The month of October is designated Domestic Violence Awareness month. Domestic Violence is a global issue and as the month come to a close it is very important that everyone continue to be mindful and continue to spread awareness so that one day this vicious cycle of abuse will end.
Tag: People
An Inspirational Story
DON’T WE ALL
I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come
from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work.
Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would
consider a bum.
From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no
money. There are times when you feel generous but there are other times
that you just don’t want to be bothered. This was one of those “don’t
want to be bothered times.”
“I hope he doesn’t ask me for any money,” I thought.
He didn’t.
He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn’t look
like he could have enough money to even ride the bus.
After a few minutes he spoke.
“That’s a very pretty car,” he said.
He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scraggly
blond beard keep more than his face warm.
I said, “thanks,” and continued wiping off my car.
He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never
came.
As the silence between us widened something inside said, “ask him if
he needs any help.” I was sure that he would say “yes” but I held true
to the inner voice.
“Do you need any help?” I asked.
He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget.
We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from
those of higher learning and accomplishments.
I expected nothing but an
outstretched grimy hand. He spoke the three words that shook me.
“Don’t we all?” he said.
I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum
in the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge
shotgun.
Don’t we all?
I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I
needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus
fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those
three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter
how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you
have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or
a place to sleep, you can give help.
Even if it’s just a compliment, you can give that.
You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all.
They are waiting on you to give them what they don’t have. A different
perspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from
daily chaos, that only you through a torn world can see.
Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe
he was more than that.
Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and
wise, to minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves.
Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, then said, “go minister to that man cleaning the car, that man needs help.”
Don’t we all?
Author Unknown
Never judge someone because of how they look because you don’t know what is in someone’s heart or mind. We are more alike than we realize and at some point in time we all need help in one way or another.
Women Respect Yourselves
We talk about women rights and we say that men should show more respect to women. However it is apparent that some women have no respect for themselves. Some feel there is nothing wrong with stripping or selling their bodies. They feel it is okay to do these things to make a living. Of course this type of behavior is nothing new; the difference is that in times past women engaged in these activities would keep it a secret from their friends and family. Now it is as if it is something to brag about.
The thing is that society is accepting and rewarding this kind of behavior and therefore women feel it is not something to be ashamed of anymore. Porn stars are becoming celebrities so what’s the big deal? But does this make it okay? Maybe given all the publicity young girls now think it is okay. There is s case of a young woman who came to this country to attend college. She started college but have dropped out and now she is working as a stripper. She keep posting about her newly found profession on face book. It is as if she has gotten a degree and she wants the world to know about it.
Recently there was a video by Justin Timberlake on YouTube. In this video called ‘Tunnel Vision’ there were girls performing in the nude. They were naked while he remained fully clothed throughout the video. The video was banned briefly from YouTube but is now back on it. I see no reason for nudity is this video but as long as women put themselves out there as commodities which can be bought these kind of things will continue to happen.
Women if you want to get respect it has to begin with you respecting yourselves. Stop allowing men to use you in this kind of degrading manner because of the end of the day they will consider you cheap and they will have no respect for you. You have the power to say I will take part in your video but I will not degrade myself and I will not strip. In Times Square on the fourth of July two women were seen in wearing nothing but body paint. Was this really necessary? There is a time and a place for everything. Women if you want men to respect you start respecting yourselves! You are not commodities; therefore do not give men the impression that you can be bought!
Stop Abuse of Women
Abuse of women is a form of human rights violation that affects women just about every where in the world. Ironically one of the thing which contributes to abuse is the lack of unity among women and the fact that in some societies women actually take part in abusing other women. In places such as India and Pakistan mother-in-laws and sister-in-laws often beat and torture a new bride if they are not satisfied with the dowry that the family receives. There is no unity among the sisterhood and they see nothing wrong with hurting one of their kind.
