Protesters in Bahrain come under fire. Friends turn foes in battle over 14th District City Council seat. Federal lawsuit alleges military rampant with sexual abuse. Peggy Orenstein takes us on a tour of the princess industrial complex.
Protesters in Bahrain come under fire, Egypt redrafts its Constitution
Just before dawn Thursday, riot police armed with clubs, shotguns and tear gas attacked a camp filled with mostly sleeping pro-democracy protesters in the capital of Bahrain. At least five people are reported dead and dozens critically wounded. The late-night raid on Manama’s Pearl Square came without warning, as officials had promised to respond to peaceful protests peacefully. Now grief is turning quickly to anger, possibly setting the scene for more clashes between protesters and police. Key areas of Bahrain are now under military control, backed by tanks and soldiers. In Egypt, the protests are over for now and the slow transition to democracy is underway. The military has convened a panel of legal experts to start the hard work of drafting a new Constitution. But some Egyptians are concerned about the makeup of the military’s panel. We get the latest news from the region and discuss the emerging candidates likely to replace Egypt’s former President Hosni Mubarak.
Guests:
Michael Slackman, reporter for the New York Times currently in Bahrain
Anthony Shadid, Baghdad bureau correspondent for the New York Times, currently in Cairo
Friends turn foes in battle over 14th District City Council seat
The race for the council district seat has been bitter at times (in spite of the fact that the two men were friends), but both candidates--incumbent Jose Huizar and entrepreneur Rudy Martinez have vowed to end negative campaigning and focus on the issues. Huizar grew up in Boyle Heights and was the first Latino immigrant elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 2005. Huizar says his political experience will prove invaluable in the midst of the city’s budget crisis. He has promised to shut down illegal medical marijuana dispensaries and wants to bring more resources to the district. Rudy Martinez is a business owner and entrepreneur. He was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Echo Park. Martinez wants to help cut through the red tape for business owners, create jobs, and go after dozens of massage parlors in the district that he believes are offering illegal services. Will more stones be thrown by these two candidates before the race is over, or will they focus their attention on the issues plaguing CD14?
Guests:
Jose Huizar, incumbent Los Angeles City Councilman and candidate for council district 14
Rudy Martinez, candidate, Los Angeles City Council district 14
Federal lawsuit alleges military rampant with sexual abuse
More than a dozen veterans and active-military service members filed a class action suit in federal court this week. The suit accuses the Department of Defense of permitting a military culture that fails to prevent rape and sexual assault and of mishandling cases that were brought to its attention. The plaintiffs, including 15 women and two men, describe situations in which victims of sexual abuse were ordered to continue serving under their alleged attackers. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his predecessor Donald Rumsfeld are specifically claimed to have run, “institutions in which perpetrators were promoted and where military personnel openly mocked and flouted the modest Congressionally mandated institutional reforms.” What safe guards have the Department of Defense put in place to ensure women are safe and abusers are held accountable?
Guests:
Greg Jacob, policy director, Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN)
Kaye Whitley, director of the sexual prevention and response office at the Department of Defense
Sarah Albertson, 5th plaintiff in the case, she was a Corporal in the Marine Corps from 2003-2008
Peggy Orenstein takes us on a tour of the princess industrial complex
Girlie-girls are made of sugar and spice and everything – pink. Isn’t that nice? Not so fast, says author Peggy Orenstein. There’s a dark side to the hyper-feminine, highly commercialized pretty bows and sparkly tutus. Think 6-year old girls in lipstick and sexualized influences pushing our daughters into thinking that how they look on the outside is more important than who they are on the inside. Perhaps it’s an innocuous phase, but corporations like Disney are focusing their marketing machines on this crinolined, tiara sporting demographic and finding fertile turf in these princesses parent’s wallets – to the tune of $4 billion in the sales of Princess products in 2009. In her new book, “Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches From the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture,” Orenstein chronicles her firsthand journey through the heart of pre-teen princess obsession. Is all this pink really necessary? Is it possible to skip the princess phase or just hope they grow out of it? Why don’t boys fall prey to similar stuff?
Guest:
Peggy Orenstein, author of Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches From the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture