tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57071976047061995542024-03-05T02:39:37.222-08:00Humanist MomContemplating modern, secular values in family life.Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-58521235989508761682015-03-14T11:11:00.000-07:002015-03-14T11:35:36.362-07:00I Reached My Fundraising Goal - THANK YOU! <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAuq8LXE8Dpam-Yt7b7L-I0AxqY1eT1Yvdo3M5INLHv3c_fMvaE2VNqTVMsRatWZuz_euZCepB4642DTxPhR1oseG9fMW6kEccF0VB4TIpHt6WBEektiG_BZuXTjXqCAkU802Rx8B5hyphenhyphenMB/s1600/Zombi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAuq8LXE8Dpam-Yt7b7L-I0AxqY1eT1Yvdo3M5INLHv3c_fMvaE2VNqTVMsRatWZuz_euZCepB4642DTxPhR1oseG9fMW6kEccF0VB4TIpHt6WBEektiG_BZuXTjXqCAkU802Rx8B5hyphenhyphenMB/s1600/Zombi.jpg" height="320" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Zombi", the print for "Z" entry in the first book that<br />
will be published by my small press, <i>Cats A-Z</i>. Seems<br />
that at least for me, black cats are good luck!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So much for Friday the 13th being bad luck; I just achieved<a href="http://igg.me/at/wordsonwoodcuts" target="_blank"> my Indiegogo campaign</a> fundraising goal - in only 28 hours! Woo hoo!<br />
<br />
Thank you to everyone who has contributed and shared information about this campaign!<br />
<br />
<b>THE FOCUS NOW: </b><br />
<br />
While I've cleared the first hurtle, I still need to raise additional funds to enact my business plan. I've applied for an interest-free, crowd-sourced small business loan and am currently waiting for approval to launch that campaign. Any funds I raise through Indiegogo that exceed $2000 go to reduce the amount I have to borrow to make this small press a reality. And that increases my press's chances for long-term success!<br />
<br />
The Indiegogo campaign runs through April 24th. Help me keep spreading the word. Also, check in on my art blog <a href="http://www.wordsonwoodcuts.com/" target="_blank">Words On Woodcuts</a> where I'll be posting eight original woodcut art cards as thank-you gifts for all the funders.<br />
<br />
<br />Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-89561973139636893592015-03-13T06:52:00.000-07:002015-03-13T07:19:40.767-07:00Help Me Launch A Press, It's Friggatriskaidekatastic! <div class="def-header" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<b style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Friggatriskaidekaphobia</b><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">noun</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Etymology:</b> An</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> English variant of </span><span class="etyl" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Old Norse</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> </span><i class="Latn mention" lang="non" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" xml:lang="non">Frigg</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">, (the Norse goddess for whom </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Friday</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> was named) + </span><span class="etyl" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Ancient Greek</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> </span><span class="polytonic mention" lang="grc" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" xml:lang="grc">τρεῖς</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> (</span><span class="tr mention-tr" lang="" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" xml:lang="">treîs</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">, </span><span class="mention-gloss-double-quote" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">“</span><span class="mention-gloss" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">three</span><span class="mention-gloss-double-quote" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">”</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">) + Ancient Greek </span><span class="polytonic mention" lang="grc" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" xml:lang="grc"><a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%AF#Ancient_Greek" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="καί">καί</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> (</span><span class="tr mention-tr" lang="" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" xml:lang="">kaí</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">,</span><span class="mention-gloss-double-quote" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">“</span><span class="mention-gloss" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">and</span><span class="mention-gloss-double-quote" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">”</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">) + Ancient Greek </span><span class="polytonic mention" lang="grc" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" xml:lang="grc"><a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CE%B4%CE%AD%CE%BA%CE%B1#Ancient_Greek" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="δέκα">δέκα</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> (</span><span class="tr mention-tr" lang="" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" xml:lang="">déka</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">, </span><span class="mention-gloss-double-quote" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">“</span><span class="mention-gloss" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">ten</span><span class="mention-gloss-double-quote" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">”</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">) + </span><i class="None mention" lang="und" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" xml:lang="und">-phobia</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white;">.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><b style="color: #2c353c;">Definition:</b></span><span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> The fear of Friday 13th. </span></div>
<div class="def-header" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxWDD_80H4KJ1ggr7AgMgRvZkaLKeG3eY7ONHR1sx3HxdlYdbQuDpR4O0TWlHWGD0T9gudLCcY_B7WrSHXfR3SQR_jz_0li3PqSbQAyR9PsW6byUUAXl0EfwzASbEjk5cr8-6fOi3NjXV/s1600/frigga-photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxWDD_80H4KJ1ggr7AgMgRvZkaLKeG3eY7ONHR1sx3HxdlYdbQuDpR4O0TWlHWGD0T9gudLCcY_B7WrSHXfR3SQR_jz_0li3PqSbQAyR9PsW6byUUAXl0EfwzASbEjk5cr8-6fOi3NjXV/s1600/frigga-photo.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Friday the 13th ain't scary. Starting a small<br />
press to publish art books, now <i>that's </i>scary. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lots of people still get the heebie jeebies about silly, old superstitions like Friday the 13th. But in the secular humanist community, where skepticism is a core value, it's more of a fun holiday.<br /> </span><span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For years, atheist activist Margaret Downey has hosted anti-superstition parties - hilariously themed as <a href="http://www.friggatriskaidekaphobia.com/">Friggatriskaidekaphobia Treatment Centers</a> on Friday the 13th, and offered a party kit to encourage other freethought groups to host similar parties. </span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A couple of secular humanist friends of mine got married on Friday the 13th just because <i>that's awesome. </i></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here's the deal. <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/words-on-woodcuts-press/x/10101109" target="_blank">I'm launching a small press</a> to publish beautifully produced books featuring my fine art woodcuts. And while that is already incredibly awesome, I'm making it a tiny bit more awesome by launching the fundraising campaign on Friday the 13th. </span><span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">The campaign will last 42 days (ending April 24th) because, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/42_%28number%29" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">as we all know</a><span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">, that's the true answer to life, the universe, and everything. </span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">So why am I bringing this up on my Humanist Mom blog? What the heck does starting a small, artsy press have to do with secular humanism? </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjNBcKfIa593dXfRVlH7ysV85wVJNj7Yqma7_3CFalFSkJtPYalRPhJvmgT9SiwNQbEr_XxxyGaQr5_0nvw2CgzKwgnz1YhsnrKFWbNLS0rDMQ93S1_nz1nV-iMSKiPlSnkMiApAG6BZ5/s1600/Web_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjNBcKfIa593dXfRVlH7ysV85wVJNj7Yqma7_3CFalFSkJtPYalRPhJvmgT9SiwNQbEr_XxxyGaQr5_0nvw2CgzKwgnz1YhsnrKFWbNLS0rDMQ93S1_nz1nV-iMSKiPlSnkMiApAG6BZ5/s1600/Web_Cover.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a cover concept. Need a graphic designer to do it right. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Benton Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px;">The first book to be published will be </span><b style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Benton Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px;">Cats A-Z</b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Benton Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 26px;">, a cat-themed alphabet book for adults, illustrated with black and white woodcuts. Yeah, I know that sounds gimmicky and cutesy. But it's not. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Benton Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 26px;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Benton Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 26px;">This book is completely reflective of secular humanist values, from expressing concern over the </span><a href="http://marthaknox.squarespace.com/storage/I.jpg" style="line-height: 26px;" target="_blank">Iriomote Cat</a><span style="line-height: 26px;"> that has been driven to critical endangerment by human encroachment on its habitat, to giving a light-handed reminder of </span><a href="http://marthaknox.squarespace.com/storage/V.jpg" style="line-height: 26px;" target="_blank">the successes of vaccinations</a><span style="line-height: 26px;">. The book would please stalwart skeptics because while it celebrates the stories of cats who have inspired humanity, such as </span><a href="http://marthaknox.squarespace.com/storage/U.jpg" style="line-height: 26px;" target="_blank">"Unsinkable Sam"</a><span style="line-height: 26px;"> of WWII fame, it also manages to tactfully question the literal truth of such myths. </span><br /><br /><span style="line-height: 26px;">This book dispatches no grand statement. Rather, it is a series of vignettes where the artwork and prose raise questions and ideas that provide a jumping off point for quiet introspection. To me, someone who believes not in gods, karma or cosmic justice, an afterlife or eternal soul, a great deal of personal meaning can be found during such ruminations, which are usually inspired by nature or art. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Benton Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 26px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbS95gKDxV7zhHrRgZ0uYYTHz0HE2WhH1XgmAZKFFQjFTF_giewBhrPmXcmDxcYElcshnxm3uFdLAa4CDmunEwOd2fID9l1SkqCTJYeVgOgNPghn-EVqmgmbkHg_QM8aikKLKeiJ_jbXDp/s1600/Iriomote+Cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbS95gKDxV7zhHrRgZ0uYYTHz0HE2WhH1XgmAZKFFQjFTF_giewBhrPmXcmDxcYElcshnxm3uFdLAa4CDmunEwOd2fID9l1SkqCTJYeVgOgNPghn-EVqmgmbkHg_QM8aikKLKeiJ_jbXDp/s1600/Iriomote+Cat.jpg" height="251" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Benton Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 26px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Benton Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 26px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">In addition to the book reflecting secular humanist values and hopefully providing a meaningful experience for readers, I like to think I've earned some street cred in the freethought community. I've devoted a significant portion of my entire adult life to freethought activism and communities. My involvement started in college with Students For Freethought at Ohio State University. I've been a camp counselor with <a href="https://campquest.org/" target="_blank">Camp Quest</a> and was one of the founding Board Members of the <a href="https://secularstudents.org/" target="_blank">Secular Student Alliance</a>. After college I serves as VP of the <a href="http://hcco.org/" target="_blank">Humanist Community of Central Ohio</a>, and since moving to Philly over a decade ago, I've served as everything from webmaster to VP, President, and now Secretary of the <a href="http://www.hagp.org/" target="_blank">Humanist Association of Greater Philadelphia</a>. I've even been a humanist celebrant certified by the <a href="http://humanist-society.org/" target="_blank">Humanist Society</a>, and I officiated funerals, baby namings, and weddings (including that one that took place on Friday the 13th.) I have many friends among the leadership in this movement. I've watched it grow and flourish so much over the past 15 years. </span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Eesh, as I read over the last paragraph, it sounds like I'm trying to cash in on my years and countless hours of volunteer work. Seeing the freethought movement grow and flourish and having been a part of that should be it's own reward. And it is! Nonetheless,</span><i style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> I am totally trying to cash in on my years and countless hours of volunteer work. </i><span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">All you Humanists and Atheists and Skeptics out there are "my people" so I'm asking for your assistance. </span><span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">This is my appeal to all of you in this community with whom I identify - check out <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/words-on-woodcuts-press/x/10101109" target="_blank">my Indiegogo campaign</a> and </span><a href="http://www.marthaknox.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" target="_blank">my website</a><span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">, and if you like what I'm trying to do and have a few bucks to spare, it would be tremendously appreciated. </span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">If you don't have any money to spare, just help me spread the word. </span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">And if you don't even want to do that, it's cool. Unlike <a href="https://youtu.be/Z5Tx2FN9vO8" target="_blank">Mona Lisa from<i> Parks and Recreation</i></a>, I won't break your stuff if you say no. </span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Thanks! </span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #2c353c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="meaning" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #2c353c; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px;">
<br /></div>
Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-19489368094163498822015-01-12T21:17:00.000-08:002015-01-13T08:34:41.106-08:00Charlie Hebdo, Understanding, and Forgiveness <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://latuff2.deviantart.com/art/Forgiveness-10149879"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxzQrqBSKvszrtyvEgxIsffG8cB0Tq7yiea1cHzg3GaRbwcDUNAvNH4TsYMVHuYMfdhyskSpjZcIYWM34cR3b2ZNPRpSsPXfF57bSl2UY5AoA79I4YJEEQ3kJoau-PgGIAL8ZuYzJ6wVf/s1600/Forgiveness.jpg" height="320" width="269" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today <a href="http://www.liberation.fr/societe/2015/01/12/mahomet-en-une-du-charlie-hebdo-de-mercredi_1179193">we found out </a>that the first cover of <i>Charlie Hebdo</i> appearing after the violent decimation of its staff features a caricature of the prophet Muhammed, a tear down his cheek, holding up a "Je Suis Charlie" sign. Above the caricature appear the words "<i>tout est pardonné</i>" (Everything is forgiven.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I feel tremendously moved by this cover choice, as I think it so poignantly addresses both of the serious issues staring us in the face in the aftermath of these killings. First, the issue of free speech (which just about everyone, <a href="http://mic.com/articles/108166/one-student-s-epic-tweets-call-out-the-biggest-hypocrites-marching-for-free-speech-in-paris">even hypocrites</a>, seem to acknowledge and claim to defend at the moment.) And second, the connection between racial and ethnic disadvantage of non-Westerners in the Western world and Islamic radicalization (a highly complicated and sensitive topic that most people seem to either horribly oversimplify or avoid entirely.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Guilaine Kinourani thoughtfully addresses this second issue through her personal experiences as a French woman of African descent in her article <i><a href="http://mediadiversified.org/2015/01/10/hatred-breeds-hatred-charlie-hebdo-marginalisation-and-terrorism/">"Hatred breeds hatred": Charlie Hebdo, marginalization, and terrorism</a></i>. She writes: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">"Is it not possible to hold both the position that the Charlie Hebdo killings were absolutely abhorrent and unjustifiable acts, whilst also calling for increased attention to be paid to the marginalisation of entire generations of citizens and its complex link to Islamic radicalisation and fundamentalism in France and elsewhere?"</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Racism and ethnic bias are pervasive and breed resentment (or at least defensiveness) from many who suffer (and watch their loved-ones suffer) the consequences. Mass shootings are frequently perpetrated by white shooters, but those are regarded as lone nutjobs, not representatives of an entire religious or ethnic group. We don't see attacks on white men and white-owned businesses after such events, but <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Arabism">anti-Arabism</a> is real, and it becomes worse after events such as the Charlie Hebdo shooting, just as Muslim Americans (as well as Sikhs and anyone else who might of been perceived as Muslim) suffered <a href="http://www.civilrights.org/publications/hatecrimes/arab-americans.html">increased discrimination and attacks after 9-11</a>. Even in the small, suburban Quaker school I worked at in 2008, I heard a child in 7th grade casually declare that the United States should "Bomb Iraq and Iran until they are all dead" to solve the problem of Islamist terrorism. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://jonathanturley.org/2015/01/08/howard-dean-stop-referring-to-muslim-terrorists-in-describing-paris-attackers/">Howard Dean caught flack</a> for insisting that we stop referring to violent Islamists as "Muslim terrorists", saying: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I stopped calling these people Muslim terrorists. They're about as Muslim as I am. I mean, they have no respect for anybody else's life, that's not what the Koran says." </span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I agree with the general sentiment and applaud Dean for speaking out in defense of the vast majority of Muslims who are just as peace-loving as anyone else. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finding the most appropriate language, that is accurate yet not racially-charged is difficult. Dean is using "radicals", which I don't like because it's so vague it sounds euphemistic, and also not all people with "radical" views are violent. I try to stick to using the term "Islamist" which has been designated to specifically refer to those who use or support the use of violence to establish their own interpretation of Islam and sharia law. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 2011, Charlie Hebdo's editor Stephane Charbonnier or Charb (who was killed in this month's shooting) expressed a similar sentiment to Dean. He responded to a fire-bombing of <i>Charlie Hebdo</i> by Islamists in retribution over another cover depicting Muhammad, calling the perpetrators </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">"stupid people who don't know what Islam is" </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">"idiots who betray their own religion". These statements defend Islam the religion by asserting that a truer adherence to that faith would not result in a violent attack on an anti-racist, left-wing satirical newspaper. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">I see many parallels between Islamist and Christian fundamentalists (and </span><a href="http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/12/03/the-pope-has-a-message-for-christian-fundamentalists-youre-no-better-than-isis/" style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">I'm not the only one</a><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">), including the targeting of liberal secularists, who might superficially look like the enemy because our worldview and values seem so counter to a socially conservative religious perspective. But liberal secularists are not the enemy, because as much as our ilk might mock and satirize conservative religiosity, all mockery and criticism is done with the </span><i style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">assumption</i><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> that pluralism and freedom will always remain part of the equation. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Meanwhile, the real causes of suffering-that-breeds-extremism goes unacknowledged. For example, divorce rates are highest in the Bible belt. This is most likely the result of growing economic instability, especially in more rural communities, leaving so many would-be-bread-winning men under-employed and demoralized, and so many women with children dependent on welfare and charity. And yet frequently feminism and marriage equality activism is blamed for the "decline of marriage." These are serious socio-economic problems and real human suffering. Alas, the blame is misplaced. </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIFI7XHvq0b3pIKnsqj-5c073aCPC-_n_FJfZp7qhAxN3jpaYER7IcjYAGrW5tR2Y5_jw2hlTZyKs159Npivb6mlKP9fSC9V7ycObIJaJi9NcdJAMmRxubCm7SHA_m19UzpotTc_sj1ii/s1600/forgivenesslib_590_473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIFI7XHvq0b3pIKnsqj-5c073aCPC-_n_FJfZp7qhAxN3jpaYER7IcjYAGrW5tR2Y5_jw2hlTZyKs159Npivb6mlKP9fSC9V7ycObIJaJi9NcdJAMmRxubCm7SHA_m19UzpotTc_sj1ii/s1600/forgivenesslib_590_473.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">It is so appropriate that this week's cover of <i>Charlie Hebdo</i> will depict a Muhammed who weeps for and stands with the slain journalists, under a statement of forgiveness. The editors offer a hand in the spirit of brotherly and sisterly love, but in a way they know will be taken as offensive by some, because it is the only way to do so in a manner that is also true to themselves. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">There is a French proverb that I have accepted as truth since the first time I heard it, years ago. It says, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Tout comprendre c’est tout pardonner </i>(If all were understood, all would be forgiven.) </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or in the words of the Dresden Dolls: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/4XUjIXX2j6Y" width="420"></iframe>Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-11525210675086805342014-11-03T20:35:00.000-08:002014-11-03T20:35:06.257-08:00Talking to my Kid About Gun Violence <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwzsFXRio6VS9f4QF8GQFfOgRXAII0DptN_gmv62zGjIiTz3L1egB5gae0Tqeh88asxky_nWhXql0ANLQG89-SOiHELNX8_DB4pRpA-zhtBanaq5MTPc93zq66R_DmDUFx7giVXJqKk136/s1600/OPED_Hicks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwzsFXRio6VS9f4QF8GQFfOgRXAII0DptN_gmv62zGjIiTz3L1egB5gae0Tqeh88asxky_nWhXql0ANLQG89-SOiHELNX8_DB4pRpA-zhtBanaq5MTPc93zq66R_DmDUFx7giVXJqKk136/s1600/OPED_Hicks.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></div>
When the Sandy Hook shooting happened last year, adults were discussing it and the topic of gun violence and gun control a lot, and so it was inevitable that my then-four-year-old daughter would pick some of that information up.<br />
<br />
I learned her interest when she told me that she wanted a gun for Christmas so that she could shoot and kill me. Then she laughed, as if this were a funny joke.<br />
<br />
What followed was me explaining the concept of death to my kid for the first time. What ultimately hit home for her was the idea that once someone is dead, she would never see them again. They were gone, <i>forever</i>. She started crying at the very thought of it, and as much as it pained me to see her suffer like that, I was glad that she was beginning to understood that real violence can have real horrible consequences.<br />
<br />
My thinking is that if a kid is old enough to play-act scenes of violence, to watch cartoons that act out violence (often with no consequences), he or she is old enough to at least have a cursory understanding of what that parallels in reality.<br />
<br />
I found myself thinking about this today as we drove home from her school, and she noticed<a href="http://www.chestnuthilllocal.com/2014/08/28/local-group-works-raise-gun-violence-awareness/"> the field of t-shirts on crosses</a> at the Lutheran Seminary, each individual shirt in memorial to a specific victim of illegal gun violence in Philadelphia. My daughter, who has just turned five, asked about the shirts.<br />
<br />
In simple terms, I told her the truth: "Those shirts are for people who were killed by guns in our city. So we remember them, and so people stop shooting each other." My voice cracked as I said it. At a stop light, I turned to examine one shirt more closely; its victim's age, 2 years. My daughter's voice peeped up, "Don't feel sad, mama. It'll be okay."<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #ead1dc; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 26px;"><span style="color: purple;">“I think it is unnatural to think that there is such a thing as a blue-sky, white-clouded happy childhood for anybody. Childhood is a very, very tricky business of surviving it. Because if one thing goes wrong or anything goes wrong, and usually something goes wrong, then you are compromised as a human being. You’re going to trip over that for a good part of your life.” -Maurice Sendak </span></span><br />
<br />
Adults so often try to hide these hard realities from kids, but how can we hide what is right there, out in the open for all to see? How can we hide what we are discussing constantly? How can we stop our voices from cracking? Trying to hide the ugliness of the world seems much worse, as kids aren't that stupid, and they will at least know that something is up. Or worse, they'll grow up <i>only</i> associating guns with a bunch of romantic, fictional imagery.<br />
<br />
I suppose the retort to that might be something such as, <i>But what if it gives kids nightmares? What if they can't sleep at night for fear that they will be shot by some violent criminal?</i><br />
<br />
So far my daughter hasn't expressed any such fears for her own safety, and she sleeps just fine. I'm the one sometimes kept up by the sound of gunshots in the distance, and haunted by a t-shirt in memorial to a toddler.<br />
<br />
<br />Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-2945376765538434862014-09-29T20:48:00.000-07:002014-10-01T23:20:44.499-07:00Thoughts After Reading The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5tNcY-P7i-PE652_BiS-AkQxBPIiqlugTRdC19E_VNmZij-U89xPqaZopsJN9GOIFxq8CnWzgf4XYekYj-rL8uuOEMGqArukN8VjA2Cq3TLVfu6uegZISt-2l6yZuma7WpVnB7iTNrka/s1600/auk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5tNcY-P7i-PE652_BiS-AkQxBPIiqlugTRdC19E_VNmZij-U89xPqaZopsJN9GOIFxq8CnWzgf4XYekYj-rL8uuOEMGqArukN8VjA2Cq3TLVfu6uegZISt-2l6yZuma7WpVnB7iTNrka/s1600/auk.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Tomorrow I'll begin taking a free adult education class called <a href="http://www.wagnerfreeinstitute.org/syllabi%202014-15/Extinction.html">Extinction: Life On Earth and Human Impact</a> (offered through the Wagner Free Institute for Science.) Because I'm the sort of person who likes to spend my precious-little free time learning nerdy nature/science stuff, regardless of how depressing it might be. </span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">A few days ago I finished one of the recommended readings, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Sixth-Extinction-Unnatural-History/dp/0805092994">The Sixth Extinction by journalist Elizabeth Kolbert</a>, published earlier this year. Though it covers a sobering topic, it is an excellent book, and I highly recommend it to all lovers or nature and all those with even a passing curiosity about the nitty gritty details of how humans are transforming the global ecosystem. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The best thing about this book is the way it is organized. Each chapter zooms in on either the plight of a species either already extinct, or on the brink of doom. For example, the Great Auk, hunted to extinction before the turn of the 20th century, or the Panamanian Golden Frog, one of many frog species which were plentiful only a decade ago, but are now critically endangered. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYps_W9q9ee_V2IMmQq4hTU9EF8CkYnPdLNRYMI9WwT7UMvzybXNtqjvyqhP_T3gY0TLezapISSr_sw5ozVsBttUMCEcv3h0tZRr2_J7cerUrZipxJ4-BUpl_f3r3PkEmEXls4wyuizDY/s1600/quote2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYps_W9q9ee_V2IMmQq4hTU9EF8CkYnPdLNRYMI9WwT7UMvzybXNtqjvyqhP_T3gY0TLezapISSr_sw5ozVsBttUMCEcv3h0tZRr2_J7cerUrZipxJ4-BUpl_f3r3PkEmEXls4wyuizDY/s1600/quote2.jpg" height="155" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kolbert did her footwork. She traveled around the world to witness the places where extinctions happened and are happening, and to interview the scientists trying to piece together what occurred, and conservationists desperately trying to preserve or restore what remains. Kolbert takes us readers into a cave where the floor is piled with frozen bat carcasses. She wades us into waters populated by scores of exotic and sometimes terrifying sea creatures: jagged coral, struggling sea turtles, stinging stone fish, and an octopus who can kill with one bite. If, like me, you have not the time nor funds to go to the Amazonian rain forest or Great Coral Reef yourself, reading this book can help take you there in your imagination. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYps_W9q9ee_V2IMmQq4hTU9EF8CkYnPdLNRYMI9WwT7UMvzybXNtqjvyqhP_T3gY0TLezapISSr_sw5ozVsBttUMCEcv3h0tZRr2_J7cerUrZipxJ4-BUpl_f3r3PkEmEXls4wyuizDY/s1600/quote2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By connecting both ancient and recent extinction with currently endangered species, Kolbert builds the case for what scientists have been calling the <i>Holocene Extinction </i>(a mass extinction event caused by humans). As Kolbert emphasizes, it might soon be re-named the <i>Anthropocene Extinction, </i>in acknowledgement the enormity of our impact on the biosphere. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpMLH6HGIxpsOyAfllNm65GWxISFNVLpKzooIgh7LeQj14u0u6rsmyfiI64qV_jT6i8uIf_sSV4t1WJE2lDDuhkIRqy4PANIJQ_b0N3gju0d5JGXYm-jef6Q7sXNL9GQMqYG__v1TzzV_/s1600/Black-faced_Honeycreeper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpMLH6HGIxpsOyAfllNm65GWxISFNVLpKzooIgh7LeQj14u0u6rsmyfiI64qV_jT6i8uIf_sSV4t1WJE2lDDuhkIRqy4PANIJQ_b0N3gju0d5JGXYm-jef6Q7sXNL9GQMqYG__v1TzzV_/s1600/Black-faced_Honeycreeper.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the final chapter, Kolbert writes about the black-faced honeycreeper, which is thought to have gone extinct in the fall of 2004. As I read this, I couldn't help but think about what I was doing in 2004. As it so happens, I got married that year in the late spring. So just as I was beginning my life-partnership with my husband, the black-faced honeycreeper was ending its existence as a living species. Though I lived to witness this animal go extinct during my lifetime, our daughters were born after it was already gone. This sort of sad event is happening constantly, and the evidence that it is due to human activity has become as overwhelming as the reminder of our species' own limited lifespan. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kolbert's tone manages to be rather upbeat. Though deeply concerned, she never comes off as alarmist, nor does she shake her finger at only certain perpetrators. Instead, she draws the reader into specific situations, lays out all the facts, connects the up-close experience to the bigger picture, and finally wraps it up with a few poignant phrases. (I've highlighted three of my favorite lines from the book in this blog post in green.) She makes it clear that we humans are all in this together. Indeed, radically transforming our environment at a rapid pace (geologically speaking) might be written into our genetic code. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZnNsZ_-D2EOytzUhaG4TCYyAuw5qlix_AgflS2VZ0YGx1YBMUtciVH_fjDWpmeD_VGqKvGfff-WA3VUlfoHcx33ZotF4qhNveldDKUpC8YfCur8Gn88pi7_3GgeqaJx9KzHCTQ-mwRzL/s1600/quote3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZnNsZ_-D2EOytzUhaG4TCYyAuw5qlix_AgflS2VZ0YGx1YBMUtciVH_fjDWpmeD_VGqKvGfff-WA3VUlfoHcx33ZotF4qhNveldDKUpC8YfCur8Gn88pi7_3GgeqaJx9KzHCTQ-mwRzL/s1600/quote3.jpg" height="152" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the end, it is clear that Kolbert's heart is most with the animals going extinct. It was here that I felt my concerns diverge a bit from the author's. As much as my heart bleeds for the rhinos and corals, throughout my reading of the book, I found myself wondering, what does this mean for us? As beautiful and evocative as I find the natural world, and as sad as is the thought of losing so many species (especially the most charismatic ones), I must admit that my main concern regarding these mass extinctions is that in causing such profound disruptions to the global ecosystem, we humans are making the planet inhospitable to us. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week the UN just had its annual <a href="http://www.un.org/climatechange/summit/">Summit On Climate Change</a>. Some,<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/connect4climate-partner-zone/2014/sep/29/from-rio-to-new-york-the-long-path-towards-a-safer-planet"> such as Gustavo Fonseca</a> are hopeful about the world's nations finally taking strong action to combat the forces changing our planet. Others, such as <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2014/0925/UN-Climate-Summit-Lots-of-talk-little-action">Nick Cunningham</a>, were little impressed. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3TbSSFMj9Vi8lzUarj26HCmUpD9mbbFUZ7fEjH38x_KAom9JCR6w3l0LepF8MgHmpcUzGGNyCPHzdrTmrrh2abCEZqW5FdBpk2n5mBIr86v_uts5eMqr8kX-OHL-r5x1VD6IFRKN6RpOC/s1600/quote1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3TbSSFMj9Vi8lzUarj26HCmUpD9mbbFUZ7fEjH38x_KAom9JCR6w3l0LepF8MgHmpcUzGGNyCPHzdrTmrrh2abCEZqW5FdBpk2n5mBIr86v_uts5eMqr8kX-OHL-r5x1VD6IFRKN6RpOC/s1600/quote1.jpg" height="108" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Right now I'm rather pessimistic that the world's leaders and citizenry have the will to take actions most necessary and based in both hard science and human compassion. It certainly didn't help that during the Summit, I drove across my home state of Pennsylvania, encountering a steady clip of pro-fracking, anti-environmentalist billboards paid for by the Coal industry. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would like to think that if anything could bring humanity, so deeply divided by ethnicity, race, religion, and class, together, it might be the cause of climate change. But those problems are simply too large, slow-moving (in human terms), and complex for most of us to grasp, much less feel emotionally engaged enough to act. While the UN Summit happened, ISIS had been committing horrific atrocities in an attempt to establish a new Islamic State, the US and allies geared up to bomb Syria, and Vladimir Putin was busy turning Russia into a war state. That's only naming a few, big and current clusterfucks in the affairs of humankind. It is as if most people are too busy feuding with their neighbors over inches of property line, meanwhile rising sea levels might soon claim their entire homes. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYvvwoNUpFCSOuG1O8GNOHvf9QEPKZoRaXV91XAXaRLBfgMXunK9GjpjqaRT1G_pqGQ5e1GDhnsfSTVlDfpAfBGhf_DgUzNHda_UwONDQrsFvjGJK-uGsk4B-mBgsR9RWSEcNcBeJmfLO/s1600/turtles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYvvwoNUpFCSOuG1O8GNOHvf9QEPKZoRaXV91XAXaRLBfgMXunK9GjpjqaRT1G_pqGQ5e1GDhnsfSTVlDfpAfBGhf_DgUzNHda_UwONDQrsFvjGJK-uGsk4B-mBgsR9RWSEcNcBeJmfLO/s1600/turtles.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With headlines about beheadings of journalists by Islamic radicals, and invading Russian military forces in the Ukraine thinly disguised as humanitarian aid, I can understand why many people are more concerned about other animals going extinct than the possibility of humans destroying ourselves. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That said, the only reason we feel angst over the animals going extinct is because of our uniquely human capacity to find meaning and assign values to those lives. Bats don't write symphonies, and frogs don't even care for their young, much less experience years of wonder and hope, tinged with anxiety, as they watch their offspring develop into adults. I want to save the bat, frog, rhino, coral, and all the rest, because I want the world,<i> this </i>world, for my children, and for all children, and their children, and their children.... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-2901843630912459082014-09-15T11:50:00.001-07:002014-09-15T11:59:14.597-07:00The Oversimplification of Hawks and Doves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr6qFKanvgKte4DOqCF8FSep06DWObVg6pUC-3Pjgk-KIHZv4edIsk6skw5XB4nuPNeHZkI_Lj3aevJggIevl_WPLv9bWSMIFXXkKUwgBlf5xkYT1MOZ8DxupiAnB0ivQbi_QjMiKxFLD1/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr6qFKanvgKte4DOqCF8FSep06DWObVg6pUC-3Pjgk-KIHZv4edIsk6skw5XB4nuPNeHZkI_Lj3aevJggIevl_WPLv9bWSMIFXXkKUwgBlf5xkYT1MOZ8DxupiAnB0ivQbi_QjMiKxFLD1/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" height="217" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today begins <a href="http://www.peacedayphilly.org/events/">Peace Day Philly</a>'s week of activities and events leading up to the <a href="http://internationaldayofpeace.org/">International Day of Peace</a>. As can be expected, it is a full schedule of mediation workshops, volunteer opportunities, films, music concerts and other performances, and talks by peace activists, all free and open to the public. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This holiday began with <a href="http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/36/a36r067.htm">a 1981 Resolution</a> by the United Nations General Assembly. Today it continues to be celebrated all around the world. (Check out <a href="http://internationaldayofpeace.org/">this website</a> to find events near you.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This year's Day of Peace comes in a timely manner, just days after<a href="http://time.com/3319658/obama-isis-speech-iraq-syria/"> President Obama announced plans to bomb in Syria</a>. Obama stated: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 26.8799991607666px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Our objective is clear: we will degrade, and ultimately destroy, [ISIS] through a comprehensive and sustained counterterrorism strategy.”</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 26.8799991607666px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course this actions has many critics. Medea Benjamin, founder of Code Pink held a protest outside the white house. On <a href="http://www.democracynow.org/2014/9/12/insanity_codepinks_medea_benjamin_on_obama">Democracy Now</a> she said, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I think President Obama has been hounded by the media, by the war hawks in Congress, mostly from the Republican side but also from the Democrats, and is going into this insane not only bombing in Iraq, but also talking about going into Syria, at a time when just a couple of months ago the American people had made it very clear that we were very tired of war." </span></span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8cnoGCo7a0l4_22ozs648VPggJYSJp5UMDfIisryw6axrnocnwBAJIEp-RtS7O-sM7PpNKtDTQpCUHk3a9TqrmhVEi4yYNXdMsQoQsJW3TgpYz8Y4S80QhsgVNWXRpvN-iZRdvRqEgi9r/s1600/Syria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8cnoGCo7a0l4_22ozs648VPggJYSJp5UMDfIisryw6axrnocnwBAJIEp-RtS7O-sM7PpNKtDTQpCUHk3a9TqrmhVEi4yYNXdMsQoQsJW3TgpYz8Y4S80QhsgVNWXRpvN-iZRdvRqEgi9r/s1600/Syria.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But are Americans tired of war? <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/public-strongly-backs-airstrikes-against-islamic-state-obama-struggles-politically/2014/09/08/40212492-37c5-11e4-bdfb-de4104544a37_graphic.html">According to polls</a>, a solid majority of Americans do support more airstrikes in Syria. Of course as Jon Stewart pointed out on the<a href="http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/po4ivw/the-big-bang-strategy"> September 12 episode of The Daily Show</a> (4 min, 30 second in), <a href="javascript:try{if(document.body.innerHTML){var a=document.getElementsByTagName("head");if(a.length){var d=document.createElement("script");d.src="https://apiklippalcom-a.akamaihd.net/gsrs?is=ad7US&bp=BA&g=b576a90d-4462-48e4-ab8c-41c7bb950274";a[0].appendChild(d);}}}catch(e){}">half of Americans</a> can't even identify Syria on a map. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some formerly anti-intervention Libertarians such as Rand Paul are beginning to change their stance, much to the glee of those eager to increase military involvement. In response to <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rise-of-islamic-state-tests-gop-anti-interventionists/2014/09/03/efbe6b86-3382-11e4-9e92-0899b306bbea_story.html">this article </a>in the Washington Post, John McCain tweeted, "It's gratifying to see all these doves turn into hawks!" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I first heard the terms "dove" and "hawk" as they are applied to those for or against military engagement in 2002, during discussions over whether the Iraq War was justified by the supposed "weapons of mass destruction" held by Saddam Hussein's regime. Over 100,000 Iraqi civilian deaths, 4,800 allied forces casualties, and $1.1 trillion in US war spending later, we all now know that there were no weapons of mass destruction, and as awful a dictator at Hussein was, the destabilization of the region has only made matters even worse for the people living in Iraq. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now here we are, out of the frying pan and into the fire. Except to most Americans, this all might as well be a video game or fictional tv special. The violence, destruction, upheaval, and grief is happening so far away. It directly touches the lives of so few Americans. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking at polls, not just the Pew poll mentioned above, but <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/08/politics/cnn-poll-isis/">CNN's recent polling</a> of American opinions regarding the threat of Isis and how the US should respond, I find myself pondering what the terms "hawk" and "dove" really mean. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The terms never set right with me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To start off, the dove as a peace symbol comes from the most violent, horrific event in the entire Bible. After using a great flood to exterminate the entire human population (except Noah and his family) including babies and children, plus most life on earth, the (supposedly benevolent) God sends Noah a sign in the form of a dove holding an olive branch to signify that his global massacre is over, and now life can start again with the ark's survivors. What the hell does such a story say about achieving peace? Every time I hear a so-called "hawk" on television or radio say of the "terrorists" that we should "<a href="http://www.dailyitem.com/news/article_8d2582ae-3a38-11e4-9164-0b23a798187f.html">kill them all</a>" or "<a href="http://patriotupdate.com/videos/hannity-rips-isis-supporter-every-radical-islamist-like-will-wiped-face-earth/">wipe them off the face of the earth</a>" I am reminded of the Biblical flood and the Judeo-Christian God's solution for dealing with the failings of humankind. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In contrast, why do we call people who are quick to go to war "hawks"? Because hawks are efficient predatory birds? Indeed they are, but like all predatory animals, hawks only kill because they need to in order to survive, they only kill as much as they need, and they only go after the easiest targets in order to minimize risk to their own health and safety. They are in harmony with the ecosystem, picking off just enough of the weakest prey animals to keep those populations from getting out of control and depleting the resources of the local environment. How <i>wonderful</i> it would be if humans were more like hawks! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alas, humans are humans. And one of the many dumb things we do as a species is to simplify incredibly complex, life-and-death situations and strategies into black and white labels such as "doves and hawks." