Allergic to Algebra?

My good friend Nancy emailed me just a few moments ago with this message:

"Just last week, retailer Forever 21 began offering for sale a shirt for girls emblazoned with the slogan "Allergic to Algebra." And a few weeks ago, JC Penney offered similar girls' shirts with the slogan "I'm too pretty to do homework, so my brother has to do it for me."

Sexist slogans like these play into and perpetuate the offensive stereotype that women are innately bad at math or that being pretty is more important than being smart. By selling these shirts, the stores give their implicit support of these efforts to convince girls that, to be stylish and fit in, they must be bad at math or less interested than boys in academic achievement.

After backlash from outraged customers, the both shirts were pulled from the shelves and online stores. But how did the sexist shirts get there in the first place? Clearly, something is totally broken within the corporate culture of these retailers. There is no effective review process for the clothing sold at JC Penney and Forever 21 if offensive clothing that demeans young girls makes it to their shelves.

Tell the CEOs of JC Penny and Forever 21 that you will hold them accountable for the clothing that is sold in their stores. Demand they make a public commitment to keep sexist clothing for girls from making it to their shelves in the future.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/sexist_shirts/?r_by=-2914404-JOB0jsx&rc=mailto1"

If you click on the link you'll find an email petition that can be sent to the respective CEOs.

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month

Cyber Security – it’s not just about keeping your credit card information safe.

According to MTV’s A Thin Line Campaign, “The Web and cell phones help us communicate, connect and learn in ways we never could before, but they've also forever changed how we interact with others. Things we used to share in person – and in private – can now be broadcast to thousands, instantly. Sometimes we type things we would never say to someone's face. As a result, new issues like forced sexting, textual harassment and cyberbullyiing have emerged, which now affect a majority of young people in the U.S.”

A new Associated Press-MTV poll of youth in their teens and early 20s finds that most of them - 56 percent - have been the target of some type of online taunting, harassment or bullying, a slight increase over just two years ago. A third say they've been involved in "sexting," the sharing of naked photos or videos of sexual activity. Among those in a relationship, 4 out of 10 say their partners have used computers or cellphones to abuse or control them.

While the AP-MTV poll results I was able to view did not break down the data by gender, we can assume that at least half of the people affected by cyberbullying, sexting, or textual harassment are women and girls.

A Thin Line goes on to recommend to teens and young adults that the best defense is a good offense.
o Keep your personal information private. Names, addresses, license plate numbers, where you work, your date of birth, your social security number—nobody online needs these. Zip it. Know Your Privacy Rights
o Keep your passwords in lockdown. Tell No One. That way you'll never have to try and remember who you gave it to when something bad happens. If you feel the need to share your password with someone, try a parent or a trusted adult.
o Trust your gut. If you don't like or feel threatened by something in a text or IM, or anywhere online, tell someone who can help you.
o Report it. Threats, harassment, hate... reporting to site admins or the police is 100% the right thing to do.
o Communicate. If you don't like what's going down online or in IMs or texts, talk to your partner about which behaviors are bugging you.
o Draw your line. No need to settle for relationships or friendships that don't give you any breathing room. If your inboxes are overflowing with unwanted messages, take control! Delete, de-friend, and defend your domain.

You can learn more at http://www.athinline.org/about#research

By Presidential Proclamation

By Presidential Proclamation, October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. My friend Jewel, a Major in the US Army Reserve, sent me a copy of the proclamation. Here is the full text:

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release October 3, 2011
NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH, 2011
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we recognize the significant achievements we have made in reducing domestic violence in America, and we recommit ourselves to the important work still before us. Despite tremendous progress, an average of three women in America die as a result of domestic violence each day. One in four women and one in thirteen men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. These statistics are even more sobering when we consider that domestic violence often goes unreported.

The ramifications of domestic violence are staggering. Young women are among the most vulnerable, suffering the highest rates of intimate partner violence. Exposure to domestic violence puts our young men and women in danger of long-term physical, psychological, and emotional harm. Children who experience domestic violence are at a higher risk for failure in school, emotional disorders, and substance abuse, and are more likely to perpetuate the cycle of violence themselves later in life.

My Administration is working not only to curb domestic violence, but to bring it to an end. Last year, we announced an unprecedented coordinated strategy across Federal agencies to prevent and stop violence against women. We are empowering survivors to break the cycle of abuse with programs to help them become financially independent. We have prevented victims of domestic violence from being evicted or denied assisted housing after abuse. And we are promoting tools for better enforcement of protective orders, while helping survivors gain access to legal representation.

In addition, as part of the Affordable Care Act, the Department of Health and Human Services announced historic new guidelines that will ensure women receive preventive health services without additional cost, including domestic violence screening and counseling. The Affordable Care Act also ensures that insurance companies can no longer classify domestic violence as a pre-existing condition.

Last December, I reauthorized the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, giving communities life-saving tools to help identify and treat child abuse or neglect. It also supports shelters, service programs, and the National Domestic Violence Hotline, linking tens of thousands of victims every month to the resources needed to reach safety. I encourage victims, their loved ones, and concerned citizens to use this hotline for more information at 1-800-799-SAFE or visit www.TheHotline.org.

This is not just a job for government; it is a job for all of us. Vice President Joe Biden's "1is2many" initiative reminds us that everyone has a part to play in ending violence against youth. By engaging men and women, mothers and fathers, and schools and universities in the fight, we can teach our children about healthy relationships. We are asking everyone to play an active role in preventing and ending domestic violence, by stepping up to stop violence when they see it. During National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we recommit to making sure that no one suffers alone, and to assisting those who need help in reaching a safer tomorrow.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2011 as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I call on all Americans to speak out against domestic violence and support local efforts to assist victims of these crimes in finding the help and healing they need.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
third day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA
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