Oprah: Is This Justice for DV Victims?
Mike Dowd is my hero. He’s a New York attorney who has taken on sexual-predator priests, and he’s representing Barbara Sheehan. He also founded the Women’s Justice Center at Pace […]
Tag Archives: abuse of power
Practicing What I Preach, Part 2
A “protection circle” of friends and family can take us only so far. If we’re smart, we’ll know when it is time to bring in a “posse” of professional people who are trained to deal with bullies, abusive people, and gang members.
Practicing What I Preach
Did I fail to pay my rent? Nope. My crime is feeding the squirrels and stellar jays who light up my life each day. My crime was escalated to a capital offense because I decorate my balcony with beautiful flowers.
Bullying: Oprah’s Call to Protect Kids
We can all learn from Oprah’s advice to kids and their parents today about how to deal with bullies.
Manipulation of the Legal System as an Instrument of Abuse
If you want to make a real difference, become a legal eagle watching over the court system.
We all know that “justice” in the legal system belongs to the affluent and powerful. But, I think many of you would be shocked to discover how easily the court system can be manipulated as an instrument of abuse.
Remembering Crystal: Life’s Lessons on Escaping the Abuse of a Powerful Man
Yes, everyone tells us to leave. But, nobody tells us how. That’s what this web site is about. We need to figure it out, and those of us who have lived to tell the tale must leverage our professional expertise to help the women and children walking in our shoes until the violence stops.
Carolyn Jessop: Safety in the Spotlight
Six years ago, Carolyn Jessop achieved a miracle. She escaped from an abusive polygamist marriage to FLDS leader Merril Jessop.
Great Books by Susan Wiggs
When life hands me lemons, I go on a search for someone good at making lemonade or margaritas at a profit. This is why Susan Wiggs is my favorite author. She’s brilliant ~ she’s got a degree in math from Harvard. She’s funny, gorgeous, and sexy. She’s independent and super-successful in her personal life as well as her professional life. Like the heroines in her books, she’s resourceful, resilient, and generous. She’s better than Oprah at surrounding herself with terrific friends and colleagues. All her books are great escapes that teach me something important.
Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen
Anna Quindlen captured the heart and soul of every woman who has ever tasted the bitter fruit of abuse: “It’s like he stole my soul.” (page 219) She deftly navigated the undercurrents of domestic violence. She powerfully demonstrated how our society and legal system enable both the abuser and his/her victim to continue destructive behavior patterns. She turned a bright spotlight on the Patty Bancrofts of the world who seek to control rather than empower women. She threw down the gauntlet to families everywhere who rear women to be helpless doormats and condone the vicious conduct of men through their silence. She painted a sensitive portrait of the shattered innocence of a child caught in the crossfire. In short, Anna Quindlen turned over every rock and examined the mass of maggots hiding underneath.
Anne Caroline Drake 