Touching words from the sister of slain fitness model Amanda Sazell

When I received an email yesterday from Brandy Cooke, the sister of slain fitness model Amanda Sazell, I was very touched by what she wrote about her sister and the grieving process which she is going through. Having now received Brandy’s permission to share them, following are the words she wrote:

I appreciate each and every one of you for listening to my story and for
allowing me to express my desires in ministering and speaking to the public
about this. You have all paved the way for us victims to really make a
difference in this world, and for that I am forever thankful. Every day
that goes by that I am not reaching out and helping just frustrates the heck
out of me, so I’m ready whenever y’all are. I feel like the more I talk
about my sister, the more alive her spirit will stay.

Some days I’m not so well put together, and some days I feel like I can
conquer the world. I still sit in her closet and smell her clothes, and I
still wear a piece of her clothing or jewelry every day. I drive her car
now and I have yet to take the CD out of the player that was left in there
from her last ride. I sleep on her pillow because it smells like her hair
and I wear her favorite vanilla lotion that she swore made all the boys
crazy. My eyes appear more green when I look in the mirror every day
because her eyes were more green than mine; and I see the beauty and inner
strength in me she always saw that I never felt I had. My sister will be at
every platform I stand on because she will never leave my side. All of this
I bring to you in hopes that you all will understand the passion that I feel
in saving even one woman’s life from an abusive relationship. I want to
help make a difference in this world. I want to be her voice.”

As you can see, Brandy can and will make a real difference. God bless you and your family as you continue through the grieving process. May you all reach that healing spot one day soon – but take your time doing so. Time does heal wounds.

Parkland Hospital CEO receives new award for a man from Family Place

The president and CEO of Parkland Hospital was the recipient of the very first “Man of Influence” award presented yesterday by The Family Place women’s shelter at their annual Trailblazers Awards luncheon.

Dr. Ron Anderson was selected from four finalists also nominated for the award, which was given to recognize a man who has helped make family violence a community issue, rather than solely a women’s issue.

Other nominated were Dallas County Family Violence Court Judge Roberto Canas, Club Corp. CEO Eric Affeldt and Lillian Smith Family Violence Foundation founder J.J. Smith.

The luncheon attracted over 200 people who paid $100 a plate as a donation to The shelter, which is the largest in DFW.

Executive Director Paige Flink announced that the shelter’s budget is about $8 million dollars this year, which is being used to assist victims of family violence.

New report reveals U.S. children hit over 200,000 times as punishment

We tell children not to hit, but last year we let school teachers and administrators across the nation hit our children over 200,000 times. What the heck kind of sense does that make?

Except possibly in the case of self-defense, hitting is just plain wrong. PERIOD!

In a report issued jointly today by Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union entitled “A Violent Education: Corporal Punishment of Children in U.S. Public Schools,” it was revealed that more than 200,000 children were hit as punishment in U.S. schools last year, and in the South more blacks than whites are struck.

In the 13 states that corporally punished more than 1,000 students per year, African-American girls were twice as likely to be beaten as their white counterparts.

Texas accounted for a quarter of the instances of corporal punishment in the 2006-2007 school year, according to the study.

Twenty-one U.S. states still permit the use of corporal punishment in schools. In Texas and Mississippi children as young as 3 are struck for transgressions as minor as gum chewing, the report says.

The punishment often involves hitting a child on the buttocks with a long wooden board, or paddle.

I recommend you read several articles to learn more. Visit the following:

Corporal punishment rife in U.S. schools, report shows

Groups target corporal punishment in schools

End Beating of Children in Public Schools

I am totally opposed to corporal punishment in schools, in homes or anywhere else. As a young and experienced father, I spanked my children many times, since that’s the way I was raised by a violent, full-of-rage father. But I learned after the first few of my eight children, that spankings don’t work. All they do is hurt children and cause them to be angry at the adult who hit them. So I stopped, and urge everyone else to stop. There are far better, more successful ways to discipline children.

Sister of slain fitness model to speak out against relationship violence

Amanda Sazell

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Several months ago, fitness model Amanda Sazell was tragically killed in a highly-publicized murder-suicide case by an admitted steroids dealer and user, who had admitted providing steroids to at least one former Dallas Cowboy.

Now Amanda’s equally attractive and vivacious sister, Brandy Cooke, has decided to begin speaking our publicly against domestic violence and steroids use in hopes of saving the lives of many other women.

My wife and I met her at The Family Place’s annual Trailblazers Awards luncheon yesterday, and were very impressed by her and her rather surprising enthusiasm and strength for what she wants to do. She said that she and her family want to meet with me and other members of the LIllian Smith Family Violence Foundation because, as survivors of various kinds of family violence, they want to speak with others who have been through the same grieving which they are experiencing. One of our organization’s objectives is to provide comfort to those who have experienced family violence trauma.

We look forward to meeting with Brandy and her family soon.

Statewide summit meeting scheduled by TX Council on Family Violence to create future strategies

A statewide summit meeting will be hosted by the Texas Council on Family Violence Sept. 23-24 in Dallas to explore and create future strategies to eliminate domestic violence.

The “Foundations of Change Summit” will be held at the Westin Park Central Hotel in conjunction with the Council’s statewide annual conference in the same place, Sept. 26-27.

According to the Council’s website, the Summit – which follows the 2007 National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH) sponsored “Decade for Change Summit” – will develop a 10-year blueprint for preventing violence and abuse in intimate relationships in Texas. This effort will require new strategies for increasing public awareness, engaging new partners and changing conditions that allow domestic violence to continue.