In countries where Female Genital Mutilation is practiced, it is often the women who carry out this gruesome operation. In the Cameroon and other places that practice breast ironing it is the women who hurt their daughters and inflict physical as well as psychological scars. Women disfigure and hurt their daughters in what they say is an attempt to protect them from rape and harassment by men. These women fail to grasp the understanding that what they are doing is just another form of abuse. It is a no win situation for many young girls; if the men don’t hurt them, their mothers will.
One of the biggest obstacle in eliminating abuse against women worldwide is the fact that in many countries women have been conditioned to accept abuse as a part of life. Women suffer abuse in forced marriages and do nothing to protect their daughters from experiencing the same fate. So the vicious cycle of abuse is allowed to continue. For many young girls there is no escape, no way out. There is no one to stand up for them and no one to protect them.
The change must start with women taking responsibility for protecting their daughters instead of hurting them. Women must unity in the fight for equal rights for women. Young girls must no longer be denied the right to an education and they should not be forced into child marriages for which they are not prepared physically, mentally or emotionally. Women must understand that abuse of any form is not acceptable.
Stop Abuse of Women
The world is full of chaos and people with twisted minds. In some countries the laws that ought to be enforced are ignored and people impose other rules to satisfy themselves. They have rules which make it acceptable for a man to torture and kill a woman. On the other hand if a woman refuses to comply to a fixed marriage or wear clothes considered as being inappropriate, it is seen as a sin for which she is punished.
In some cultures women are seen as replaceable commodities. There is no value placed on the life of the woman. She is looked upon as being inferior to her male counterpart and is treated accordingly. Brothers think nothing of killing their sisters to uphold what they call ‘the family honor‘ The question is, what kind of honor does a murderer bring to any family? What is honorable about killing your own sister?
Love to these people mean nothing and family honor means everything. It is a kind of sick twisted mentality. They do not understand the concept that unity is strength and that a family divided against itself will come to naught. They are so busy trying to protect their public image that they are blinded to the things that should be more important, that of a brother looking out for his sister and families uniting to protect family members.
The fact that brothers see nothing wrong with killing their sisters highlight the fact that in these societies men in general have very little respect for the lives of women and the laws if there are any is not sufficiently implemented to be a deterrent.
If women in these countries should turn the tables and say enough is enough and start to seek their own justice, I wonder if the laws will then be implemented or will they be able to get away with committing atrocities against men in the same manner that men commit atrocities against women? Interesting thought isn’t it? What do you thing?
Stop Abuse of Women
Honor Killings
An honor killing is the killing of a member of a family or social group by other members who believe that the victim has brought dishonor upon the family or the community. In countries such as India where there is little respect for the lives of women, a woman can be killed for simple things such as dressing in a manner which is deemed in appropriate, wanting to terminate or prevent an arranged marriage, desiring to marry by her own choice or engaging in sex outside of marriage.
Women’s rights activists say India’s police are not doing enough to tackle the problem of ‘honor killings’. Many times the police do not take complaints by the victims seriously. They do not provide protection for the victims and this boosts the morale of the culprits; they take the law into their own hands.
What is ironic is that simple things that women do are considered sins but the murdering of women is not. Apparently in the eyes of these perpetrators killing is okay if the victim is a woman.
The public beheading of a woman by his brother in Kolkata last December highlights the lack of respect for the lives of women in India. This incident on December 7, 2012, was another honor killing. Nilofar Bibi 22, at the time of her death was only fourteen years old when she left home in an arranged marriage. Bibi alleged that she was tortured by her in-laws and returned to her parents on November 28 but disappeared days later.
Her brother Mehtab Alam 29, found his sister living with an old boyfriend. He stormed into the house and dragged Bibi into the street in broad daylight. Passersby watched in horror as he cut off his sister’s head while saying she had sinned and had to be punished. He left his sister’s body in a pool of blood on the road and calmly walked to the police station with her head in his hand to surrender himself. He walked into the police station and placed the head of his sister and the butcher knife he used to decapitate her on a table in front of the police officer.
The sibling’s family expressed support for Alam saying they were proud he upheld their honor.
