The FixedIt Poject: Fixing Headlines About Violence Against Women

Invisible Murderers, Rapists and Blameable Victims

Why don’t men who murder women make headlines? Why does the media sway the title to focus on the victimized instead of the victimizer?

It would seem publications that do this, are subconsciously (or perhaps consciously?) sustaining the widely held belief that women are responsible for the crimes committed against them. When a woman is raped, she is often blamed because of what she was wearing, the time the crime took place in some weird and twisted countries, for provoking a man by being sexy. These justifications skip over the plain simple bottom line:

Someone CHOSE to rape.

Period.

So when crimes against women occur and newspapers decide to report them, the question begs, why are the victims the main subject of headlines but the violent aggressors aren't? 

This focus on the victim extends to children as well. Why are children described in the media as "having sex" or being in "a sexual relationship" with an adult? Children, by definition, cannot have sex with adults. It's not sex, it's rape and it's sexual abuse. There is no gray area here. Most important, sex with children IS A CRIME.

No one who has been raped or murdered has ever said anything, worn anything, done anything to cause the crime committed against them. There is only one thing that causes rape or murder and that is the decision to commit rape or murder. Nothing else.

Publicly released crime stats will tell you a lot about the victims. Their age, where they were when they were attacked, their relationship to the offender, their gender, sometimes even their occupation. The same information could be available for offenders, but it’s rarely part of the public release. The process to retrieve offenders information can include contacting the police, waiting however many weeks for the info, and paying a fee to obtain said stats.

With all this, the info is often lacking.

Journalists and editors have a responsibility to the truth. Headlines that blame victims for violence enacted against them is not journalism, it’s deception.  The ideology that women and children are responsible for the violence committed against them by men is not only absurd, but dangerous.

Here's how it usually works.

John raped Mary.

John is the subject and the focus of the sentence (John committed the rape), Mary is the object (the rape was done to her).

Mary was raped by John.

John is still the subject, but now Mary is the focus of the sentence; John is trailing off at the end.

Mary was raped.

Mary is now the subject and the only focus of the sentence; John has vanished from the discussion.

Mary is a rape victim.

Not only is Mary now the only subject and focus of the sentence, the rape has become who she is, not what was done to her. Her very identity has become the cause of the rape. John is no longer involved in what happened.

Violence against women.

Violence is the subject, women are the object, and the perpetrators of the violence aren’t part of the discussion.

Jane Gilmore has spent years fixing these headlines with the FixedIt Project.

She redirects focus and blame in headlines to perpetrators, NOT victims. By changing these headlines, she's exposing bias and exposing how headlines are spun by media.

Donations are highly encouraged to help Jane keep the project going. Funding will help her provide daily updates, international publications, more public speaking and will help her finish her FixedIt book.

You can Donate HERE

It's beyond important to change the way men’s violence against women, children and other men is reported and understood.

By placing blame where it's accurately due and not subliminally programming people to blame victims, we might be able to reduce the amount of victims in general. 

Here some examples of the FixedIt Project at work:

FixedIt: Violent abuse of women and children is more important than property damage"Arsonist". Because a violent, abusive man who nearly killed a woman and two children is defined by damage he did to property.

This report on a man charged with torture, rape and assault after allegedly holding a woman against her will for three days.

Police raided the residence last Friday, before charging the 26-year-old with torture, possession of drug utensils and two counts each of rape, assault occasioning bodily harm and common assault.

It is alleged he knew the victim and held her against her will between October 9 and October 12.

Despite the horrific nature of the charges, the man accused of these crimes is erased from the headlines, he simply doesn’t exist. The victim of the crime is the subject of the sentence.

This report is on a man who appeared in court after he allegedly stabbed, choked, kicked and punched his partner was a comprehensive article that detailed the alleged crimes and quoted police on the context of increasingly severe domestic violence in the region.

But, yet again, the headline completely erases the alleged perpetrator from the story. He’s invisible. In all honesty, the headline doesn't mention if it's a "he" at all. He hasn’t yet been tried so editors do have to be careful about not assuming guilt, but they can and should report that he was arrested and in court. They can and should be clear that police do not think this woman assaulted herself or that some indiscernible entity is accused of committing the assault.

FixedIt: Murder is not how you end a marriage
Posted on November 7, 2017 by Jane Gilmore

Here's a reporting on a man who murdered his ex wife and her new boyfriend.

I don’t think there’s any need for commentary here, the fix is pretty much self explanatory.

Jane talks about the FixedIt Project

Source

Source 2

Source 3

American Apparel Puts Pubic Hair on Mannequins

American Apparel stirs up controversy for giving storefront mannequins pubic hair.

