SAVE has just issued a report showing many of the programs funded under S. 47, the Violence Against Women Act, place victims at risk of continued abuse and even death. Restraining orders, mandatory arrest, and aggressive prosecution policies are all found to be increasing partner violence, according to the research summary.
 
The report can be viewed here: http://www.saveservices.org/2013/02/the-violence-against-women-act-is-a-deadly-proposition
 
For example, VAWA funds the enforcement of restraining orders, but they are widely believed to be ineffective in curbing abuse. A review of homicide-suicides in North Carolina revealed the issuance of a restraining order was the most common trigger for such tragedies, present in 41% of such incidents.

Petition here. Excerpt:

'I am writing to you today to stand in the gap and make a plea for male victims of domestic violence. There has been legislation in place for many years to protect and help female victims of domestic violence, but there are no true resources for male victims.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'A 35-year-old paraeducator is accused of repeatedly raping a 14-year-old boy during a 10-month period who was friends with her son.

Katheryn L. Carmean, 35, was arrested in Seaford, Del. on Wednesday and charged with ten counts of third-degree rape, continuous sexual abuse of a child and endangering the welfare of a child, according to a press release from the Delaware State Police.

Delaware Online reports that Carmean was arrested at Seaford Middle School where she works as a paraeducator who assists children with disabilities. She has been suspended from her position.'

Article here. Excerpt:

Story here. Excerpt:

'When it comes to high school robotics teams, all-girl groups like Needham High School’s HackHers are a rare sight.

That’s because female representation is lacking not only in robotics but also across all STEM—science, technology, engineering and math—subjects, said NHS math and computer science teacher Hans Batra, the robotics team’s advisor and founder.

“The stigma of girls doing science is very huge,” said Batra.

But the newly formed team, which has qualified for the state robotics championship tournament at Bridgewater on March 16, is helping pave the way for more female participation in computer science and engineering.

In addition to the state championship in March, the team also competes in the Mass FTC Qualifying Tournament on Feb. 9 from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Lexington High School.

“This team proves that even in a male-dominated field everyone has the same potential,” said NHS junior and HackHers member Liz Barrett.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Leading up to the Senate vote on the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization, a version of the bill that stripped protections for LGBT women, undocumented immigrants and Native American women was defeated.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, introduced the scaled-back version of the bill, which failed by a vote of 34-65. Among the 34 Republicans to vote for the bill were Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., the only female senator who is not a co-sponsoring the version of the VAWA that will likely be voted on on Monday.

The new protections for LGBT, immigrant and Native American women were a big reason why Republicans opposed the reauthorization bill in the last session of Congress. VAWA had been allowed to expire in September, 2011, and stalled several times over the course of 2012.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'MARIANNA, Fla. — Nobody is quite sure how many boys’ bodies lie beneath the grounds of the notorious Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys, or which one is Thomas or Owen or Robert.

Nobody is quite sure how most of them died — the cause is often listed as “unknown” or “accident” — or why a great number were buried with such haste.

The scattered graves bear no markings: no names, no loving sentiment. The only hint of a cemetery are the white crosses that the state planted in the 1990s, belatedly and haphazardly.

From the time it opened in 1900, as the state’s first home for wayward children, until it closed in 2011, as a residential center for high-risk youths, Dozier became synonymous with beatings, abuse, forced labor, neglect and, in some cases, death. It survived Congressional hearings, state hearings and state investigations. Each one turned the spotlight on horrific conditions, and little changed.'

Most of you may already know about Tom Leykis.  If not, he's a breath of fresh air for men and issues relating to men.  His talk radio show is out of California and he has millions of daily listeners who call in with their questions, which makes for a very entertaining and informative show.  Tom Leykis is the ultimate "man's man", and really is the "dad you never had".  He offers priceless advice to all men, has a massive following, and has been at it for over 20 years.  I've been listening since 2001.

