Never Again

There are some things that should not need to be written. Not in the 21st century. Not for a world that 72-years ago said, “Never Again!” I awoke this morning to a study done by Amnesty International, an organization that exposes human rights violations. The study was not easy to read and I apologize if my words disturb you, but the truth must be heard.

Before I tell you about the study, let me first tell you about how the civil war in Syria began. The war started because of children. In 2011, 15 schoolchildren were arrested and tortured for writing anti-government graffiti on a wall. The citizens were outraged and formed peaceful protests asking for the release of the children, democracy and freedom for the people. On March 18, 2011, the military, under the control of Bashar al-Assad, opened fire on the protesters killing four people. The following day, the military arrived at the funeral of one of the fallen and shot and killed another person. That was the beginning of a civil war that continues to this day.

During the war, Assad has broken international law and used chemical weapons on civilians and rebels. The turmoil in Syria has allowed IS to step in and take over large areas of Syria, essentially creating a 3rd front that both Assad’s forces and the rebels need to fight. Assad’s unwillingness to abdicate his power and allow democracy to flourish has given IS more resources and more desperate people to bolster their ranks.  People who feel they have no other choice. However, the true horror of Bashar al-Assad was not fully known until today.

Between 2011 and 2015 in Saydnaya Prison an estimated 13,000 mostly civilians were executed in secret. A further 17,000 more are believed to have been executed in prisons throughout Syria. Every week, sometimes twice a week, guards would appear and call out the names of 50 people. They were told they were being transferred. Instead they are blindfolded and taken into a basement where they are severely beaten. Unable to see what is happening to them they are then led to another building. Before the final horror begins, the last thing they feel is a noose being tightened around their necks. “They kept them [hanging] there for 10 to 15 minutes. Some didn’t die because they are light. For the young ones, their weight wouldn’t kill them. The officers’ assistants would pull them down and break their necks,” said an eyewitness and former judge.

The conditions inside the prison are perhaps even worse. Assad has created “a world carefully designed to humiliate, degrade, sicken, starve and ultimately kill those trapped inside.” The prisoners are raped and are sometimes forced to rape other prisoners for the enjoyment of the guards. Torture is as normal to them as your morning coffee is to you. The floors of the prison are covered with blood and puss and food and water are often deprived. When they are fed it is often scattered onto that soiled floor. Each morning guards would dispose of bodies that didn’t make it through the night.

This is happening in our world. The world of Super Bowl parties and Dancing with the Stars.

One of Assad’s strongest supporters is Donald Trump’s favorite ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin. The reasons behind Russia’s support of Assad are complex and varied. In the most general of terms, Russia has significant economic and military interests in keeping Assad in power. While some of those interests fall in line with conventional wisdom (stopping IS), others do not, particularly against the backdrop of truly heinous crimes against humanity. As always, the Middle East is extremely volatile and decisions made by 3rd party countries can have detrimental effects that can last for decades. We need only look back at President George W. Bush’s horrendous mistake in Iraq that helped created ISIS in the first place. Solutions will not be easy and they will take a unified world to find.

There exists degrees of evil. I would hope that most agree that Assad is among the worst. However, my fear is that evil is spreading. Vladimir Putin, a former KGB agent has in the past decade, made criticizing his government a criminal offense. Add to that, government imposed censorship, the tacit approval of Assad’s methods, LGBT abuses and just this past week, Russia decriminalized domestic violence. This brings us to the United States.

In the past two weeks, admitted sexual predator Donald Trump has been attempting to tear down the very institutions of democracy and checks and balances within this country. When the judicial system has tried to slow him down to make sure his actions are constitutional, he has threatened them and placed targets on their back. When a media outlet dares to question him he demonizes and demeans them, calling them “fake news” yet never actually answers their concerns. He utters falsehoods with such frequency that even his staff has a difficult time managing truth from fiction. He uses regulatory power to control the wealthy and he uses fear and prejudice to control the minds of the weak and uneducated.

Over the course of this past year he has suggested the murder of an opposing candidate stating, “By the way, if she gets to pick, if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don't know.” He has stated that he supports beating protesters saying, “Knock the crap out of them, would you? Seriously. OK, just knock the hell -- I promise you, I will pay for the legal fees. I promise. I promise.” Even more disturbing is the following statement, “By the way, I hate some of these people, but I'd never kill them. I hate them. No, I think, no these people, honestly, I'll be honest, I'll be honest, I would never kill them. I would never do that. Let's see, uh, no I wouldn't.” He brought up killing people who oppose him and had to think about whether he would do it?! Trump may not be Assad yet but he is clearly only a couple degrees of evil removed. What is even more terrifying is how many people have bought into his propaganda even while he institutes policies that harm them.

Whenever we hear the words “Syrian refugees” we must remember the horrors of the world that they are escaping from and show compassion and acceptance. We are going through a time of immense turmoil and in many ways are going through our own cultural civil war. We cannot allow ourselves to become like Syria. We must not allow the branches of our government to be compromised by hate, fear and greed. We must not allow our own fears to keep us from reaching out a hand to a person in need. If we do not speak now, if we do not act now, then Bashar al-Assad, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will become this generation’s Axis of Evil and we will be complicit.

You can read the study by Amnesty International as well as some learning materials on the crisis in Syria and Russia through the links below:


http://www.amnestyusa.org/research/reports/human-slaughterhouse-mass-hangings-and-extermination-at-saydnaya-prison-syria

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/what-is-the-state-of-dissent-in-vladimir-putins-russia/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/16979186

Picture by: edwin.11

Virginia: Rape Victims Must Provide Video Proof of Attack to Prosecute.

