Category: Uncategorized

The news broke this morning, but I was swamped buying school supplies, picking up kids, and trying to find new size 1 soccer cleats.

SB 131, The California Child Victims Act, has passed out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and now is now heading to the Assembly floor.

The vote is a huge win for all victims of abuse, who see this bill as a tremendous opportunity to expose abusers and hold wrongdoers accountable. It is also an important first step in the long-term goal holding of ALL institutions accountable for abuse.

What can you do?

Write your Assembly Member NOW and tell him or her that you support SB 131. Tell them that ALL victims support exposing as many predators as possible and keeping kids safer NOW. Be sure to also say that we will NEVER be able to hold public institutions accountable unless we take this important first step.

You can also throw in the crimes that have been exposed in your area ONLY because of the 2003 window.

You can find your Assembly Representative here. For a full list of California Assembly Members, click here.

 

 

**********************ACTION ALERT******************************

Want to take action TODAY to help victims and protect kids? Here’s how:

Tomorrow, Wednesday (8/21), the California State Assembly Appropriations Committee will consider a measure that makes it easier for child sex abuse victims to expose predators in court, keep kids safe right now and hold wrongdoers accountable.

Please take just a few minutes and contact the lawmakers below, urging them to vote YES on SB 131.

The San Jose Mercury News—as well as other papers across the state—have urged a yes vote. You can also read my previous posts about the bill here and here.

You CAN HELP! Please send an email TODAY. And please circulate this request to others you know understand the importance of shining the light of truth on child sexual abuse.

Here is the list of important legislators to contact. You can find their email address and phone numbers here.

Mike Gatto, Chair – County: LA; Main Cities: Burbank, Glendale, La Canada, La Crescenta, LA

Diane Harkey, Vice Chair – County: Orange; Main Cities: Alisa Viejo, Dana Point. Laguna Nigel, Mission Viejo, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano

Frank Bigelow – Counties: Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, Place and Tuolumne; Main Cities: Angels Camp, Ahwahnee, Auburn, Chowchilla, Ione, Jackson, Madera, O’Neals, Placerville, San Andreas and South Lake Tahoe

Raul Bocanegra – County: LA; Main Cities: North Hollywood, Pacoima, Panorama City, San Fernando, Sun Valley, Sylmar

Steve Bradford – County: LA; Main Cities: El Segundo, Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, LA, Marina Del Rey, Venice

Ian Calderon – Counties: LA and Orange; Main Cities: Buena Park, Hacienda Heights, La Mirada, La Puente, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, South El Monte and Whittier

Nora Campos – County: Santa Clara;  Main City: San Jose

Tim Donnelly – County: San Bernardino; Main Cities: Apple Valley, Barstow, Hesperia, San Bernardino and Victorville

Susan Talamantes-Eggman – County: San Joaquin; Main Cities: Mountain House, Stockton, Thornton and Tracy

Jimmy Gomez – County: LA; Main Cities: Alhambra, Glendale, LA and Montebello

Isadore Hall – County: LA;  Main Cities: Carson, Compton, LA, Lynwood, Wilmington, Gardena, Torrance and Long Beach

Chris Holden – Counties: LA and San Bernardino; Main Cities: Altadena, Arcadia, Claremont, Pasadena, San Dimas, Sierra Madre and Upland

Eric Linder – County: Riverside; Main Cities: Corona, Eastvale, Mira Loma, Norco and Riverside

Richard Pan – Counties: San Joaquin and Sacramento; Main Cities: Clarksburg, Elk Grove, Galt, Lodi and Sacramento

Bill Quirk – County: Alameda; Main Cities: Ashland, Castro Valley, Cherryland, Fairview, Fremont, Hayward, Pleasanton, San Lorenzo, Sunol and Union City

Don Wagner – County: Orange; Main Cities: Anaheim, Irvine, Lake Forest, Orange, Santa Ana and Tustin

Shirley Weber – County: San Diego; Main Cities: Bonita, Chula Vista, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, National City and San Diego

I had the pleasure of being a guest on KABC radio this morning, discussing secret personnel documents finally released by religious orders in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Click here for the audio.

 

Here is the complete list of dates:

 

SAN DIEGO, CA

Wednesday, June 26, 2013 at 7 pm

Alliant University, Green Hall, Co-sponsored by IVAT, the Institute on Violence Abuse and Trauma at Alliant University, 10455 Pomerado Road, San Diego

 

FULLERTON, CA

Thursday, June 27, 2013 at 7 pm

Fullerton Public Library – Presented as a part of Gustavo’s Awesome Lecture Series — 353 W. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton

 

SANTA BARBARA, CA

Friday, June 28 at 7 pm

Falkner Gallery, Santa Barbara Public Library, 40 E. Anapamu, Santa Barbara

Co-sponsored by Therapy Trust and SB Voice of the Faithful

 

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Saturday, June 29 at 2:30 pm

Mission Cultural Center Theater, 2868 Mission Street, San Francisco

 

SEATTLE, WA

Sunday, June 30 at 7:30 pm

Town Hall Seattle, 1119 Eighth Avenue, Seattle

Roman Polanski “blame[s] birth control pills for ‘masculinising’ women.”

From AFP:

Asked by a reporter how his views of women had changed over time, the filmmaker said he thought feminism and advances in contraception had blurred the distinctions between the sexes.

“I think that now offering flowers to a lady becomes indecent, that’s how I feel about it,” he told a news conference after a well-received screening of his film.

“I think to level the genders — it’s purely idiotic. I think it’s a result… of progress in medicine. I think that the Pill has changed greatly the woman of our times, ‘masculinising’ her — how would you say it?” he said, looking to his cast for a prompt.

He added: “I think that it chases away the romance from our lives and that’s a great pity.”

Oh yeah, because drugging a 13-year-old girl, raping her, and fleeing the country is SOOOO romantic.

Idiot.