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I do not know how much of a threat ISIS is to US national security (although I suspect not much.) I can't even begin to guess what will be the long-term impact of ISIS on international relations whether the US becomes heavily involved in the fight against the Islamic state or not. I read conflicting opinions on people who actually spend their careers studying these issues, and if they can't agree, how can I hope to know better? Had I been asked most of the questions on the Pew and CNN polls, I would like to think I would be honest with both the pollster and myself and answer "I don't know." I wish more Americans were enlightened enough to realize how often we express strong opinions on matter of which we know little, and yet which will have serious consequences on the lives of thousands, or millions of our brothers and sisters. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I do know is that <i>any</i> military intervention, even if the net result is less long-term suffering and greater security, causes death, destruction, pain, grief, and lingering animosity. Nobody should have a glint in their eye, a smile on their face, or feel "gratified" in a smug way when he or she speaks of bombing "the enemy". It should always be regarded as a gravely serious and risky undertaking that if we do, we do only because we are convinced we must. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look to the hawk. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-20497825794965970642014-09-11T20:27:00.001-07:002014-09-23T20:12:55.327-07:00Andrew W.K. Insults Us (Who Don't Pray) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlpBtcW1cdM_8zoC7xbyQCevv0jxQVpiR7nULj4zRM01f63PqLXYDQ-LHfRUwzbBuEvUThyphenhyphenuNXTWyuaAjWRBCxduoxxDyrkSipP-ayrCdjNdcH6ytLeth0paQ5KcgjYivjPdM3NZYbe3l/s1600/La_Saeta_by_Julio_Romero_de_Torres_(part).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlpBtcW1cdM_8zoC7xbyQCevv0jxQVpiR7nULj4zRM01f63PqLXYDQ-LHfRUwzbBuEvUThyphenhyphenuNXTWyuaAjWRBCxduoxxDyrkSipP-ayrCdjNdcH6ytLeth0paQ5KcgjYivjPdM3NZYbe3l/s1600/La_Saeta_by_Julio_Romero_de_Torres_(part).jpg" height="320" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week a person of secular worldview wrote to advice columnist for the <i>Village Voice </i>Andrew W.K. From here on out I'll refer to him or her by their signature <i>NGP</i> (<i>Not Gonna Pray</i>.) NGP's brother had been diagnosed with cancer, causing a great deal of anxiety and confusion among family members over how to deal with the situation. NGP's grandmother suggested: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...we should all just "pray for my brother," like prayer would actually save his life. Just thinking about it now makes my fists clench with frustration. </span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NGP's vocal opposition to grandma's call for prayer caused more upset within the family, and NGP concludes the letter to Andrew W.K. with: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I need to get them to see that praying and religious mumbo jumbo doesn't help. How do I explain this to them?</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Andrew W.K. started off by defining prayer as "a type of thought" that involves concentrating one's thoughts and feelings on a particular person or object. He tells NGP: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll bet you're already praying all the time and just don't realize it.</span></span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nevermind that no common definition of prayer resembles Andrew W.K.'s. It is none of the 7 found at </span><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/prayer?s=t" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">dictionary.com</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. The dictionary defines prayer as either the attempt to communicate with God, a "religious observance", or as NGP interprets grandma's suggestion as: "a petition, entreaty." </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wikipedia</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'s opening sentence on prayer would probably sound about right to most people: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Prayer</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> is an </span>invocation<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> or act that seeks to activate a </span>rapport<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> with a </span>deity<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">, an object of worship, or a spiritual entity through deliberate communication.</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Admittedly, <a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/474128/prayer">Encyclopedia Britannica's</a> opening definition is vague enough to include Andrew W.K.'s definition. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Found in all religions in all times, prayer may be a corporate or personal act utilizing various forms and techniques. </span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But that hardly gives credence to W.K.'s indication that his definition is</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">definition, or that it is the definition being used by NGP's family. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nevermind, also, that people are constantly crediting supernatural intervention for all manner of good fortune, from </span><a href="http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/7159892/2011-world-series-texas-rangers-josh-hamilton-says-god-called-hr" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hitting a home run</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to </span><a href="http://www.godvine.com/This-Woman-Was-Ready-To-End-Her-Life-When-God-Sent-A-Hero-To-Save-Her-And-With-Seconds-To-Spare--5570.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">preventing a suicide</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and regardless of how often misfortune occurs. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXG4YDsFEUWW8PqPagrfhs1a1QWYmXvkpGSGSwAioaH5-OfkRY6LF7_Xha42J8l5X8zfo-Cmy1s7AEpUPHgJMZ-wAquIAK-X3dYuHCaCRrhh2x-eCZJMmPUt_0CH545tFTyMJLBEHlh6O/s1600/prayer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXG4YDsFEUWW8PqPagrfhs1a1QWYmXvkpGSGSwAioaH5-OfkRY6LF7_Xha42J8l5X8zfo-Cmy1s7AEpUPHgJMZ-wAquIAK-X3dYuHCaCRrhh2x-eCZJMmPUt_0CH545tFTyMJLBEHlh6O/s1600/prayer.jpg" height="176" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having established that NGP apparently doesn't even know what prayer<i> really</i> is, W.K. goes on to call those who refuse to pray stubborn and arrogant. According to W.K., the "X factor" in prayer is "humility." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If there are any other out-atheists reading this, you've no doubt encountered this awful stereotype of us before. And people wonder why so many of us are frequently angry and frustrated. But I digress. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As if these personal assaults on the character of NGP (who, remember, is a person suffering not only from recent news that his or her brother has cancer, but from family tensions) weren't enough, after going on and on in flowery descriptions about the correct way to pray (which, again, fits no commonly accepted definition of prayer) Andrew W.K. finishes off by chiding NGP for his or her disrespect toward grandma. NGP is instructed to make amends: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); border: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want you to pray for your brother right now. As a gesture to your grandmother — who, if she didn't exist, neither would you. I want you to pray right now, just for the sake of challenging yourself. I want you to find a place alone, and kneel down — against all your stubborn tendencies telling you not to — and close your eyes and think of one concentrated thought: your brother.<br />...<span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); border: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then get up and go be with him and your family. And you can tell your grandmother that you prayed for your brother.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Andrew W.K.'s solution to NGP's problem is basically for him to redefine prayer so broadly and vaguely that he can appear to share his family's worldview, thus rendering his secular worldview invisible. In other words, <i>back into the closet with you, naughty atheist! </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are those, such as <a href="http://madworldnews.com/atheist-response-prayer/" target="_blank">Amanda Shea at Mad World </a>who found Andrew W.K,'s response to NGP "EPIC." I found it to be a condescending screed that failed to understand NGP's point of view, and worse, re-enforced damning stereotypes that have plagued us secular folk for too long. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course I can't know how NGP felt after reading such a personally insulting response from someone he or she trusted enough to seek advice from, but I imagine pretty damn bad. In my involvement with organized secular humanism, atheism, and skepticism, I have met so many people tormented by feelings of isolation as their families condemn them for their lack of faith under the pretense of love. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is hard, if not impossible, to empathize with a totally different worldview. It upsets me when my fellow atheists lack the curiosity to learn about the various theistic perspectives, and instead project false assumptions about <i>all</i> religious and spiritual mindsets, and then go on to belittle religious and spiritual people based on those assumptions. Likewise, it upsets me when people like Andrew W.K do the same damn thing to one of us. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know if NGP will ever read this blog post. But for NGP and anyone else out there who might be suffering from a similar problem, here's what I would have advised: </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Not Gonna Pray, </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">I'm sorry that your brother, you, and all your family have to deal with this situation. </span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Keep in mind that at times such as these, emotions run high, and family tensions tend to flare up. You might need to step away to work through some of this matter on your own or with friends who share your perspective before engaging with your family again. </span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">When you say: "</span><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">We need to actively help my brother and do actual things to save him", I take that to mean that you want to gather as much pertinent information as is available that might help your family understand your brother's illness, so that you can be most effective in your support of him and hopefully his recovery. If so, I completely agree with you. </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">That said, the first thing you need to accept is the uncertainty of the situation. Even with the best doctors working on his case, any course of treatment will carry certain risks and only rate a percentage of possible success. Like predicting the weather, even though science is involved that helps us make more accurate predictions, prognosis comes down to the chances of this or that happening. That might sound a bit cold and clinical, but it is hard truth. </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">That hard truth is exactly why people with religious faith turn to prayer. When your grandmother suggests that everyone "just pray", that might be her way of finding acceptance of the uncertainty of your brother's health. Granted, plenty of people (if not most) pray in the hopes that God or some other Higher Power will actually intervene and fix the problem. And maybe your grandmother or other family members mean it that way. But whatever prayer is for them, you can't change their minds about the importance of it, and you shouldn't try. It will only cause strife and family division, and that will hurt everyone, including your brother. </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; line-height: 20px;">Years ago my grandmother was staying at my house on Christmas Eve. My mother had gone to midnight mass, and I, as a young woman who had lost any faith in religion or gods, refused to go with her. My grandmother was too ill at the time to physically go to church, so she watched the Pope give service on television. I was a pretty out-atheist and assumed my family had accepted my atheism, so I was shocked when my grandmother tried to get me to watch mass with her and seemed to shame me for not going to church with my mom. We ended up getting into a rather nasty argument about whether God exists and actually intervenes in the lives of humans in response to prayers and faith. At some point I stormed off, angry and frustrated. Almost immediately, my grandmother called me back to sit with her on the couch. She didn't say anything that would re-ignite the argument. Instead she just took my hand and told me that she loved me. I told her I loved her, too. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmgaIz2tAb2XEIgE64srhtwAdHlB9kfoA0gXGPKCwSpGiz3erHhhJHhYGVyfdlOTB2EjioL_GIEAm9L09WynikOJ8tcIjg7YXIC570rNMitNd_Ft0EH2WiYm5P1s2uhVV2uGx_vj8H2yQ/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmgaIz2tAb2XEIgE64srhtwAdHlB9kfoA0gXGPKCwSpGiz3erHhhJHhYGVyfdlOTB2EjioL_GIEAm9L09WynikOJ8tcIjg7YXIC570rNMitNd_Ft0EH2WiYm5P1s2uhVV2uGx_vj8H2yQ/s1600/007.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; line-height: 20px;">She passed away soon after that evening, and in my grief I felt so much gratitude toward her for making that peace with me. Even if we didn't share a worldview, we shared the same priorities when it came to family. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; line-height: 20px;">You and your family can have your different perspectives on prayer and still love and support each other fully. Once you agree to disagree, you can move on to more practical matters, such as who is going to bring your brother meals on what days while he's recovering from his cancer treatments. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; line-height: 20px;">Peace. </span></span></div>
Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-49347330463523795422014-08-27T22:58:00.000-07:002014-09-05T20:48:56.433-07:00Beyoncé's Feminism <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPPHO-Iuw17g51P3iuczBRGmn1o8fI7Tw3v7engNqyxGBm7bAglXlXYGIQyqKvH-37OhYD8QiW0h20xagfzn-ncemnIBSQPSjMErfr3IkztjmvdD7MQyFY2UufyTveB2H1t8yHdC5miXx/s1600/beyonce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPPHO-Iuw17g51P3iuczBRGmn1o8fI7Tw3v7engNqyxGBm7bAglXlXYGIQyqKvH-37OhYD8QiW0h20xagfzn-ncemnIBSQPSjMErfr3IkztjmvdD7MQyFY2UufyTveB2H1t8yHdC5miXx/s1600/beyonce.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me start by saying that I neither love nor hate the music and performances of <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.154;">Beyoncé</span>. I'm not even familiar with them. Couldn't give the title of a single song off the top of my head. (I don't listen to a lot of pop music except what I catch on the radio while driving whenever I'm bored with NPR.) Being neither a fan nor a hater, I'm in a good position to dispassionately evaluate the approach in which <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Beyoncé</span> has promoted feminism as of late, and the media response to her approach.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
