
P.P.S. Please use these links to ask your friends to help fill up your local events too. Everyone needs to know the game plan: schedule meetings, and swarm townhalls.
That's a good idea,if you can schedule an appointment with your Senators then by all means go for it but if you can't an email will do just fine. The pressure's on so let's get writing an email or planning the in-person appointment. Our freedoms are on the line so the more of us they hear from the more they will take us seriously.
On January 24th the Senate will vote on their version of the internet censorship bill SOPA. This is our best chance to kill the internet censorship bill.
The problem? We need 41 Senators to agree not to rush a vote, and right now we've got 2. That's why we're asking you to take an unusual step: We need you to request an in-person meeting with your Senators.
Can you ask for an in-person meeting with your Senators? Click here to get started.
Most Senators are home right now for the January recess. And most--even those who've signed on as cosponsors--do not understand these bills and the terrible consequences they'll have for the internet, the economy, and free speech. If they're blindsided by the strength and clarity of our objections, we can bring them over to our side. The future of the internet depends on it.
If you do get a meeting you won't be alone-- post it to the forums and we'll organize others to join you. We can also provide materials and help with preparation. Leading up to the vote we'll also be swarming townhall meetings and public appearances, as they're announced. But right now, we need to set up these in-person meetings.
Please, click here to ask for a meeting. We've got your back.
We've taken the time to ask each Senator's office the best way to request a meeting. But we need you to take the plunge-- it'll only take a few minutes.
After you set up your meeting, be sure to share information on the forums. Did you get a date and time for a meeting? Did you learn any other information that will be useful for others trying to set up a meeting? If you can take on an organizing role, say so.
And please, stay active and keep spreading the word about the need to meet your Senator. There is an absolute firestorm of news and energy around
stopping SOPA/PIPA on the internet, but it's not always visible to Senators and their staff.
Be visible. Schedule a meeting. This is our best chance to stop SOPA, and it could be our last.
Thanks for everything you do this month,
--Holmes, Tiffiniy, Donny
P.S. The Reddit community has been an anti-SOPA firestorm. These meetings are our best hope for beating SOPA, and we think Reddit needs to know about it. If you agree, help us spread the word on Reddit.
P.P.S. Please use these links to ask your friends to help fill up your local events too. Everyone needs to know the game plan: schedule meetings, and swarm townhalls.
That's a good idea,if you can schedule an appointment with your Senators then by all means go for it but if you can't an email will do just fine. The pressure's on so let's get writing an email or planning the in-person appointment. Our freedoms are on the line so the more of us they hear from the more they will take us seriously.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
From a brainwashed child
What Should You Do When Someone You Love Becomes a Men’s Rights Activist?
That's the question posed by an advice-seeker who wants to know what to do about his increasingly misogynist dad. We decided to look for a few more tips.
Earlier this week, Dad-Related Dilemma wrote to Slate's Dear Prudence,
My mom left my dad for another man 10 years ago, when my brother and I were in grade school. She took us with her, and the loss of his family turned my father into a bitter man. He now considers himself a men's rights activist. From what I can tell, the men's rights movement my dad belongs to believes that American law and society has institutionalized misandry. One website my dad frequents warns men not to date single mothers because their children might accuse the boyfriend of molesting them to reap the benefits of victimhood. My dad speaks often about the men's rights movement, and when my brother and I don't want to listen, he accuses us of being brainwashed by feminists. His behavior doesn't come across as crazy so much as it does misogynistic. Now I'm 18 and could stop seeing him if I wanted to. But my brother is younger and still has to see him. My mom doesn't know the full story because we don't want her to overreact. What should we do?
Prudie advises telling Dad he needs to quit the MRA talk if he wants to have a relationship with his sons, which is solid advice, but is there any way to tackle his bad ideas head-on? How should one argue with a loved one who's turned into a misogynist? I talked to David Futrelle of Man Boobz, who is somewhat bearish on MRAs' ability to change: "Unfortunately, in most cases, I don't think it's possible to talk someone out of a Men's Rights obsession. For most of them, it seems to be driven not by facts — they're happy to simply make up facts to fit their worldview — but by feelings, most obviously by rage at women." However, he adds,
The one argument I think you CAN make to MRAs who are not too far gone is this: it's not healthy for you to spend so much time stewing in your anger online. Instead of trying to help men work through their personal issues with women, the [men's rights media] encourages men to cultivate their rages and hatreds, to remain stuck. That's not healthy for them, or for society at large.
