The True Visual Effects of Abuse

We never know the actual trauma and exact effects of abuse. It can hide in the darkest corners of your nearest neighborhood, your mayor's office, down the street at your local bar or even at your local church. Yes, violence can disguise itself in many shapes, many people, many experiences, and many opportunities. But let's be clear Abuse and Violence has no bias, it does not discriminate. It doesn't care of your age, your gender, your status, your political affiliation, your race, your religion, or your economic status. Violence is just Violence, it just plain hates, no matter the appearance of it. If we look at humanity throughout the ages, we can see that we have transformed ourself. We as humans have evolved into a species that has grasped the evolution of hatred and malice. And although there are particular occasions that we can show great feet of good loving kindness. We are starting to lose the inability to feel the basic instincts of great compassion. Sometimes, our mandate of un-remorseable lawlessness to appease our generation is stronger than that of human kindness. We make excuses for killing babies, we make excuses for sodomy and rapist and call them, "morally upright and law-abiding in life."
We even question the morality of the structure of human decency in the sanctity of marriages, families, the care of social equality and the treatment of each person principles. It has gotten necessary and disgusting that human life has taken a back seat because we like to use morality as the basis of our own platforms. Although, we see crying children, helpless mothers, gun violence, racial tension, religious divide, political indifferences, and human biases. I believe if we cannot take a grasp on these personal divides and agendas, we will never be able to take a hold on the issues of Domestic Violence. Ever. And the Issues of childhood trauma, suicide, and sexual trafficking; these issues are more significant than one group, one nation, and one person can undertake. We need personal deliverance and a personal manifestation of healing to this country like never before.
Martin Luther King said it best when he said,
" The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, 
begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy.
Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.
Through violence, you may murder the liar,
but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth.
Through violence, you may murder the hater,
but you do not murder hate.
In fact, violence merely increases hate.
So it goes.
Returning violence for violence multiplies violence,
adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness:
only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

I got a fantastic opportunity to work with a great photographer in Connecticut  Nikki Lyn Amatruda, and her excellent work with the models and makeup artist in Connecticut for the Intimate Partner Violence PSA calendar,

I do have to warn you some pictures are very explicit in nature, so I AM PLACING A WARNING to anyone because of the graphic quality.  But what surprised me was the tenacity, the love, and compassion all these women and how they loved one another. I was touched by the loving kindness that each woman had for one another and how they reach out to share their stories. It really places this PSA at a particular moment in time to let the world know of what they faced. Many of them years before, many of them months earlier, and many of them just a couple of weeks, but we all can attest this is a time capsule of pain. Knowing that this pain is no longer available but tucked away until needed for our next advocacy moment. They were strong and purely spectacular women. I am so thankful to have known each and every one of them. If you get an opportunity please stop and check out Nikki's closer images online and many of these amazing women. I hope you will become part of the fantastic Domestic Violence Rally Movement. It has not been easy, but each voice together can mean a grand scale of a collective movement to show peoples stories. This Vigil in each state will show that we are going to seize anonymity and complacency and choose to stand for what is right and what is RIGHTEOUS.

God bless and stay safe in America.

                                                 PHOTOS BY   Nikki Lyn Amatruda

                                                                              Click the link to view larger photos.

                  

                                       

                   
                                                               

                                    

      

                      

                                                    

                                      
                                       

 

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, STALKING IS A CRIME!

STALKING

So today we are going to talk about the act of stalking, not talked about very often but is beginning to be a very well known subject in the U.S. And the CDC and other groups have taken the steps to investigate and find out the amounts of deaths and injuries among teens.
These acts go hand in hand with sexual abuse or sexual assault, dating violence and teen dating violence.
It is important for you to understand that sometimes stalking plays such a large role in most of these assaults. Many people do not know that there are  Federal and State laws that can protect a person in these unfortunate situations.