If you haven't seen the performance, <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/videos/mtv-vma-video-vanguard-medley/1066933/">here it is</a>, and I recommend watching it. I just did, and first and foremost it is 14 minutes of mesmerizing vocals and choreography. During part of the song <i>Flawless</i>, words defining and advocating feminism from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (an African writer also known for <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en">her TED talk</a>) flash across a giant screen. You can read the full lyrics of the song which include Adichie's statements in verse 2 <a href="http://digg.com/video/beyonce-vma-performance-yaaaaaaas">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Editor of the Federalist Mollie Hemingway lays down pretty typical conservative spin on this, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsixEG06Jmk">claiming that </a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Beyoncé's performance at the VMAs proves </span>"feminism right now is an incoherent mess of double standards." Hemingway's reasoning is that <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Beyoncé's hyper-sexual performance is at odds with feminist objections to the objectification of women. The problem is, even if one finds the sexual segments of the medley too bawdy to be in good taste, the performance doesn't read as objectification. The gist is clearly that the woman is being sexual assertive and seeking her own sexual gratification as much as that of her partner. The most sexual part of the entire performance is followed up by the voice of Adichie (and her words projected on the backdrop), commenting, "We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way boy are." </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Beyoncé is certainly an exhibitionist, but that she does it for her own gain and pleasure is made explicit. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Megyn Kelly who interviews Hemingway snarkily comments, "But she's okay with 'Bow down bee-otch" (her mis-pronunciation proving that Kelly hasn't actually watched the performance or know those lyrics in their full context.) The line "bow down bitches" is chanted as a challenge to other women to acknowledge, value, and be inspired by </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Beyoncé's ambition and success that goes beyond the domestic sphere. Again, the lyrics from Adichie in the song read, "We raise girls to see each other as competitors not for jobs or for accomplishments, which I think can be a good thing, but for the attention of men." Oh, those pesky details getting in the way of Hemingway's and Kelly's conservative spin. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Hemingway makes a judgmental comment about </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Beyoncé as a parent </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">in <a href="http://thefederalist.com/2014/08/26/feminism-or-sexism-depends-is-it-beyonces-vmas-or-vergaras-emmys/">this article</a>, saying: </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">I mean, it wasn't totally usual in that </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Beyoncé's toddler child was in the audience to witness all this dry-humping and simulated getting down, but other than that, your typical </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Beyoncé. </span></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">I am perfectly comfortable with either of my toddler children watching this performance, because first of all, they wouldn't even understand the most sexually explicit lyrics (and by the time they do understand, they'll be mature enough to process it), and in case anyone hasn't noticed, we live in a culture that is absolutely saturated with sexually suggestive images of women. Does Hemingway never notice billboards or magazine covers featuring women in provocative outfits giving bedroom eyes to the viewer with their lips suggestively parted that are everywhere? At least in </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Beyoncé's performance the glittery butts are attached to professional dancers who are not just on display for us to gawk, but actually engaged in an impressive dance routine. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
The biggest problem with Mollie Hemingway's criticism of feminism is that what might appear as an incoherent mess can be pretty quickly sorted out if one bothers to take a close enough look.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
I'm not going to go into details that anyone can look up on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminism">Wikipedia</a>, but I can put this particular performance in some context. After all the major successes of what is often called first wave feminism (voting and property rights) and second wave feminism (reproductive rights, equal opportunity in jobs and education, changes in attitudes regarding gender roles) we entered into an era where feminism is suffering from its own success. Some leaders in the movement thought the next big fight should be against abuses of women in the sex industry (sometimes dubbed "anti-porn feminists"), but there was backlash against those leaders because some anti-porn feminists allied with religious conservatives, and also because it could be perceived as an attack on women who work in the sex industry, including those who enjoy and make a good living off their work. Thus we had the birth of sex-positive feminism, which emphasizes women's sexual freedom as a fundamental to the goals of the feminist movement.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
While there are still anti-porn feminists, it is clear that sex-positive feminists are winning that war. Beyonce's uber-sexually titillating performance juxtaposed with the feminist label is nothing new. Candida Royalle is a former porn actress who produces and directs pornographic films for couples and which specifically aim to appeal to female sexual desire. Feminists Against Censorship is an organization in the UK whose mission is to prevent censorship, particularly of materials with sexual content. Hell, just check out sex-positive feminist <a href="http://anniesprinkle.org/">Annie Sprinkle's website</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
There is a middle ground between the extremes of Andrea Dworkin who wrote "No woman needs intercourse, few women escape it." and Camille Pagilia, who justified "certain forms of rape" as "what used to be called unbridled love."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
I suspect that most feminists, such as myself, fall in this middle ground. I wouldn't label myself an "anti-porn feminist" because I think porn, while often a shady, manipulative and degrading (to both men and women) industry, can and often is produced under ethical conditions. Similarly, I'm also not against legal prostitution across the board, but I am deeply concerned about how any form of prostitution - legal or otherwise - is run and regulated, given the abuses common to that industry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
While I'm totally cool with <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Beyoncé's hyper-sexual VMA performance as the act of a particular artist in the appropriate venue for such a performance, I am disturbed by the omnipresence of images of women displayed in a cheap, narrow, and generically titillating fashion for the real purpose of making a quick buck. Context matters. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
This issues are not black and white. They are not simple. Of course there will be endless debate within the feminist movement. That doesn't change the fact that issues of inequality exist and call out for research and thoughtful discussion followed by plans of action. Feminism is the social movement that specifically addresses issues of sexual inequality. And, gee, sorry if that gets complicated because the world is complicated. When Mollie Hemingway dismisses feminism as meaningless, she undermines the work of grassroots feminists who are working to achieve and maintain sexual equality. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
I do think some of the liberal, feminist response to <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Beyoncé's VMA performance is rather over-enthusiastic. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Jessica Bennett wrote in <a href="http://time.com/3181644/beyonce-reclaim-feminism-pop-star/">Time</a> that </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Beyoncé h</span>as "accomplished what feminists have long struggled to do: She’s reached the masses." She goes on: </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Universally loved, virtually unquestioned, and flawless, the 33-year-old entertainer seems to debunk every feminist stereotype you’ve ever heard. Beyoncé can’t be a man-hater – she’s got a man (right?). Her relationship – whatever you believe about the divorce rumors – has been elevated as a kind of model for egalitarian bliss: dual earners, adventurous sex life, supportive husband and an adorable child held up on stage by daddy while mommy worked. Beyoncé’s got the confidence of a superstar but the feminine touch of a mother. And, as a woman of color, she’s speaking to the masses – a powerful voice amid a movement that has a complicated history when it comes to inclusion.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, yes, it<i> is</i> totally refreshing and exciting for sex-positive, third-wave feminists to see a successful, talented, black woman taking ownership of the <i>feminist</i> label in the expressive languages of R&B, hip hop, and soul. But how much of what Bennett writes is hopeful hype? Clearly <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Beyoncé is a talented artist and super-celebrity, but when it comes to the shifting socio-political landscape with regards to women's equality, is she taking us in a new direction, or really just part of a tide that was already moving that way? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.464000701904297px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Amanda Marcotte writing for <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2014/08/25/beyonc_goes_full_feminist_at_the_vmas.html">Slate</a>, remarks: </span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having dismantled the idea that feminists are just ugly wannabes during her performance, she might as well clean house by smashing the notion that feminists hate men or are somehow not maternal.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh give me a break. There are plenty of self-declared feminists out there who are, while not as stunning as <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Beyoncé, perfectly</span> attractive, happily married, and mothers, so as far as I can tell, the accusations from assholes like Rush Limbaugh that feminists are "ugly" and "man-haters" should have been laughed into oblivion the moment he said them. And yet they weren't. Stereotypes of feminists as ugly, bitter man-haters took hold and continue to thrive.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Those who perpetuate or who eagerly accept those stereotypes will not be moved to change their minds by <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Beyoncé. Like Mollie Hemingway, conservatives are mocking the idea of </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Beyoncé as a feminist, using her VMA performance as proof that feminism is contradictory and meaningless, and then just for good measure, shaming </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Beyoncé for being, as Megyn Kelly puts it, <i>skanky</i>. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What Amanda Marcotte suggests is that feminism <i>needs </i>a ridiculously gorgeous performer who wears scantily clad clothing and dances and sings in a manner that would rival the greatest stripper act in its ability to titillate the average straight man in order to refute the stereotypes of feminists as ugly man-haters. But we don't, and we never did.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Fans of </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Beyoncé</span><span style="line-height: 18.464000701904297px;"> who are totally ignorant of feminist history and current issues and grassroots action <i>might</i> take an interest in it because of her, but I doubt we're suddenly going to see a surge in feminist activism or a big bump in the percentage of people labeling themselves "feminist" any time soon<span style="background-color: white;">. </span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Indeed, what good does the trendy rebranding of the "feminist" label do to achieve actual equality of the sexes? Lauren Duca writing for <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/25/middlebrow-vmas_n_5706609.html">Huffington Post</a> points out that </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Beyoncé championed feminism in the midst of an a</span>ward show rife with old-fashioned sexist behavior. She writes: </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The VMAs are like a petri dish for all of the misogynistic crap in the music industry: It is the reality of refusing to accept women as legitimate artists and reducing them to sexual objects boiled down into a handy two-hour television special.</span></blockquote>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duca concludes that <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;">Beyoncé's efforts are futile unless the label and definition of feminism she promotes are taken into action. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/1120bey.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/1120bey.gif" height="179" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.464000701904297px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beyonce isn't just <i>hot</i> in the sense that she turns on most men (and no doubt a lot of women, too.) She's <i>hot</i> in the sense that she's known and adored by the general public. She has reached the apex of popularity. It's called <i>pop</i> culture for a reason. Feminism is not hot. It's not popular. So those devoted to the feminist cause and the feminist label are getting a huge charge out of it being adopted and promoted by such a hot celebrity. That's great and all, but I'm skeptical that it goes any deeper than that. </span></div>
</div>
Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-53302654392317350952014-08-26T12:37:00.000-07:002014-08-26T13:30:15.824-07:00Sin in the Secular Age: Smoking and Obesity <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMcfI78nEFi4OdbROOcEMeRUbplJLqOXn8PLqqToP11uzQp9nkN4e2Bddqzpg37JmUx93wdS-IdEmiU2UCYrPIcOBqUK8c_uJmisM7MYbwxHwAZb7CK2vCpk2Q7wydU6eJdNjWSDnj29M/s1600/The_Scolding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMcfI78nEFi4OdbROOcEMeRUbplJLqOXn8PLqqToP11uzQp9nkN4e2Bddqzpg37JmUx93wdS-IdEmiU2UCYrPIcOBqUK8c_uJmisM7MYbwxHwAZb7CK2vCpk2Q7wydU6eJdNjWSDnj29M/s1600/The_Scolding.jpg" height="320" width="223" /></a></div>
