(from CNN) — Last month, thousands of people in Saudi Arabia opened up their newspapers to find a full-page picture of a woman with a black eye clearly visible underneath her burqa.

Below the image ran the slogan in Arabic, “Some things can’t be covered”, and a list of phone numbers for local domestic abuse shelters. In a culture that tends to turn a blind eye to the issue of violence towards women, it was a shocking and powerful image.

“It’s a problem that’s been swept under the carpet for years,” says Scott Abbott, the creative director for Memac Ogilvy, the Riyadh-based agency responsible for the advert.

When Ogilvy approached the King Khalid Foundation, a charity that focuses on issues of advocacy and developing the country’s non-profit sector, they weren’t sure what type of reaction to expect.

“I think that there was always a real concern that, given the subject matter, it would never get through,” says Abbott.

A major push came from Saudi princess HRH Banderi A.R. Al Faisal, the foundation’s director. Though the campaign has captured the public’s attention, both within Saudi and abroad, where an English version has made the rounds online, Al Faisal says she doesn’t see the ad as shocking.

“My media and PR team were a bit nervous going into this, saying, ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’” she admits. “I didn’t understand why. I don’t understand what is so controversial. Who will say, ‘Yes, it’s ok for women to be beaten up’?”

Saudi women are legally reliant on the permission of their male guardians to travel freely, driving is still a socially contentious issue and there are no laws that protect victims of domestic abuse. According to Al Faisal, however, change is in the air.

“For several years, domestic abuse was sort of the elephant in the room. There was nowhere for a woman to go if she was abused because a system wasn’t set up to handle that,” she admits. Though the issue is still not completely out in the open, she notes the last few years has seen a rise in shelters that cater to female victims of violence.

It has been a watershed year for women’s rights in the conservative country. So far, women have been accepted into the government’s advisory Shura Council, given the right to vote, gained entry into a range of new professions (including engineering and law) and granted permission to have their own IDs without guardian permission.

Adam Coogle, a Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch, admits that though these measures are impressive, more needs to be done to protect women inside the country.

“There are no laws that protect women specifically. If, for example, a woman claims rape, and a man says it was consensual, she can face a counter charge of adultery,” he says.

Though there is currently no law that punishes a man for beating his wife, the King Khalid Foundation has prepared legislation that would do just that. In fact, it is the pending bill, which would decide the punitive measures abusers could face (a mix of imprisonment, financial restitution and loss of custody), that spurred the campaign to begin with.

Last year, the Shura Council pushed through similar legislation the foundation helped pen protecting the rights of children in abusive situations. Al Faisal is confident that the drafted legislation will meet with the same level of success.
Coogle, however, says that Saudi still needs to overcome considerable social hurdles before the situation improves.

“Women who speak out about emotional abuse or neglect often face societal judgments. There is a prevalent attitude that if a man hits his wife, it’s acceptable, because she’s not being a good wife.”

Coogle points to a ten year old study in the Journal of Muslim Affairs where Saudi men were polled on whether they ever hit their wives — 53% answered yes.

Al Faisal agrees that the Saudi mindset has to change and notes that a major obstacle is the naturally guarded nature of the culture.

“This is a very private society, and we tend to try to deal with things discreetly. We do not air our dirty laundry in public, as families or as communities,” she says. “The negative side of that discretion is that it allows abusive behavior to thrive, because it is not stopped.”

A main goal of the campaign is to create a countrywide social dialogue. In that regard, says Abbott, the campaign has been successful.

“Outside of the two days of ads we ran, it’s been printed on the front page of national newspapers,” he says. “People are talking about it, and it’s been largely well-received.”

It seems Boston Bruins fans don’t have the market cornered on stupidity and YES I have been a Bruins fan since about 1980.