In the land of the free, where a woman is raped every 24 seconds and only 3% of perpetrators ever face jail time, one state is finally fighting back. Virginia is hoping to aid rape victims by proposing a measure requiring that they provide video proof of the incident. The details of House Bill 7425 are as follows:

HB 7425: In order to facilitate prosecution, victims of a sexual assault are required to provide video evidence within 48-hours of the alleged attack. Prosecutors shall use this footage to determine:
1. If the act was consensual.
2. If the victim fought back in a reasonable and effective manner.
3. Whether the victim clearly informed the alleged attacker that the sexual act was not consensual.
4. Whether the victims’ clothing was excessively provocative.
5. Whether the alleged attacker reasonably believed the victim desired the encounter through the victims’ overly flirtatious manner or the amount of money spent on the victim over the course of the day.
6. Absent video evidence, it is assumed that the interaction was consensual.

This is not the first time Virginia Republicans have drawn criticism for their role in legislating women’s issues. In 2012, Republican Governor Bob McDonnell signed HB 462 forcing women to undergo an ultrasound prior to having an abortion. Many opponents viewed this as a form of “state sponsored rape”. In addition House Majority Leader Eric Cantor was vocal in his opposition to The Violence Against Women Act. Terry O’Neill, the president of the National Organization for Women, called Cantor's stance "completely outrageous" as it related to protecting Native American rape victims. "Who is Eric Cantor to say that it's okay for some women to get beaten and raped?"

When asked about the new bill McDonnell seemed optimistic that HB 7425 would help correct the misconception that conservatives do not care about victims of sexual assault:

“This bill protects the victim by ensuring that they’re not put through an embarrassing trial only to lose. Obviously there is a greater likelihood of justice being served with video evidence than without. Also, far too often, men’s lives are ruined by fraudulent rape accusations. This will weed out real victims from those who actually wanted to have intercourse. Plus, since everyone has a smart phone it doesn’t make any sense to me why these alleged real victims are not recording their attacks.”

Women all across the USA should feel a little safer knowing that Gov. McDonnell, Rep. Cantor and the state of Virginia are looking out for them. According to an intensive U.S. survey, an estimated 1 in 5 women have been victims of rape. It is further estimated that as many as 1.3 million American women are victims of rape each year. It is heartening to see members of the GOP finally taking this issue seriously.

This satiric article is dedicated to the victims of sexual violence all over the world.  NOBODY asks to be raped. It is a violent and horrific attack perpetrated by the sickest and most depraved human beings. Yesterday I read the story of Rehtaeh Parsons from Halifax, Nova Scotia. She was only 15 years old when she was gang raped by four boys. None of the rapists were prosecuted. Instead, they bragged by disseminating a picture of the attack. For the next 17-months Rehtaeh was propositioned, ridiculed and tormented by members of her own community. After more than a year and a half of psychological torture, Rehtaeh Parsons died following a suicide attempt on April 7. We must stand together to protect rape victims and force our governments to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Victims of Sexual Assault are:

3 times more likely to suffer from depression.
6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
13 times more likely to abuse alcohol.
26 times more likely to abuse drugs.
4 times more likely to contemplate suicide.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of a sexual assault please contact someone who can help. RAINN (Rape Abuse & Incest National Network) 1-800-656-HOPE. There are many people who care about you. You are not alone.


Photograph by: Lau_Lau Chan 

"...the beautiful"- Literary Art

Today, I have decided to share another piece of my "Literary Art" with you. You may remember one of my prior entries entitled "11"-Literary Art in which I explained my attempt to use words to illustrate the museum in my brain. "... the beautiful" is one of the first pieces I created. I warn you that this piece is extremely graphic and disturbing. I quite literally felt nauseous as I wrote the following. Inspired by a combination of news stories I read during one news day, I wanted to create a lasting photographic image that could burn into a person's memory, haunting them forever. Orbson Disciples are by now very familiar with the vast respect and love I have for all women. I find it unfortunate that not everyone shares that respect...

Title: …the beautiful

Subject: The treatment of women in the United States of America.

Medium: Photography. Mostly black and white with certain aspects represented with full and strong colors.

Summary:

The scene is a cold, gray alley that could be in any major city. Garbage bags both opened and unopened are strewn about from an overflowing dumpster. Graffiti plagues all of the surfaces. The photograph, while posed, appears completely realistic, as if you could walk directly into that alley and smell that garbage. You see small glimpses of color bursting amongst the mess from the otherwise black and white image. However, your eyes are locked onto the soulless cement ground where a young woman in her early 20’s lies in pain amongst the filth. Her expression is one of complete anguish and her face is wet with a mixture of blood and tears. Her clothes have been torn away revealing deep bruises over her body, covered in a mixture of dirt and violently red blood. The bruising extends to her thighs. You know what has happened. She is grasping a small, torn and filthy American flag in her hands. She is trying to use it to cover herself. She pulls and grasps as if it could provide protection, but it is too small.

You need to look away from the horrific image of the young woman and notice again the small bursts of color. A few feet away from the woman you see a Fortune 500 magazine cover with the “Richest Fifteen People in America”, only two of which are women. Covered partially by the dumpster there is an old broken street sign with only the number “80” visible. This represents the fact that even today, women make only 80% of what a man makes in the same job. Amongst the garbage hanging loosely from the dumpster you see a partially torn Victoria’s Secret poster which someone drew a penis upon. You look closer at the garbage upon the ground and note that the bags seem to form the number “6”. In the U.S.A. a woman is raped every 6 seconds. Upon the opposite wall from the dumpster you see a spray painted “15”. In the U.S.A. a woman is battered every 15 seconds. Every bit of color in the photograph represents the treatment of women. You notice that the only colors used were red, white and blue. You feel nauseous as you gaze again at the fragile and distressed young woman. You see the red, white and blue again in the American Flag. That American flag that does not cover, does not protect and does not heal.