I am at a loss to understand what honor this young man upheld. Honor is protecting and defending the women in your family. Honor is defending and protecting your sister when the man who should love and protect her is abusing her. There is nothing honorable about killing a defenseless woman especially a member of your own family – your sister. It is a shameful and dishonorable act which must be condemned. There can be no honor in taking a human life.
Stop Abuse of Women
Acid Attacks in Pakistan
One of the most horrifying forms of gender-based violence in Pakistan is acid throwing, usually sulphuric acid is used. The victims are mainly women. The acid is used with malicious intent to take revenge, disfigure and harm the person.
Every year many women in Pakistan fall victims of brutal acid attacks. The Acid Survivor Foundation of Pakistan deals with 100 cases a year but estimates the real number of people affected to be far higher. The attacks are frequently linked to domestic violence or revenge by rejected men. Some men ego will not allow them to accept rejection and when their advances are spurned they retaliate by throwing acid at the woman.
The attacks are made possible by the easy availability of cheap acids as cleaning fluid or for use in the cotton industry. The perpetrator intention is not to kill the victim, but to make them suffer forever. An acid attack is a terrifying experience. Acid melts human flesh and even bones. It causes excruciating pain and terror. The victims are left mutilated and scarred for the rest of their lives. Some suffer permanent disabilities such as blindness and some victims have died as a result of their injuries.
In December 2011, the Acid Survivor Foundation-Pakistan, with support from the UK’s Department for International Development, led a campaign, which resulted in the unanimous passage of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 2011. The Criminal Law Amendment Act 2011 made acid and burn violence a crime against the state and imposed a fine of one million Pakistani rupees, along with a punishment of minimum seven years to lifetime imprisonment, for the crime of acid throwing.
Despite the new laws, acid throwing continue to take place.
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Inspirational Story
The Window
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour a day to drain the fluids from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything? It didn’t seem fair. As the thought fermented, the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window – and that thought now controlled his life.
Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence–deathly silence.
The following morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendant to take it away–no words, no fuss. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank window.
Moral of the story: Never be envious or jealous of others; at all times strive to do good and you will be rewarded accordingly.
Thought For Today
Do not listen to that voice of doubt which tells you that you can’t. Instead, have confidence in your ability to make your dreams become your reality.
Stop Abuse of Women
Let us cease women to be subdued or allow ourselves to be boxed in by a wall of silence. Let our voices be heard. Let the stories of rape and other atrocities against be told. Throughout the world women are being abused. The disparity in the treatment of the sexes is real. The heinous crimes of rapes, murders and other forms of abuse meted out to women are real. The killing of babies because they are girls is real.
In the beginning God created woman as a companion for man. He did this because He thought man was lonely and needed another human like himself to relate to. I am quite sure it was intended that man would take good care of that woman. The heart of some men seem to be desperately wicked. They have no concept of what it is like to care for a woman. They are emotionally barren, devoid of the ability to love her unconditionally.
It is from the womb of a woman that new life enters this world. For nine months she carries a child in her womb, going through morning sickness and all the other things that comes with pregnancy. All she hopes for is a healthy child whether it be male or female. She does not hate her child because he happens to be a male. Her love is unconditional. She goes through labor and suffers excruciating pain to bring this child into the world. She spends many a sleepless night caring for her child, putting his or her needs before her own. At the end of it all how is she repaid?
Cursed is the man who lays his hand on a woman except to show his affection. Cursed is the man who inflicts pain on a woman. Cursed is the man who rapes a woman, violating the very place from where he made his entrance into this world. Shame unto the man who has no understanding that without a woman there would be no man because it takes both to reproduce. Men and women are of equal importance; if one become extinct in due time the other will cease to exist.
It is time for changes. It is time for stronger laws put in place that will protect women globally. The atrocities against woman must stop. Women across the world must stand together and demand equal rights and justice.
Every man on earth is born of a woman and men ought to respect that. A nation that fails to protect its women is a nation that in spite of all its achievements, has failed humanity. It is like a pig wallowing in its own filth, no matter what it does at the end of the day it is a disgrace to the human race.
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Author Marva Seaton 
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