Weekly News Update

June 9, 2008 |
Valor

Week of June 2nd
Jackson Katz: Violence Against Women Is a Men’s Issue
Jackson Katz, an internationally recognized educator on gender violence prevention among men and boys, argues society must first transform how it thinks about violence against women if it wants to prevent these acts from reoccurring. “As a culture, Americans first must take the step in acknowledging that violence against women is not a women’s issue, but a men’s issue,” Katz said.

Oakland’s new approach to prostitution treats teenagers as victims
As the sun set on a recent day, police arrested a teenage prostitute strutting down International Boulevard in a short black dress and gold heels – “Daddy” tattooed on her neck – before pulling over her pimp in a car.
Minutes later, they arrested another pimp with two more teenagers and, a few blocks away, yet another teenager whom they tried to coax into identifying her pimp.
In this city, which Assemblyman Sandré Swanson, D-Alameda, calls the epicenter of prostitution in Northern California, authorities are taking a new approach to combat the world’s oldest trade.
Elizabeth Smart shares ideas about safety
Six years after her abduction, Elizabeth Smart came to American Fork to teach parents and children how to avoid her experiences. Ryan Sannar, an Eagle Scout candidate, invited her as part of a “Stranger Danger” seminar he presented for his service project. Parents and children attended three stations Saturday morning at the Fitness Center to hear from Smart and ask her questions, make fingerprint and identification kits, and get a practical application of stranger avoidance. The Scouts passed out 125 kits that morning.
Leno wins big in low-turnout Senate primary
SAN FRANCISCO — It was the sort of day when you might run into Cindy Sheehan twice. The true believers were out in force in San Francisco, with petitions to legalize pot and prostitution available on many street-corners. But the biggest political coup in recent state legislative history came in the 3rd Senate District, and ironically, rival campaign workers there said most residents didn’t even know there was an election.
Advocates push judge to take over youth prisons

It’s been 3 1/2 years since an Alameda County judge ordered California to overhaul the institutions that house the state’s most serious juvenile offenders. He set a timeline for sweeping reforms that would transform the youth prisons into treatment centers.
But the dates have come and gone with little significant change, while the price tag has grown astonishingly. The annual per-inmate cost for each juvenile offender in state custody is projected to be $252,312 next year – more than six times the cost of a year at Stanford University.

Police chief’s arrest is a major jolt to sleepy Northern California community of Blue Lake
The head of the tiny force, accused of drugging and sexually assaulting his wife, collected enough guns at headquarters to arm a small platoon. He also allegedly kept unregistered guns at home.
Sex Offender Ordinance Expected To Pass
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Kern County Supervisors are set to approve an ordinance limiting where sex offenders can live. The ordinance, which is expected to be enacted, will strengthen a state law prohibiting sex offenders from living 2000 feet from schools.

Op-Ed
Victim Blaming: Cover Up, Walk In Groups and Other “Friendly Advice”
Lynda Waddington
It’s the little things. Not just one by one, like the single instance I’m going to describe here, but all the little things put together. They add up. They creep up on us and take root in our thoughts. They fester and make us doubt ourselves. They are the thin and small voices that remind us not to show too much skin at the beach or to put on “sensible shoes” before walking in unfamiliar areas. These little things, often described as “friendly advice,” lay the groundwork for self-blame.