Sir Patrick Stewart calls on 1 million men to promise an end to violence against women.

[backscatter712]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/patrick-stewart-million-men-violence-women-011042478.html

Sir Patrick Stewart calls on ‘one million men’ to promise an end to violence against women

NEW YORK—Sir Patrick Stewart stood in the center of the Diplomat Ballroom at the UN Hotel here on Friday, pounding his fist methodically against a podium, each thump punctuated with a number ("One ... two ... three ...&quot until he got to nine.
"Every nine seconds a woman is assaulted or beaten in the United States," Stewart said.

The 72-year-old British-born actor, best known for his roles in "X-Men" and "Star Trek: The Next Generation," served as host for the launch of "Ring The Bell," a global campaign calling on one million men to make one million "concrete, actionable promises" to end violence against women.

"Violence against women is the single greatest human rights violation of our generation," Stewart said.

"This is a call to action—not an act that will make things better in six months or a year's time," he continued. "This is action that might save a life today, or tonight, or tomorrow."

Make it so, Captain! You've got one man right here just from the headline!

[Rex]

1. Second man, right here.

I am on board with the good captain, time to start an abolishment movement to end the violence not just in America but around the world.

[WillyT]

2. Here As Well !!!

& Rec !!!

[Agschmid]

3. Kick. n/t

[Arcanetrance]

4. He's got another one here

[Fat Bastard]

5. He's got my backing.

Good man.

[TexasTowelie]

7. You're not a bastard when you are on the right side of a good cause.

Welcome to DU!

[TexasTowelie]

6. Make me #6.

[Ilsa]

8. This is really what makes him the Sexiest Man Alive, IMO. nt

[99Forever]

9. Count me in.

"Make it so."

[Cha]

10. Thanks backscatter! This is a great Call To

Action from Patrick Stewart!

[LittleBlue]

11. Captain Picard has spoken

Now let's do it.

"Make it so". So much nostalgia there

[calimary]

27. Indeed. The Captain says "Engage!" Let's absolutely make it so!

My husband and son certainly are onboard!

[shenmue]

12. Awesome

Bravissimo!

[smirkymonkey]

13. Good man!

[lastlib]

14. Make it a Billion, Cap'n--then we can make progress

I'm on board! Phasers ready!

[HiPointDem]

15. unless of course they're 82-year-old black women singing on commuter rail. in that case, violence

is a-ok.

[mwooldri]

17. I hope you're joking...

violence is not ok.

[HiPointDem]

18. some DUers disagree with you.

[itsrobert]

16. Hmm, does he not do a voice on American Dad?

A Fox/Seth McFarland show? I thought we were boycotting people like him that make money for Fox and Seth?

[Rhiannon12866]

23. Fox Entertainment is not Fox News

I used to work with Fox Entertainment, home of The Simpsons, and there's no connection. These are pretty liberal shows.

[itsrobert]

25. But...But...or you sure

I heard Seth and Fox Entertainment were the devil after the Oscar show.

[Rhiannon12866]

46. LOL! I'm sure...

He may be the devil, but he's on our side. I know that because I also watch Bill Maher.

[Bake]

19. Count me in! Engage!

Bake

[caseymoz]

20. K&R

[timdog44]

21. I new I liked this guy.

I am on board.

[apocalypsehow]

22. Kick, Rec. n/t.

[AverageJoe90]

24. Simply. Awesome. n/t

[jonthebru]

26. Here's one!

"Make it so."

[LiberalElite]

28. He's the best. And as for that voice, I'd happily listen to him read the phone book eom

[Nanjing to Seoul]

29. one million men out of 3.5 billon men worldwide is around .02%

Not a good start. I am one of those men Patrick wants, but I see this simply as posturing.

Keep up the good work though, Sir Patrick Stewart.

[Doc Holliday]

37. Posturing?

A journey of a thousand miles begin with a single step.

Gotta start somewhere.

[Nanjing to Seoul]

41. can't fix stupid. . .pure and simple

people are assholes and will always attack perceived weakness.

[Bluenorthwest]

42. Patrick has been a long standing voice against domestic violence because his own mother was

abused by his father when he was a child. He has spoken about this openly for many years now. This is his statement on the website of Refuge, an organization in the UK for which he is a patron:
"As a child I witnessed repeated violence against my mother – but there was nowhere to go for help. The truth is, domestic violence is protected by silence. More women and children, just like my mother and me, will continue to experience abuse unless we all speak out against it."
http://refuge.org.uk/about-us/

I call that honesty and sincere connection to the cause, not posturing.

[Fuddnik]

30. I'll gladly sign on.

[daybranch]

31. What is the action?

Words without actions are kind of ineffective- what does he want us to do?Sign petitions, talk to our neighbors, set up shelters, write new laws, provide self defense classes for women, fight gun violence, provide a suppport system for women and especially the children, educate the public regarding the reality, ask the abused to speak out, what? I support all of these and more as ideas but as actions where does he want to start?

