Gretchen Burns Bergman at the National Press Club (Moms United)
Marking Mother's Day With Calls for Reform [FEATURE]
On Mother's Day, mothers speak out against the drug war, in the United States and Mexico.
Women's Issues
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) workshop, District of Columbia
Bills to Drug Test the Poor Face Tough Going [FEATURE]
Bills to drug test people seeking public benefits have been all the rage at the statehouse this year, but they're having a surprisingly hard time passing. We have some reasons why.
Drug Trafficking Organizations Also Involved in Sex Trade, Expert Says
The head of a company that provides security for American citizens traveling in Mexico says powerful drug trafficking organizations are branching out into the $40-billion-a-year sex trafficking industry. They kidnap children and young people, demand ransom, but in many cases never return the victims, according to Brad Barker with Halo Security. He said a family might pay $100,000 ransom, but the kidnap victim can be worth much more in the sex market. "This person can be held in captivity, they can be filmed doing sex acts, they can be sold on the Internet throughout the world and make 10 times that amount of money. So why would they return the person to their family?"
The War on Drugs Is Reducing Marriage Rates
New research published in The Review of Economics and Statistics shows that growing incarceration has contributed to declining marriage rates. In fact, the paper finds that about 13% of the decline in marriage since 1990 can be explained by male incarceration. About 18% percent of the decline in marriage rates among black women can be explained by incarceration. Hispanic women are also relatively disadvantaged, with about 10% of the reduction in marriage rates in that group explained by incarceration.
Sexist Violence Invisible in War on Drugs
Yosmireli and Griselda, two and four years old, died by bullets to their heads from soldiers' guns -- their mother, aunt and seven-year-old brother Joniel were also killed, on a rural road in northwest Mexico. The killings became the first known case of civilians gunned down by soldiers in the prohibitionist war on drug traffickers declared by the government of conservative Felipe Calderón, which tipped the country into a spiral of violence. One very clear effect is "the invisibility of violence against women...If a girl is found dead on the street and the body shows signs of violence, whether she has a bullet wound, is tied up, or there is a dead man next to her, her death is recorded in the category of 'organized crime'...By recording the cases in the catch-all category of organized crime, the victims' families no longer have access to the case file and cannot pressure the authorities to solve the crime," said David Peña of the National Association of Democratic Lawyers.
Mothers Lead the Charge Against the Nation's War on Drugs
Mothers from across California rallied at the state capitol Wedneday to launch a national movement to end the nation's war on drugs. The group wants alternatives to jail time for drug offenses, such as addiction treatment. "While it may seem counter-intuitive that a group of mothers would say such a thing, it's because we love our children and we really feel the war on drugs is more harmful than the drugs themselves," Gretchen Burns Bergman, mother and rally leader said.
Women Taking Action Nationwide -- California's Proposition 19
You can help make this nationwide effort a huge success by attending the event nearest you. Scroll down to see the complete list of WMM Day Of Action event locations and times. This effort is being coordinated by the Women's Marijuana Movement, a project of SAFER intended to increase support for marijuana legalization among women. If you have not already signed on to be a part of the movement you can do so today by visiting http://www.WomensMarijuanaMovement.org today. Please note that locations have been added or changed in California, Florida, and Texas. Event Times, Locations, and Contacts CALIFORNIA Saratoga Springs? |
Where did the cash go?
This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories
More law enforcement pervs this week, as well as your run of the mill greedy narcs. But prison and jail guards must have been on good behavior.
Moms United to End the War on Drugs Campaign Rally
Moms are uniting and leading the charge to end drug prohibition, just as they did with alcohol prohibition in the 1930s. It's time to end the pointless and punitive criminalization of people who use drugs and the needless deaths caused by the illegal drug trade.
Mothers, family members, healthcare professionals and individuals in recovery will gather to bring focus to our country’s failed drug policies and the havoc they have wreaked on our families. Please join us.
For more information, contact [email protected]
Mexican Women Work, Die for Gangs in Drug War City
More women are working and dying for powerful, unregulated drug traffickers in Mexico's most violent city as high unemployment along the U.S. border sucks desperate families into the lethal, prohibition-driven trade. A record 179 women have been killed by rival hitmen so far this year in Ciudad Juarez, the notorious city across from El Paso, Texas, as teenage girls and even mothers with small children sign up with the drug trafficking organizations.