Jezebel contributor Hugo Schwyzer offered some more ideas. He says "most MRAs come from a place of huge disappointment. Yes, it's entitlement too, but it's also a deep place of hurt." How to get past that hurt? Schwyzer says,
In terms of advice, it's not easy for a son to challenge his Dad. But drive the conversation towards individual women — not the "bitches" and "harpies" of his father's imagination, but the women Dad has loved. A mother? A sister? An ex? There is inside every MRA I've ever met a stopped-up well of compassion and love for women. It's getting to the good stories (and there are always GOOD stories) about women that is so vital. And from those stories about individual women Dad has loved, perhaps the son can talk about what those women went through and experienced.
He adds,
It's also important for Dad to be able to talk about his own pain — not his rage, which is a response to pain, but the pain itself. Men's Rights Activism is the public manifestation of an experience of betrayal (whether that betrayal is "real" or not, it's perceived as real.) Getting to the source of that rage is vital.
I wouldn't ordinarily advocate trying to get to the bottom of a men's rights activist's pain — lots of MRAs talk about how much they'd like to inflict pain on women, and frankly, I don't have much empathy for them. But in this case we're talking about a dude (or maybe a lady) and his dad. This is someone he loves and someone his brother has to have regular contact with — and it's not clear that DRD wants to cut his dad off, either. That's always an option — Schwyzer notes that there could come a point when "it becomes too painful" for DRD to keep engaging with his dad. But if he hasn't reached that point yet, it may be worth trying to reach out. After all, if anyone's going to get MRAs to stop spewing hate, it's probably the people they love.
Source:click here
There is no mention of how the father feels about being betrayed by a whore of a wife and it seems that the kid,Prudie nor Anna North truly care about his well-being. This kid has been brainwashed by his mom and since it promotes feminism North is all too happy write about it. She quotes morons like Dave Fooltrelle and Hugo Schwyzer. Fooltrelle is just an useful idiot while Swyitzer is a different animal all together.(To see what I mean click here) Someday this kid,unless he's gay,will most likely encounter a woman like his mom and he will be picked dry by these manipulators. Most of all congrats to dad for seeing the light and joining our ranks and I hope he becomes activist very soon. It looks like the father has seen the light now when will his son also see the light? Before or after he is used by the manipulative females? That question will be answered,not "if" but "when".
That's the question posed by an advice-seeker who wants to know what to do about his increasingly misogynist dad. We decided to look for a few more tips.
Earlier this week, Dad-Related Dilemma wrote to Slate's Dear Prudence,
My mom left my dad for another man 10 years ago, when my brother and I were in grade school. She took us with her, and the loss of his family turned my father into a bitter man. He now considers himself a men's rights activist. From what I can tell, the men's rights movement my dad belongs to believes that American law and society has institutionalized misandry. One website my dad frequents warns men not to date single mothers because their children might accuse the boyfriend of molesting them to reap the benefits of victimhood. My dad speaks often about the men's rights movement, and when my brother and I don't want to listen, he accuses us of being brainwashed by feminists. His behavior doesn't come across as crazy so much as it does misogynistic. Now I'm 18 and could stop seeing him if I wanted to. But my brother is younger and still has to see him. My mom doesn't know the full story because we don't want her to overreact. What should we do?
Prudie advises telling Dad he needs to quit the MRA talk if he wants to have a relationship with his sons, which is solid advice, but is there any way to tackle his bad ideas head-on? How should one argue with a loved one who's turned into a misogynist? I talked to David Futrelle of Man Boobz, who is somewhat bearish on MRAs' ability to change: "Unfortunately, in most cases, I don't think it's possible to talk someone out of a Men's Rights obsession. For most of them, it seems to be driven not by facts — they're happy to simply make up facts to fit their worldview — but by feelings, most obviously by rage at women." However, he adds,
The one argument I think you CAN make to MRAs who are not too far gone is this: it's not healthy for you to spend so much time stewing in your anger online. Instead of trying to help men work through their personal issues with women, the [men's rights media] encourages men to cultivate their rages and hatreds, to remain stuck. That's not healthy for them, or for society at large.
Jezebel contributor Hugo Schwyzer offered some more ideas. He says "most MRAs come from a place of huge disappointment. Yes, it's entitlement too, but it's also a deep place of hurt." How to get past that hurt? Schwyzer says,
In terms of advice, it's not easy for a son to challenge his Dad. But drive the conversation towards individual women — not the "bitches" and "harpies" of his father's imagination, but the women Dad has loved. A mother? A sister? An ex? There is inside every MRA I've ever met a stopped-up well of compassion and love for women. It's getting to the good stories (and there are always GOOD stories) about women that is so vital. And from those stories about individual women Dad has loved, perhaps the son can talk about what those women went through and experienced.
He adds,
It's also important for Dad to be able to talk about his own pain — not his rage, which is a response to pain, but the pain itself. Men's Rights Activism is the public manifestation of an experience of betrayal (whether that betrayal is "real" or not, it's perceived as real.) Getting to the source of that rage is vital.
