On Rape Culture: What Bill Cosby Has to with Breast Ironing in Cameroon.

The Dear Body Project

***Trigger warning: recollection of body mutulation and rape***

When I was a little girl back home, I witnessed a practice called breast ironing. It’s a practice done to girls when they hit puberty and mothers press down their growing breast with hot (nearly burning) stones, in order to stunt the breast growth. The hope is to delay womanhood as long as we can because they know what happens when a girl shows signs of womanhood. She become vulnerable to men who feel entitled to a woman’s body simply because she exists. You might be led to say “not all men”. don’t. Understand that sexual assault is prevalent enough, and goes unpunished enough, that body mutilation is considered a valid practice. I witnessed breast ironing, held a girl’s hands while she cried, saw the burn marks.

I was young but I remember it being my earliest evidence that my body wasn’t…

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40 Years and 2 Families Left in Tears

#BlackLivesMatter Memphis Chapter

Officer Martoyia Lang

On March 28, 2017, Treveno Campbell was sentenced to 40 Years in prison for the murder of Officer Martoyia Lang. Before the sentencing hearing, Lang’s family was escorted by Assistant District Attorney Alanda Dwyer and paraded past the family of Campbell who was sitting patiently outside the courtroom. Treveno Campbell had been awaiting trial in the Shelby County Jail for five years. Campbell had no prior criminal record. The judge reluctantly moved the sentencing hearing forward after rescheduling the hearing twice in disbelief that Campbell was squeaky clean and there was nothing on his record. This implied he knew an injustice had occurred. The sentencing hearing scheduled for 9 am, then rescheduled to 1 pm, did not end until almost 5 pm. Campbell was left with Forty Years and both families in tears.

The loss of an officer is in the line of duty is a tragedy…

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Love365, day 99

Morelemonsplease's Blog

An excerpt from the book, Live Your Power: Tools to Battle your Inner Bully, by Jennifer Craig (yes, my beloved Jenny Craig). Page 143

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Losing your job, part one

Morelemonsplease's Blog

Losing my job was one of the most character defining moments of my life.  I still look back at parts of it, and smile.  Allow me to explain.

As a law enforcement officer, I lived by the mantra Firm, Fair and Consistent.   It let the inmates know where I stood, as well as the staff.  When people ask me about my challenges, I tell them it was not the inmates as it was the officers and supervisors working around me.  Some of my co-workers felt it was OK to be abusive to the inmates AND other officers, physically, mentally, and sexually.  I strongly and emphatically disagreed, and felt it was my duty as a human being to stand against this treatment when done in my presence.  I already cemented my reputation when I reported the actions of a lieutenant, then was brought up on a charge of conspiracy to commit…

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Suicide and Me

Morelemonsplease's Blog

This is not an easy subject, nor an easy read. My hope is that one person finds a little more courage from my sharing.

The first time I ever came across someone that was suicidal was at the job. Her name was Toni. She was a violent, racist, hateful woman. She was well known for spewing racial epithets to other inmates and to the officers. One day, an inmate approached me and said, “Ms. Peak, Toni’s on her bed trying to kill herself”. I calmly went to the bed area and saw Toni, sitting on her bed with a twisted soda can made into points. She was scraping the side of her neck, drawing blood . She seems in a trance as tears rolled down her face. I tried talking to her asking her to put down the jagged can . Being up close, I could see signs of other…

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Trump Part 2 – This is what fascism looks like.

Watching the Wheels

September 14, 2015

Trumpmania has infected everything, including my parenting blog. My piece comparing Trump’s rhetoric to the white supremacists I’ve studied for almost 30 years went viral, pushing Watching the Wheels way over 100,000 views. As it spread, I started doing interviews, including with Spanish languages radio stations and a newspaper in Spain. On Wednesday, I will be appearing on Al Jazeera’s The Stream to talk Trump. The blog got reposted on Countrpunch and my comment section has taken on a life of its own.

If you are one of the few folks who hasn’t clicked on that post, here it is:

“Donald Trump is the new face of white supremacy,” says hate crime expert.

I promise to get back to writing about my daughter later this week. She’s doing amazing things. But I wanted to further clarify my argument about the GOP front-runner and reality show star. First…

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Demand Accountability from Martin Eder of Activist San Diego Making a False Report of a Burglary Because #BlackLivesAlwaysMatter

United Against Police Terror - San Diego

As United Against Police Terror SD, we have a commitment of not only calling out the Police, but remaining consistent in our work towards accountability and justice in our own community from police misconduct. What was expressed in demanding independent review of police misconduct, very much echoes our demand to Activist San Diego and KNSJ which are also a part of the Black and Brown Lives Matter Coalition; Transparency, Consistency and Building Community Trust because #BlackLivesAlwaysMatter.

Transparency for we are coming forward with documentation supporting our demand for the protection of our community members,consistency for every social justice activists who claims to fight against police terror, must hold themselves accountable to the community, and our demand is for Activist San Diego to accept this public call out and take the necessary steps in regaining community trust back. 

The following video is an incident on May 18th at 4246 Wightman Street documenting a police call…

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LAPD Officer Mary O’Callaghan Gets 36 Months in Jail for Assault Caught on Video

Unis’tot’en: Meet the land defenders on their land

Warrior Publications

by Victoria Forest Action Network

Don’t miss out! Sign up now to be part of the Caravan to the Summer Action Camp in Unis’tot’en territory, Northern BC July 6 to 14. This indigenous blockade is part of a growing alliance of people against pipelines. Volunteers are needed now and all year round!

Summer weather brings mosquitoes and pipeline crews to the north. The crews are trying to enter Unis’tot’en territory by helicopter and through back roads, but they can’t escape the eyes of the camp guardians.

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Statement by Leonard Peltier, Oglala Commemoration

Warrior Publications

Leonard Peltier, Native American Prisoner of War in the USA, currently held in a Florida prison.

26 June 2015

Greetings to you, my relatives and friends.

This is the first time that my dear sister Roselyn will not be there for me, but I know she is there in spirit as she has gone on her journey. I have seen pictures of the gathering over the years and can still see her sitting there under the trees with our relatives… I will always miss her and be grateful to her for all she did for me and for our people.

This year I am most concerned with our children and the taking of their own lives. This is very sad to me, as it is to you, and I know there are many reasons for them to feel such despair and hopelessness. But I can only ask and encourage all…

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