His show is done over the Internet now where he has no restrictions and can talk about any topic and say anything without FCC oversight or penalty.  It's very refreshing to listen daily and I find it very empowering and think all men should listen in, especially men considering marriage.   He also has regular guests on the show, including a divorce lawyer who comes on to give out free legal advice and helps callers out with their situations.   

Article here. Excerpt:

'This dynamic is also seen when "men's rights advocates" push back strongly against equality for women over perceived threats to their own rights. These MRAs are the intellectual descendants of those who justified their arguments for male superiority with Bible quotes like Timothy 2:11-12: "A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet." Their complaints of misandry and "reverse sexism" mimic the cries of "reverse racism" following the days of racial emancipation. Just as those who want creationism taught in public schools have resorted to unscientific intelligent design arguments, the MRAs are trying to back-up their prejudicial claims with unscientific conclusion-first thinking.

Story here.

'A branding exercise that was designed to attract potential business people to Florida has become the focus of a sexism storm.

The new logo for the state's economic arm, Enterprise Florida, reads "Florida: The Perfect Climate For Business".

However the cartoon replaces the "i" in Florida with an orange tie, which critics suggest alienates female business entrepreneurs.

Responding to cries of sexism, the state has denied that there is any reason to view the graphic as contentious.

"The tie is iconic to mean business," Enterprise Florida's chief marketing officer Melissa Medley told NBC News. "It has nothing to do with gender roles. It's just a cartoon."

"We're going to move forward with this campaign," she added.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Unless, of course, you’re beholden to feminism. In that case, you’ll believe the above is evidence of discrimination. You’ll believe what feminists taught you to believe: that gender is a social construct.

Those of us with children know better. We know little girls love their dolls and boys just want to kick that ball. This doesn’t mean men can’t take care of babies or women can’t play sports. It just means each gender has its own energy that flows in a specific direction. For God’s sake, let it flow.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'The majority of American female voters support the idea of women serving in combat, but not being drafted, according to a national poll from Quinnipiac University released Thursday morning at the National Press Club.

Seventy-seven percent of female voters indicated that they favor the combat policy change, the poll showed.

When asked about the reinstatement of the draft, only 28 percent of American voters were in support. Despite widespread favor toward women in combat, only 48 percent of females supported women being drafted, while 59 percent of men supported the idea.
...
The data reveals that female voters may believe that women should be allowed to serve in open combat alongside men, but they should not be forced to do so through a draft.'

Article here. Nice to see an article on "the wage gap" that points out the obvious: major in English and *surprise*, you'll have a much harder time finding a job right out of college than someone who majored in a subject for which an employer can find a more immediate application. Excerpt:

'Two economics professors at the University of California, Davis have published a paper arguing that mixed-gender high schools are at least partially to blame for the persistent gender gap in the salaries of men and women.
...
The researchers found that the gender ratio of high school classmates considerably and consistently affected the choices students later made about their majors.
...
One obvious reason is that men and women — as groups — make substantially different choices when it comes to college majors. This phenomenon generally holds true throughout the developed world.

Story here. Excerpt:

'Marquis Jay pulls out a pencil sharpener and shows the amount of shavings inside, “She poured the pencil shavings in my mouth.”

The 8th grader at Boles Jr. High School in Arlington says it was a teacher who poured the pencil shavings in his mouth in January.

“I was sitting in class with my head tilted back and opening my mouth,” says Jay. “Teacher came over and poured the pencil shavings in my mouth.”

The 13-year-old says he immediately spit it out and was taken to the nurse’s office where he washed out his mouth.

His mother Deidre Brown was called and she is still furious.
...
Friday morning, almost a month later, Brown says she was told the teacher was suspended. She says she wanted her fired.
...
Marquis says the teacher is back at school and has apologized, “She said sorry for what happened. She wasn’t thinking right.”'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Last week, I put out a call for more hook-up apps that are actually designed by, and for, women. Social media pro Alexandra Chong answered my call. Enter Lulu, an app so female-friendly that it doesn’t even require men to create their own profiles—women do that for them.