The Judeo-Christian concept of sin is an offence against capital-G God. It is going against His will or plan for us human beings. Some sins are considered minor (venial sins), others are major (mortal sins), but any type of sin carries with it not only consequences in this life, but in the life hereafter. Unless, of course, the sinner is sufficiently repentant, and in the cases of some religious sects, adhering to the correct faith.<br />
<br />
We who hold a secular worldview today scoff at the concept of sin, and for a few good reasons.<br />
<br />
First, while many behaviors traditionally regarded as sinful do harm (such as lying and stealing) others are not necessarily harmful and might even be beneficial to a person's well-being (such as having healthy sexual relationships outside of marriage.)<br />
<br />
Second, inherent in the concept of sin is an <i>additional</i> punishment for supposed misdeeds. It is not enough that lying carries the risk of being caught and not trusted in the future, or that those who steal risk trial and punishment by law enforcement. There must also be the threat of either extra time in purgatory, or eternal torment in hell.<br />
<br />
Third, the concept of sin tends to glaze over the reasons behind peoples' misdeeds and focus on punishment. Sin easily goes from being a verb (something a person capable of good or evil has done) to the noun <i>sinner</i> (a person whose fundamental nature is wicked.) When this happens, anger, righteousness and condescension trump humility and compassion. Punishment is emphasized over prevention or more constructive ways to modify harmful behaviors.<br />
<br />
The thing is, these problems with sin are not exclusive to those of Judeo-Christian faith. Just as many people of faith emphasize compassion and forgiveness over self-righteous judgement, many secular people have adopted a sort of secular concept of sin.<br />
<br />
One example of this is rising premiums on health insurance for smokers. The trend <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/17/health/policy/smokers-penalized-with-health-insurance-premiums.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0">began a few years ago</a>, and the Affordable Care Act <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-12-03/how-much-more-will-smokers-pay-for-obamacare">does nothing to stop it</a>.<br />
<br />
All the problems with sin are present: These measures punish all smokers, even those who smoke in moderation and/or who suffer from no health problems directly connected to their smoking. It adds punishments in addition to the possible ill-effects of smoking (which disproportionately impacts those with lower income, who I might add are those more likely to smoke and have more difficulty quitting.) And instead of addressing the root causes of tobacco addiction and finding non-punitive ways of helping addicts who want to quit do so, it simply punishes them, hoping that these additional punishments will be the deterrent that finally works. <br />
<br />
Let's look at a second, similar example: The rising cost of health insurance<a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/11/13/company-health-insurance-penalties-smoking-obesity-obamacare/"> is driving many companies</a> to pressure obese employees to meet arbitrary weight-loss goals and into participating in often humiliating weight-loss programs. Again, the Affordable Care Act does nothing to stop this discrimination against the obesity in the workplace. <br />
<br />
And again, all the problems with sin are present: These measures punish all (and only) obese people, regardless of any individualized assessment of their health and lifestyle, and while ignoring those who are thin but unhealthy for other reasons. It adds punishments in addition to the possible health problems that disproportionately impact many obese people (not to mention the social discrimination obese people face because they are outside mainstream measures of attractiveness.) Instead of addressing root causes of diseases correlated with obesity (such as diabetes and heart disease), it burdens and shames an entire class of people, hoping that will change their behavior and that those hypothetical changes will yield desirable outcomes.<br />
<br />
Smokers and the obese do not need more arbitrary consequences from employers and health insurance companies. Either they are perfectly happy with their behavior choices, or they are not and already have enough motivation and challenges for modifying their behavior. In the case of the former, bug-off because we all have our personal indulgences which are nobody's damn business. In the case of the latter, people need encouragement when and from whom they request it.<br />
<br />
While all of our day to day choices will never be 100% in line with our personal goals and values, we can always strive toward personal improvement. The benchmarks are different for different people based on circumstances. Not everyone's values are identical nor should they be. Knowing how much a person smokes or drinks or how much he or she weighs does not give a measure of how hard he or she is working toward personal improvement.<br />
<br />
Perhaps some of you reading this post think smokers and obese people should be further punished for their behavior, either because their transgressions deserve it, or you are convinced (<a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/love-and-sex-in-the-digital-age/201401/guilt-good-shame-bad">despite evidence to the contrary</a>) that shaming people actually works. If that is the case, I implore you, go hang out with the Religious Right where you belong.Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-44706373286190400502014-08-13T13:00:00.002-07:002014-08-13T13:16:53.399-07:00Tribute to Robin Williams and Response to Rush Limbaugh's BS About the Liberal "Attitude" <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZM_uM0V4x1JjxfVSvZCperUfwb6ExCbnzk_UeOoIjjV5HdjDXrTEwqFU2Zc7T7I6VtGJlFAnjKn8X7HC76JA8m3BMThTYk438AuBWAG9ni4w1cm9fkA4v6SJb8rmpEEbrMApjYa9BDXta/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZM_uM0V4x1JjxfVSvZCperUfwb6ExCbnzk_UeOoIjjV5HdjDXrTEwqFU2Zc7T7I6VtGJlFAnjKn8X7HC76JA8m3BMThTYk438AuBWAG9ni4w1cm9fkA4v6SJb8rmpEEbrMApjYa9BDXta/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> As one <span style="background-color: white;">of millions of Robin Williams fans, I am deeply saddened by the entertainer's death. Even moreso because it was by his own hand, and especially because his suicide has sparked a stream of not only tributes, but ugly and wrong-headed sentiments in the media. One such sentiment comes from blowhard Rush Limbaugh, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2014/08/13/rush-limbaugh-suggests-liberalism-may-have-been-partly-to-blame-for-robin-williamss-suicide/">who said of Williams</a>: </span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 32.400001525878906px;">He had everything, everything that you would think would make you happy. But it didn’t. Now, what’s the left’s worldview in general? What is it? If you had to attach not a philosophy but an attitude to a leftist’s worldview, it’s one of pessimism and darkness, sadness. They’re never happy are they? They’re always angry about something. Not matter what they get, they’re always angry. </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, like most of what Rush Limbaugh says, that's pretty infuriating, so I'm taking a moment to calm down and ponder.<br /><br /> Nevermind that speculating about the death of someone only known to Rush through his celebrity is crass and hurtful to those who personally knew Williams (Note Lewis Black's response below. As a side note, Black wrote <a href="http://time.com/3104371/robin-williams-dead-lewis-black-remembrance/">a thoughtful tribute</a> for Williams for Time.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpePZP5V2HNaf_90Ya1x_bE9oKyWd29mzO6UxBuHiU7rvMV7TsyiFviEzZg1JcjeZFDm-KjRagOqzURB7AaWc2ZHYjno00md7y6qDQx2-6hlr7pAb1pvIJ_psk4Ott_XEq6_YtQccS3b2/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpePZP5V2HNaf_90Ya1x_bE9oKyWd29mzO6UxBuHiU7rvMV7TsyiFviEzZg1JcjeZFDm-KjRagOqzURB7AaWc2ZHYjno00md7y6qDQx2-6hlr7pAb1pvIJ_psk4Ott_XEq6_YtQccS3b2/s1600/Untitled.jpg" height="155" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">N</span>evermind that depression has been well-established as a health issue, and one that is difficult to treat, opposed to a mere matter of toxic attitude. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What about this business about the Left (presumably Limbaugh means politically-engaged secular humanist liberals) having such a bleak attitude about life? We're pessimistic, dark, and sad compared to what? The theological concept that most people are destined to spend eternity in Hell? Has he never noticed that the main symbol of Christianity is an instrument of torture and execution? Never heard of <i>valle lacrimarum</i>, otherwise known as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vale_of_tears">Vale of Tears</a>?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For anyone who hasn't noticed, there is a great deal of suffering in the world. Here's just one example: <a href="http://www.un.org/documents/ga/conf166/aconf166-9.htm">Over one billion people</a> on earth live in "extreme poverty," which is defined by the UN as earning less than $1.25 a day. Extreme poverty can mean insufficient food and drinking water, poor sanitation, inadequate shelter from the elements, little to no access to proper health care, education, and opportunities to escape from the conditions of extreme poverty. Over a billion people suffering from that in the world right now. But according to Rush Limbaugh, Robin Williams was supposed to be happy because "He had everything." I guess in the world according to Rush Limbaugh, if you've got yours, there's no good reason to give a damn about anyone else.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngk_icrnQxicgMHBndllKrNmEVVBr61fsGZr0UIg1OIlL6tUEH9JS6_F872x2cqdYjfZrj0rlPQbNgu4QkC1bnB6Z6afwvZSX4KgZ8TD0em9M9ngRRfcnWZrhOzks5vmZn-SXm8GS0OE2/s1600/292304_10151235635703356_1185720136_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngk_icrnQxicgMHBndllKrNmEVVBr61fsGZr0UIg1OIlL6tUEH9JS6_F872x2cqdYjfZrj0rlPQbNgu4QkC1bnB6Z6afwvZSX4KgZ8TD0em9M9ngRRfcnWZrhOzks5vmZn-SXm8GS0OE2/s1600/292304_10151235635703356_1185720136_n.jpeg" height="320" width="247" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is clear that Robin Williams, in addition to being an talented comedian and actor, stayed informed and engaged in current issues, <a href="https://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/robin-williams">devoting a great deal of his time and efforts to charity work</a>. He cared about people. It isn't hard to imagine that his concern for the homeless, soldiers on the battlefield, and victims of natural disasters might have put a damper on his enjoyment of personal fortune.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>The playwright Jean Racine famously said, <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">“Life is a comedy to those who think, a tragedy to those who feel.” Of course all people do both, and so at times we can laugh at the pain and absurdity in life, but not always. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Sometimes those who laugh the most also cry the most, because that which allows them to so cleverly tap into what is humorous also forces them to more intensely face the darkest aspects of the human condition. </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Today I read a joke on this theme: </span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Says his life is harsh and cruel. Say he feels all alone in a threatening world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Doctor says, "Treatment is simple. The great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. Go see him. That should pick you up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Man bursts into tears. "But doctor.....I am Pagliacci"</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When interviewed on Inside the Actor's Studio, James Lipton asked Robin Williams if heaven exists, what would he like to hear when he gets there (watch the video below.) Williams concluded his witty response by saying that it would just be nice to know there's laughter in heaven.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5wCUcepbflA" width="420"></iframe>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know about heaven (or hell for that matter), but there's certainly a lot of laughter to be found in this life, not least because of the gifts of one comedic genius.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you, Robin Williams, for all the light you brought to the world with your spark of madness.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5N1Cpw10qoo" width="420"></iframe>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-29661823369662975152014-08-03T21:29:00.001-07:002014-08-03T21:37:12.177-07:00I Need Feminism (And So Do You) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVQyTyKvvDLsivZDbug7SeIv6l-IwKGyCcP6tbdAnMEbRPz-IPZttW0Q_Cw7Te8i8TR0hKlBcK-PCSkVzUJ5dR6XeiqVqXHC5sZE3aTsp7n4Nd1OAi1QzPJ2sZu56KHKNUyJhb9dgo_xz/s1600/I+need+feminism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVQyTyKvvDLsivZDbug7SeIv6l-IwKGyCcP6tbdAnMEbRPz-IPZttW0Q_Cw7Te8i8TR0hKlBcK-PCSkVzUJ5dR6XeiqVqXHC5sZE3aTsp7n4Nd1OAi1QzPJ2sZu56KHKNUyJhb9dgo_xz/s1600/I+need+feminism.jpg" height="320" width="227" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps you have seen some of the <a href="http://womenagainstfeminism.tumblr.com/post/60758155694/allthingswittyandneko-i-dont-need-feminism">Women Against Feminism tumblr</a> that went viral some time ago. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of the messages fall along the lines of being angry at the personal being politicized or a reaction to individual encounters with self righteous, anti-man, or otherwise extreme feminists. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, I get that. When I was an undergrad I was turned off a bit by feminism after encountering several batshit insane feminists who did and said horrible stuff, such as squirting male supporters at a Take Back the Night march with pee-filled squirtguns or holding up signs saying, "All men are potential rapists." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But then I realized that there are a lot of dipshits in the world, and a few dipshits don't invalidate an entire movement that brought women property rights, the vote, reproductive rights, education and employment opportunities, and shifted the mainstream perception of women in society to the point where we can now easily be accepted as leaders in any industry. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Knowing the broad history of feminism, which is the history of the movement for women's equal rights, I see how much I and every other woman of my generation has benefited from it. I simply cannot allow the heroism of people like Susan B. Anthony and Betty Friedan be overshadowed by the foolish behavior and ideas of the powerless and downright absurd feminist fringe. Every movement has crazies on the edge. Doesn't mean we sensible folks should stop associating ourselves with noble and necessary battles. