“ You cannot enslave a mind that knows itself. That values itself. That understands itself.
— Wangari Maathai (via keekeers)
— Paulo Freire (Pedagogy of the Oppressed, p. 27)
What is SAFER?
The SAFER Act (H.R. 1523/S. 3250) is a no-cost bill that will create the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Registry (SAFER), which will track the status of DNA evidence collected in rape cases (commonly known as rape kits).
Why We Need It:
There’s a huge backlog of DNA evidence from unsolved rape cases that has never been sent to the lab for analysis. Until we test this evidence and identify the rapists, those criminals remain free to attack more victims.
How SAFER Will Help:
SAFER will bring transparency to the DNA rape kit testing process, help us efficiently target resources to cities that have the biggest backlogs, and empower the communities with information about the rape kit testing status in their area. It will help eliminate the evidence backlog and take thousands of rapists off the streets.
How You Can Help:
Call or email your U.S. Representative and Senators (calling is more effective, but an email will help, too). Below are samples of what to write or say.
“I don’t gotta tell you what to do, cause you’re on it
I don’t gotta let you in my world, cause you rock it
I don’t gotta tell you what to do, cause you’re on it
I don’t gotta let you in my world, cause you rock it”
-Nelly Furtado, “Glow”
:-*
— Wangari Maathai (via keekeers)
Street Art By BR1
why is this not on the tumblr radar
Just- yes :)
I am a counselor for survivors of domestic violence. I spend most days hearing stories of abuse so sordid, and so heart-wrenching, that it’s hard to imagine how the human race continuously decides to perpetuate itself in a world where such pain is so ubiquitous.
KW, it’s not that I think you are just like the men my clients describe. Check my other posts, you’ve given me the type of memories that I only pray I can experience with someone else someday. But you hurt me. You hurt me so deeply, and so often. And I, much l like the women I sit with, kept thinking that my love for you could cancel out the pain you caused. I loved every part of you with every part of me, and because of that, I know I never would have let go. Would have never wanted a morning when I didn’t wake up in your arms. Would have never chosen to sleep a night outside of your embrace.
But you let go. You let me go as if I had never existed. As if I hadn’t been the one who saw all that you were and everything you could be.
But I need to THANK YOU. Before, I couldn’t see it through the tears, and I couldn’t feel it past the numbness, but you spared me many more days of waiting for a love that you couldn’t give. Make no mistake, you ended things in the most cowardly way possible. But the part of me that still believes in you also believes that one day you’ll actually grow up and be a man who takes responsibility for his actions. I just know now that I don’t have to wait for that.
Thank you.
— bell hooks, The Will to Change, p115. (via tiledsarenomore)
The Violence Against Women Act is up for reauthorization this year, and despite overwhelming bipartisan support in the past, Republicans have expressed concerns over new provisions in the bill.
Here’s what you need to know about it in one infographic.
notes found in the girls bathroom on my campus
I fucking love Jackson Katz. Many of my colleagues have worked with him directly, and I’m currently very active in a project he is very much involved with here in Los Angeles. The people running the project love me because I’ve proven time and time again that I am one of the most committed members of the group, because I am that passionate about women’s rights and the fact that men need to learn to love instead of hate.
ETA: And yes, the project is very heavily focused on men and their role, not on women and their victimization. The moment I became involved I said “YES, finally, we can teach men not to rape, instead of teaching women how not to be raped.”
