American Tax Dollars Used to Fund HIV Criminalization in Africa by Elizabeth Lombino
There has been much debate around the issue of HIV criminalization in recent years. This is the idea that those individuals who are HIV+ and infect another person can (and should) be brought up on criminal charges. In Africa, HIV criminalization is rampant and supported by many African country officials. Ugandan parliamentarianssubmitted a bill last year that would make HIV criminalization a law. And it is now being revealed that U.S. efforts are providing funding to similar HIV criminalization efforts across Africa. The U.S. Agency for International Development has been financing the Action for West Africa Region HIV-AIDS program. Now, there are at least 27 African countries with active laws. It seems the original efforts of AWARE were to reduce stigma of HIV+ adults and also protect those at risk of contracting HIV. In Togo, sex without a condom is illegal, regardless of a person's HIV status; in Benin, no HIV transmission is even required -- if an HIV+ individual engages in "unprotected sexual relations" with another person, it is a crime; in Burundi, a "willful" transmitter of HIV can be tried for murder.On January 26,David Kato, a prominent gay activist, was murdered in Uganda. Many believe that American influence, particularly of evangelicals, is the reason for Uganda's severe anti-homosexuality stance. America cannot continue to play a role in influencing or condoning these actions. Simply put, America cannot continue to fund hate.
Child Sex Trafficking Victims Get Second Chance from Congress by Amanda Kloer • March 18, 2011
Last year, the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act of 2011 -- which would help alleviate the shelter crisis for sex trafficked kids in the U.S. -- was days away from becoming law. Unfortunately, the legislation was blocked at the last minute by Alabama Senator Jeffrey Sessions, after Concerned Women for America wrote a letter to Congress saying kids who have been raped and forced into prostitution should be arrested. The Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act would provide critical resources for the over 100,000 children sex trafficked in the U.S. every year. Child sex trafficking victims experience violent trauma, manipulation, and are often arrested and detained in juvenile detention. They need safe places like shelters to recover from that abuse. Last year, the legislation unanimously passed the Senate, but when it arrived in the House, it languished in the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime until two days before the end of the session. Before it was returned, however, the House removed two Senate amendments added by Senator Sessions. As the bill no longer contained his amendments, Sessions refused to let the bill go to a final vote, which almost surely would have resulted in its passage. Fortunately, it has been, and now is being presented to Congress again. This time, anti-trafficking organization Polaris Project and thousands of other activists are refusing to let the Victims Support Act die for good. They're organizing grassroots supporters to get in touch with key members of Congress and advocate for the Victims Support Act to become law. You can join them by signing this petition and making sure Congress knows there is broad support for providing shelter to child sex trafficking victims.
Exodus International Says God Wants Them to "Cure" Gay People Through iPhones by Michael Jones
Exodus International openly admits that they believe people can be "freed" from homosexuality through the "power of Jesus Christ" and through the practice of "ex-gay therapy." They believe that LGBT people can have their brains rewired, and have their sexual orientations turned from gay to straight. Their work has also been universally and emphatically condemned by every major medical and scientific organization. The American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, and the American Counseling Association have all said that the "conversion therapy" that Exodus promotes for LGBT people is severely damaging to self-esteem and mental health, and could have catastrophic consequences for those who are forced to experience it. Truth Wins Out was one of the first organizations to notice the Exodus International iPhone app, and to document just how damaging and harmful the work of Exodus has been to LGBT people around the world. Their petition calling for Apple to drop this Exodus "ex-gay" app has reached more than 5,000 signatures, and is catching the attention of a number