I wouldn't ordinarily advocate trying to get to the bottom of a men's rights activist's pain — lots of MRAs talk about how much they'd like to inflict pain on women, and frankly, I don't have much empathy for them. But in this case we're talking about a dude (or maybe a lady) and his dad. This is someone he loves and someone his brother has to have regular contact with — and it's not clear that DRD wants to cut his dad off, either. That's always an option — Schwyzer notes that there could come a point when "it becomes too painful" for DRD to keep engaging with his dad. But if he hasn't reached that point yet, it may be worth trying to reach out. After all, if anyone's going to get MRAs to stop spewing hate, it's probably the people they love.
Source:click here
There is no mention of how the father feels about being betrayed by a whore of a wife and it seems that the kid,Prudie nor Anna North truly care about his well-being. This kid has been brainwashed by his mom and since it promotes feminism North is all too happy write about it. She quotes morons like Dave Fooltrelle and Hugo Schwyzer. Fooltrelle is just an useful idiot while Swyitzer is a different animal all together.(To see what I mean click here) Someday this kid,unless he's gay,will most likely encounter a woman like his mom and he will be picked dry by these manipulators. Most of all congrats to dad for seeing the light and joining our ranks and I hope he becomes activist very soon. It looks like the father has seen the light now when will his son also see the light? Before or after he is used by the manipulative females? That question will be answered,not "if" but "when".
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
New law will strip Americans of their rights
Tell Congress To Undo The NDAA, Ban Indefinite Military Detention Of Americans
President Obama just signed the National Defense Authorization Act into law despite startling provisions that will allow the military to indefinitely detain American citizens. It's a travesty, defying basic principles of justice and due process in perhaps the most extreme respect our nation has ever seen.
Thankfully, several lawmakers are keeping up the fight. Senator Dianne Feinstein has introduced legislation to undo these provisions of the NDAA, in the form of the Due Process Guarantee Act. We need to urge other Senators to support it.
The Due Process Guarantee Act of 2011 amends the Non-Detention Act of 1971 by providing that a Congressional authorization for the use of military force does not authorize the indefinite detention—without charge or trial—of U.S. citizens who are apprehended domestically.
If there's enough of a public outcry, we have a real chance of making this happen: More than 40 senators voted against the indefinite detention provisions of the NDAA -- and that was before the media and general public caught on to what was happening. Please urge your Senators to remedy this terrible wrong.
Just fill out the form at right to urge your lawmakers to block the indefinite detention of Americans
Here's Feinstein's press release on her new legislation.click here
Source:click here
If you like the idea of preserving your liberties then perhaps you would like to sign the petition to join in with Senator Dianne Feinstein in opposing this draconian legislation. Sign that petition are safeguard your Constitutional rights today.
President Obama just signed the National Defense Authorization Act into law despite startling provisions that will allow the military to indefinitely detain American citizens. It's a travesty, defying basic principles of justice and due process in perhaps the most extreme respect our nation has ever seen.
Thankfully, several lawmakers are keeping up the fight. Senator Dianne Feinstein has introduced legislation to undo these provisions of the NDAA, in the form of the Due Process Guarantee Act. We need to urge other Senators to support it.
The Due Process Guarantee Act of 2011 amends the Non-Detention Act of 1971 by providing that a Congressional authorization for the use of military force does not authorize the indefinite detention—without charge or trial—of U.S. citizens who are apprehended domestically.
If there's enough of a public outcry, we have a real chance of making this happen: More than 40 senators voted against the indefinite detention provisions of the NDAA -- and that was before the media and general public caught on to what was happening. Please urge your Senators to remedy this terrible wrong.
Just fill out the form at right to urge your lawmakers to block the indefinite detention of Americans
Here's Feinstein's press release on her new legislation.click here
Source:click here
If you like the idea of preserving your liberties then perhaps you would like to sign the petition to join in with Senator Dianne Feinstein in opposing this draconian legislation. Sign that petition are safeguard your Constitutional rights today.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Gingrich admires Palin
On last night's Hannity Sean Hannity had on Newt Gingrich,one of the GOP contenders for the presidency.who said that he admires Sarah Palin and her policies. If Gingrich is thinking of making Palin his veep then that will be very telling.This sounds very contradictory when you look at this and this. If Gingrich is sincere in acknowledging anti-male bias how can he praise Palin? Right wing feminism is no less putrid than its left wing sister is. No one wants a woman in the White House unless she is the first lady. Walter Mondale found that out when he chose Geraldine Ferroro as his veep and lost. John McCain found that out when the voters rejected him and his veep,Sarah Palin. Gingrich always says he loves history so let's see if he learns from it or he repeats it.
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