American Apparel has stirred up quite the controversy for decking out its mannequins with very visible patches of untamed pubic hair.

As of this morning, the storefront at the retailer's East Houston location in New York features three mannequins clad in transparent white underwear, exposing their unkempt bikini lines and stopping window shoppers dead in their tracks.

But while some Twitter users have labeled the exhibition 'kinda pervy', the retailer has defended it by saying it is intended to start a conversation about society's concept of feminine beauty.

District Visual Manager Dee Myles told the Observer that the display is meant to 'bring rawness and newness to a holiday thought of as a romantic Hallmark holiday. . . by exploiting the lust of Valentine's Day.'

She added that it's important to 'have instances spark up curiosity and conversation about what we deem beautiful and sexy.'

The mannequins - all of whom are bespectacled brunettes - also expose their nipples in see-through bras. An employee at the location told the Gothamist he had never seen the mannequins before this morning, or at least 'not in this configuration'.

Shoppers have had mixed reactions to the window display, with some agreeing that it' a positive move for feminism and others believing it is too graphic.

'Slightly disturbing,' wrote one Twitter user, while another called it 'kinda brave, kinda pervy [sic].' But one fervent fan of the mannequins tweeted simply: 'LOVE IT.'

It seems the retailer has taken its defense of the 'bush' online as well; a quick browse on the website reveals several models exposing their unwaxed bikini lines in the lingerie section.

American Apparel is no stranger to provocative marketing; the retailer most recently found itself in hot water over a T-shirt featuring a drawing of a menstruating vagina.

The garment was designed by Toronto-based artist Petra Collins, who told MailOnline that it was intended to open three taboo topics for discussion: 'pubic hair, masturbation, and menstruation.'

'This image is stating that women are not a subordinate creature to just be entered,' she explained.

'We are our own beings in control of our own sexuality. I find it interesting that images addressing sexuality and reproduction are hidden and often looked at as disgusting.'

The company has also come under fire several times in the past for featuring half-naked models who appear to be under-aged on its website.

I think this idea is stupid. What purpose do they have for adding pubic hair to the mannequins IN THE WINDOW? To teach kids what an adult body looks like? That's a job for parents, not retailers. This agenda to oversexualize children is bad enough, but in this instance its ridiculous and tacky. American Apparel, have a seat. And take that caveman style bush you glued to the mannequins "manneginas" with you. #idiots

Kim K To Start Kiddie Clothing Line..

Is there anything this girl won't do to earn a buck? Jeebus..

From the scant news that's trickled out since Kim Kardashian brought forth daughter North West on June 15, she's seemingly been focused on breast-feeding, changing poopy diapers, promoting mom Kris' talk show and working off the pregnancy pounds. But the New York Daily News says she's also spent time plotting to take over the kiddie clothing market, with a little help from the fruit of Kanye West's loins.

Kim's fashion designer friend Lloyd Klein says Kim wants to launch a children's collection, adding that he believes the yet-to-debut North would make a "great poster child" for the tot togs.

"I am sure [Kim] is going to come up with a line for babies," he tells the paper. "It is very cute to design for babies. [It would be] soft colors, pastels, something very dreamy and still trendy."

At least it would be if it actually was happening. A rep for Kardashian assures E! News that a baby line will definitely not be part of the reality star's various sartorial ventures, which ranges from her Kardashian Kollection for Sears to K-DASH for QVC.

Then again, if she changes her mind about creating ankle-biter attire, she could pick Yeezy's brain for ideas. In a report best taken with a Khloe-sized grain of salt, the London Sun claims that Kanye, who recently debuted a $120 plain white T-shirt, sent a gift package to Prince William and Duchess Kate's baby son, Prince George, featuring "mini-versions" of his clothing line, including such infant wardrobe staples as skinny jeans and hoodies.

Who Said It

Killing Their Breasts: How Far Will Women Go to Avoid Rape..?

It is harder than ever to be a woman in this world. Sexual assault against women worldwide, occurs once every 2 minutes. It would stand to reason that women would try to find ways to prevent these assaults, both for themselves and their daughters. Ironically however, some of these efforts cause the very trauma they try to avoid. From female circumcision, to the legal requirement that women wear burqa's, women though the ages have been forced into practices that attempt to lessen their sex appeal, and decrease their chances of being raped. In Cameroon, the secret practice of 'Breast Ironing' falls into this category. Sadly, it does not work to curtail violence on womens' bodies, it IS violence on womens' bodies.