of press outlets. Among them include Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network It's no surprise that CBN is pretty sympathetic to Exodus' claim, given that Robertson and his network have previously suggested that LGBT people and feminists were to blame for 9/11. The interview is interesting nonetheless, it features Jeff Buchanan openly saying that the group wants to use the Apple and iTunes platform to reach youth who are "struggling" with their sexuality. Exodus wants to reach these youth in order to turn them away from homosexuality, and "convert" them to heterosexuality. They're using your platform to reach LGBT kids, to tell them that there's no room for homosexuality in the world, and to "respond" to homosexuality with "conversion" and dangerous "ex-gay therapy" that has been widely debunked all throughout the world. Exodus who practices and promotes "conversion therapy" that has been deemed harmful, damaging, and unethical by every major psychological and medical organization. Promoting their ideas and concepts is nothing short of promoting bad science. Apple is a gay-friendly company. They've given money to support marriage equality, and they've previously taken down apps that have labeled gay people "sexually immoral." It's why the company should tell adherents of "ex-gay" therapy that while they might have the individual right to believe in this debunked science, they don't have the right to promote this flawed and dangerous set of ideas under the Apple banner. BY VANESSA NAVARRO
Hi, I want to tell you that Fayoga is me Alejandro Garrido, I skip my name on the last Summaries, because I put it in the first job and I guessed that you had noticed it, I apologize for my neglect and I hope this is not taken into account in my grade . Thanks
The Fight Continues: Advocates Demand Housing Assistance for HIV+ New Yorkers
On a previous article it was stated that the Governor of New York voted for a bill to provide additional assistance to people that have HIV/AIDS. The legislation will put a cap on the rent paid by people suffering this disease. This cap depends on the income of the person. Now New York has a new governor, he is called Andre Cuomo. They have faith that this man will be sympathetic to the needs of the New Yorkers that have HIV+. There is an organization called Housing Works which works to ensure that every HIV+ has housing. They think that a stable housing is the key to prevent and fight against this aid. The people of this organization are faithful to this legislation. This article invites people to join them in their fight. Also to convince Governor to take part and support this issue.
The Fight Continues: Advocates Demand Housing Assistance for HIV+ New Yorkers
On a previous article it was stated that the Governor of New York voted for a bill to provide additional assistance to people that have HIV/AIDS. The legislation will put a cap on the rent paid by people suffering this disease. This cap depends on the income of the person. Now New York has a new governor, he is called Andre Cuomo. They have faith that this man will be sympathetic to the needs of the New Yorkers that have HIV+. There is an organization called Housing Works which works to ensure that every HIV+ has housing. They think that a stable housing is the key to prevent and fight against this aid. The people of this organization are faithful to this legislation. This article invites people to join them in their fight. Also to convince Governor to take part and support this issue.
Oakland, Calif. Students Say: Please Let Us Graduate From High School.
On Wednesday, March 23, the Alameda Contra Costa Transit (AC Transit) Board of Directors will vote on a response to Oakland Unified School District's plea to create a discounted fare for Oakland K-12 students — regardless of their age. Although riders of AC Transit ages 18 and under pay only $15/month for a student bus pass, riders 19 and up must pay $80/month for the same route By the end of this year, this discriminatory fare policy will have adversely impacted 800-900 Oakland students who are just trying to get to school in hopes to graduate and prepare for their futures. Over 90% of the school's students qualify for free or reduced lunch, which makes even the $15/month bus fare a stretch for many. Because so many immigrant and refugee students arrive in the U.S. with interrupted formal education, 75 of the approximately 300 students at OIHS will have turned 19 before their graduation date and will thus be obliged to pay the astronomical $80/month adult bus fare just to get to school.
