On Feb. 8 Alissa Blanton was murdered by Roger Troy, who stalked her for two years. A week before her death, Blanton was denied an order of protection by Brevard County Circuit Court Judge Dean Moxley.
Along with the delight of being in a new city, I have struggled as a feminist with whether or not I needed to have some form of hand-held self-defense. I did a quick survey, and National NOW staff members and interns have carried the following items for self protection: pepper spray, tai chi skills, a whistle key ring, a big heavy bag, mace, keys, even an old showerhead.
Shackling of pregnant women is an alarming trend in United States’ prisons. Only six states in the U.S. have laws expressly condemning the practice. The Pennsylvania legislature recently introduced an anti-shackling bill that received unanimous approval in the Judiciary Committee, and Washington state has a proposed bill hopefully being introduced soon. As more women are being incarcerated as a result of increasingly harsh drug laws, the number of pregnant women in prison has also increased, making shackling an even more pressing issue.
The 37th anniversary of the Roe decision took place just days after CBS violated its own policy of turning down socially controversial ads to accept Focus on the Family’s anti-abortion rights spot (suspiciously, CBS would later announce a change in policy after accepting the ad). Jan. 22 was also the opening day of Scott Roeder’s trial for the murder of Dr. George Tiller, an abortion provider in Wichita, Kansas. NOW, Feminist Majority, National Abortion Federation, and others tracking anti-abortion violence recognize Dr. Tiller’s murder as domestic terrorism.
This morning the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released the nominees for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. Lee Daniel’s film “Precious” was nominated for best picture, best director, best actress, and best supporting actress.