On the Basis of Sex Wins Heartland Moving Picture Award

On the Basis of Sex
Image: imdb.com

A public policy and educational-technology consultant, Thomas Stoughton served as the president of the Indiana-based firm Business Consulting Incorporated for 10 years. Aside from building a successful consulting career across different sectors, Thomas Stoughton helped to establish the Heartland International Film Festival, an annual event in Indianapolis, Indiana, held by Heartland Film.

Heartland Film also bestows the Truly Moving Picture Award to films that make significant contributions to society beyond mere entertainment. One of the recent winners of this honor is On the Basis of Sex, which tells the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s early career as a legal champion of women’s rights before she was appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Played by actress Felicity Jones, the film begins with Ginsburg struggling to use her legal talents because most firms didn’t want to hire a female lawyer. Taking inspiration from her own experience and desiring to make progress for the entire gender, the story follows Ginsburg as she joins with her husband Marty to bring a landmark case before the U.S. Court of Appeals to overturn statutes that discriminate on the basis of gender. On the Basis of Sex won the Truly Moving Picture Award because it tells a meaningful tale of persistence in the fight for equal rights.

Halfway Houses Help to Improve Lives

Accomplished business consultant Thomas Stoughton supports technology, civic, education, and business development initiatives that benefit his native Indiana. Thomas Stoughton of Indiana is particularly committed to supporting halfway houses and other addiction recovery efforts.

Also known as sober living homes, halfway houses are drug-free environments designed for individuals who struggle with addiction, mental health, or any other issue that makes living on their own difficult. By staying at such a house, residents can develop the self-confidence and skills they need to re-enter society after an inpatient or outpatient recovery program, homelessness, or prison without subjecting themselves to the triggering environment that likely led to their addiction in the first place.

Not every halfway house operates in the same way. For instance, some may require that residents pass a breathalyzer test or drug screening before being welcomed into the home. However, halfway houses share some general similarities. The individuals living at the home must commit to a sober lifestyle and contribute to the house by completing regular chores. Unlike inpatient programs, residents of halfway houses are allowed to come and go as they please in accordance with the house’s rules.

Several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of halfway houses over the years. According to these, one of the biggest obstacles people face to staying sober is not having a stable, sober environment. Halfway houses fill this void and allow people to live without as many temptations to go back to drugs or alcohol. Further, the 12-step group affiliation at many halfway houses leads to higher abstinence from addiction.

Helping Children to Resist Peer Pressure

An experienced business consultant, Thomas Stoughton most recently served as the president of Business Consulting Incorporated. Over the years, he has supported dozens of civic, education, technology, and business development initiatives in Indiana. Dedicated to ending school violence, Thomas Stoughton played a role in the creation of the Indiana Department of Education Safety Academy, an entity that educated public school corporations about school safety.

An essential part of reducing school violence is helping students resist peer pressure to behave irresponsibly. Following are several things parents can do to help their children resist peer pressure:

– Teach them to say no. Saying “no” seems like a simple skill, but many adults have yet to master it. The reason saying “no” is so difficult is because standing up to a group, particularly a group of friends, requires a great deal of emotional and mental strength.

– Create a positive environment. All people need to feel loved and accepted, regardless of their age. Parents are tasked with providing their children with this love and showing them that home is a secure place in which to live. When kids experience more love at home, they are less likely to seek acceptance elsewhere and give in to peer pressure.

– Don’t fight over friends. Parents may not always like the friends their child picks. Still, they must remind their kid that they will always respect his or her choices in friends and love him or her regardless. Fighting over these friends almost never benefits the parent and instead breeds resentment that makes kids more susceptible to peer pressure.