~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE WASH RAG published by Women Against Sexual Harassment ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Available on-line ASAP at http://www.washrag.org/ or http://members.tripod.com/~WASHRAG/ along with earlier issues ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Subscribe to e-mail version of this newsletter by going to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WomenAgainstSexualHarassmentNationaland and joining the group. Recent issues are posted here immediately when completed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Issue 9, Number 4 November, 2001 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Contents ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Osama Bin Laden and the U. S. Economy New Book CONSEQUENCE: Beyond Resisting Rape Ruby Starr continues to pursue case Our Congress TEAMWORK IN THE WAKE OF THE WTC DISASTER Rush Limbaugh, A Tragedy In Our Times IN THE MEDIA -- National IN THE MEDIA -- Region Observations on Harassment Interesting New Links ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Index ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Osama Bin Laden and the U. S. Economy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I doubt that many people who had no actual connection to the World Trade Center were more touched by the events taking place there on September 11 than I was. It was a terrible tragedy and I extend my sympathy to those who lost friends and family there. That said, I should certainly mention that those of us who have experienced sexual harassment are in a position to empathize with the victims families more than those who have not. For the WTC disaster was, simply put, a harassment, and harassment is a terrorist act: granted that the WTC disaster was an extreme harassment and harassment is a mild terrorist act. I have been interested in the connection between women and the targets of the recent terrorist acts. The U. S. Ambassador to Kenya when the Embassy in Nairobi was bombed was a woman. I am not sure about the other Embassy that was bombed. I believe that the U. S. Navy ship, the Cole, was a supply ship and surely had female sailors on board. Whether there were female officers or not, I can’t say, but since supply is a field wide open to women in the Navy, my bet is that there were also female officers on board. And finally, Hillary Clinton had only been Senator from New York for a few months when the WTC was attacked. The economic power of the U. S. has been largely because instead of half its population contributing to the national product, all of it is. In Muslim countries, which are all except those selling us oil economically in the basement, women are prevented from working. Take away their sales of crude oil to the west, and they would all be back riding camels. That should inspire us to find alternative energy sources, and put them back where they belong. Those non-oil producing Islamic countries that are in better economic condition allow women to work in some jobs. Unless we all intend to end up wearing burkas, we have to recognize that is what Osama Bin Laden is actually attacking. He hates seeing women in public positions and he intends to terrorize those women and the countries that give them that freedom. There will be no peace with the Islamic world until the status of women has been addressed. I’ve said that repeatedly in letters to representatives of the congress and the media. I keep going back to the 1996 Justice Department study of domestic violence. It lists 1350 murders of intimates and 837,000 incidence of violence against intimates. That is more than 1/3 of the 3682 deaths in the WTC disaster, but probably 50 times the injury rate. Yet the media rarely covers the terrible tragedy of intimate abuse in the United States. And now Anthrax. For 20 years, I and others have complained about "fumes" on our mail. I recall Mickey & Polly of Broomstick Magazine (no longer being published -- wonder why?) complaining about it in the early ‘80’s. I recall sorting through my mail in the garage and throwing out all but bills or personal or business correspondence in order to eliminate most of the offending mail. I complained about it to people I thought were friends, but who ridiculed me about it. Because the neighborhood I live in is so bad, I finally had an excuse to get a post office box in town because my mail box was knocked over so many times. I figured if they thought it was so funny, they could just walk in my shoes for a while. While this is not as spectacular as anthrax, I believe the consequences would be the same if I did nothing about it. I still don’t dare to subscribe to have a newspaper delivered to my house because of the "fumes" on it, I have to buy from a newsstand, where I have no problem. Gradually, the mail I receive at my post office box has gotten less and less irritating until I hardly notice any