Twenty-year-old Tiawanda Moore went to Chicago Police Headquarters to report being fondled by an officer. But Internal Affairs didn't want to take her complaint. After asking for new investigators and being refused, Moore turned on her Blackberry recorder to document this second instance of police misconduct. When the investigators realized they were being taped, they promptly arrested Moore for eavesdropping, a charge that carries a sentence of up to 15 years. Meanwhile, as Moore awaits trial in May, no disciplinary action has been taken against the officer who groped her. The Chicago Taskforce on Violence against Girls and Young Women has taken up Tiawanda Moore's cause and launched a petition on her behalf on Change.org, calling for Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez to drop the eavesdropping charges and for the police sexual misconduct investigation to be undertaken in a timely manner. Moore didn't know that by turning on a recorder she was committing an illegal act, and the idea that attempting to document misconduct by police would put you away for 15 years is ludicrous. In addition, the law in question has a pretty key exception: it doesn't apply to an individual who holds a "reasonable suspicion" that they're about to be victim of a crime. Given that Moore was a subject of police misconduct at the time she turned on her cellphone, it seems pretty clear that the charges against her are bogus. The arrest and her pending trial seem more results of a vendetta by people caught in the act of doing wrong than a reasonable response to her actions -- by people who know Moore is a vulnerable target without the resources to fight back against a cover-up by some bad Chicago cops. by: xiomara angulo
Tell Minnesota: 10-Year-Olds Don't Belong in Adult Court by Matt Kelley
A bill pending before the Minnesota legislature would allow judges in the state to try 10-year-olds as adults for offenses involving murder, manslaughter, assault, aggravated robbery or sexual conduct. Strong evidence shows that people below 16 or 17 years of age have not developed the adult brain functions needed to fully analyze consequences of their actions.Sending young people to adult court and adult prison is not the answer to juvenile crime. We may be experiencing an awakening of bipartisan enlightenment on thefailure of legacy prison-focused justice, but that doesn't mean we don't need to be vigilant against tough-on-crime policies and the politicians who promote them when they rear their fear-mongering head. Minnesota has traditionally been a fairly rational state on criminal justice issues, and a law like this would send the wrong message: that some people don't deserve a second chance. If passed, this law -- called "Emily's Law" -- would join Minnesota with just a few other states that allow 10-year-olds to be tried as adults.Emily's Law is named for a two-year-old girl killed by a 13-year-old boy in 2006.We should do what we can to avoid these episodes of violence, and when they happen the perpetrator should be held accountable -- but in an manner appropriate for his age. I simply don't believe that treating a 13-year-old as equal to a 30-year-old man fully aware of his actions is the right action for the state. This boy committed a terrible crime, but he needs treatment, not a prison.
Big Tobacco vs. Lance Armstrong by Dan Peterson • March 16, 2011 • HEALTH TheCalifornia Cancer Research Act is advocating to raise the excise tax on a pack of cigarettes by $1 in a voter referendum scheduled for the next statewide ballot.If approved, the initiative could raise between $600-$750 million per year for cancer research, education and smoking cessation programs for California residents. Seven-time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor, Lance Armstrong, joined the cause last month.
Child Sex Trafficking Victims Get Second Chance from Congress
Last year, the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act of 2011 -- which would help alleviate the shelter crisis for sex trafficked kids in the U.S. -- was days away from becoming law. Unfortunately, the legislation was blocked at the last minute by Alabama Senator Jeffrey Sessions, after Concerned Women for America wrote a letter to Congress saying kids who have been raped and forced into prostitution should be arrested. The Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act would provide critical resources for the over 100,000 children sex trafficked in the U.S. every year. Child sex trafficking victims experience violent trauma, manipulation, and are often arrested and detained in juvenile detention. Right now, there aren't enough aftercare facilities to serve even 1% of the estimated victims of child sex trafficking in the U.S. The lack of shelter for child trafficking victims is truly a national crisis. Last year, the legislation unanimously passed the Senate, but when it arrived in the House, it languished in the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime until two days before the end of the session. The House removed two Senate amendments added by Senator Sessions; it refused to let the bill go to a final vote, which almost surely would have resulted in its passage. Anti-trafficking organization Polaris Project and thousands of other activists are refusing to let the Victims Support Act die for good. They're organizing grassroots supporters to get in touch with key members of Congress and advocate for the Victims Support Act to become law. You can join them by signing this petition and making sure Congress knows there is broad support for providing shelter to child sex trafficking victims.
