These videos show some very interesting statistics about child slavery and prostitution in America.
Abducted Girl: An American Sex Slave is an indie film looking for producers / $$$ so the film can be made properly. I think it has potential.
What is a real shame is that the average Hollywood producer would rather be making be making an action blockbuster with no moral value than making a film with actual substance and purpose.
The closest thing is the Liam Neeson film "Taken", which points the finger at Europe when in truth America has more than its share of child slavery.
Another film on this topic I'd recommend is the 2000 film "Suspicious River", which shows the slippery slope of prostitution into slavery.
The Truth about Anti Feminist Hate Speech
FEMINIST - If you've ever read someone's blog post, misogynistic essay or YouTube rant supporting anti-feminism or violence against women you know how annoying and infuriating it can be to think there is very little you can do to prevent such horrific hate speech from being spread over the internet.
And the saddest part is that such hate speech is really just a bunch of lies and misinformation, often depicting feminism as some kind of female supremacy movement. ie. http://bit.ly/oo5paM
Well I am here today to tell you there is a way to fight back against such websites. Here is some useful tips on:
HOW TO FIGHT ANTI-FEMINISM
#1. Blogspot and similar free websites have Terms of Service which prohibit the posting and promotion of hate and/or violence. In the case of Blospot all you have to do is click the "Report Abuse" link at the top of the page, follow the instructions and submit the website where you saw hate speech. (You can also report nudity, exploitation of minors, illegal activity, copyright violations, etc. Do not submit false claims however, it won't help.)
#2. YouTube (and similar video websites) also have the option to report videos for hate speech. On YouTube you need to click Share, and then click "report this video as inappropriate". ie. Today I reported a video on YouTube which compared feminists to the KKK.
#3. Independent websites (the server is owned by the user)... there isn't much we can do about them. Its their own website and their own server so we can't do much about it, can we. Or is there? If you visit Alexa.com you can visit the entry for that website and place a negative review. If the website in question is also a company (or the person who owns it works for a specific company) you can also post negative reviews via Google Maps / Google Places.
#4. NEVER, EVER link directly to the website you are trying to get rid of. Linking to the website is just free promotion for that website. Refer to the site by name only or use a bitly.com shortened version of their URL, and even then I recommend only posting it like "http://bit.ly/oo5paM" and not as a clickable URL.
#5. Post responses to that website or video. Fight back against their argument using reason, logic, facts, statistics with references (don't make up false statistics), quotes by famous personages. Refute their claims. ie. If they are saying things like "feminists hate porn", inform them that this is inaccurate. There are way more pro-sex feminists than there are anti-sex feminists.
#6. Don't bother emailing or responding to emails from anti-feminists. They won't listen to reason and will talk until they are blue in the face out of sheer stubbornness. Don't waste your time on people who have already gone down the road of hate.
#7. Don't fight fight hate with hate. You have to be better than them. Speak and write things calmly, avoid using caps or bold text (use italics instead) and explain things logically and honestly. Anyone who can read between the lines and isn't narrow minded will be won over by your calm and logical argument. Anyone who is thinking with hate on their mind is a waste of time. Its the people who are open minded you need to win over to the side of truth, justice and equality.
The truth is there are many way you can fight back against anti-feminist hate speech. It just takes calm and affirmative action.
See also Dealing with Anti-Feminism
NOTE: Normally I am against censorship, but when it comes to hate speech we have to stand up for truth, justice and equality.
And the saddest part is that such hate speech is really just a bunch of lies and misinformation, often depicting feminism as some kind of female supremacy movement. ie. http://bit.ly/oo5paM
Well I am here today to tell you there is a way to fight back against such websites. Here is some useful tips on:
HOW TO FIGHT ANTI-FEMINISM
#1. Blogspot and similar free websites have Terms of Service which prohibit the posting and promotion of hate and/or violence. In the case of Blospot all you have to do is click the "Report Abuse" link at the top of the page, follow the instructions and submit the website where you saw hate speech. (You can also report nudity, exploitation of minors, illegal activity, copyright violations, etc. Do not submit false claims however, it won't help.)
#2. YouTube (and similar video websites) also have the option to report videos for hate speech. On YouTube you need to click Share, and then click "report this video as inappropriate". ie. Today I reported a video on YouTube which compared feminists to the KKK.
#3. Independent websites (the server is owned by the user)... there isn't much we can do about them. Its their own website and their own server so we can't do much about it, can we. Or is there? If you visit Alexa.com you can visit the entry for that website and place a negative review. If the website in question is also a company (or the person who owns it works for a specific company) you can also post negative reviews via Google Maps / Google Places.
#4. NEVER, EVER link directly to the website you are trying to get rid of. Linking to the website is just free promotion for that website. Refer to the site by name only or use a bitly.com shortened version of their URL, and even then I recommend only posting it like "http://bit.ly/oo5paM" and not as a clickable URL.