problem with it at all. But I guess that the politicians and the media have figured out that they can make political hay from this problem so they have brought it into the open. I don’t want to repeat here what my reaction has been to their ignoring the problem when only feminists had it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New Book CONSEQUENCE: Beyond Resisting Rape ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ZzoomZzoom Productions and Pearl In A Million Press announce the publication of CONSEQUENCE: Beyond Resisting Rape, the little pink book that packs a mighty punch! Berkeley, CA - October 13, 2001 -- Loolwa Khazzoom takes a fresh, street-savvy look at sexual harassment in her first book, CONSEQUENCE: Beyond Resisting Rape, released by Pearl In A Million Press. The young feminist author, educator, and musician infuses her raw talent with a gutsy blend of passion, boldness, and humor, offering readers a breathtaking roller-coaster ride over the edges of socialization. CONSEQUENCE follows Khazzoom's adventures experimenting physically combating sexual harassment on the streets, reflecting not only Khazzoom's talent as a writer but also her fierce courage and commitment to challenging all forms of violence against women. CONSEQUENCE offers a compelling invitation to re-examine social attitudes about street harassment and find creative solutions for change. Applauded by leaders of the women's movement, the pro-feminist men's movement, and women's self-defense organizations across the country, CONSEQUENCE is destined to set a new trend in Third Wave feminism and put the punch into Girl Power. Reviews: http://www.ZzoomZzoom.com/c-critics.html): "bracing and courageous call to fists" -- Bitch Magazine "kicks a lot of ass, both on paper and for real" -- ClamorMagazine "a daring look at young women, violence, and power" -- Ophira Edut, Body Outlaws "on the cutting edge" -- Rivka Solomon, That Takes Ovaries! "a 21st century grrrl scout handbook" -- Barbara Mor, The Great Cosmic Goddess Loolwa Khazzoom writes extensively on sex, violence, and healing. Her articles have been published in women's magazines internationally and are featured in anthologies including That Takes Ovaries! (Crown, 2002), Joining the Sisterhood (SUNY Press, 2002), and Yentl's Revenge (Seal Press, 2001). She is a former self-defense instructor and has been a feminist activist for over a decade. She also is a singer, songwriter, and bass player and is the band leader of Grrrl Monster . Garine Roubinian ZzoomZzoom Productions 510-595-4642 Email: garine(bleep)ZzoomZzoom.com Web site: http://www.ZzoomZzoom.com/consequence.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ruby Starr continues to pursue case ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Documents dated October 23, 2001 describe how Ruby was manipulated by the legal system: "While Mr. Hoses interposed a number of technical objections to my claim stating that I was coerced into accepting a $2,000.00 settlement offer, he conveniently overlooks the fact that he initially offered me $10,000.00, and that I did not accept. He cannot explain why I would later, gladly accept $2,000.00. The answer is, the fact that he coerced me by forcing me to repeatedly travel from Port Hueneme, California, knowing full well that my disabilities caused me great pain and suffering. He refused to honor my request to depose me by written questions or telephonically. He then exceeded my medical limitation by deposing in Albuquerque, New Mexico in January for 7+ hours. This, despite knowing that my doctors limited total daily exposure to 4 hours. It was at the first deposition that he offered me $10,000.00 which I declined. Mr. Hoses then had me travel to Albuquerque for a second deposition on April 11, 2000, again knowingly exceeding my 4 hour per session medical limits, by deposing me for 7+ hours. The 15 minute breaks did not afford my body to go to sleep and rest as required by my physical AND mental illnesses. The mental limitations are POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) AND ANXIETY DISORDER (AD). They ARE exacerbated by lack of sleep and being shut up in this room with these men of power. When Hoses saw I was very confused and tired, he zeroed in and made the $2,000.00 offer, when he KNEW I was out of control. Mr. Hoses told me that he would CALL ME FOR ANOTHER DEPOSITION IF I DID NOT ACCEPT (pg 6&7 of this document). I was so overwhelmed with so much pain and confusion from the PTSD, AD and Physical surgeries, that my body and mind could only close down and sleep. THAT IS COERCION. In the first deposition when Mr. Hoses took the papers out of my hand, and when I stated that there were "....personal....on my own computer..,." he abusively took them to Xerox, not returning them to me. When I suffered PTSD in this closed room with these men, I had to endure the exhaustion of travel, the pain from physical illnesses AND PTSD of