SCHENECTADY YWCA plans Take Back the Night march Group to teach anti-bullying in schools BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Kathleen Moore at 395-3120 or moore@dailygazette.com.
In past years, the city’s Week Without Violence has focused on violence against women and children, but the YWCA is returning to its core message this year with a Take Back the Night march on Thursday. “It has been several years since a Take Back the Night march has been held in Schenectady, but we think it is time to once again to remind the citizens of our city that safety on the streets and in our homes must be of paramount importance to women, children and men,” said YWCA spokeswoman Sara Erickson in a press release on the event. This year’s program acknowledges the impact of stranger-violence. “Violence, whether perpetrated by a stranger or by the ones who are supposed to love us the most, is a quality of life issue that touches every one of us. To make our city strong, we need to make it safe,” Erickson said. As in previous years, the YWCA will also run events at the city schools to deter bullying. The message to children this year will be, “Hands are not for hitting.” “Hopefully it will carry into their adulthood,” Erickson said. The YWCA will also continue its domestic violence awareness segment of the week. Women in the agency’s domestic violence programs have designed shirts that will be displayed on a clothesline at the agency all week. But the main focus will be the Take Back The Night march. On Thursday the march will begin with music at 5:30 p.m. at the YWCA, 44 Washington Ave. Marchers will gather on the steps of the YWCA at 6 p.m. for a rally led by keynote speaker the Rev. Stacy Midge of First Reformed Church of Schenectady. At 6:30 p.m., marchers will walk up Union Street to Erie Boulevard, proceed to State Street and turn back onto Washington Avenue. Erickson hopes the march will send a message to all who see it. “There are citizens in our community who care about the community and it being safe to walk at night,” she said. The YWCA has organized the Week Without Violence for 21 years. The week began as a way to memorialize October, the national Domestic Violence Awareness month.
...well as far as I am concerned there is no problem of violence since the Democrat-liberals have each and every seat on the county and city councils except a few. But if a few more republicans get in then I am sure there will be endless media stories about how bad things are. And if they get bad then I am sure that this march will solve everything since rapists, murderers and thugs always respect non-violent protests and such, just like Hitler would have.
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
Well then, STOP supporting them in your inane posts!
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
Well perhaps if the government stopped supporting the habits and life styles of some of these people they wouldn't have to have 'take back the night march'. AND if our county attorneys would try a case 'without' a plea bargin, perhaps some of these criminals would be in jail where they belong. Ya know....if the punishment fits the crime?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
BRUCE SQUIERS/ GAZETTE PHOTOGRAPHER Standing up for safety Gerri Crystal holds a sign Thursday evening outside the Schenectady YWCA as she prepares to march in a “Take Back The Night” event.
SCHENECTADY Marchers ‘Take Back the Night’ Domestic violence issue in the spotlight BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Michael Lamendola at 395-3114 or lamend@dailygazette.com
The night belonged to more than two dozen women and their supporters Thursday as they marched through the Stockade to increase awareness about domestic violence and sexual abuse. The YWCA of Schenectady organized the “Take Back the Night” march, part of activities to observe “A Week Without Violence” Monday through today. “All we want is peaceful streets in a peaceful city. It sounds all rosy glasses, but that is the kind of world we want,” said Rowie Taylor, YWCA executive director. YWCAs throughout the nation held similar events, said Schenectady YWCA spokeswomen Sara Erickson. The local YWCA also visited city elementary schools during the week to teach about non-violence. The women, some from the YWCA’s Washington Street shelter and some from the community, marched down Union Street to Erie Boulevard and back to Washington Street. They carried signs and flashlights and chanted slogans, such as “2-4-6-8. No more violence, no more rape,” and “What do we want? Safe homes. When do we want them? Now.” YWCA board President Shirley Readdean said she wished Thursday night’s event was to celebrate “We have taken back the night. Since we can’t do that, let’s let the community know we can’t stand the violence and we want to stop the violence.” Guest speaker District Attorney Robert Carney said domestic violence is an issue in Schenectady County. Approximately half of the case load in City Court deals with domestic violence incidents, the majority of them misdemeanors, he said. However, the county has also seen at least 10 felony cases involving domestic violence, several of which involved homicides, he said. “We need to mobilize against domestic violence as we do against drug, gang and gun violence,” Carney said. “Domestic violence cuts across all classes and all lines of society. It affects us all.” Guest speaker The Rev. Stacey Midge of the First Reformed Church said it takes a whole community to shift the way sexual assault and domestic violence is viewed. “We still live in a culture that views violence as normal,” Midge said, and that views domestic and sexual violence as “women’s issues,” where women are supposed to do something about it, such as watch how they dress and where they go at night. “We begin that change by realizing that sexual assault and domestic violence is all of our problems,” Midge said. Heather Mapstone and her daughter, Keegan Julius, 11, were among the marchers Thursday night. “We’re here to be supportive and to rally together and bring awareness to domestic violence and assault so prevalent in our culture,” Mapstone said. Holding marches and other events help victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse to realize they should not hide what is happening to them or live in shame, Mapstone said. “The more we talk about the problem, the more women can be open and honest about being victims,” she said.
BRUCE SQUIERS/ GAZETTE PHOTOGRAPHER Marchers head east along Union Street Thursday night as they leave the Schenectady YWCA, observing “Take Back The Night” as part of “A Week Without Violence.”
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