The PGA Tour is an organization that operates the main professional men's golf tours in the United States and North America, including most of the events on the tournament also known as the PGA Tour. It is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, a suburb of Jacksonville. Its name is officially rendered in all-capital letters as "PGA TOUR." The PGA Tour became a separate entity in 1968, when it branched off from theProfessional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America). It was intended to be an organization for tournament golfers, as opposed to club professionals, who are the primary focus of the PGA of America. It adopted the name "PGA Tour" in 1975. The PGA Tour organization runs 43 of the week-to-week professional golf events associated with the tournament known as the PGA Tour, including The Players Championship, hosted at the TPC at Sawgrass, the FedEx Cup, and the biennial Presidents Cup. It also runs the Champions Tour, for golfers age 50 and older, and the Nationwide Tour, a developmental tournament. The remaining events on the PGA Tour are run by different organizations, as are the U.S. based LPGA Tour for women and the other men's and women's professional tours around the world.
Equal Pay Day: Women Still Only Making Cents to the Male Dollar
It's Equal Pay Day again, which means that American women have finally earned as much as their male counterparts for 2010. That's right: because women make only about three-fourths of what men do for the same work, they'd need to work for over fifteen months to earn an equivalent amount. This 23 cent discrepancy doesn't take into consideration the situation of women of color, who make even less on the white male dollar. Or the added discrimination against mothers. Barring everybody in the United States suddenly having a light-bulb go off over their heads and realizing that unequal pay is wrong, the Paycheck Fairness Act represents a good place to pin our hopes. The American Association of University Women (AAUW) has a petition on Change.org calling upon Congress to finally pass this bill, which would update fair pay laws dated to about half a century ago. By protecting women who stand up for fair wages from retaliation and requiring businesses to justify significant discrepancy in how they pay men and women, the Paycheck Fairness Act would create an equitable environment where women and their male allies could take strides toward wage equality. AAUW also has a toolkit on their website with ideas for taking action on behalf of equal pay, from holding aworkshop on improving wage negotiation skills, to checking equal pay practices in your workplace, to pressuring your local mayor or city council to declare today Equal Pay Day (you can use Change.org'shandy petition tool for this one!).
American Tax Dollars Used to Fund HIV Criminalization in Africa
ResponderEliminarby Elizabeth Lombino
There has been much debate around the issue of HIV criminalization in recent years. This is the idea that those individuals who are HIV+ and infect another person can (and should) be brought up on criminal charges. In Africa, HIV criminalization is rampant and supported by many African country officials. Ugandan parliamentarianssubmitted a bill last year that would make HIV criminalization a law. And it is now being revealed that U.S. efforts are providing funding to similar HIV criminalization efforts across Africa. The U.S. Agency for International Development has been financing the Action for West Africa Region HIV-AIDS program. Now, there are at least 27 African countries with active laws. It seems the original efforts of AWARE were to reduce stigma of HIV+ adults and also protect those at risk of contracting HIV. In Togo, sex without a condom is illegal, regardless of a person's HIV status; in Benin, no HIV transmission is even required -- if an HIV+ individual engages in "unprotected sexual relations" with another person, it is a crime; in Burundi, a "willful" transmitter of HIV can be tried for murder.On January 26,David Kato, a prominent gay activist, was murdered in Uganda. Many believe that American influence, particularly of evangelicals, is the reason for Uganda's severe anti-homosexuality stance. America cannot continue to play a role in influencing or condoning these actions. Simply put, America cannot continue to fund hate.
Child Sex Trafficking Victims Get Second Chance from Congress
ResponderEliminarby Amanda Kloer • March 18, 2011
Last year, the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act of 2011 -- which would help alleviate the shelter crisis for sex trafficked kids in the U.S. -- was days away from becoming law. Unfortunately, the legislation was blocked at the last minute by Alabama Senator Jeffrey Sessions, after Concerned Women for America wrote a letter to Congress saying kids who have been raped and forced into prostitution should be arrested.
The Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act would provide critical resources for the over 100,000 children sex trafficked in the U.S. every year. Child sex trafficking victims experience violent trauma, manipulation, and are often arrested and detained in juvenile detention. They need safe places like shelters to recover from that abuse.
Last year, the legislation unanimously passed the Senate, but when it arrived in the House, it languished in the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime until two days before the end of the session. Before it was returned, however, the House removed two Senate amendments added by Senator Sessions. As the bill no longer contained his amendments, Sessions refused to let the bill go to a final vote, which almost surely would have resulted in its passage.
