Category Archives

Politics

silhouette of woman with gun

Stop Blaming Mental Illness for Gun-Related Violence

By Kristance Harlow | April 29, 2022 |
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With painkillers like OxyContin, the overdose reversal drug naloxone, and detox/maintenance medications like Suboxone, the pharmaceutical industry is making a profit off people addicted to opioid at every stage. Opioids are highly addictive and sometimes, especially in combination with other drugs, deadly.

What Poverty Looks Like and Who Uses Food Stamps

By Kristance Harlow | February 17, 2018 |
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It is long past time to stop making judgments about what poverty looks like. Impoverished people do not fit into a neat stereotype of what acceptable poverty is or isn’t.

Washington monument and a flag that says #resist

Ten Things Survivors Should Know About the Title IX Rollback

By Kristance Harlow | October 24, 2017 |
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Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos warned that she would not protect the Obama-era guidelines that helped schools establish systems and policies for investigating allegations of sexual misconduct. As early as January, during her confirmation hearings, DeVos said she would not commit to protecting those guidelines.

Donald Trump - Caricature by DonkeyHotey

Cutting Domestic Violence Programs is Dangerous

By Kristance Harlow | August 27, 2017 |
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The current political climate in the United States is putting victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) and the police officers who respond to their emergency calls in greater danger. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said one of his top issues is protecting police officers; the White House website even included “Standing Up For Our Law Enforcement Community” as part of its priorities. But…

Anonymous Protest

Are You Angry Yet? This is Why You Should Be.

By Kristance Harlow | August 15, 2017 |
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I am angry. You should be, too. I am not carrying hate around in my heart or spewing anger in undirected locations. I am angry that we let this happen. I am angry that we continue to allow history to repeat itself. Fascism rises again and is progressively worse every time we relapse into it.…

graffiti

Don’t Tell Me to Calm Down

By Kristance Harlow | July 31, 2017 |
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I live abroad, but I’m very politically involved and vocal. I’ve gone through the ringer with Trump supporters who tell me that it doesn’t affect me and that I shouldn’t be so opinionated. I voted, I am an American. Whether I live there right now or not doesn’t mean I care any less about what…

Snowflakes

You Call Us Snowflakes Like It’s a Bad Thing

By Kristance Harlow | May 3, 2017 |
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People have been calling each other “special snowflakes” at least as far back as Fight Club, but the insult has snowballed recently. The Guardian dubbed “poor little snowflake” the top insult of 2016.

Yes, Trump and Hitler Are Similar – But It Isn’t Too Late To Stop Trump

By Kristance Harlow | February 28, 2017 |
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Both Hitler and Trump rose on tsunami of lies, fear and anti-free speech platforms. It isn’t too late to stop history from coming full circle. Deportation raids are happening en masse across the country. Refugees have been turned away at the border, echoing a shameful past when Holocaust refugees were refused entry to the United States in 1939. The ACLU is…

Donald Trump is Just Like My Abuser

By Kristance Harlow | October 14, 2016 |
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That’s when it clicked: I can’t watch Trump because he is a manipulator, and his manner of speaking is that of an emotional abuser. That’s why I was finding myself fighting panic and flashbacks when I first tried watching him debate. I was flashing back to my own experience as a victim of abuse.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call your local emergency number. The numbers listed here are the commonly used numbers for the stated region, the numbers can vary greatly depending on where you live. If you don't know your country's equivalent to 911, this wiki page and The Lifeline Foundation have comprehensive listings.

Americas

911

The Americas

Europe

112

Europe

Africa

112 & 999

Africa

Asia

112, 999, 110

Asia

Oceania

112, 911, 999, 111, & 000

Oceania

Find help for a crisis by texting, calling, or chatting online with these free crisis organizations. Looking for one outside of the USA? Check out our support listings.

Crisis Text Line
Text: “HOME” to 741741

Suicide Lifeline
Text: “ANSWER” to 839863
Call: 1-800-273-8255

Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-7233
1-800-787-3224 (TTY)

Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-422-4453

The Trevor Project
Text “START” to 678678
1-866-488-7386

These online and international resources may help you anywhere you are located. Looking for local support outside of the USA? Check out our support listings.

DV Support Abroad
Call toll-free worldwide
1-833-723-3833

I'm Alive Virtual Crisis Center
Live chat with trained volunteers

Crisis Connections
24/7 crisis support with interpretation in 155+ languages