#5. Post responses to that website or video. Fight back against their argument using reason, logic, facts, statistics with references (don't make up false statistics), quotes by famous personages. Refute their claims. ie. If they are saying things like "feminists hate porn", inform them that this is inaccurate. There are way more pro-sex feminists than there are anti-sex feminists.
#6. Don't bother emailing or responding to emails from anti-feminists. They won't listen to reason and will talk until they are blue in the face out of sheer stubbornness. Don't waste your time on people who have already gone down the road of hate.
#7. Don't fight fight hate with hate. You have to be better than them. Speak and write things calmly, avoid using caps or bold text (use italics instead) and explain things logically and honestly. Anyone who can read between the lines and isn't narrow minded will be won over by your calm and logical argument. Anyone who is thinking with hate on their mind is a waste of time. Its the people who are open minded you need to win over to the side of truth, justice and equality.
The truth is there are many way you can fight back against anti-feminist hate speech. It just takes calm and affirmative action.
See also Dealing with Anti-Feminism
NOTE: Normally I am against censorship, but when it comes to hate speech we have to stand up for truth, justice and equality.
Feminist Truths @ Facebook
Please Like the Feminist Truths page on Facebook. Just created it today. :)
Feel free to Friend Me too.
Yours Truly,
Suzanne MacNevin
Feel free to Friend Me too.
Yours Truly,
Suzanne MacNevin
The Truth about My Fair Lady
ENTERTAINMENT - The following film (My Fair Lady, starring Audrey Hepburn) brings up many issues concerning class and the role of women. My only complaint is the end of the film, otherwise the film makes it pretty clear that Professor Henry Higgins is a stubborn know-it-all patriarch.
Eliza Doolittle however is the true hero of the story. Shows what you can do when you've got "gumption".
Made in 1964 "My Fair Lady" won 8 Academy Awards... not bad for a film with strong feminist undertones (despite the ending). You will see what I mean...
Note: On YouTube the film is broken down into 21 parts. There should be a link at the end of each part to the next part of the film.
Eliza Doolittle however is the true hero of the story. Shows what you can do when you've got "gumption".
Made in 1964 "My Fair Lady" won 8 Academy Awards... not bad for a film with strong feminist undertones (despite the ending). You will see what I mean...
Note: On YouTube the film is broken down into 21 parts. There should be a link at the end of each part to the next part of the film.
The Truth about Being Bold
Thank you for your posting regarding rock-star cop Shari Mackay.
She has been instrumental in my healing process and was the critical driving force to ensure the police did their job to see this case through to conviction. I have read some of your other postings today, and I really admire your bold, strong, direct attitude to hitting issues head on, and not being afraid to share your opinion or speak out for what you believe in.
Ann
Thank you Ann!
Seriously, thank you. I needed that vote of confidence.
The truth is I sometimes don't feel all that bold. I know I am bold online, often because I sometimes write when I am angry or standing up for something. But the truth is most of my friends would probably describe me as being weird or eccentric, and I hope they say I am easy going (or as Americans like to say "down to earth").
My boldness seems to come out mostly online and when I am pissed off about something. Not that I am not bold in person, but sometimes I am also tired / stressed and/or just don't feel like it.
ie. Today I was feeling down so I was going to sit at home, watch cartoons and eat cereal straight out of the box. I am supposed to be working on my book today but when I woke up I didn't feel like it. And then I got your email and I suddenly found the urge to write again.
So thank you Ann. I hope you will continue to read my blog Feminist Truths, check out the Feminist eZine and continue to persevere despite hardships. I know I will continue to do the same (even if I do pause and take a break every once in awhile).
Yours Truly,
Suzanne MacNevin
The Truth about Persephone
RELIGION - In Greek mythology Persephone is the goddess of fertility, death and rebirth. Its a bizarre set of ethos for a goddess to have.Persephone is the daugher of Zeus (God of Space and Time) and Demeter (Goddess of Agriculture / Plants). Persephone is also the lover of Hades (God of the Underworld and her uncle...?) and often associated with seeds and spring.
The central story of Persephone is that she was abducted by Hades who had become smitten with her and carried her off to the Underworld via a chasm in the earth. Demeter chased after them and shouted to Persephone to warn her not to eat any food while in the Underworld.
While in the Underworld however Persephone became so hungry she ate a pomegranate seed (note: pomegranate juice looks like blood, another fertility symbol). Following this event Demeter caused a great drought to convince Zeus to bring back Persephone. Demeter and Hades then had an argument and it was eventually agreed that Persephone would spend half the year with her mother and the other half of the year with Hades.
Thus the seasons were created, wherein Persephone spends time with her mother during Spring and Summer and everything dies during the Autumn and Winter.Amongst the Romans she was known as Proserpina. There are a number of artistic and literary references to Persephone.
As a goddess Persephone isn't much of a feminist symbol. She is more of a victim than anything else. The true heroine of the story is Demeter, who causes a big fuss and eventually convinces Zeus (King of the Gods) to go to the Underworld and release Persephone.