Fortunately, it has been, and now is being presented to Congress again. This time, anti-trafficking organization Polaris Project and thousands of other activists are refusing to let the Victims Support Act die for good. They're organizing grassroots supporters to get in touch with key members of Congress and advocate for the Victims Support Act to become law.
You can join them by signing this petition and making sure Congress knows there is broad support for providing shelter to child sex trafficking victims.
Exodus International Says God Wants Them to "Cure" Gay People Through iPhones
ResponderEliminarby Michael Jones
Exodus International openly admits that they believe people can be "freed" from homosexuality through the "power of Jesus Christ" and through the practice of "ex-gay therapy." They believe that LGBT people can have their brains rewired, and have their sexual orientations turned from gay to straight.
Their work has also been universally and emphatically condemned by every major medical and scientific organization. The American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, and the American Counseling Association have all said that the "conversion therapy" that Exodus promotes for LGBT people is severely damaging to self-esteem and mental health, and could have catastrophic consequences for those who are forced to experience it.
Truth Wins Out was one of the first organizations to notice the Exodus International iPhone app, and to document just how damaging and harmful the work of Exodus has been to LGBT people around the world. Their petition calling for Apple to drop this Exodus "ex-gay" app has reached more than 5,000 signatures, and is catching the attention of a number of press outlets.
Among them include Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network It's no surprise that CBN is pretty sympathetic to Exodus' claim, given that Robertson and his network have previously suggested that LGBT people and feminists were to blame for 9/11.
The interview is interesting nonetheless, it features Jeff Buchanan openly saying that the group wants to use the Apple and iTunes platform to reach youth who are "struggling" with their sexuality. Exodus wants to reach these youth in order to turn them away from homosexuality, and "convert" them to heterosexuality.
They're using your platform to reach LGBT kids, to tell them that there's no room for homosexuality in the world, and to "respond" to homosexuality with "conversion" and dangerous "ex-gay therapy" that has been widely debunked all throughout the world.
Exodus who practices and promotes "conversion therapy" that has been deemed harmful, damaging, and unethical by every major psychological and medical organization. Promoting their ideas and concepts is nothing short of promoting bad science.
Apple is a gay-friendly company. They've given money to support marriage equality, and they've previously taken down apps that have labeled gay people "sexually immoral." It's why the company should tell adherents of "ex-gay" therapy that while they might have the individual right to believe in this debunked science, they don't have the right to promote this flawed and dangerous set of ideas under the Apple banner.
BY VANESSA NAVARRO
MR. Chiappe
ResponderEliminarHi, I want to tell you that Fayoga is me Alejandro Garrido, I skip my name on the last Summaries, because I put it in the first job and I guessed that you had noticed it, I apologize for my neglect and I hope this is not taken into account in my grade . Thanks
By: Alejandro Garrido
The Fight Continues: Advocates Demand Housing Assistance for HIV+ New Yorkers
ResponderEliminarOn a previous article it was stated that the Governor of New York voted for a bill to provide additional assistance to people that have HIV/AIDS. The legislation will put a cap on the rent paid by people suffering this disease. This cap depends on the income of the person. Now New York has a new governor, he is called Andre Cuomo. They have faith that this man will be sympathetic to the needs of the New Yorkers that have HIV+. There is an organization called Housing Works which works to ensure that every HIV+ has housing. They think that a stable housing is the key to prevent and fight against this aid. The people of this organization are faithful to this legislation. This article invites people to join them in their fight. Also to convince Governor to take part and support this issue.
BY: PAOLA PEREZ
The Fight Continues: Advocates Demand Housing Assistance for HIV+ New Yorkers
ResponderEliminarOn a previous article it was stated that the Governor of New York voted for a bill to provide additional assistance to people that have HIV/AIDS. The legislation will put a cap on the rent paid by people suffering this disease. This cap depends on the income of the person. Now New York has a new governor, he is called Andre Cuomo. They have faith that this man will be sympathetic to the needs of the New Yorkers that have HIV+. There is an organization called Housing Works which works to ensure that every HIV+ has housing. They think that a stable housing is the key to prevent and fight against this aid. The people of this organization are faithful to this legislation. This article invites people to join them in their fight. Also to convince Governor to take part and support this issue.