The Texas Summit is made possible through a $200,000 gift from the Allstate Foundation, which has invited the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV), National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH) and the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) to collaborate with it to plan and implement a total of four mini-summit conferences in 2008.  The Allstate Foundation endowment is a part of its own Domestic Violence Program that strives to provide an all-inclusive network of services for domestic violence survivors and providers through direct services, intellectual leadership and public awareness efforts.  In the past three years, the Allstate Foundation has granted over 45 million dollars in funding to this and other important national endeavors.  For more information on other significant Allstate Foundation domestic violence programs please go to: www.econempowerment.org.

For further info about the Summit, visit their website at this page: www.tcfv.org.

Texas Council on Family Violence gala event to honor 30 people who have shaped services

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, The Texas Council on Family Violence will hold a “30 Stars Over Texas” gala event Sept. 24 in Dallas, in conjunction with its 25th annual statewide conference Sept. 25-26, to recognize founders, public figures, donors and volunteers who have supported the shaping of its services across the state to reduce and prevent family violence.

Gala Honorary Chairs are Texas Governor Rick Perry and First Lady Anita Perry.

The $100 per ticket event will begin with cocktails at 6:30 pm, followed by dinner at 7 pm at the Westin Park Central Hotel in Dallas.

For further information or to purchase tickets, contact Ann Dowdy, Chief Development Officer, at 512-685-6301.

To learn more about the Texas Council on Family Violence, visit www.tcfv.org.

Cindy Dyer to speak at TX Council on Family Violence statewide conference in Sept.

Cindy Dyer

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Cindy Dyer, the recently-appointed director of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) at the United States Department of Justice, will be one of the featured speakers at the 25th annual Texas Council on Family Violence statewide conference, Sept. 25-26, at the Westin Park Central Hotel in Dallas.

Dyer is well-known in Texas as the former head of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office Family Violence Division. She is an experienced prosecutor, recognized authority on the topic of family violence and sexual assault, the first prosecutor to join the Dallas County Family Violence Division during its inception in 1994 and became the Chief Prosecutor of that division in 1998.

Other speakers include:

• Former All-American college and professional football player Don McPherson, the founder and former Executive Director of the Sports Leadership Institute at Adelphi University located in Garden City, New York

• Donna Garske, the Executive Director of Marin Abused Women’s Services in San Rafael, CA

• Lisalynn Jacobs, Vice President of Government Relations for Legal Momentum, a leader in establishing litigation and public policy strategies to secure equality and justice for women, headquartered in New York City

The 2008 conference, “Thirty Years of Building a Safer Texas: Past, Present and Future”, will offer workshops about the following topics:

Working with Men and Boys, Healthy Marriage Initiatives, Domestic Violence Policy Trends, Batterer Intervention Prevention Programs, Engaging Communities in Prevention, Economic Advocacy, and Cultural Competency, Complex Protective Orders for Survivors of Family Violence, Sexual Assault, Media Relations, Housing Options, Confidentiality and Documentation.

For more conference details, see www.tcfv.org.

Texas schools now required to teach students about dating violence

In case you haven’t heard, all Texas school districts are now required by law to adopt and implement a dating violence policy.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed House Bill 121 into law May 18, 2007.

For several years, the State has recommended that a dating violence program be implemented in schools across the State during a specific week in February.

According to a story I read somewhere, the New Beginnings women’s shelter in Garland began partnering with Rockwall ISD last year to begin such a program.

Our newly-reorganized Rockwall Coalition Against Family Violence just contacted RISD to learn the extent of its existing program and to learn how we can help. We’re awaiting a response.

We’re also working on contacting the Royse City ISD, as well as private schools in the County.

Iron Girl triathalon competition raises $2,000 for Brighter Tomorrow’s women’s shelter

The third annual Aflac Iron Girl Texas women’s triathalon competition in Irving July 19-20 raised $2,000 for Brighter Tomorrow’s women’s shelter.

This is the third year in a row that the swimming,running and biking event has partnered with the shelter.

According to Iron Girl Irving TX organizer Marti Greer, the triathalon chose Brighter Tomorrows as our benefiting charity because both organizations are devoted to empowering women to “stand strong on their own.”

The 2008 Aflac Iron Girl national event series includes competitions in ten U.S. cities. For more info about the Iron Girl, visit www.irongirl.com.

Russ Martin’s assault charge still in line to be heard by Tarrant Co. grand jury

A prosecutor with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office told me today that Russ Martin’s felony assault charge is in line waiting to be heard by a grand jury, just as soon as the prosecutor’s office can present the case. There are about 1,000 other felonies which the DAs office is also reviewing currently.

Assistant DA David Hagerman explained that all felony charges in Tarrant Co. are heard by an independent grand jury of 12 citizens, to determine whether there is validity to the charge and whether it should be true-billed and proceed to trial or whether it should be no-billed and the charges dropped.

He said he has no idea when the grand jury will hear the case or what will happen with it.

Popular “Live 105.3″ radio talk show host Russ Martin was arrested July 18 by Southlake Police for allegedly physically assaulting his fiancee July 14, pulling our her hair and waving a gun at her. He was also alleged to have threatened her verbally regarding a possible IRS audit.

According to the complaintant, it was the alleged audit that caused Martin to assault her. She claims that he pulled out chunks of her hair, kicked her in the left thigh and brandished a Glock pistol. According to the affidavit, Martin called the woman and asked if she had followed up about a package he sent to the IRS. When she told him she had not, the document says, he allegedly said to her, among other things, “You better hide, because when I get there I’m going to beat the shit out of you.”

Martin has apparently denied the allegations.

To read the complete affadavit and learn more about the allegations, visit the CBS 11 TV website.

Martin was removed from the air for a few days after the arrest but returned the following week and is currently broadcasting weekdays, 3-7 pm, despite complaints from us and many other individuals and groups.

This case may take a while, folks, like they all do.