Just a couple of days after a Leafs backer was knocked unconscious while supporting his team in Boston, resulting in a concussion and broken jaw, a sign held by a Maple Leafs fan outside the Air Canada Centre on Monday has triggered an avalanche of online outrage. Before Monday night’s Game 3 between the Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins, photos surfaced online of a Leafs fan holding a sign that read “Toronto Stronger.” The message is a direct reference to “Boston Strong,” a campaign that became a mantra in that city after the Boston Marathon bombings. The April 15 explosions killed three people and injured more than 260. Shortly after the sign appeared, it triggered an angry response on Twitter, with many saying the sign was in bad taste in light of the Boston attacks. I get how some sports fans take their love for their team to extremes, I really do. But there comes a point when you cross the line from loyalty and devotion to being a classless idiot.
I’ll take it a step further; Immature? Insensitive? In poor taste? Bad judgment? Dickhead? All of the above.

But let’s not get sucked in and blow it all out of proportion because if we do, the bad guys win again – we bring attention to the bad, the loss the sorrow and violence and that draws attention away from the heroics, the healing and the resolve.

I truly believe that this was a kid with a sign that meant absolutely zero dis-respect to dead people put there by radical Islamic sandrats but rather used this sign to get into the heads of the Bruins playing on the ice. It’s sports – it’s a misguided and sophomoric way of viewing the world but it is the way it is. “ The Sign” (as it’s now characterized in the media) had nothing to do with the blood on Boylston Street and everything to do with a culture that placed Sport above all else.

The case in point is 2001. I didn’t root for the Yankees in the World Series when others softened “because it’s for New York.” Sorry, It was Pennsylvania and Virginia too and the nation as a whole. Root for the Yankees in the World Series? You could not get me to root for them in a spring training game versus Godzilla and Kong. I don’t use sports as a metaphor to cheer a team onto victory – they get paid too much money to be motivated by faux-patriotism; win because you are paid to win.

I enjoy sports to get away from real life – there is no life and death involved. None. Zero. Zilch. The kid is an idiot and worse but I can’t get worked up over a sign that has tried to detract from the swell of Resolve in Beantown – I refuse to waste the energy on a kid I don’t know and for a mistake he made that HE embarrassed himself, his city  and his family over.

He’s a nothing and nothings don’t bother me.

I have no beef with Jason Collins be gay or outing himself or what he does in his bedroom. Is it for me? No. Does it work for him? Apparently.

This past week I got into a social media bru-ha-ha with a good/ great friend and my daughter and another person that is one of the most caring and sincere people I know and love. I wrote the following and found myself defending myself as an intolerant, gay-basher:

“NBA journeyman Jason Collins is gay. He averaged 3.9 RPG and 3.6 PPG for 6 teams in 12 seasons. He was released by the Washington Wizards and then took the perceived noble and brave stance of declaring his gayness. NOT IMPRESSED. Mr. Collins was drafted in round 1 of the 2001 NBA draft; noble and brave would have been to stand in front of the Commissioner and press in 2001 and declare “I’m a number 1 pick and I’m gay.” No one is beating down Collins door and the NBA career is over,THIS IS WHY JASON COLLINS CAME OUT. See you on the book tour Jason; won’t be watching your reality show.”

It escalated …

• 

  Elizabeth Howell Brown I don’t think you can condemn anyone for coming out and their choice of how it’s done. For all we know, someone was about to out him.

  April 29 at 9:12pm via mobile · Unlike · 4
• 

  Bruce Novozinsky $100 charity-to-charity he’s plugging it on Ellen by Christmas. As far as the Reality show goes,see the offer in SI from 4 weeks ago. Who did he come out to..? Oh, Sports Illustrated. I stand by my “career over, opportunity knocking .”Part of Brave and noble is not allowing yourself to be handled. He was A number one pick (round) not THE number one pick.

  April 29 at 9:13pm via mobile · Like
• 
• Elizabeth Howell Brown Forget about Jason. Think of the next person who wants to come out, the first round draft pick. After reading nasty tweets and news articles, views similar to yours– don’t you think they would second guess coming out after seeing the reaction? We need less judging, more supporting.

  April 29 at 9:32pm via mobile · Like · 2

• 
• Emily Novozinsky I bet by outing himself, he helped a ton of others realize that it doesn’t matter how high or low of a social circle you’re in: if you love something or someone, you’re allowed to. And I strongly believe that a few bad judgments will definitely not outweigh the support he has.