BY: PAOLA PEREZ
Oakland, Calif. Students Say: Please Let Us Graduate From High School.
ResponderEliminarOn Wednesday, March 23, the Alameda Contra Costa Transit (AC Transit) Board of Directors will vote on a response to Oakland Unified School District's plea to create a discounted fare for Oakland K-12 students — regardless of their age.
Although riders of AC Transit ages 18 and under pay only $15/month for a student bus pass, riders 19 and up must pay $80/month for the same route
By the end of this year, this discriminatory fare policy will have adversely impacted 800-900 Oakland students who are just trying to get to school in hopes to graduate and prepare for their futures.
Over 90% of the school's students qualify for free or reduced lunch, which makes even the $15/month bus fare a stretch for many. Because so many immigrant and refugee students arrive in the U.S. with interrupted formal education, 75 of the approximately 300 students at OIHS will have turned 19 before their graduation date and will thus be obliged to pay the astronomical $80/month adult bus fare just to get to school.
BY:XIOMARA ANGULO.
Twenty-year-old Tiawanda Moore went to Chicago Police Headquarters to report being fondled by an officer. But Internal Affairs didn't want to take her complaint. After asking for new investigators and being refused, Moore turned on her Blackberry recorder to document this second instance of police misconduct. When the investigators realized they were being taped, they promptly arrested Moore for eavesdropping, a charge that carries a sentence of up to 15 years.
ResponderEliminarMeanwhile, as Moore awaits trial in May, no disciplinary action has been taken against the officer who groped her.
The Chicago Taskforce on Violence against Girls and Young Women has taken up Tiawanda Moore's cause and launched a petition on her behalf on Change.org, calling for Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez to drop the eavesdropping charges and for the police sexual misconduct investigation to be undertaken in a timely manner.
Moore didn't know that by turning on a recorder she was committing an illegal act, and the idea that attempting to document misconduct by police would put you away for 15 years is ludicrous.
In addition, the law in question has a pretty key exception: it doesn't apply to an individual who holds a "reasonable suspicion" that they're about to be victim of a crime. Given that Moore was a subject of police misconduct at the time she turned on her cellphone, it seems pretty clear that the charges against her are bogus. The arrest and her pending trial seem more results of a vendetta by people caught in the act of doing wrong than a reasonable response to her actions -- by people who know Moore is a vulnerable target without the resources to fight back against a cover-up by some bad Chicago cops.
by: xiomara angulo
Tell Minnesota: 10-Year-Olds Don't Belong in Adult Court
ResponderEliminarby Matt Kelley
A bill pending before the Minnesota legislature would allow judges in the state to try 10-year-olds as adults for offenses involving murder, manslaughter, assault, aggravated robbery or sexual conduct.
Strong evidence shows that people below 16 or 17 years of age have not developed the adult brain functions needed to fully analyze consequences of their actions.Sending young people to adult court and adult prison is not the answer to juvenile crime.
We may be experiencing an awakening of bipartisan enlightenment on thefailure of legacy prison-focused justice, but that doesn't mean we don't need to be vigilant against tough-on-crime policies and the politicians who promote them when they rear their fear-mongering head. Minnesota has traditionally been a fairly rational state on criminal justice issues, and a law like this would send the wrong message: that some people don't deserve a second chance. If passed, this law -- called "Emily's Law" -- would join Minnesota with just a few other states that allow 10-year-olds to be tried as adults.Emily's Law is named for a two-year-old girl killed by a 13-year-old boy in 2006.We should do what we can to avoid these episodes of violence, and when they happen the perpetrator should be held accountable -- but in an manner appropriate for his age. I simply don't believe that treating a 13-year-old as equal to a 30-year-old man fully aware of his actions is the right action for the state. This boy committed a terrible crime, but he needs treatment, not a prison.
