We received the following article submission from Michael Geanoulis, Sr:

A revealing research paper on domestic violence (DV) published in the Florida State University Law Review provides a promising new twist to a thorny problem - assuming, of course, it can overcome stereotypcal attitudes and get the attention it deserves.

According to author and Indiana School of Law Professor, Linda Kelly, women can be batterers. Men can be victims. And abuse by females needs to be eradicated, as well as abuse by males. (Kelly, L, Disabusing the Definition of Domestic Abuse: How Women Batter Men and the Role of the Feminist State; Fla. St. Univ. Law Rev, Vol 30:791)

It will be interesting to see how Kelly's 65 page paper is received, as she treads on ground long held sacred and untouchable by women's rights goups, who, according to Kelly, have been influencing every
states DV policy using double standards and biased data which discriminate against men. (read more to continue...)

Here is a new law enacted in Mexico where it criminalizes refraining from sex with your wife. Excerpt:

"Mexican men who display extreme jealousy or avoid sex with their wives could be tried in court and punished under a new law, the special prosecutor for crimes against women told a local newspaper on Friday.
...
Perez Duarte said indifference, jealousy or lack of love were crimes against women just as much as physical violence."

This photo says it all.

Before you look, be advised, it isn't pretty. It's a wedding photo wherein the groom is an Iraq vet who, it appears, had a bomb blow up in his face. He will I am sure be getting plastic surgery as time goes on, but the picture today is heartbreaking.

Story here. Excerpt:

"The woman who was discovered living with her three daughters in a house filled with feces and other filth in Lindenhurst has been ordered to appear in court after her estranged husband asked a judge Thursday to have the children removed from her custody.

Food, clothing, shelter, heat -- I just want to make sure they're safe," said Ray Young Jr., who has been in a divorce battle with Deborah Young since 2003.

According to documents provided by Quatela, Deborah Young has accused her husband of sexually abusing first one daughter in 2004 and another in 2005. The New York State Office of Children and Family Services ruled that both allegations were unfounded."

Read it here. Mr. Cooper is stunned at the number of women in prison and how so many of them are mothers, etc. Not a word about fathers in prison or the difference between how male and female prisoners are treated. He even points out how the prison he visited seemed more like a commune for women and children rather than a prison! Feel free to comment, folks! Excerpt:

'I'm not sure what I expected for a story about women in prison, but I have to say right off the bat that I had no idea it would be about mothers and their children. I was surprised to find that the majority of women behind bars are mothers who are very often the primary caretaker for their children. I hadn't thought so many children would be affected. I also had no idea that, according to the Women's Prison Association, 5,000-10,000 women enter prison already pregnant each year. Pregnant women are just not the visual that comes to mind when thinking about women behind bars.'

NYTimes reports on the latest incarnation of we-deserve-it-all-and-our-way-too feminism. MRAs and fathers could take a lesson: organization and collective action are the key to successful lobbying. Alas the sad truth is that it doesn't matter if you're right or wrong, if what you want is fair or not to someone else-- squeaky wheels get the grease... and the money, and the attention, etc., etc. Of course it also helps to have chivalry working for you, too. Excerpt:

'A generation of mothers who are largely perceived as postfeminist in every way, from sex to economic discrimination, has begun a consciousness-raising that is almost old-fashioned were it not for the technology involved. Raised to believe that girls could accomplish anything, these women have reached parenthood, only to find they faced many of the same pay, equity and work-family balance issues that were being fought over decades before. From that awakening, they say, has come the inkling of a new movement.

It is with a deep sense of gratitude I can report that HB 704, to renew the NH Commission on the Status of Men (CSM), passed its first test with flying colors. The CSM is due to expire in September of this year, and this bill extends it indefinitely. The bill passed the House Executive Departments and Administration Committee on Thursday with a 15-to-1 vote in favor of the bill. Not only that, but members of the ED&A Committee have expressed strong and sincere concerns that the Commission continue its work, and are likely to play an active role in promoting it further. I'd like to profusely thank everyone who sent the ED&A Committee e-mails asking them to support the bill.

Our work is not over yet, though. In order for the Commission to receive funding, its fiscal note of $60k/year must pass the House Finance Committee. I'll post details about that effort when I find out when we can expect the bill to move into that Committee.

Thanks to Marc A. for the heads up on this story. Good work, F4J! Excerpt:

'“THREE men dressed as cartoon character Fred Flintstone evaded tight security and scaled Stonehenge in the latest protest by protest group Fathers 4 Justice.

“They climbed the ancient monument at 9.15 am today and unfurled a banner with the message ‘Drag the family courts out of the Stone Age.’'

Story here. Excerpt:

"A woman was sentenced Thursday to life in prison with parole for killing her 3-year-old developmentally disabled foster son by binding him in blankets and tape and leaving him inside a closet for a weekend."

"A day earlier, jurors convicted Liz Carroll, 30, of murder and other charges. Under the life sentence for murder, she has no possibility for parole for 15 years. Some of the other sentences must be served consecutively."

Story here. Excerpt:

"A 9-year-old boy was in protective custody after his mother slapped him and hit his head against a brick wall in front of a teacher, then dragged him in front of the class and invited his classmates to make fun of him, police said."

Story here. Excerpt:

"Political party Feminist Initiative (FI) has received a state grant to which it is not entitled.

The state body charged with awarding grants to gender equality projects decided in January to give a total of 8.3 million kronor to 27 women's organisations. One of the beneficiaries was FI, which received an 'establishment grant' worth 400,000 kronor, opinion website Friktion.se reports.

The rules governing the distribution of state grants to women's organisations clearly state that political parties intending to stand for general election are not eligible."

Looks like she won't be doing any time. As reported previously, the woman who McMissiled another driver is now getting probation.

Story here. The article authors bring up the speculation regarding ethnicity and class, but I rather think there is a more compelling "reason": she's a mother. When the perp is a father, it seems to have little effect in these cases, does it? Excerpt:

'She said that she stands by her decision to report the incident, believing that Hall's actions were potentially dangerous and certainly illegal, but that the punishment should fit the crime. She called the jury's sentence "excessive."

"Finally, while one can argue that incarceration may help to discourage others from this type of behavior, this would come at a very high price for Ms. Hall -- a price that in my opinion is too high," Fowle wrote. "Surely the publicity that this matter has already gotten should discourage any thoughtful person from following Ms. Hall's example."'

After the earlier article about the woman who couldn't handle being cut off, here's one who solved her problem of people tailgating her, with a gun. Excerpt:

'A 39-year-old armed Macomb Township woman couldn’t handle the pressure of her morning work commute, police said today.

According to the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office, Bernadette Head, 39, in a 1993 Chevrolet Cavalier, entered I-94 westbound from Hall Road about 8:10 a.m. Wednesday when a Dodge Ram pickup rode her tail.

When the 46-year-old driver from New Baltimore eventually pulled up alongside her, she pointed her 9mm handgun and fired one round at his tires.'

In the name of religious purity, no men allowed on an island for no other reason than that they are men! Story here. Seems that Iranian women need a "men-free" island in order to be safe to enjoy their vacations. And it's in line with Islamic law, too (seems they are picking and choosing when to implement it and when not to, aren't they?).

"Men-free". Like "Rodent-free", or "care-free". Men-free banks, men-free subway cars, men-free hotels, men-free islands...

Don't let this article's title fool you. While they claim to be paying them an equal wage, women athletes at Wimbleton play fewer matches per set than the male athletes, so they're being paid more.