January Is National Stalking Awareness Month

Do you feel like you are being watched? Do you get strange phone calls at home or at work? Do you receive unsolicited mail from someone who "admires" you? You may be being stalked. Stalking is a crime in all 50 states, and stalking can happen to anyone, not just Hollywood stars.

Stalkers are often quite hard to stop, and they may hurt or even escalate to murdering their victims. If you think you have a stalker, please be aware of the dangers, they can take many forms and that's why it's sometimes difficult for authorities to investigate.

Stalking may look like something innocent in the beginning, someone sends you a nice greeting card or email, someone makes a surprise visit to your workplace or home. Escalation into assault and even murder is a very real possiblity, and every precaution should be taken to stay safe.

Stalkers are very tricky and use a range of devices such as hidden cameras and video cameras, computers, and GPS devices to keep track of their victim. They are known to travel into different jurisdictions making it harder for authorities to apprehend. All forms of stalking can be unpredictable and should be considered dangerous.

1 in 12 women and 1 in 45 men will be stalked in our country. 76% of all women killed by a spouse or boyfriend were stalked before they were killed. These statistics are preventable with education and cooperation at every level of the legal system.

Get involved at your community level to bring awareness to this growing epidemic that knows no economic, ethnic, or social boundaries.

If you think you are being stalked, report it to authorities, or call 1-800-FYI-CALL.

Visit the National Center for Victims of Crime website for more information and what you can do to help someone who may be stalked.





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Missing Persons Awareness and Support Network
http://peace4missing.ning.com

William (Billy) Smolinski, Monday4 the Missing

In two days, January 14, William "Billy" Smolinski will be 36 years old.

On August 24, 2004 Billy vanished.

The most comprehensive series of articles about the disappearance of Billy Smolinski is written by Holliston of ZeroGossipand I urge everyone to read all of the entries to get the details of the story from the beginning to the present.

This is a missing person's case that has been convoluted from the very beginning when Waterbury, CT police made the family wait three days before they would take a missing persons report.  That was only the start of an uncooperative relationship ultimately leading to the arrest of Billy's mother, Jan, lost DNA samples, and Jan's relentless pursuit of the States Attorney and Governor of CT and contacting the FBI herself to get action.

I just want to let you know if you ask anyone who knew me my life prior to Billy's disappearance, I was quiet, minded my own business and would not challenge. I was forced to either sink or swim and of course I chose the latter.Had Jan Smolinski not been the consummate mother, never, ever giving it a second thought to do everything in her power to search for her son, this case may have never even been opened.  She has tirelessly, day after day, worked this case with tenacity in an effort to get answers about her son.  Media outlets, bloggers, and writers have tried to get this story told, but officials and Waterbury in general, for some reason, don't want that.The media, with the exception of Billy's hometown newspaper, The Waterbury-Republican, has been excellent, Jan said.  "I don't know why, but they (the newspaper) washed their hands of Billy.  We went to see the state's attorney in Waterbury and asked him for help and his answer to us was 'you care about your son, but no one else does.'  I never thought people in authority would ignore situations like this."Not only has Jan worked daily for Billy, but has given so much of herself to helping others in the same situation with nowhere to get answers. She has not only been instrumental in setting up vigils, making contact with organizations, making a quilt for the missing and speaking engagements, but she has reached out to our congressional leaders to change legislation nationally to benefit how missing persons cases are handled in the future.

This entry has not turned into a spotlight for Billy Smolinski's mother, Jan, but a spotlight on what a family of a missing person often endures.We all want to change that.

Every family of a missing son or daughter, mother or father, sister or brother wants to know that the tragedy they are experiencing is not in vain.

Billy Smolinski will be 36 years old, he is a much loved son, brother and friend.  The day he is found and brought home to his family will be the day they will rest their hearts, rest their minds and soothe their souls.

Jan ends all of her correspondence, "Always Hope".

We will always keep the hope alive, and the candle burning .

From Jan Smolinski:

On January 14 Billy would have been celebrating another birthday. This is the fifth birthday that has gone by without him. A senseless act of violence has taken him away. $60,000 is a BIG NUMBER put some dollars in your pocket by coming forward IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT HIS DISAPPEARANCE, it is all yours for the RECOVERY OR RETURN of our son. Happy Birthday Billy we love and miss you. Giving up is NEVER an option no matter how long it takes. 2009 is the year for answers. With God ALL things are possible. EVIL FLOURISHES WHEN GOOD MEN DO NOTHING

William "Billy" Smolinski

Missing: August 24, 2004

Missing Age: 31 Years Old

Sex: Male

Race: White

Hair: Light Brown

Eyes: Blue

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 200 lbs.

DOB:  01/14/73

Missing From: Waterbury, CT USA

TATTOO’S: A tattoo of a blue cross with the name Pruitt in the cross on left forearm, a tattoo of a blue cross with an orange outline on right shoulder. His left ear is pierced with a small diamond.

Please join us at Peace4 the Missing

Please join us at Peace4 the Missing
Missing Persons Awareness and Support Network
http://peace4missing.ning.com

Why Do We Light Candles?