[UnrepentantLiberal]

32. I'm in.

There are no good reasons to hit a woman.

[Doc Holliday]

38. Actually, there is one...

...and that's obviously self-defense. But (equally obviously) that is not what Sir Patrick is talking about.

[McCamy Taylor]

33. K&R

[Aristus]

34. Never have. Never will. Count me in.

Perpetrators of violence against women are a scourge upon humanity...

[sarge43]

35. Women are not the only victims

Sir Patrick's own experience.

[HiPointDem]

36. "Violence against women is the single greatest human rights violation of our generation" = hooey.

[ProSense]

39. It's really interesting

"Violence against women is the single greatest human rights violation of our generation" = hooey

...that you're taking issue with this. I mean, do you think it's violence against men?

Fast facts: statistics on violence against women and girls
http://www.endvawnow.org/en/articles/299-fast-facts-statistics-on-violence-against-women-and-girls-.html

[chervilant]

44. Why do you feel the need to be negative

about this?

I've done advocacy for survivors of relationship violence for more than 30 years. I've witnessed the social sciences gradually acknowledge (and study) the occurrence of such violence among high school and college students, and the fact that children who are raised in homes marred by relationship violence are themselves survivors of this horrific crime.

Our species has legitimized treating females as inferior -- patriarchy and misogynistic religions tell men that they're in charge by divine right. Many men who abuse women will cite Biblical passages to support their right to 'discipline' their women (and children) in whatever way they see fit.

Frankly, I don't see this as "hooey." I am dismayed that you do.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

40. A good plan and I have no criticisms

but I believe the first, best defense is a good offense. Self-empowerment.

I don't want my destiny or my SIL's destiny determined by the beneficience -- or lack thereof -- of others. I want us empowered to make our own way through the world and when adversity arises (God forbid anything this horrifying) then I want us empowered enough to overcome.

Violence, sexual or otherwise, is an act of malice. The good men who participate in Sir Stewart's pledge aren't the problem. You were good from the get-go. Those who perpetrate rape and other such offenses want the maliciousness of it for the sake of malice. Seeing a million other men make a good pledge won't deter them. In fact, it just proves to them that what they're doing is exactly what they want.

I applaud Sir Stewart and those participating but don't worry -- I got this.

[bemildred]

43. K&R. nt

[BlancheSplanchnik]

45. he's the best!

[flvegan]

47. Interesting. What does that promise hold men accountable for?

A million men promise "to end violence against women" that's awesome. How?

They, themselves won't commit such acts? Fantastic. That's a good step forward.

How about they get involved, if otherwise? If you are a human male, and you know of violence against a woman done by another human male and you don't either legally, verbally or physically get involved, then your silence is acquiescence.

And fucking shame on you. Be a man, not a human male. There is a difference.

[Bonobo]

48. So then the idea that "no messages are sent to men about rape/violence" isn't true.

A nice way to try to win an argument, but patently untrue as this demonstrates.

[redqueen]

49. Here's a link to Ring The Bell. Because NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH messages are aimed at men.

http://breakthrough.tv/ringthebell/

Or, as Soraya Chemaly put it:

I know that everyone has rearranged life this week because the UN Commission on the Status of Women, focusing on preventing and eliminating violence against women, is going on. And, tomorrow, you and everyone you know will no doubt drop everything to celebrate International Women's Day. By the way, did you know that today is White Ribbon Day? Do you know what White Ribbon Day is? Because, I'm thinking that it shouldn't take gendercide and gang rapes of children and women to motivate good men to act against pervasive injustice that all women and girls are subjected to in one degree or another. And, even that doesn't do it in some places that remain surreally, perversely "divided" on the subject. Women are not perpetrating widespread violence against one another or against men -- in homes or in war. And yet, whenever I go to meetings, seminars or schools to discuss this topic, I enter rooms full of women. This is immensely frustrating. This is why I think tomorrow should be called International Where are the Men? Day. I know many men believe in equality, some are activists and allies for change. Every day I appreciate the work they do. But there are simply not enough of them.

I know I'm beating a steady drum, but it bears repeating since one in three women are still subjected to pervasive violence every day: the greatest human rights injustice on this planet is daily, perpetual, profound and systemic violence against girls and women. No country, including "developed" "democracies" "at peace," is immune from this fact. A visitor to this planet would ask, in stunned disbelief, how it was possible that we'd so forgotten we are born equally human.

Actor Patrick Stewart, who grew up in a home riven by domestic violence and writes and speaks often on the topic, is headlining a new global initiative, Ring the Bell: One million men. One million promises, being launched tomorrow by the pioneering social innovation movement Breakthrough. Their viral Bell Bajao movement (Bell Bajao means "ring the bell&quot engages men in preventing and eliminating violence against women. Stewart movingly explains why men's participation is so crucial:

...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/soraya-chemaly/violence-against-women-is_4_b_2828654.html