The "SAFE HORIZON website" states, that according to the U.S. Department of Justice, stalking is defined as "a pattern of repeated and unwanted attention, harassment, contact, or any other course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear." Stalking behavior can include

• Harassing a victim through the Internet, including email, social networking sites, and other sites
• Damaging or threatening to damage a victim's property
• Making direct or indirect threats to harm the victim or the victim's children and family, friends, pets, and even co-workers
• Following or laying in wait for a victim at places victims tend to frequently visit, including home, school, or work
• Repeated, unwanted, intrusive, and frightening communications, by phone, mail, and/or email

Stalking may also involve or be defined as:

• Harassing or threatening tactics used by a perpetrator that is both unwanted and causes fear in the victim.
• Behavior ranges from overtly aggressive threats and actions, to repeated phone calls, letters, emails, texts or violent approaches.
• There are anti-stalking laws in place, both federal and state, designed to protect victims of stalkers

There are other acts that also can be related to stalking, for example:

• Controlling behavior
• Not letting you hang out with your friends
• Calling, texting or emailing you frequently to find out where you are, who you're with, and what you're doing
• Telling you what to wear
• Having to be with you all the time
• Unwanted Jealousy over friendships and escalation of anger and violence

In February of this year 2012 a young woman age 20 who was a well known lacrosse player was in her college in Harrisonburg, VA was injured and died at the hand of a young man who was stalking her and then decided to injure and kill her.

Over 90% of female homicide victims are killed by someone they know, and 76% of these victims were stalked before their deaths. 

From 2009 to 2012, 40% of mass shootings started with the shooter targeting his girlfriend, wife or ex-wife.  There are about 3.4 million women and men who are stalking victims per year.

 More than 50% are 30 years of age and younger.

Women are more likely to stalked than raped. 

Believe it or not about 10% of victims are stalked by a stranger. 

Many victims who are stalked have these personal items damaged, their lives threatened and their families or animals harmed as well.

 The statistics in the US Department of Justice by Katrina Baum, Ph.D., Shannan Catalano, Ph.D., and Michael Rand and Kristina Rose state that during a 12-month period an estimated 14 in every 1,000 persons age 18 or older were victims of stalking. About half (46%) of stalking victims experienced at least one unwanted contact per week, and 11% of victims said they had been stalked for 5 years or more. Nearly 3 in 4 stalking victims knew their offender in some capacity.

The federal government, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories have enacted laws making stalking a criminal act, although the elements defining the act of stalking differ across states. The USDOJ.gov states that:

 Stalking laws

While the federal government, all 50 states, the District 

of Columbia, and U.S. Territories have enacted 

criminal laws to address stalking, the legal definition 

for stalking varies across jurisdictions. State laws vary 

regarding the element of victim fear and emotional 

distress, as well as the requisite intent of the stalker. 

Some state laws specify that the victim must have 

been frightened by the stalking, while others require 

only that the stalking behavior would have caused a 

reasonable person to experience fear. In addition 

states vary regarding what level of fear is required. 

Some state laws require prosecutors to establish fear 

of death or serious bodily harm, while others require 

only that prosecutors establish that the victim suffered 

emotional distress. Interstate stalking is defined by 

federal law 18 U.S.C. § 2261A.

 If you feel like someone is threatening you or you feel in danger or have a feeling someone else is in danger please contact 911 immediately. You can also contact:

Crime Victims Hotline 866.689.HELP (4357)

  For more information on the Bureau of Justice Statistics please visit: http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/docs/stalking-victimization.pdf 

Remember according to God's word the Lord disapproves of anyone spying, stalking or meddling in anyone's affairs. Someone once said there is a huge difference between spying out the land and spying on someone's freedoms. 

• But because of the false brothers brought in quietly, who sneaked in to spy upon our freedom which we have in union with Christ Jesus, that they might completely enslave us— to these we did not yield by way of submission, no, not for an hour, in order that the truth of the good news might continue with you. (Galatians 2:4,5)
•   There are six things that Jehovah does hate; yes, seven are things detestable to his soul: lofty eyes, a false tongue, and hands that are shedding innocent blood, a heart fabricating hurtful schemes, feet that are in a hurry to run to badness, a false witness that launches forth lies, and anyone sending forth contentions among brothers.(Proverbs 6: 16-19)