  April 30 at 9:11am via mobile · Unlike · 4
• 

  Elizabeth Howell Brown Absolutely, EnEn

  April 30 at 9:26am via mobile · Like
• 

  Bruce Novozinsky I love this debate. Respectful and thought provoking.

  April 30 at 9:43am via mobile · Like
• 

  Adele Berardi Bruce, really???? It would be a lot easier for him had he stayed in the closet. be REAL and be thankful you do not know what it is like to worry about something like this in your own little corner of your sky.

  April 30 at 2:04pm · Like · 1
• 

  Bruce Novozinsky Unfair to make that assumption Adele. There are varying degrees of what one considers painful to keep inside. The gay community does not hold the marketplace on internal conflict.

  April 30 at 2:12pm via mobile · Like · 1
• 

  Emily Novozinsky If he came out while in his prime, with the amount of physical contact in basketball he would have been ripped apart. Now that he isn’t in the main spotlight, he realized he finally had the chance to express himself. 12 YEARS later.

  April 30 at 2:14pm via mobile · Unlike · 2
• 

  Bruce Novozinsky On the subject of NBA Baller Jason Collins, Kobe Bryant tweeted: “Proud of @jasoncollins34. Don’t suffocate who u r because of the ignorance of others” … Is this the same Kobe Bryant that called NBA referee Bennie Adams a “fucking faggott?” Yup, just Googled it.

  April 30 at 2:26pm via mobile · Like · 1
• 

  Elizabeth Howell Brown I thought your argument was the timing, not the gay factor.

  April 30 at 2:28pm via mobile · Like · 2
• 

  Bruce Novozinsky Adele, once again, I’m only questioning the motives of the timing. First comes the book. Then the GLAAD awards and then the Director of Diversity for the NBA.

  April 30 at 2:29pm via mobile · Like
• 

  Emily Novozinsky And people become more open minded and accepting all the time. You should try it!

  April 30 at 2:30pm via mobile · Like · 3
• 

  Bruce Novozinsky Pointing out the Left hypocrisy.

  April 30 at 2:30pm via mobile · Like
• 

  Elizabeth Howell Brown If you support the LGBT community, you should be cheering Ellen for having him on, and supporting all of his accomplishments. Ever think he did the nba and its players a favor? Now they can hide behind his poor stats, instead of coming off as intolerant and ignorant.

  April 30 at 2:35pm via mobile · Like · 2
• 

  Bruce Novozinsky I don’t support the LGBT community. I applaud and decry some of their actions and causes as much as I condemn and support actions of the Catholic Church. I admire Ellen and respect Anderson Cooper. I would have personally shot the scum that killed Matthew Sheppard and of the 6 men I admire most, Father M. Judge is number 5 and I recite his prayer each morning. Anyone else want to thinly jab me as a homophobe?

  April 30 at 2:44pm via mobile · Like
• 

  Elizabeth Howell Brown Think you just outed yourself.

  April 30 at 2:45pm via mobile · Unlike · 2
• 

  Adele Berardi Bruce did you read the SI article? Why must you often(not always) assume the worst? maybe he didn’t come out in his prime because he thought it would ruin his chance of participation? maybe he doesn’t have as much to lose at this point of his life? Y…See More

  May 1 at 8:39am · Like · 3
• 

  Adele Berardi I do not say you are a homophobe. I believe maybe you stir a pot which doesn’t need even more stirring.

  May 1 at 8:40am · Like · 1
• 

  Emily Novozinsky Exactly, no one is saying you’re a homophobe. But everyone needs time to figure out who they really are, and it’s no one else’s business but their own when that time is. Famous or homeless, the pot doesn’t need stirring, just live and let live.

  May 1 at 8:56am via mobile · Like · 2
• 

  Adele Berardi Emily, you know I love you so much, but you have moved up 22 notches in my book. You are beautiful inside and out….not always easy for a pretty teenager!!!

  May 1 at 10:14am · Like · 1
• 

  Adele Berardi And I do love your dad too, for who he is.

