Archive for the ‘In The News’ Category
National Domestic Abuse Awareness Month
In the time it takes you to read these two paragraphs, at least 10 women in America will become victims of domestic violence. Every 12 seconds in America, a woman suffers from a form of domestic violence. Whether it be psychological or physical, this is without question one of the most serious public health and criminal justice issues facing women today.
October is National Domestic Abuse Awareness Month. Personally, I feel that since domestic violence has no regard for social or economic status, race, ethnicity, age, education, marital status or physical ability, every month should be Domestic Abuse Awareness Month. But raising awareness in October is a great start. (more…)
Dear Blog, A New Season of “Dr. Phil” Begins!
Dr. Phil here. I know I’ve been a little neglectful with you. Please don’t take it personally. We’ve had some good times, and I hope to have more in the future. Maybe even by starting today. I will blame my absence on the summer heat, working on a new book and the fact that I’m still living in the Stone Age when it comes to technology. But I was assured that all I had to do was throw a few words onto a screen and someone would make sure it makes to people’s computers. So let’s give it a try. (more…)
A Whole Lot of Theta Love
The following is a post by my wife, Robin McGraw, who has made our marriage and our growing family her priority in life. Robin’s devotion to “family first” can be seen through her dedicated work as a board member of The Dr. Phil Foundation and national spokesperson for CASA. In 2010, she became a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity, which has donated more than $1 million to CASA over the last 20 years.
It’s been two years since I had the thrill of being initiated into the Omicron Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta. For those of my readers who don’t know, Kappa Alpha Theta is the first Greek letter fraternity known among women — founded in 1870 — and my favorite nonprofit, CASA for Children, is Theta’s official philanthropy.
I’m still in awe of the tremendous amount of energy Theta women put into everything they do — especially their passionate support of CASA for Children. (more…)
A Tribute to Our Accidental First Lady
Former First Lady Betty Ford was recently laid to rest beside her husband — the man she always called her boyfriend — her amazing life of 93 years having come to a peaceful end. Because many of you under the age of 40 may know little about her, I want to share with you some insight into this remarkable woman and the path she blazed for all of us.
In 1974, due to the resignation of President Richard Nixon, and after serving as vice president for only one year, Gerald Ford took over our nation’s highest office. Suddenly, Betty Ford was unexpectedly thrust into the White House and the limelight, and became known as “the accidental first lady.” As accidental as it may have been, she embraced the role like Americans had never seen before; with a candor and humanity that was unheard of at the time.
Betty used her position to become an advocate for women’s rights. Remember, the early 70s was a far more chauvinistic era than today. She will be remembered for enforcing the notion that “being ladylike does not require silence.” She spoke of the contributions of women as wives and mothers. “We have to take the ‘just’ out of the phrase, ‘just a housewife,’” she insisted. (more…)
The Senate Hearing on Domestic Violence
Listen up, all you Silence Breakers out there, it’s game time. A very vital piece of legislation that protects millions of victims of domestic violence is now before Congress, and we’ve got to make some noise to make sure it’s passed.
The legislation is called the Violence Against Women Act. It was first ushered into law in 1994 and is now up for reauthorization by Congress. I was recently invited to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee as a content expert to talk about VAWA, which funds programs that help survivors of domestic violence rebuild their shattered lives. The money from VAWA goes to building vital emergency family shelters and creating domestic abuse hotlines. It also trains police officers on how to better protect victims and prosecutors on how to establish better criminal cases that will stand up in court. And because of VAWA, these women have access to resources such as counseling, financial literacy education, gainful employment, long-term housing options and legal assistance. (more…)
