doooo it... come on now.... DO IT!

Edited to add:
I had to add an update to this post. Sunshine Scribe has written a great post on the same subject. The stats are mind blowing and she really knows what she's talking about. Please read her post also. All I ask is that we educate each other.

On with the post!:

I love a good challenge, especially when I know I will succeed. I mean come on, if you know you could do it (and seriously, everyone can do this request.... honestly, everyone really can!) why wouldn't you do it? Okay, I can only link to the same thing so many times before it gets annoying (whoops, couldn't resist). Honestly though... do it. Now.

Wait! Read this first:

Recently, HBM put forth the request for readers to "write a post about a cause that you are passionate about". Well duh I guess you already knew that. It's not like I haven't left a gazillion links. Heck now, I've provided enough links to sink a ship.

But seriously, I've been meaning to do something about this (no really, I have) and Bad Mom once again was timely in her posting and inspired me to get it out there.

Back in the day, I was one of kids that always tried to do something, anything really, when I heard about global issues that pierced my heart (the forcing of genital mutilation on girls around the world, Father Abe in India asking us to raise money to build a new school so the girls of the village have a place to learn and the famine in Ethiopia are the ones that I remember vividly). Thankfully I was lucky enough to go to a school run by the Sisters of Charity and they were a feisty bunch. In another post I will regale with some marches we went on, lead by Sister Peters and Sister Heff but I will save that for another time.

If there was an issue to be pressed, Sister Heff knew I was the kid to hit to get the word moving. She introduced me to Amnesty International and showed me how little ol' me, at 4 foot nothin' and 70 pounds soaking wet, could make a difference. That's right. Me. I could make that difference.

So when HBM made the call for causes close to my heart, two causes instantly came to mind: violence against women and AI.

I have someone very close to me (well she was, until he came along and quietly, connivingly, isolated her) who is living in hell (the hell he's made for her). She hasn't found the strength (yet) but I'll always be here to hold her when she finally leaves him. I don't want to be identifying her body instead. I'm not joking. I'm sure it will be one way or the other. I'm not comfortable talking about this but I need you to understand how much this cause means to me. Sometimes it's all I can do.

So please take the time to read Amnesty's Stop the Violence campaign. Think of your sisters near and far, the ones right next door and the ones in places you've never been. Go here to find out about ways you can make a difference. Yes. YOU. You can make the difference.

Women in ALL countries are facing violence from so many fronts. They are mutilated, raped, beaten down and so little seems to be done.

Take the time to read about:

• 10,000 voices they have got 2100 so far, your name will make a difference here.
  
• Stolen Sisters how many Indigenous Canadian women must die before someone takes action?
  

You can do so much from the place you sit right now.

Yes. You.

You can make the difference.

Go make Sister Heff proud.