Stephan: I have done several articles on sex abuse in the Roman Catholic and ultra-orthodox Jewish communities. Now a Mormon woman reader has sent me this, with a note saying, "Please look into this trend, Stephan. I am a Mormon woman, and my church has serious issues involving child sexual abuse. I experienced it myself. Ours is mostly heterosexual and involves pubescent girls." It came the same day I saw an article about a Mormon bishop being excommunicated because of his demand that the LDS church cleanup its act. So I have begun to track this Mormon trend. Here is the article the Mormon woman sent me.
The take away for me is that it confirms, for the umpteenth time, that fundamentalist patriarchial religions always have baked-in sexual dysfunctionality issues that basically play out as horny men and boys grooming and abusing children because children can be dominated, don't know how to fight back, and the men think they can get away with it.
In a time of heightened attention to sexual abuse in the Mormon community, leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints delivered a $50,000 donation to the Children’s Justice Center, a state run organization that helps victims of child abuse.
Five top LDS Church leaders were present to deliver the donation at the Salt Lake office of the Children’s Justice Center, all of them women.
After presenting a check, the leaders made themselves available for comment.
Sister Jean B. Bingham is the Relief Society General President, the church’s organization for adult women. She said addressing child abuse is a top priority for her and that female leaders are uniquely equipped to discuss abuse.
“We’ve all had that experience as a woman, having to be careful about where we are and who we are with,” Bingham said.
Earlier this year, the LDS Church updated its abuse guidelines in response to a number of accounts of local Mormon leaders failing to protect victims of abuse.
Bingham said that because many female leaders are also mothers, like herself, they can be uniquely attuned to what abused children may be going through.
“We may have a little bit better feeling of what a child needs for […]
Stephan: Here is a bit of good news concerning America's corrupt election system
In a win for increased transparency and those demanding an end to the so-called “dark money” eating away at U.S. democracy, the Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted a previous stay on a lower court ruling by rejecting the argument by right-wing advocacy groups who said they should not have to reveal the identity of big-dollar donors who fund their issue-based campaign ads.
Crucially, the ruling means that groups that in the past have been able to hide the source of their funding before, during, and after campaigns will have now have to make that information available before voters go to the polls—in this case, that means before the upcoming mid-term elections. Effective immediately, any group or individual making more than $250 in express advocacy ads — ads that tell viewers who to vote for or against — must now disclose the identities of all contributors who gave more than $200 in a year.
The decision came about after Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a liberal watchdog group, fought for the past six years to get the Federal […]
Stephan: Confirmation of a prediction SR has made several times over the past decade: if the federal level of government fails to deal with climate change, as is presently the case, then lower levels of government, states and, particularly cities, which really have to govern, will take it up. Here is the evidence.
Denver is one of 10 clean energy-embracing cities profiled in a new report from the Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 campaign. Credit: Doug Pensinger/Getty
A new report published by the Sierra Club serves as proof that despite the geography, politics and social norms that divide American cities, a growing number of towns big and small can come together and work towards a common goal: the rejection of fossil fuels in favor of clean, renewable energy sources.
Released just ahead of the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, the 2018 Case Study Report profiles 10 cities from coast to coast that have vowed to transition to 100 percent clean energy. They are Denver, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Orlando, Florida; Concord, New Hampshire; Columbia, South Carolina; Denton, Texas; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Norman, Oklahoma and Santa Barbara, California.
It’s a disparate mix — and there’s plenty more where these 10 towns came from. Per the Sierra Club, more than 80 cities in the U.S. are moving in the direction of 100 percent clean energy […]
Stephan: Here is a lovely proof of the Theorem of Wellbeing. It shows we can create social wellbeing in a post-carbon, climate change responsive manner. It's not money, or technology that is the problem, it is lack of political will.
Calle Mellado before and after the implementation of the scheme. Credit: Concello de Pontevedra
People don’t shout in Pontevedra – or they shout less. With all but the most essential traffic banished, there are no revving engines or honking horns, no metallic snarl of motorbikes or the roar of people trying make themselves heard above the din – none of the usual soundtrack of a Spanish city.
What you hear in the street instead are the tweeting of birds in the camellias, the tinkle of coffee spoons and the sound of human voices. Teachers herd crocodiles of small children across town without the constant fear that one of them will stray into traffic.
How can it be that private property – the car – occupies the public space?
César Mosquera
“Listen,” says the mayor, opening the windows of his office. From the street below rises the sound of human voices. “Before I became […]
Stephan: I believe the ICE agency should be disbanded, and something fair and honorable created in its place. ICE by design appears to hire thugs, bullies who operate under color of authority. That is their bias. And this should start at the top.
Ronald Vitiello, acting ICE director Credit: Getty
“That situation” was 2,500 children ripped from the arms of their parents and thrown into cages and detention facilities, where they’ve been forcibly drugged,physically abused, and emotionally brutalized. The administration still has over 200 children under U.S. custody, in blatant violation of a judge’s order. This should be a shameful mark on Trump officials, but they’ve already shown themselves to be incapable of feeling shame. Just look at the actions.
Vitiello’s appearance at the Federation for American Immigration Reform’s (FAIR) annual “Hold Their Feet to the Fire” event is gross, yet not a surprise. Donald Trump has stacked top posts in his administration with hate […]
In a win for increased transparency and those demanding an end to the so-called “dark money” eating away at U.S. democracy, the Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted a previous stay on a lower court ruling by rejecting the argument by right-wing advocacy groups who said they should not have to reveal the identity of big-dollar donors who fund their issue-based campaign ads.