Now causing a big fuss may seem annoying to some people, but it is an effective tactic of persuasion when it comes to all forms of activism. How can someone be a true activist unless they cause a big fuss and are truly annoying about it?
So the lesson learned my fellow feminists is to get out there and bang those drums, become an amateur publicist, send out news releases, network with other feminists... that is how you get stuff done!
The Truth about Bald Women
SHAVING YOUR HEAD - The truth is being bald can be very beautiful. It really depends on the shape of your head.
Some people have really nicely shaped heads and look absolutely amazing bald.
Some people have really nicely shaped heads and look absolutely amazing bald.
The Truth about Car Advertising
AUTOMOTIVES - The thing about car advertising is that, yes, it often uses sex to sell a product... but really it just keeps going further downhill all the time.
Its like car companies are competing to see which one can make the raciest / most controversial ad, because the shock value ends up creating lots of buzz. But what happens when they annoy people by going TOO FAR?
Below is a series of examples of car advertisements that go too far.
Of course its not limited to car ads... sometimes its just plain ridiculous what companies will stoop to sell anything from bubble gum to beer.
Its like car companies are competing to see which one can make the raciest / most controversial ad, because the shock value ends up creating lots of buzz. But what happens when they annoy people by going TOO FAR?
Below is a series of examples of car advertisements that go too far.
Of course its not limited to car ads... sometimes its just plain ridiculous what companies will stoop to sell anything from bubble gum to beer.
Suffragette School of Birmingham
FEMINIST - A new wave of feminists is off to ‘Suffragette School’ at the University of Birmingham!What is it?
A Summer School to train a new wave of feminists on how make the world a fairer place for women.
When is it?
Saturday 13th August – Sunday 14th August 2011.
Where is it?
University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham. B15 2TT
Over 400 budding feminist activists will converge at the Summer School to learn how to tackle the ongoing inequalities between women and men. Featuring a range of workshops, talks and film screenings, attendees will be trained in everything from Suffragette-style direct action to mobilising the masses through Facebook, Twitter and blogging. The Summer School is organised by UK Feminista.The Summer School will feature talks and workshops by:
Mozn Hassan (Nasra for Feminist Studies, Egypt), Nesrine Malik (the Guardian), Hannah Pool (UK Feminista), Anna van Heeswijk (OBJECT), Emma & Abi Moore (Pink Stinks), Rosalind Miles, Shahida Choudry (Women's Networking Hub), Cath Elliot (Too Much to Say For Myself), Estelle Hart (NUS Women's Campaign), Louise Jenkins (Eaves), Tamsin Omond (Climate Rush), Kat Banyard (UK Feminista), Anna Bird (Fawcett Society), Chitra Nagarajan (GAPS & Black Feminists) Matt McCormack Evans (Anti Porn Men Project), Kate Nustedt (Women for Women International), Adam Ramsay (People and Planet) and Darinka Aleksic (Abortion Rights).
For further information contact Kat Banyard: kat@ukfeminista.org.uk, 07775 855037
The Truth about Book Writing
Hello folks!
Yes, its true, I am writing a book about feminism. More specifically an eBook (although maybe someday I will publish it on recycled paper).
Those people interested in pre-ordering my eBook should email me [suzannemacnevin {atsymbol} gmail.com] and I will add you to a growing list of people interested in purchasing it.
Not to worry, you won't be paying for it right away when you join the list, you can still change your mind later! When my book comes out I will be adding a PayPal button link here and I will email all you wonderful people and tell you its ready.
My book will be filled with feminist facts, quotes, truths and humour. Some of it may be sad, but I hope to enlighten and education you with some of the feminist wisdom I've garnered over the years.
For now I am working with the possible title of "Feminist Truths", but I might change it if I think of a better name.
Also I've decided to opt for the Edition route... that way I can create 2nd Edition and 3rd Edition versions later. My hope is that my book will someday be mandatory reading for university students studying feminism or gender studies.
And thus inspire a whole new generation of feminists.
Yours Truthfully,
Suzanne MacNevin
Yes, its true, I am writing a book about feminism. More specifically an eBook (although maybe someday I will publish it on recycled paper).
Not to worry, you won't be paying for it right away when you join the list, you can still change your mind later! When my book comes out I will be adding a PayPal button link here and I will email all you wonderful people and tell you its ready.
My book will be filled with feminist facts, quotes, truths and humour. Some of it may be sad, but I hope to enlighten and education you with some of the feminist wisdom I've garnered over the years.
For now I am working with the possible title of "Feminist Truths", but I might change it if I think of a better name.
Also I've decided to opt for the Edition route... that way I can create 2nd Edition and 3rd Edition versions later. My hope is that my book will someday be mandatory reading for university students studying feminism or gender studies.
And thus inspire a whole new generation of feminists.
Yours Truthfully,
Suzanne MacNevin
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