  May 1 at 10:16am · Edited · Like · 1

I believe that as Americans we are all entitled to the same and unalienable rights as every man, woman and child on the face of this earth that God was good enough to loan to us. Do I think/ believe that there would be same sex marriage? No. Marriage is the sacrament; civil union is the light at the end of the tunnel that does not have a train attached to it. “Marriage equality” is the new rally call that is taking the place of “same-sex marriage.” Don’t be fooled. The connotation that SSM is associated with ‘sex’ and the losing efforts of Prop-8 left activists to react and place a more positive marketing tag to the agenda, and this is the advent of the term.

My issue with Mr. Collins is not where he decides to slam-dunk and with whom, it’s with his timing. Twelve years ago he was the 18th overall pick of the NBA draft. He was not brave or a hero or even a pioneer – he was a closeted gay man with a secret that he went to great lengths to mask – period. He hid. At the same time he did come out and while I’m not applauding him and his lack of hall of fame career, I support my daughters (and her good friends) admiration of Collins by purchasing a Washington Wizards custom 98 shirt for them (and me). I’ve had a week of bruce-bashing to think over the criticism I took and can honestly say, I stand by my thoughts and objective opinions of Mr. Collins. He’s at the end of his career and is going to now parlay his below average basketball career into a league front office job, write the book and be on Ellen. Good for him; just come out and say it.

I’ve also had the time to consider this as well.

We are asked to acknowledge the Rights of an isolated, albeit powerful group with Same-sex Marriage at the same time and under the same administration that we are being told to give up guns (which I am a moderate on) and religious liberties and freedoms. The Left and gay activist groups want to be heard but they want suppress the opinions of the opposition at the same time – last I read, in 1776 in Philadelphia there was quite an argument that based this country’s founding and existence on. Why is it that my opinion on the sincerity of Mr. Collins is called insensitive and homophobic? Have I given any reason for anyone to believe that I’m a gay-basher? I’m simply voicing my opinions of a public figure that decided to make himself more public.

I’m not alone.

We say we want athletes, public figures, role models, kids to take stands and have opinions, but this is a big fat lie. What we mean is that we want these people to be of our own ilk. To like what we like, to support what we support. Hero’s? please. Jackie Robinson was not a “hero” for his skin color – he was a hero because his head was tossed at (sans a batting helmet); he was shut out of hotel rooms, he was called ni by 9 year old boys and came back the next day to the same ignorance, racism and violence. You see, you can hide gay, you can’t hide skin.

We have screwed ourselves out of heroes. And we have nobody to blame for this but ourselves. Jason and Jackie share three things in common, skin color, a number on their jersey and athletic ability. Ninety-eight is a man to be respected and admired but what he could have faced on Draft Day 2001 if he said, “I’m Jason and I’m gay” would still be a fraction of a fraction of what 42 faced on his best day in 1947. This is the widest river that separates Jackie from Jason.

Oh what the hell …. After reading the posting below, feel free (like I did) to give Jimmy a call on his personal cell phone; I’m posting it here with his email to boot:  Jim Goodness(973) 497-4186 (office); (973) 202-2317 (Cell) … goodneja@rcan.org 

First off, the reporting of Michael Fugee (I can’t bring myself to call him “Father”) done by Newark Star Ledger reporter Mark Mueller was nothing sort of stellar.  Objective, factual and hardline. A tremendous job.

Youth Ministers, Michael and Amy Lenehan willfully and knowingly put children of the Diocese of Trenton in direct contact with a man (Michael Fugee) who  was charged with criminal sexual contact in 2001 after he was accused of fondling the genitals of a 14-year-old boy. This man, is an admitted homosexual/ bisexual and child molester (and I am NOT saying that being gay means that you are a pedophile) who confessed to touching the boy, acknowledging to police that it sexually excited him. Archbishop John Meyers had full knowledge of him being in the Diocese of Trenton, lied and Goodness swears to the lie.

The easy thing for me to have done would have been to step in and take a sledge hammer to the situation surrounding Fugee, his boss, Archbishop John J. Meyers,  Rev. Thomas Triggs, pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in Colts Neck and his two lap-sap, youth ministers — Michael and Amy Lenehan — who had invited the Fugee to take part in youth retreats and other activities with teens knowing full well his legal and USCCB restrictions stemming from his assault on teen boys.