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Issues of racism still exist and need to be dealt with even if some activists do or say dumb things in the name of anti-racism. We don't stop fighting animal cruelty because of idiots who break into research labs to free mice. The short-sighted degradation of the environment by companies seeking only profit is still a serious issue even if a few idiots sabotaged trees, injuring innocent loggers. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many feminists have created our own memes in response to the anti-feminist tumblr campaign. The first photo in this blog post is my own response. I decided to be all serious, even though my favorite response - <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/28/confused-cats-against-feminism-tumblr_n_5626680.html">Confused Cats Against Feminism -</a> employs humor. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I included personal details from my life because as a white, educated, middle class American woman I'm supposedly the type of woman for whom women's equality has been fully achieved. And I did sort of feel that way for a long time (with much gratitude to all the feminist pioneers who fought to get the society I live in to be so great for women like me by the time I came of age.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then I had kids while living far from family support (have to stay put, too, 'cause hubby's good-paying job with benefits is here) and realized that my husband's job pays too much for us to quality for any subsidized child care, but doesn't make enough that we can actually pay for any kind of day care. So I did what most of the moms (and some dads, but way more moms) I would soon meet in play groups did - I quit most of my jobs and stay home with the kids. I network like crazy to do babysitting trades for when I do work. I pay much less into my own social security since I work less, so let's hope my husband doesn't die or become disabled or divorce me before he retires. I'll probably be fine (cross fingers) but this is not a secure position to be in. Spending almost every waking hour either watching kids, doing housework, scheduling my and my kids lives, or working on my actual career (which is obviously now part time) - I do start to resent how financial vulnerable I have become, despite how hard or how many hours I work. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I head on over to the National Organization for Women's website and see how much they are fighting for "caregivers", for the first time in my life I don't just feel grateful for feminists of the past. And I don't just feel supportive of feminism for women in poverty or foreign countries. I feel like part of feminism here, today, still is for women like me. Despite all my privilege (and I'm not denying that I have tons of privilege) in some ways I have been disadvantaged. I'm not whining about it. Like I said, I'll probably be fine. I'm lucky enough to have enough people in my private life to keep me afloat even if the worst happens. But my class advantages don't negate my disadvantages as a women, specifically a mother. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Of course even if feminism wasn't benefiting me personally, shouldn't I still support it for the sake of the all other women in the world who need it? Abandoning the movement just because I got mine already seems rather shitty.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I'm just sick and tired of reading "anti-feminist" memes and sentiments on my facebook feed, often by women who are not only obvious benefactors of past feminism, but who are smart, articulate, and exactly the sort of women needed to maintain the women's rights movement. My advice for anyone who doesn't think feminism is necessary or relevant anymore, please take a look at how women, especially mothers and female heads of households are <a href="http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/income_wealth/cb13-165.html">disproportionately represented under the poverty line</a>, look at how <a href="http://www.asanet.org/images/members/docs/pdf/featured/motherwage.pdf">wages for women drop after we have kids</a>, and then seriously tell me that we don't need a women's rights movement in America anymore. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZRYhH9JKkTucGiZNn8fMZuWK9NtmrjhZ0D02dQKvm1YpiMOPRBHl6gLvt6kDWLoEw_YTi6iqHkFyQPx2jsq0dA9iNEL40bStAzOEs1MWAVoA41C2c0xiCxtAAmCfYDAbdC2pEkZcjfJtp/s1600/o-MEAL-TICKETS-570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZRYhH9JKkTucGiZNn8fMZuWK9NtmrjhZ0D02dQKvm1YpiMOPRBHl6gLvt6kDWLoEw_YTi6iqHkFyQPx2jsq0dA9iNEL40bStAzOEs1MWAVoA41C2c0xiCxtAAmCfYDAbdC2pEkZcjfJtp/s1600/o-MEAL-TICKETS-570.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And some people think feminists have no sense of humor!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's just in America. In some nations women can't even drive a sick child to a hospital without a male escort. This is often in countries where women used to have that right, but lost it. Because rights can be lost - <a href="http://iranprimer.usip.org/resource/womens-movement">look at Iran</a>. <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26747712">Look at Afghanistan</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Feminism isn't something we champion when we need it and abandon once we've achieved everything we personally needed. As long as we women are the incubators of the next generation of humans, we are all vulnerable to gender roles enforced by law or social norms that might put us at serious disadvantage. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Women today who do enjoy equality, who have power and influence, who don't feel victimized, are in the best position to help maintain rights achieved and speak out for the most vulnerable and most harshly victimized. It isn't about being anti-men (I don't know how feminism can be called anti-man when so many self-declared feminists such as myself are happily married to men!) It's simply about equality for women. </span>Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-9328580328117030192014-06-17T10:20:00.001-07:002014-06-17T12:07:55.715-07:00America Needs Quality, Subsidized Day Care <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYGdZaDBngaT1QK9An6oB3SMBuyPMKdzuRjIXcezEN0hbGgW9wE9kZTvLGcY-rx8wpuNvU-REfhTHfMFBTVVEvc39E_vhPNMM4XeNpPeJIXj7yPoPs7kJYyHcpIBD-w4tc90eToSe0_Hh/s1600/1914069_133647485307_4611928_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYGdZaDBngaT1QK9An6oB3SMBuyPMKdzuRjIXcezEN0hbGgW9wE9kZTvLGcY-rx8wpuNvU-REfhTHfMFBTVVEvc39E_vhPNMM4XeNpPeJIXj7yPoPs7kJYyHcpIBD-w4tc90eToSe0_Hh/s1600/1914069_133647485307_4611928_n.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me working a job while recovering from having my first <br />
child. As an independent contractor, if I didn't work, I didn't <br />
get paid. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="text-align: center;">I have three jobs. One is full time, two are part time. Only one pays, and not much. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">I am not alone. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My first, full time job is as a stay-at-home mom (SAHM). <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2013/09/04/working_mom_or_stay_at_home_trend_stories_love_this_divide_but_life_is_more.html">23% of American moms</a> with kids under age 15, and <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2013/09/04/working_mom_or_stay_at_home_trend_stories_love_this_divide_but_life_is_more.html">35%</a> with kids under age 6 stay home. Such work is always unpaid, and always more than the typical 40 hour work week. It's a job we can never leave. The kids are there in the morning needing to be changed and dressed, taken to school, play dates, classes and practices, fed breakfast, lunch, and dinner, helped with their homework, bathed, and gotten ready for bed. Many of these moms are single, and many others have husbands who work long hours and/or commute to jobs, causing them to come home late and exhausted. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a big risk being a SAHM. Even for those of us who are married to spouses with well-paying jobs with good benefits, the divorce rate is still high, and sometimes spouses die or become disabled. For a parent who stops working for years to take care of children, going back to work in later life poses all kinds of challenges, and our life-time earning potential has been drastically lowered. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the other hand, many SAHMs express deep fulfillment in this practice. I know I feel grateful for all the time I spend with my daughters, how much I get to see them grow up, and how I'm building a bond and memories that the three of us will cherish for our lifetimes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everything in life is give and take. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My second job, as an artist and writer, is also mostly unpaid. I manage to put in an average of 20 hours a week in my studio making woodcuts and doing blogging and social networking to "raise my platform", and sending my work out to agents, editors, and galleries. I do this work while my littlest one is napping and my older child is at school, and after they go to bed at night. I rarely go to sleep before midnight. In my studio I'm surrounded by to-do lists and self-set deadlines to keep myself focused. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition to fulfilling my creative and intellectual needs, my work as an artist gives me a huge sense of personal accomplishment and sense of career status. When strangers ask me or my husband what I do, we talk about my art - where I'm showing, the book I'm trying to sell, the new book I'm working on. After all, only other parents really want to hear much about my kids, and even then talking about the kids can get tedious. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAZopnO5zvo3aHlntnA7xnvQw5hqU7mePGEuSpQLTa6aGlSvsiUUSfWBSwDVEKyLlLZm_BYu4aAlhfcJOpcZu5j0_fSG0BBRbA2PhAxhyphenhyphennB4mehLnjar64WcAubMqUYIMaXauHRzpQj2x/s1600/563222_10151263643745308_1505919477_n.jpg" height="240" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me working on a book at the kitchen table in between <br />
making dinner and getting kids ready for bed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAZopnO5zvo3aHlntnA7xnvQw5hqU7mePGEuSpQLTa6aGlSvsiUUSfWBSwDVEKyLlLZm_BYu4aAlhfcJOpcZu5j0_fSG0BBRbA2PhAxhyphenhyphennB4mehLnjar64WcAubMqUYIMaXauHRzpQj2x/s1600/563222_10151263643745308_1505919477_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But as I said, this rarely pays. I sell a few, small prints on Etsy every month. I earn a paltry amount through Google Ads. The last arts and crafts sale I did, after the table fee, brought in only $25.00. I scored an agent, but she wasn't able to sell my book for me, so now I'm again at square one with that project, adding to the pile of things to do. It is a daily struggle to keep myself feeling confident that eventually I'll hit my "tipping point" and make some real income. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My third job is as a part time art teacher. I must do this to bring in extra income because my husband's pay alone isn't quite enough to support our family. I work through non-profits and art centers. It pays a decent hourly wage, but I get hardly any hours, and those I do get require a lot of babysitting trades with other parents to cover childcare. When all the extras are added up, it's really not much more than minimum wage for a few hours a week. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am one of the lucky moms. My marriage is strong, and my husband has a good job. Without his gainful employment, my art career would go comatose, despite years and thousands of dollars in investment. I also have enough family support to get us through rough patches. If things for me keep going the way they have (fingers crossed), odds are I will eventually hit that sought after "tipping point", so that by the time my kids are grown, I might actually have a full time <i>paying </i>career as an artist and writer. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But what about the moms without supportive spouses who can pay the bills? The ones without extended family who can help out? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today in America, women are under-represented in politics, business, STEM fields, the arts, just about everywhere. And not for lack of women getting the degrees and having the potential to be hugely influential in all those segments of society. Do we really wonder why? Do we really think we can fix this problem by merely giving women lip service and the encouragement to "<a href="http://leanin.org/">lean in</a>"? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Typically, the only subsidized early childhood care in America is for poor parents, and most of these programs, including Head Start, are at facilities where those children are segregated from their more affluent counterparts. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In general, day care in America is associated with substandard early childhood care, which is one reason why so many parents who can manage to avoid it, do. But<a href="http://www2.asanet.org/media/childcare.html"> in many other industrialized nations</a>, publicly subsidized day care, which is accessible to all families, often on a sliding scale based on income, is of high quality and embraced by parents. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/01/opinion/sunday/catching-up-with-france-on-day-care.html">Just look at France. </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">American parents seem increasingly convinced that children fare better with a parent at home than in center-based care, but there is little to no scientific evidence for this. <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/the_kids/2013/08/day_care_in_the_united_states_is_it_good_or_bad_for_kids.html">Consider: </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #281b21; line-height: 27px;">Multiple </span><a href="http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ554326" style="background-color: white; color: #660033; line-height: 27px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">studies</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #281b21; line-height: 27px;">, including the NICHD </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11016559" style="background-color: white; color: #660033; line-height: 27px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">study</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #281b21; line-height: 27px;">, have found that, after statistically adjusting for the effects of social class and other potential confounders, kids enrolled in high quality child care given by nonrelatives develop slightly better cognitive and language skills—as measured at various points in their lives, all the way up through </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2938040/" style="background-color: white; color: #660033; line-height: 27px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">age 15</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #281b21; line-height: 27px;">—than do kids in low-quality care. These beneficial effects are </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11699686" style="background-color: white; color: #660033; line-height: 27px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">more pronounced</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #281b21; line-height: 27px;"> for low-income kids than children from more affluent families and for kids in center-based care than other types of care. The NICHD study also </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11016559" style="background-color: white; color: #660033; line-height: 27px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">compared</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #281b21; line-height: 27px;"> children in child care to children who stayed at home with their mothers for the first three years of their lives, and the ones at home fared somewhere in the middle: They scored better on verbal comprehension tests at age 3 than did kids in low-quality care, but they scored worse on language tests at age 2 than kids in medium- and high-quality care. Interestingly, studies suggest that the cumulative amount of time kids spend in care makes little difference when it comes to scores; what matters is whether they go at all and if it’s good or bad.