I have been trying to find out the reason why in almost every religion and civilization there are rituals of candle lighting. The reasons vary according to each one and I've found that most are quite profound.

Other than using candles as a form of lighting before electricity came along, there are literally hundreds of rituals performed with candle lighting as a part of the ceremony.

Most of the rituals use the candlelight as a symbol of light of the deity or god that is worshipped, as well as an offering to them.

I like to think of it as "lighting the way".

The candle light can light the path from one place to another, or it can light the way to God.

It can be God's light shining down on us who are willing to make the effort to be seen by Him.

The light can be a healing light shining a miracle on one who is sick.

The light can be a light of energy to those who need their life force ignited.

I believe that when a group lights candles it can do all of the above, showing the forces of nature and the universe that there is a gathering of souls with a common unity.

Light a candle today. Show the world we care.


Please join us at Peace4 the Missing
Missing Persons Awareness and Support Network
http://peace4missing.ning.com

Is the Church Sending Wrong Message to Women of Abuse?, by Cherry Simpson

Susan Murphy-Milano Says so beautifully in her new blog about what Rick Warren, the Southern Baptist megachurch pastor chosen to offer the invocation at President-elect Barack Obama's Jan. 20 inauguration, says the Bible does not permit a woman to divorce a spouse who is abusing her.

Rick Warren photo by AFP/Getty Images

Rick Warren: Abuse is no excuse for women to seek divorce The New Agenda A women's rights blog called Warren's views "alarming," especially in light of recent statistics showing a 42 percent rise in reports of domestic violence from 2005 to 2007.

Because It Matters in Freedom in Christianity by Danni Moss writes "Rick Warren and Saddleback Church on Domestic Violence"

Listen for yourself by going to and scroll down to #32 and click to listen in his own words.

Watch for public out cry to this - Many women's advocate groups are up in arms and not going to stand for this kind of putting innocent women and children in harm's way.

I am writing and commenting on each blog and ask for your support in this also.

There are certain times in a Christian's life when he or she will have to determine which command of Scripture takes preference. Abuse within marriage is one such case. On the one hand, the Lord states, "What God has joined together, let man not separate (The Sixth Commandment). Yet he also says, "You shall not kill" (The Fifth Commandment). We recall that the Fifth Commandment also applies to ourselves in that we shouldn't put our life or the lives of our loved ones at undue risk.

If a woman (or man) feels that the physical or verbal abuse she is suffering in her marriage is putting her or her children in harm's way, she needs to take action. If repeated attempts to address the situation fail, she may even consider divorce. In such a case she is seeking to give glory to God by applying the Fifth Commandment which commands us to protect human life. By patiently yet firmly attempting to work out the situation with her husband and get him the help he needs, she is seeking to give glory to God by keeping the Sixth Commandment which commands us to honor marriage. Should her attempt to do so fail, divorce may be the God-pleasing option. It is assumed that in all of this she is seeking the help and advice of a pastor or Christian counselor who honors and respects what God's says in his Word.

Because the abusing person has willfully persisted in his sinful behavior, he has violated the marriage bond and deserted his wife. He is the guilty partner even though his wife may be the one who actually seeks the divorce.



Please join us at Peace4 the Missing
Missing Persons Awareness and Support Network
http://peace4missing.ning.com

Law Professor Fired For Being Stalked In The Workplace

 Dawn V. Martin was a law professor at Howard University and was headed for a tenured position.  A homeless man from the area decided he wanted her for his "wife" and made inappropriate contacts with her at her job.  Ms. Martin did all the right things, contacted all the right people including Alice Gresham Bullock, the law school dean, campus police and Washington DC police.  There is no doubt that they all knew the details of her stalker.  However, no one followed proper precautions to ensure her safety at her workplace, in fact a month after this was reported, Martin was essentially fired from her job.

Martin sued the university in federal court for failure to prevent sexual harassment and wrongful termination. A federal jury concluded in April 2006 that Harrison's actions created a "hostile work environment" and that the university failed to take adequate actions to end the workplace harassment.

 Tomorrow is a landmark day for the case she has been working on for the past 11 years.  If the Supreme Court decides they will listen to a rehearing it could change the way workplace stalking is treated for everyone, female and male.

A lack of federal protection could encourage stalkers to see the workplace as a safe place to harass their victims, while discouraging women from pursuing protection, said Alexis Moore, founder of Survivors in Action, a nonprofit in el Dorado Hills, Calif., that trains victim advocates. She also works with employers to encourage them to assist stalking victims, even when it might be easier for them to "get rid of the problem" by firing the victim.

There needs to be an end to employer retaliation against someone who is being stalked at their workplace, as well as measures of protection granted to those being stalked.

"Stalking is a clear indicator and warning sign of violence," said Johnny Lee, director of Peace at Work, a nonprofit in Raleigh, N.C., that tracks workplace violence.

January is National Stalking Awareness Month and I can't think of a better way to support this than bringing awareness to the case of Dawn V. Martin.

 

Please join us at Peace4 the Missing
Missing Persons Awareness and Support Network
http://peace4missing.ning.com