Senator Gillibrand Speaks Out Against Sexual Violence in the Military
Earlier this week, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) spoke at the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing about sexual assault in the military, urging leaders to take sexual assault cases out of the military’s chain of command.
Not all commanders are objective,” said committee member Senator Gillibrand before a panel of military leaders testifying at the hearing. “Not every single commander necessarily wants women on the force, not every commander believes what a sexual assault is, not every single commander can distinguish between a slap on the ass and a rape because they merge all of these crimes together.”
The eight-hour hearing included testimony from military leaders and victims’ advocates, and focused heavily on whether serious sexual assault cases should be taken out of the military’s chain of command.
“You have lost the trust of the men and women who rely on you, that you will actually bring justice in these cases,” she said. “They are afraid to report. They think their careers will be over.”
Coaching Boys into Men a Proven Strategy to Prevent Violence
With all the disturbing news surrounding the prevalence of rape culture in the United States, we are pleased to see some good news about a proven strategy to help young people build healthy, respectful, and non-violent relationships. A study published online yesterday in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that our program Coaching Boys into Men (CBIM) is proven effective to reduce abusive behaviors among male athletes who have participated in the program.
“The key to this program is respect—teaching players to be aware of how they treat women and how to deal with all people in general,” said Mike Alberghini, head football coach at Grant Union High School in Sacramento, CA, a participating school in the study. “The experience has brought us together as a stronger, more responsible group.”
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Macy's Thank-a-Mom Challenge a Success!
You helped us raise thousands of dollars sending thousands of Mother’s Day e-cards, and for that we say THANK YOU! We set a goal of sending 50,000 Mother’s Day e-cards to the special women in our lives, and because of your contributions, we not only reached, but exceeded it! We thanked our moms, sisters, aunts and grandmothers – and all for a great cause!
For each e-card you sent, Macy’s donated $2 to FUTURES. Money raised through the Macy’s Thank-a-Mom challenge will support our violence prevention and education programs focused on critical issues—from bullying and digital abuse to domestic violence and sexual assault.
This year was an even bigger success than last, and it’s all because of your efforts! Even though the fundraising campaign is over, you can keep sending the outstanding women in your lives Mother’s Day e-cards. All you have to do is visit the Macy’s Thank-a-Mom Facebook app and choose Futures Without Violence as the charity recipient. Then, celebrate all of the Moms in your life! Send up to 15 e-cards via Facebook, and 10 cards via email per day.
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