Conservative Christians need to stamp out clergy wife abuse – starting with ending endemic sexism

(Conversation) – On Wednesday night, viewers around the nation were likely shocked by the story of clergy wives’ abuse on the ABC’s 7.30. Survivors bravely spoke out about the rape and abuse they’ve suffered at the hands of their husbands who are priests. In some cases, these men have been aided by church hierarchy, who have hidden or overlooked their controlling and abusive behaviour. Unfortunately, I was not shocked to hear these women’s stories. I’ve sat in groups at conservative Christian conferences where male-headship is taught, and where women discussed…

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Here’s the truth about false accusations of sexual violence

(Conversation) – Why didn’t these women speak up sooner? This was asked time and time again during the recent public furore around sexual harassment, violence and abuse. Underlying the question is a persistent uncertainty about the credibility of victims – a concern with identifying what is true and what is false. As women speak out, some have been met with explicit counter accusations that their descriptions are untrue. Others have been served with a defamation case which has resulted in the Solidarity Not Silence campaign to raise funds to fight…

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Domestic violence: A deadly problem among Native American communities

(Cronkite) -Kayla White was 12 years old that winter morning when her life was changed forever. On Jan. 2, 2009, White’s mother was killed by her father, becoming a victim of domestic violence. “That’s when I heard my uncle say, ‘I don’t know how you’re going to tell Kayla your mom didn’t make it,’” White said. That was the moment she found out her mother had passed on. White, 22 and Navajo Nation member, said she didn’t realize growing up she was seeing signs of domestic violence at home. Her…

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We need to talk about the social norms that fuel sexual assault

(Conversation) – The recent spate of sexual harassment accusations against prominent men in Westminster comes as no surprise to many of us. We expect them to know better – to have been better people – but we have also seen this kind of behaviour before … over and over again. It isn’t just powerful men – but it is almost always men. It’s time to start looking at the deep-rooted causes of harassment. We need to try to understand why sexual harassment is carried out much more by men against…

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How the US will create a pretext for war with North Korea (VIDEO)

(TFC) – It’s clear the Trump administration wants some form of resolution with North Korea. That resolution will probably be sought through military means. The US game plan is the same as it’s been since 9/11: preemptive war based on some unidentifiable threat. That threat has to be sold to the American people. The first step will be to return North Korea to the state sponsors of terrorism list. The chess pieces are already being put on the board and US media outlets are already laying out the case for…

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Mass Incarceration is a Women’s Issue, Too

United States (OW) – Over the last few years, our broken criminal justice system has become a national issue as horrific stories of victims of mass incarceration have made their way into the mainstream media. The dominant narrative around this issue is usually that it disproportionately affects people of color, particularly men. Many folks have heard of Kalief Browder, a New York teenager who took his own life after suffering nearly three years in solitary confinement, all for allegedly stealing a backpack. He was never tried. Fewer people know Maria Elena Hernandez, a retired California…

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Tradecraft: Defeating handcuffs in real life

(JustinKing) – Opening handcuffs in a hostage situation might just save your life. While most handcuff tricks on YouTube are demonstrated using outdated handcuffs or trick handcuffs, the techniques below show you how to open modern cuffs with nothing more than a paperclip, a little ingenuity, and a lot of practice. You can watch the video in a few minutes and after a few hours of practice, you’ll be able to open modern handcuffs without the assistance of lockpicking tools. Informational purposes only. Stay legal. Doing this while in police custody…

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“Economic Prosperity” Is Priority Over Climate Mitigation, Says Trump Aid

(TFC)— Recently, Trump Administration representatives attended UN climate talks in Bronn, Germany. Perhaps this won’t surprise some readers, but they were all also affiliated with the fossil fuel industry. In pushing the importance of their industry’s survival, they hinted to background power balances pulling strings. “This panel is only controversial if we choose to bury our heads in the sand and ignore the realities of a global energy system.” Those words came from David Banks’ mouth, special energy assistant to US President Donald Trump. Banks, with other coal and gas…

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