My more immediate concern was of course for the kids, but it also reached to my Diocese as well. Hold a gun to my head on day-one of this horror story and tell me that unless I concede that Bishop David M. O’Connell knew that Fugee was 1) AT St. Mary and/ or 2) knew that he went on retreat with his kids of his diocese, what’s left of my brains would be splatted, I’d say, “pull the trigger.” I am not an apologist for any member of any clergy member but I can say and did say to the Bishop that I, without reservation truly believe that he was not a party to any of this. I agree with Bishop O’Connell when he said In the past, that the Diocese handled the abuse crisis in a poor way and he needs to concentrate on the future and present to ensure of the safety of his children. I disagree that he has done everything possible to protect the kids  because there are sealed names of former priests that are in our neighborhoods and near to kids. I have encouraged the Bishop to release those names and the names of all credibly named religious in his Diocese that have been accused of sexual crimes as 22 other United States Dioceses have. However there is absolutely no way David M. O’Connell had any inkling as to the law breaking, agreement violations that was unfolding in Colts Neck – none

So yes, I will defend O’Connell on this instance and layout what I know to be true.

• If one thinks for a moment that Bishop O’Connell met with Father Triggs  for the first time on Saturday, May 4, is mistaken. Triggs has said to a mutual acquaintance that he was “dressed down and knew it was coming” in reference to his own resignation – he was fired

• By most accounts, Triggs is a good priest that got caught up in a very, very bad mess. He’s an opportunist and career climber. I’m convinced that he was taken in by Fugee, Meyers and the February 7, 2013 letter addressed to all priest in his Archdiocese that was used as support for Fugee. Now he’ll pay the price and be reassigned or re-directed to a desk job, hospital chapel or another diocese – he brought this on himself; he needed to be diligent and failed in that capacity. He also failed to protect his children of his parish. St Mary is a plum assignment at an affluent parish, to think for one moment that a homosexual child predator is ministering to children of a parish of this nature without the consent of the pastor knowing that his youth minister (Mrs. Amy Lenehan) was a prior spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Newark is absolutely unheard of, irresponsible and a bol-faced lie on the part of Triggs

• As far as personal friends for decades to Fugee,  Michael and Amy Lenehan are concerned – “stepped down?” yeah… hmm,  no. they were booted – bye-bye. You can call it a Triggs move if you want; I can tell you that it came from higher than the pastor and certainly prior to May 4

• Archbishop John J Meyers is a liar and harbors known sexual offenders

• The Archdiocese of Newark spokesperson,  Jim Goodness is a disingenuous, arrogant person – he is incapable of being smart enough to lie so he just puts his foot further and further into his mouth and then insults those around him by being nothing short of a flak for Meyers

The last two bullets are strong statement so let me clarify and explain.

Bullet four – Archbishop John J Meyers is a liar and harbors known sexual offenders. Meyers is an embarrassment to the Church. To compound the arrogance and unbelievable nature of the Fugee punishment it was Meyers that assisted in composing the USCCB’s Dallas Charter that is the written word to the mandatory sentencing of Fugee of ever serving in any ministry to kids after his crotch-groping of teen boys. Additionally, this is not Meyers’ first step to the plate of harboring and protecting known sex offenders and it needs to be noted that in each case listed below, Meyers hand signature is on released documents supporting each claim of complaisantly and approval of each of the listed moves:

