violence against women

Much gratitude to Renee of Womanist Musings , blogging also at Feministe on June 23rd to remind us all about the killing of women in the Niagra Falls region:

When you think of the Niagara region immediately the mind turns to the majestic falls. Some who have spent more than an afternoon here will think of places like the Welland Canal, The Skylon Tower, Fallsview Casino, Clifton Hill, and maybe even the dearth of reasonably priced hotels, and restaurants. The aforementioned sites are the Niagara region you are supposed to think about. It is what you will find printed in all of those handy little pamphlets, that the tour guides like to give out. Yes the safe family destination, where everything is bright and sunny.What you will not hear about are the women that have been killed here since 1996. What if I were to whisper these names in your ear?

The names she whispers are these:

A forlorn peek above our garters to Miss Vicki at God is a Dyke for bringing us this bit of heartbreaking news.

(Original source seems to be the Reading Eagle, via 365gay.)

Apparently, Joyce Y. Beddell, 61, walked in on her sixteen year old granddaughter in flagrante delicto with another girl from the neighborhood. Instead of politely excusing herself, Mrs. Beddell chose a different, heartbreaking path.

The granddaughter had just finished having sex with another 16-year-old girl and was in an upstairs bedroom. Beddell walked in and found them together. The neighborhood girl ran out of the house to her nearby home while Beddell was beating her granddaughter with the cane.

Today's Leonard Lopate show has a segment on "The Daughters of Juarez," by Teresa Rodriguez about the murders of more than 400 women in Juarez since 1993.