Women and men alike need rape education, NOT body mutilation. Although surely unintended, practices like these reinforce a "blame the victim" mentality, as if a woman's looks are responsible for a man's actions. Men don't rape women because of how big her breasts are. He rapes her to gain control.

If ironing breasts is not going to help a man achieve a healthy self-worth, then it certainly won't prevent him from raping someone. Leave your breasts alone. Use that iron to bash his head in.

-WTS

Breast ironing is a human rights violation. According to UNPFA, (Friends of the United Nations Population Fund), one out of every four girls in Cameroon has been affected by breast ironing, equating to nearly 4 million young women. 

As a 14-year-old girl, Chi Yvonne Leina, now 32, became a witness to this custom, which is practiced by all 200 ethnic tribes in Cameroon. She often went to her grandmother’s hut after school, and usually heard the sounds of her cousins playing.

But one particular day, the hut was eerily quiet.

“When I approached the hut I heard my cousin crying inside,” Leina said. “I was curious, so I peeped through a small crack in the door.”

What Leina saw next would change her life forever. “I heard my cousin groaning and I saw my grandmother warming a small grinding stone. Grandma was using that small stone, which she warmed on the fire, to press my cousin’s breast, and was pressing hard on the breast, and she was crying.”

That was Leina ’s first encounter with breast ironing. Although this practice can result in physical damage in addition to retarding developing breasts, many elders condone it. Mothers or close relatives of young girls who perform the practice believe breast ironing will deter sexual predators.

"Interestingly, women did not know how harmful this practice is. To them, they are merely keeping their daughters out of the eyes of sex predators. Not knowing that it is even better for this children to be sexually attractive now, than sexually unresponsive in future."

Those who carry out breast ironing hope to minimize young girls’ sexual activity, so they get an education and become financially independent. Teen pregnancy out of wedlock is on the rise in the region. Such a life event curtails any hope a young woman has of pursuing a lucrative career.

As Per the US State Departments 2011 Report: “The procedure was considered a way to delay a girl’s physical development, thus limiting the risk of sexual assault and teenage pregnancy,” the report states. “Girls as young as nine were subjected to the practice, which resulted in burns, deformities, and psychological problems.”

Yet, there is strong evidence that breast ironing does not achieve the desired goals. “Statistics confirm that in addition to being a human rights violation, the practice is ineffective in deterring pre-marital pregnancy. One-third of unwanted pregnancies occur between the ages of 13 and 25, with more than half falling pregnant after their first sexual encounter.”

"The medical personnel in our team disclosed the health risks of breast ironing, and behold, mothers wept at their ignorance. They could not imagine that what they see as mere help can adversely affect the lives of their daughters. Some women started telling their stories;

• Some say since they ironed their daughters’ breasts years ago, it has refused to grow again
• Some say that their daughters’ breast has grown extraordinarily big after the ironing
• Some say that their daughters’ breasts have grown in an unimaginable way; one very big and 
  one very small; one growing naturally and the other developing a hole in the middle; some
  growing in a shrinking manner.

The revelations were enormous. I could not help but weep when these women continued to reveal what they have been doing to their daughters and what they have passed through as victims of this painful and traumatizing act."

For many women, including Leina’s cousin, the negative effects can be deep, long-lasting, and counterproductive to personal growth.

“All I know is she became suddenly a shy person, which she wasn’t before,” Leina said. “And she fell out of school and got pregnant some years after."

Listed among breast ironing’s many dangerous consequences: high fever, breast cancer, severe chest pain, infection as a result of scarification, cysts, breast deformities and complete disappearance of the breasts.

"Our next stop was at CWF Musang - Bamenda. It is another women’s group of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon. At CWF Musang meeting, I cried more than anyone else. In the course of the lectures the women started dishing out the different methods they use in ironing their daughters’ breasts:

• Use of grinding stone that they have
   heated on fire
• The use of hot banana
• The use of hot broken clay pot
• The use of herbs
• The use of hot cutlasses

And then as one woman mentioned that there is a method where the girl is sent under the bed, and then a hot mortar pestle is used to pound the breast from outside the bed by the mother."

Despite the suffering caused by breast ironing, it persists in both rural areas and cities. Older women, often in secret and unbeknownst to men, undertake the torturous operation with faith that it will prevent the difficulties suffered by young women who experience sexual assault, or sex without preparation.

Authorities have tried to stress the need for education and contraception as humane, effective substitutes, yet this tradition, which some says dates back to the 1800s, continues.

Several months after Leina witnessed her cousin’s agony, her grandmother attempted to iron her breasts as well. Leina resisted and threatened to alert the entire neighborhood, so she was spared. “From that day it came to my mind that when you use your voice you can actually free yourself from some things,” she said of the incident. 