sexual trauma by years of job abuse. In the second deposition, PTSD was exacerbated by the 3 men, 7+ hours, physical pain, no sleep and the threats of having to come back. Just because I was polite and vomited in the rest room rather than in front of Hoses, he denied I was ill. The threats of my having to travel again and go through yet a third deposition in this abusive situation, or accept the coerced $2,000.00 settlement left me no choise AT THAT MOMENT. When Hoses said I "looked" fine, despite my illnesses, he is ignoring the knowledge that CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME, FYBROMYALGEA, ARTHRITIS(s) defined by Dr. Peter, Dr., Foreste, Dr. Lesnick, and the POST TRAUMATIC DISORDER AND ANXIETY DISORDER defined by Dr. Lesnick, Dr. Colby, Dr. Polk and Social Security, ARE REALITY. They are not just words. Mr. Hoses ABUSED ME BY TREATING TRUTH OF MY DISABILITY AS A JOKE. This was Mr. Hoses'tactic to deny me the right to go to court for Justice on the Merits of my case. He thought that several fifteen minute breaks would cure my diseases. My disabilities are further evidenced by the numerous surgeries I have had to endure, 1 Hip replacement, Dec 18, 1998; 2 Knee #1, (Doc 50, 49); 3 deposition cancelled due to my illness, (Doc 25, 27); 4 Illness, vomiting, (Doc 48, 49, 51, 52); 5 Knee #2, (Doc 72); 6 Hernia (doc 77), 7 Abdominal, (Doc 83); 8 Knee 10-19-01 (Doc ?)" This is how the system works, or doesn’t work, depending on which side you are on, I guess. Have sympathy for any woman filing a sexual harassment complaint, this is just an example. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Our Congress ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I was surprised to received a request from NOW to contact my representatives in Congress to try to get them to get around to ratifying the UN’s declaration on the "Elimination of all forms of discrimination against Women" which most of the civilized countries in the world have already ratified. Afghanistan has not, either. Talking to Kelley at South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson’s office, she stated that she thought it had already been passed, but the House is having hearings on it. HEARINGS? I find it hard to believe that this is even necessary. Do they oppose the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women? That means that they must support all forms of discrimination against women. I suppose that what it actually has to do with is that women are consistently paid less than men. She said that the US helped draft the document Needless to say, contact your representatives in Congress at http://www.now.org/congress. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TEAMWORK IN THE WAKE OF THE WTC DISASTER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We are repeatedly being asked to "all pull together" in the aftermath of the recent terrorist acts. This seems to be a good thing, and is probably necessary to some extent. But teamwork always asks team members to leave their own agendas behind and subordinate them to the team’s agenda. By and large, most Americans automatically went into the "team member" mode after September 11, including me. If you assume, as I discussed earlier, that the terrorists were targeting specific targets because of the prominence of women in them, then you have to conclude that to cease the pursuit of equality and fair treatment of women would be to fulfill the terrorists wishes. In that respect, it is even more necessary for women to be aggressive in pursuing their own agendas. They are being patriotic in doing so. George W. even said we should get back to our former schedules. I continue to question the Bush Administration’s intentions in using the treatment of women in Afghanistan as justification for invading the country. Women’s organizations have been begging the government to do something to help the women of Afghanistan for several years, and neither Clinton nor Bush had shown any interest at all in the problem until September 11. No, the invasion had to do with the destruction of commercial and military buildings and the loss of life, and that is OK. George W. is trying to use the situation to improve his ratings among women, and many women are naïve enough to buy it. Of course Laura is joyful that her hubby has finally shown some interest in women’s issues. Give me a break. If you want to know what George W. Bush thinks of women in power, look at Condaleza Rice, NSA Advisor (the Bush Administration’s token woman) or that is her title, anyway. But she appears to have been quietly replaced by a cabinet level post of Homeland Security, for which the President appointed a man. I’m afraid that Ms Rice fell into a typical trap laid by men trying to keep women out of powerful positions. That is to never put them into a position in which they are able to excel. I’m suspicious that she was never qualified for the position and never