• In 2010 the Star-Ledger review of the archbishop’s record since 2002 shows Myers on at least four occasions has shielded priests accused of sexual abuse against minors and one adult. In the four instances, the priests have either admitted improper sexual contact, pleaded guilty to crimes stemming from accusations of sexual misconduct or been permanently barred from ministry by the archdiocese after allegations of sexual misconduct. The archdiocese also wrote a letter of recommendation for one of the priests, a week after it learned he was accused of breaking into a woman’s home in Florida and possibly assaulting her
• In 2004, the Newark Archdiocese wrote letters to six dioceses in Florida on behalf of the Rev. Wladyslaw Gorak, one week after learning Gorak’s ministry had been terminated in the Orlando Diocese — after he was accused of breaking into a woman’s home
• Also in 2004, the archdiocese banned the Rev. Gerald Ruane from public ministry after investigating an allegation he molested a boy, but did not publicly notify lay people or other priests. Ruane continued to say Mass and wear his collar in public
• In 2007, the archdiocese failed to inform lay people that it found a molestation claim credible against the Rev. Daniel Medina, who had worked in parishes in Elizabeth and Jersey City. The case wasn’t made public until a victims group uncovered an alert sent by the archdiocese in September 2008 to other bishops saying Medina was on administrative leave and could not be located

Bullet 5- The Archdiocese of Newark spokesperson,  Jim Goodness is a disingenuous, arrogant person – he is incapable of being smart enough to lie so he just puts his foot further and further into his mouth and then insults those around him by being nothing short of a flak for Meyers.

I’m going back only two weeks ago. I will line up the statements of the Newark Archdiocese, the Newark Archbishop and the statements of the Spokesperson Jim Goodness to the “letter of resignation” of Michael Fugee. You decide:

Goodness says: On April 28, Goodness denied any legal or Dallas Charter agreement had been breached, saying the archdiocese has interpreted the document to mean Fugee could work with minors as long as he is under the supervision of priests or lay ministers who have knowledge of his past and of the conditions in the agreement. “We believe that the archdiocese and Father Fugee have adhered to the stipulations in all of his activities, and will continue to do so,” Goodness said

The Lie being … In addition to Fugee and Prosecutor John Molinelli, the archdiocese’s vicar general signed the agreement on behalf of Myers, pledging to abide by the restrictions on Fugee’s ministry. The document — which can be found on NJ.com, the online home of The Star-Ledger — states explicitly that Fugee may not have unsupervised contact with children, minister to children or work in any position in which children are involved. “This includes, but is not limited to, presiding over a parish, involvement with a youth group, religious education/parochial school, CCD (or Sunday school), confessions of children, youth choir, youth retreats and day care,” the agreement says

Fugee’s Letter of Resignation says: “…The leadership of the Archdiocese of Newark, especially Archbishop John Myers, did not know or approve of my actions.  My failure to request the required permissions to engage in those ministry activities is my fault, my fault alone…”

Goodness says : “He engaged in activities that the archdiocese was not aware of and that were not approved by us, and we would never have approved them because they are all in conflict with the memorandum of understanding,”

Rayanne Bennett, a spokeswoman for Trenton Bishop David M. O’Connell says:  Fugee’s work with St. Mary’s took place without the diocese’s knowledge or permission. “Upon learning of this, the diocese has addressed this matter with the parish and reached out to the archdiocese,” Bennett said in a statement. “The Archdiocese has reported that Father Fugee is a priest in good standing and free to minister in another diocese.”

The Archdiocese of Newark website says today: “The Archdiocese only learned about two weeks ago when approached by a reporter that Fr. Fugee had engaged in other activities or ministries. The activities written about in recent news stories were not part of his assigned ministry.  Had the Archdiocese known about them at the time, permission to undertake them would not have been granted.”

Goodness said on May 1 :… “The fact is, he has done nothing wrong.” He then went on to acknowledge that Even if Fugee heard private confessions from minors, those supervising Fugee were always nearby. – HUH? So there were eyes in the confessional?

The Archdiocese of Newark website says today: “Fr. Fugee remains a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark, but he no longer has faculties to minister publicly as a priest.   He cannot present himself as a priest, cannot wear clerical clothing, and cannot perform publicly the duties or activities of a priest.

What that means: Fugee will get a stipend from YOUR contributions to the collection basket, insurance from YOUR contributions to the collection basket and a place to live from YOUR contributions to the collection basket. PLUS he will be eligible for unemployment once (if) he is defrocked.

Where is the outrage?

By Michelle Malkin  •  May 6, 2013 09:38 AM

Barack Obama’s violent Chicago domestic terrorist pal is still clinging to his bombs. Guilty as hell, free as a bird.