This experience influenced the young woman’s decision to study journalism and women’s studies as a university student.

One year ago she also founded Gender Danger, a non-profit that helps spread awareness about breast ironing in the hopes of ending the practice. 

Leina Agwetang

Mrs. Agwetang is one of the 35 volunteers working for Gender Danger in Cameroon who go into communities at least once a month to lecture girls and women about the dangers of breast ironing.

Leina’s organization has already reached over 15,000 women.

Because the custom is clothed in secrecy, taking place behind closed doors between women, Agwetang believes many girls don’t know how to process the pain.


For Leina what is most troubling about breast ironing is the resulting the emotional scars.

“I think it’s the culture,” Agwetang said. “They don’t want to talk about certain things. But now that we are going out… they open up and they tell you their experiences. And even some parents, they tell you what they did to their children and they really regret it.”


Follow Nia Hamm on Twitter at @niaahamm

The Grio


Worldpulse

Poor Kim Series: Baits friends w/fake baby pics - see who would sell

Now, this is not a gossip blog, but we make exceptions for Kim Kardashian. Our "Poor Kim" series is still in effect with this latest piece of news.

It's getting tough though. Feeling so damn sorry for the girl, it's getting harder to be mean.

This latest info shows us that Kim doesn't have a friend in the world. With her gay boyfriend pledging allegiance to the devil, she doesn't even have a friend in Jesus..

or Yeezus.

See below..

Kim Kardashian Gave Friends A Fake Baby Pic To See Who Would Sell It To The Tabloids

Every day, Kim Kardashian has to live with the knowledge that anyone in her inner circle, at any time, might sell her out without so much as the bat of an eyelash. The 32-year-old reality star is so acutely aware of this fact that in order to prevent such a person from selling a photo of her baby, she hatched a plan to catch the would-be perp before they had the chance to do her dirty.

According to TMZ, Kim sent a photo of a decoy baby to about six of her closest friends in order to see who would sell it to the tabloids. The gossip site reports:

"Sure enough..someone came along and tried selling us this pic.."

And if that wasn't bad enough, another friend tried to sell another fake baby picture that she sent around to a different group of people. So basically, Kim can't trust anyone, which is sad not funny.

Kim and Kanye brought their baby girl, North West, home from the hospital last week and are reportedly staying with Kim's mom, Kris Jenner, as they wait for their palatial new home in Bel Air to be finished.


I must admit, that second pic looks like it could be hers. 

Tsk tsk and as usual, poor Kim..


The Horses Mouth

New School Curriculum: Responsibility Classes

A few thoughts from Neal Donald Walsh on how to better educate our precious offspring. We are living in a world where women are under constant attack. Why not help raise boys who don't hate women the way mainstream society teaches them to? With so many families being headed by single women, we have a responsibility to raise boys (and girls) who understand and respect the power of the Feminine, not resent it. Below I found these suggestions to be very enlightening and potentially paradigm shifting. We must teach children to VALUE, not VICTIMIZE.

Some suggestions from CWG

How, then, should we educate our young?

 

·         Treat them as spirits.

·         Introduce them to the world you have created with gentleness and care.

·     Why do you place your children in schools where competition is allowed and encouraged, where being the “best” and learning the “most” is rewarded, where “performance” is graded, and moving at one’s own pace is barely tolerated?  What does your child understand from this?

·       Allow your young ones to learn logic, critical thinking, problem solving and creation, using the tools of their own intuition and their deepest inner knowing, rather than the rules and the memorized systems and conclusions of a society which has already proven itself to be wholly unable to evolve by these methods, and continues to use them.

·       Teach concepts, not subjects.

·        Devise a new curriculum, and build it around three Core Concepts:

1.      Awareness
2.      Honesty
3.      Responsibility

 
  Then, take the values and concepts ... and teach them in your schools.

  Courses such as:

 

•  Understanding Power
• Peaceful Conflict Resolution
•  Elements of Loving Relationship
• Personhood and Self Creation
• Body, Mind, and Spirit:  How They Function
• Engaging Creativity
• Celebrating Self, Valuing Others
• Joyous Sexual Expression
• Fairness
• Tolerance
•  Diversities and Similarities
• Ethical Economics
• Creative Consciousness and Mind Power
• Awareness and Wakefulness
•  Honesty and Responsibility
• Visibility and Transparency
• Science and Spirituality

Not sure about you, but I think this sounds good.


Of course, if we really want to create a 'happy kid curriculum,' this did it for me :-)

 The Electric Company