should have been given the post. I’ve repeatedly been hounded to go into teaching, a job I never wanted, for which I have no credentials, and at which I would surely have failed. Being locked up in a room with 30 youngsters qualifies as my definition of HELL. But Ms Rice was apparently so enthralled to be asked to be George Bush’s NSA, that she accepted. Now, I ask, what are her responsibilities? Now comes the payoff for the conservatives. They can point their fingers at her and use her as an example of how poorly women perform when given responsibility. It is a double whammy. Not just Condaliza Rice lost, but the women’s movement lost as well. Is anyone getting nostalgic for Bill Clinton? I still am. I cannot bring myself to accuse the Bush administration of orchestrating the events of September 11 in order to draw attention away from women’s issues, but boy, has he ever taken advantage of the situation in order to do that big time. To be honest, even under the Taliban, I doubt that Afghani women were as much in danger of death or injury from intimate violence as American women are today. The American terrorists targeting women are even more insidious than the Taliban, but nobody raises a finger to do anything about it outside the women’s movement, and they are terribly hampered by financial limitations and the incessant haranguing by the likes of Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh. But I have to say that the unveiled faces of Afghani women in the streets of Kabul after it was liberated from the Taliban were wonderful to see. I wonder how long it will last. I have to wish the government well. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rush Limbaugh, A Tragedy In Our Times ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I heard it announced on several newscasts that Rush Limbaugh is going blind. I hope I am not expected to pretend to be sorry about this. In addition to the obvious crack about masturbation, it seems to me to just be poetic justice. It is the realization of fact. His verbal excretions have always been blind, now he will apparently be physically blind as well. I guess I’m as sorry for him as he would be for me if it happened to me. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ IN THE MEDIA -- National ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On October 5, todaysnews(bleep)womensenews.org sent out a family violence update that claims that domestic violence figures have been underestimated and actual intimate abuse statistics should be much higher than they actually are. They gave several examples where deaths that should have been counted as related to intimate violence were not. Gregory of humanitas reports that the police in Michigan have used their state’s law enforcement database to harass motorists, stalk women and settle personal vendettas. They also report that three Hawaiian women had charged they were sexually assaulted by prison staff in the privately run Central Oklahoma Correctional Facility in McLoud. Included were allegations that they were sexually assaulted, tortured, and one was forced to have an abortion at a prison medical facility. They have filed suit. While most prison officials were shocked by the charges, a prison psychologist who had supervised the internal investigation was let go after it was discovered he was not licensed to practice in Oklahoma. Dateline NBC reported on August 21 that Georgia Power Company had been accused of discrimination and harassment. ABC Evening News on October 9 found that in 2001, there are 96 men for every 100 women, while in 1994, there were 94 men for every 100 women. Does that mean that men are killing fewer men or more women? October 3, Jay Leno had his wife Mavis as a guest, talking about the plight of the women of Afghanistan. The November 19 issue of the Argus Leader had a story about a six year pattern of violent slayings of women in the area of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The most recent discovery was of 8 bodies. Between 1993 and 1999, at least 57 bodies have been found in the area around the town. I was horribly disappointed that America’s Most Wanted went to the United Arab Emerits to broadcast on the 17th of November. John Walsh called the UAE a peaceful country and our greatest ally against terrorism. Obviously absent from the broadcast were all of the female reporters. Only a single segment showed a female, an Egyptian belly dancer who had been the target of terrorist threats. Why would Bin Laden target the UAE, if indeed his real target is women in powerful positions? Women were absent from all the scenes shot in the UAE. Shame on John Walsh for being a part of the problem and bowing to Islamic and Taliban tradition by not bringing any female reporters to report from any of the Islamic countries, including Egypt. Once again, the terrorists are getting what they want. I thought more of John Walsh than that. He has bought the Taliban’s line hook, line and sinker. Well, we still have C.J. on West Wing, and Olivia on Law and Order. For the time being, at least. And Colin Powel interviewed on the ABC Evening News November 18, stated unequivocally that the government being now formed in Afghanistan would have to include women in order to be considered a representative government. Way to go, General Powell. I think he learned something from Desert Storm. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ IN THE MEDIA -- Region ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ KELO Evening News on 10/8 reported that Wade De Grote, a 19 year old student in Lyon School in Iowa, plead guilty to videotaping the locker room during a girls basketball game on 1/19, and then selling the tapes. He may get 5 years, and will have to register as a sex offender. An 8/30 story on Sioux City TV told of the murder of a Sioux City mother, Leticia Aguilar, her 5 children and another man, Ron Fish. Adam Moss, who previously had a relationship with her, was arrested and charged. Moss had been in prison in Nebraska for kidnapping his previous girlfriend. A 10/10 KELO News story was about Greg Ferrar, a Parker, South Dakota man, who had been convicted of sexually harassing a woman in Parker. He served only two years, but was accused again and the judge threatens that if he is accused again, he will lock him up and throw away the key. A 10/28 KCAU story told of a supervisor in a Clarion, Iowa egg processing plant accused of harassing and stalking 7 Hispanic women. They were living in fear. KELO Evening News reported that Rapid City, SD has the highest rape rate per capita in the US. It also had the highest rape rate in the US in 1995. Rapid City officials claimed that reporting is just better, but that is also true elsewhere. On 3/1, a bill was signed by the governor to make harassing communications a crime. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Observations on Harassment ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It has occurred to me that there is little difference between rape and harassment. Both use force to get sex from women against their will. One uses physical force, the other uses another kind of threat: the threat of the loss of income, the loss of a promotion, the loss of a pay raise, and in some cases, even the loss of the opportunity to get a job. A sexual harasser is almost always like a serial rapist, he harasses many women, and he uses similar means to harass them. Sometimes, dozens of women who have never seen each other will tell almost identical stories of their harassment. In the past, most of the stories were of unwanted touching and foul language, of lost promotions and pay raises that went to women who cooperated with the harasser. But there is more and more evidence that harassers are using biological and chemical methods to get rid of women who don’t. In this way, the recent events are a boon to women. No longer can anyone say, as was said to me when I told about having to go through my mail in the garage and get rid of as much as I could because it had "fumes" on it, that "People don’t do things like that." People do things like that. The fact is, that many victims of sexual harassment report health problems, some have died after placing complaints. These deaths are never investigated or prosecuted as murder, which is what they are. The medical profession has been blind to the tactics of harassers, and it is up to us to force them to look into the possibility that a victim of sexual harassment is being poisoned. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Interesting New Links ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce Developing leaders and accelerating economic growth for business and professional women. U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce 2415 E. Camelback Road, Suite 940, Phoenix, AZ 85016 (888)-96-WOMEN/phone 602-532-7034/fax margot(bleep)uswomenschamber.com http://www.uswomenschamber.com Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press "Martha Leslie Allen" http://www.wifp.org/feministactivism.html Directory of Women's Media Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press 1940 Calvert Street, NW Washington, DC 20009-1502 USA ph: (202) 265-6707 fax: (202) 986-6355 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WE’RE ON THE WEB http://www.washrag.org/ and at http://members.tripod.com/~WASHRAG/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This on-line version of THE WASHRAG is being sent to you free. A print version can be obtained by subscribing. In the US, send $10.00 to Women Against Sexual Harassment, P. O. Box 164, Canton, SD 57013-0164. Outside the US, send $20.00 to join. For a sample issue, send a #10 sized SASE. For a Publisher98 print module, e-mail washragezine(bleep)yahoo.com E-mail comments can be sent to washragezine(bleep)yahoo.com. 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