Natalia Angulo
Big Tobacco vs. Lance Armstrong
ResponderEliminarby Dan Peterson • March 16, 2011 • HEALTH
TheCalifornia Cancer Research Act is advocating to raise the excise tax on a pack of cigarettes by $1 in a voter referendum scheduled for the next statewide ballot.If approved, the initiative could raise between $600-$750 million per year for cancer research, education and smoking cessation programs for California residents. Seven-time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor, Lance Armstrong, joined the cause last month.
Summary by: Avrile Le Duc
Child Sex Trafficking Victims Get Second Chance from Congress
ResponderEliminarLast year, the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act of 2011 -- which would help alleviate the shelter crisis for sex trafficked kids in the U.S. -- was days away from becoming law. Unfortunately, the legislation was blocked at the last minute by Alabama Senator Jeffrey Sessions, after Concerned Women for America wrote a letter to Congress saying kids who have been raped and forced into prostitution should be arrested. The Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act would provide critical resources for the over 100,000 children sex trafficked in the U.S. every year. Child sex trafficking victims experience violent trauma, manipulation, and are often arrested and detained in juvenile detention. Right now, there aren't enough aftercare facilities to serve even 1% of the estimated victims of child sex trafficking in the U.S. The lack of shelter for child trafficking victims is truly a national crisis. Last year, the legislation unanimously passed the Senate, but when it arrived in the House, it languished in the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime until two days before the end of the session. The House removed two Senate amendments added by Senator Sessions; it refused to let the bill go to a final vote, which almost surely would have resulted in its passage. Anti-trafficking organization Polaris Project and thousands of other activists are refusing to let the Victims Support Act die for good. They're organizing grassroots supporters to get in touch with key members of Congress and advocate for the Victims Support Act to become law. You can join them by signing this petition and making sure Congress knows there is broad support for providing shelter to child sex trafficking victims.
ISABELLA ROMERO
PGA TOUR
ResponderEliminarThe PGA Tour is an organization that operates the main professional men's golf tours in the United States and North America, including most of the events on the tournament also known as the PGA Tour. It is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, a suburb of Jacksonville. Its name is officially rendered in all-capital letters as "PGA TOUR."
The PGA Tour became a separate entity in 1968, when it branched off from theProfessional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America). It was intended to be an organization for tournament golfers, as opposed to club professionals, who are the primary focus of the PGA of America. It adopted the name "PGA Tour" in 1975. The PGA Tour organization runs 43 of the week-to-week professional golf events associated with the tournament known as the PGA Tour, including The Players Championship, hosted at the TPC at Sawgrass, the FedEx Cup, and the biennial Presidents Cup. It also runs the Champions Tour, for golfers age 50 and older, and the Nationwide Tour, a developmental tournament. The remaining events on the PGA Tour are run by different organizations, as are the U.S. based LPGA Tour for women and the other men's and women's professional tours around the world.
Equal Pay Day: Women Still Only Making Cents to the Male Dollar
ResponderEliminarIt's Equal Pay Day again, which means that American women have finally earned as much as their male counterparts for 2010. That's right: because women make only about three-fourths of what men do for the same work, they'd need to work for over fifteen months to earn an equivalent amount. This 23 cent discrepancy doesn't take into consideration the situation of women of color, who make even less on the white male dollar. Or the added discrimination against mothers. Barring everybody in the United States suddenly having a light-bulb go off over their heads and realizing that unequal pay is wrong, the Paycheck Fairness Act represents a good place to pin our hopes. The American Association of University Women (AAUW) has a petition on Change.org calling upon Congress to finally pass this bill, which would update fair pay laws dated to about half a century ago. By protecting women who stand up for fair wages from retaliation and requiring businesses to justify significant discrepancy in how they pay men and women, the Paycheck Fairness Act would create an equitable environment where women and their male allies could take strides toward wage equality. AAUW also has a toolkit on their website with ideas for taking action on behalf of equal pay, from holding aworkshop on improving wage negotiation skills, to checking equal pay practices in your workplace, to pressuring your local mayor or city council to declare today Equal Pay Day (you can use Change.org'shandy petition tool for this one!).
--Camilo Rueda--