Survivors Foundation started by Norma Cruz - Page 1

Let me go on record as saying I am very much aginst violence
aginst woman.. I have seen it while working with numerous police
department the last 40 years.
With stress from layoffs and poor education, rap music, and
the general attitude that it is ok to hit some one anyone.
Or shove them or put your hands on them without their permission,
is way to acceptable.
A general rule I follow and you decide if it is your choice.....
If you put your hands on me to harm me in anyway God help you.
I can forgive woman and children, but a man does not have the
luxury of ever attacking me.......Why?
Because I don't do things to provoke anyone...I am civil, not necessarily
polite but civil.....If you are jealous of what I have or my status in life or my race.
That is no excuse to be hostile towards me.

2009 Woman of Courage Award made by the US Department of State on behalf of President Obama. Cruz started Survivors Foundation in response to the rape of her daughter. Cruz thought that if this was happening in her own home that other women are probably experiencing the same thing all over Guatemala. The Survivor’s Foundation offers psychological, medical and legal services to women who are victims of violence. The organization works to put cases through the court system and has had 100% success in the cases they have accompanied through the courts. This is quite an accomplishment in a justice system where only 2% of cases of violence against women are prosecuted. One of the cases Cruz discussed with us was the case of a young woman whose face was cut off with a machete by her husband, in front of their young son. The case went through the courts and the husband was prosecuted. The young girl received sponsorship in order to go through reconstructive surgery on her face. She underwent 30 surgeries before deciding that she had had enough and did not want to continue with the surgeries. She now lives with her parents in Guatemala.

Any commits ?...this can be just a good tweet...or discussion.

 



 

I suppose a pertinant question would be, where do people get the belief that violence is ever a justifiable act?

Where do people get the belief that it is okay to hit women and children?

Historically, what are the sources of justification?

Yes, Max this is a positive development.  I agree with what you list as current causes
"stress from layoffs and poor education, rap music, and the general attitude that it is ok to hit some one anyone Or shove them or put your hands on them without their permission )).)000)))"."  In many societies women are considered chattel.  Here in the USA there is a wide range of labels laid on women and habitual patterns of relating to them.  It is well known that when societal stress increases, abuse towards women and children often increases in response.  Some of the patterns of abuse that have been studied extensively do relate to ethnic background, SES, occupation, education, and personality. There is interesting current research on bullying which directly relates to this major societal problem in most all nations of the world.  It is often the abusers or bully's overall attitude about other folks in general that is the cause of this "acting out". Men feel less reluctant to abuse women because they usually view thenm as weaker and more vulnerable than men, who can fight back react fact and fight back aggressively and use weapons. An attitude is a preview of an act which has not yet occurred but is likely given a certain situation. If a person is a bully at heart they are more likely to take it out on someone they do not fear an immediate physical response from when a siuation of conflict arises. Now, with more and more women arming themselves and taking self-defense training, the tables are turning.

In many societies women are considered chattel.
 

Why do you think that is?

Most likely reasons are that historically women had economic value and were bought and sold when no religious belief prevented it.  Classical slavery viewed men and women as chattel but was accepted by many religions of the world, at face value which seems to contadict the idea of religion in general. Of course certain societies still allow and even condone sexual mutilation of women and certain religious beliefs are used to support that and not all are muslim.  In certain remote areas of India, women have been reported to have been thrown alive on funeral pyres with their deceased husbands. Some religions have historically approved of multiple wives, such as Mormonism, old testament sects, and muslims. Current day slavery exists and allows substitute wives for the slave owner.  Some Muslims are against multiple wives but feel it is not as bad as western men using prostitutes as surrogate, paid for symbolic wives as chattel.  A number of prominant hard care feminists believe that the "playboy philosophy" has been largely successful (by use of madison avenue advertising to reduce young women to virtual sex objects to be collected, exchanged and used up by men).  These ladies believe that young women, especially in the fashion business (high class professional models) and pop/rock groupies are essentially functioning as chattel for the men who have the money, connections or the music power they desire.
The ultimate answer as to why are women considered chattel is most likely that in the final analysis, it is a matter of the exercise of raw physical power and aggressiveness, money power, and/or authority.  Men tend to have a mojority of all these commodities and thus can control women's destiny unless they collectively choose to create norms, or pass laws to prevent that. With the emergence of a strong conscience-collective in society either because of common religious beliefs or a commonly emergent morality, the status of women is raised to approach equality with men. 

Finally, something we agree on.

My experience with Max is that if he knows you are opposed to guns, have no need for one, he likes to wave guns in your face.

Is this kind of training related to the objectification of women and later abuse?
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3715523/Girls-aged-just-seven-taught-pole-dancing.html 

My experience with Beetree....

Polite and civil, LOL