At Kent State this weekend, he defended the Weather Underground attacks, whitewashed the bloody consequences of his ideological zealotry, attacked the United States as the “most violent” country in the world, called John McCain a mass murderer, and glorified left-wing radicalism. Via the Akron Beacon Journal:

Ayers, a keynote speaker at Saturday’s annual May 4 commemoration of the National Guard shootings at Kent State in 1970 that left four students dead, spoke briefly after giving his talk before an estimated 350 people on the university’s Commons.

There is no relationship at all between what Weather Underground members did and the bombings that two brothers allegedly committed on April 15 in Massachusetts, Ayers said in response to a reporter’s question. No one died in the Weather Underground bombings.

Lie.

In his talk to the crowd, Ayers mentioned that in 1970, he lost three friends in the Weather Underground, including his lover, Diana Oughton. He did not explain in his talk how they died – they were killed when nail bombs they were making in a Greenwich Village townhouse blew up.

Telling the crowd the circumstances of those deaths would have been “inappropriate,” Ayers said afterward. “Everybody here knows,” he said.

Authorities said the bombs were intended to be used at a dance at the Fort Dix Army base in New Jersey.

And as I’ve been recounting the past several weeks, Weather Underground/Black Liberation Army violence resulted in the deaths of untold law enforcement officers and security guards.

The man has no shame. No shame at all:

Ayers, a retired professor of education at the University of Illinois-Chicago, co-founded the anti-Vietnam War Weather Underground group that bombed the U. S. Capitol, the Pentagon and other buildings in the late 1960s and into the early 1970s. The radical Weather Underground took its name from lyrics in a Bob Dylan song.

The United States is the most violent country that has ever been created, Ayers said.

U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., committed daily war crimes in Vietnam “and I get asked about violence when what I did was some destruction of property to issue a scream and cry against an illegal war in which 6,000 people a week are being killed,” Ayers said. “Six thousand a week being killed and I destroyed some property. Show me the equivalence. You should ask John McCain that question … I’m against violence.”

Another 1960s leftover spoke:

Other speakers included Tom Hayden, 73, a 1960s antiwar activist, former head of Students for a Democratic Society, California politician, author and ex-husband of actress Jane Fonda.

“There’s no worse death than the death of forgetting,” Hayden said in his closing comments.

Oh, we will never forget.

Through a rapist’s eyes. A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:

1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.
2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.
3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.
4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.
5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.
6] Number three is public restrooms.
7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.
8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.
9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas, or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.
10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.

POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:

1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.
2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.
3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.
4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh – HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.
5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.
6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.
7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.
2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.
5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .
b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT

IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).
7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!
8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well-educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

REPOSTED with consent of the Huffington Post

“Vatican Quest,” a video game created by RoundGames.com, has come under fire in Spain due to its take on the Pope’s activities, mainly acting as a pimp for pedophile cardinals.

MasLibres.org a self defined “social initiative in favor of religious freedom” has asked the game to be taken down from Spanish platform minijuegos.com, calling out the platform’s president, Oscar Moreno, according to non-profit organization HazteOir.org.

MasLibres’ spokesman, Miguel Vidal said “Reducing to caricature the drama of child sexual abuse, and then profiting from it, offends the victims and their families,” according to the Daily News.

“This trend of hurting the church and Catholics must have a limit. Unfortunately on some web pages that are currently hosting the game it has become the most popular with its readers,” concluded Vidal, according to El Huffington Post

The game was released in March. The player controls the Pope character, who looks a lot like Pope Benedict XVI, and helps him deliver young boys to Roman Catholic Cardinals, who then put their arms around the youngsters and disappear through doors with them. The Pope must not be caught by reporters and journalists with cameras or the game is over.

It’s not hard to see where the controversy is coming from.

Pope Benedict XVI’s reign was plagued with underage sexual abuse cases by priests. Yet the Pope was the first one to openly apologize and called for a zero-tolerance approach to the problem.

This is not the first time Round Games has released a game around a controversial theme, “Osama’s Revenge” and “North Kim Jong Nuke Trouble” are two of the company’s most memorable ones.