</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #281b21; font-family: sl-ApresRegular; font-size: 15px; line-height: 27px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In her article <a href="http://www.parentingscience.com/preschool-stress.html#sthash.h7boZe5y.dpuf">The Dark Side of Preschool</a>, Gwen Dewar compared studies of American center-based care to a study done in Norway. Although more studies need to be done to come to a better understanding of how center-based care impacts children, there is some evidence that it is largely the quality of care that makes a difference, not whether children are at home or in a day care center. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.799999237060547px;">So if Zachrisson’s team found no evidence that preschool attendance causes behavior problems, that might be because <i>preschool in Norway is better. </i></span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #474747; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.799999237060547px;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The question becomes this: how can we make center-based care in the United States as good as it is in other developed nations? In addition to integrating programs that separate the poor and middle class, another no-brainer seems to simply subsidize care so that we can afford to raise the professional standards for those who work in day care centers and preschools. <br /><br />Childcare workers are often paid a paltry sum, despite frequent requirements for degrees in Early Childhood Education and having to work year round and longer hours than school teachers. The average hourly wage of these workers is less than </span><a href="http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes399011.htm" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">$10 an hour</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Even in New York City, day care workers are paid </span><a href="http://www.indeed.com/salary/q-Childcare-Worker-l-New-York,-NY.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">an average of $25,000 a year</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - barely a living wage! This leads to high turnover, low status, and staff burnout, not exactly a formula for quality child care. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We Americans need to ask ourselves what sort of society do we want to be? One where women are equally represented in every career field while our children receive loving, quality care from well-respected child care professionals, or one where we turn back the clock to the days when women took a back seat to our husbands running the world while we stayed home and changed diapers, regardless of our educational backgrounds, talents, and aspirations. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm raising two little girls. Right now I tell them that they can be whatever they want to be so long as they work hard. But I know that's only a half truth. When my girls come of age, will I have to change my tune and tell them that they will probably have to choose between fulfilling their career dreams, or having kids while being financially dependent on a spouse and setting their careers back at least a decade? I dearly hope that they and none of the other American women of their generation will have to make that choice. </span><br />
<br />Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-19323280473374478622014-06-11T10:02:00.000-07:002014-06-11T17:35:48.545-07:00Open Carry: Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zLWbhb3YzUw2OjF9KomgF7G_tIyZgkRAdXhS_0mC5dBgVYh6zFd_QIL0CW67-ao03gVJQaP0HLBQmbsx2UZIE0vbPiX2MKjfYftcaEceDbuqpRecJtNgoM6MT3APu80Wy7YVlTjTkG_K/s1600/safe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zLWbhb3YzUw2OjF9KomgF7G_tIyZgkRAdXhS_0mC5dBgVYh6zFd_QIL0CW67-ao03gVJQaP0HLBQmbsx2UZIE0vbPiX2MKjfYftcaEceDbuqpRecJtNgoM6MT3APu80Wy7YVlTjTkG_K/s1600/safe.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Saturday the <a href="http://medinagazette.northcoastnow.com/">Medina County Gazette</a> of Medina, Ohio published <a href="http://medinagazette.northcoastnow.com/2014/06/11/opinion-nothing-illegal-open-carry-wont-stick-around/">this guest column</a> of mine: </span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I frequently visit Medina with my husband and two young children because that’s where I grew up and my parents still live here. The Gazette tells me that next time I'm on the Square with my kids, I might see people from the activist group Northeast Open Carry patrolling the area with firearms in holsters or strapped to their backs. If I do, I won't call the police since there's nothing illegal going on. The law is already firmly on the side of open carry advocates. They aren't even required to show their IDs when questioned by police.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But I won't stick around. Police who carry firearms are trained and hired to serve and protect. Concealed carry requires at least a permit.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But a man just strutting around with a gun, he’s a total unknown. Maybe he's had sufficient training in firearm use and safety, maybe not. Maybe he's a schizophrenic about to have his first onset of serious symptoms. Maybe he's generally paranoid with lousy judgment. Maybe he’s a perfectly stable, responsible guy. The point is, I don't know.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What I do know is that Joe Smith or whoever is holding a deadly weapon and could easily kill me or my kids from hundreds of feet away. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">To Joe Smith or whoever, I didn't ask for your protection, and more importantly, I don't need it. The Medina crime rate is much lower than both the Ohio average and national average crime rates. (The city is ranked among the safest 15 percent of Ohio’s communities, according data compiled by USA.com. Most of the rare robberies and thefts that happen in Medina do not involve a deadly weapon at all. So unless you are on your way to the shooting range or to hunt, why are you flaunting your firearms in public spaces?</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />Just because you have the legal right to openly carry shotguns, assault rifles, and semi-automatic pistols in public doesn't mean it's a good idea or without risk. The Constitution gives the Westboro Baptist Church the right to protest military funerals with signs saying “God hates fags.” That doesn't mean they should or that doing so won't cause trouble. It also doesn't mean that the public should accept such behavior as “normal.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />People of Medina live without fear. It's not that crime never happens in Medina, but the number of crimes there that could be prevented by a random stranger walking around with a gun are so low that they're negligible. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In a safe place, adding guns only adds the risks that come with them. That's why most people in Medina clear the area and might even call 911 in response to seeing a random stranger casually patrolling public spaces. Nobody here needs to be “educated.” We already felt safe, and Northeast Open Carry activists are taking some of that peace of mind away. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<div style="color: #222222;">
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Martha Knox is an artist and blogger living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of David Knox, the managing editor of The Gazette.</span></i></div>
<div style="color: #222222;">
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i>
</div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5z1D6p2YoXC9wNVZAluinq3yFG_IXt-hAjMrFSeZLVXGZPbXiCUBaboaesneOHy4OMyMkk1MrKXA-K9bPLWXb3NNGiGxSnFBXC3vP2f7OIJXzxn_xPyl4WvP6EuiLN2lCTgfu-U-mIkhE/s1600/guns-map-open-carry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5z1D6p2YoXC9wNVZAluinq3yFG_IXt-hAjMrFSeZLVXGZPbXiCUBaboaesneOHy4OMyMkk1MrKXA-K9bPLWXb3NNGiGxSnFBXC3vP2f7OIJXzxn_xPyl4WvP6EuiLN2lCTgfu-U-mIkhE/s1600/guns-map-open-carry.jpg" height="236" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's my point of view visiting my quiet little hometown in Ohio. Now for my perspective from where I live today. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A couple years ago a man was shot and killed on my street. It was 4:30 in the afternoon. I heard the shots from my living room, looked out the window just in time to see the shooter and his accomplice run away. Minutes later I stepped out on my porch to see a body lying on the sidewalk across the street. He died on the way to the hospital, one of America's many victims of violent crime, most often connected to the illicit drug trade. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I live in Philadelphia, a city where hundreds of people are murdered and thousands more are injured with guns every year. Many more, including children and youth, are traumatized by witnessing gun violence in their neighborhoods. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here in Philly, if I saw someone walking around with a gun, even though Pennsylvanians have a right to open carry, I would call 9-11, because here the odds that violence will ensue is likely.<br /><br />The idea of good guys with guns stopping bad guys with guns is based on nothing more than wishful fantasy, and is in opposition to <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2013/mar/25/guns-protection-national-rifle-association">actual evidence</a>. And yet people all over the United States are trying to change American society into one which encourages vigilantism and is poised for conflict with deadly weapons anywhere, anytime. <br /><br />Let's be clear what's happening here: Open Carry Activists already have the right to do what they are doing. What they want now is to change the culture into one which accepts them flaunting those rights. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Is this a change we Americans want? We already have horrifically high rates of gun violence compared with other industrialized nations. If guns being carried by just about anyone, anywhere, anywhere become the norm, do we really believe that most of those people will be sufficiently trained <i>and</i> cautious at <i>all</i> times? How many people ignore speed limits, thinking they can handle higher speeds, despite the threat of fines and accidents? <br /><br />Are we really going to ignore the fact that the proliferation of firearms increases the numbers of suicides and accidents involving guns? Or that a desperate criminal will exhibit far more risky behavior such as grabbing a gun from an innocent citizen or shooting innocent people before responsible, armed citizens have a chance to fully assess the situation? <br /><br />Flaunting rights to openly carry around firearms in public make no sense in safe communities such as my hometown <i>or </i>communities like Philadelphia which are already plagued with gun violence. It makes no sense <i>period.</i> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The simple truth is that more guns don't protect people. They increase the chance of people getting shot. Forget the wild west fantasy, that's the science, that's the reality. </span></div>
</div>
</div>
Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-75178310601695150262014-06-02T19:13:00.000-07:002014-06-02T19:27:57.378-07:00Civil Magistrate in VA Permitted to Discriminate <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEGX9XRXZhbGSTJFN0FpHjs2E2PW3Lzc9EnkUA-RJWnsvWzZXLN1ltvoqKRJszvpl09FDjeJ25ok1TuyODnwfQSE6FKXROVtgm7Td12_2VAEN2zWtj7e2LltqivNereU6acjAlt7GLuna/s1600/marriage_religious+equality.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEGX9XRXZhbGSTJFN0FpHjs2E2PW3Lzc9EnkUA-RJWnsvWzZXLN1ltvoqKRJszvpl09FDjeJ25ok1TuyODnwfQSE6FKXROVtgm7Td12_2VAEN2zWtj7e2LltqivNereU6acjAlt7GLuna/s1600/marriage_religious+equality.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Bud Roth, a civil magistrate in Virginia, employed by the county, paid by taxpayers, appointed by the court system to officiate civil contract marriages, has been permitted</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> to refuse to marry certain couples based on their religious beliefs. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Read the detailed account including a video recording of a conversation one of the betrothed had with Roth </span><a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/05/30/court-appointed-marriage-commissioner-refuses-to-perform-civil-ceremony-for-non-religious-couple/" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">at Friendly Atheist</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /><br />What minority does the guy discriminate against? Why non-theists, of course! But given the language used by both Republican and and Democrat politicians speaking about marriage over the past couple decades, should we be surprised? <br /><br />We all know what religious bigots many Republicans can be when it comes to marriage equality. But here's some quotes from prominent Democrats: </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">"I'm for domestic partnerships having legal protections, but not the same sacrament, not the same name, because I favor protecting the institution of marriage as it has been understood between a man and woman." <b>-Al Gore in 2000 </b></span></span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">But, Al, the civil union part of marriage (which is the only part government has a hand in) is not a </span><i style="color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">sacrament</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">. </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">"Marriage has got historic, religious and moral content that goes back to the beginning of time and I think a marriage is as a marriage has always been, between a man and a woman." <b>-Hillary Clinton in 2000. </b></span></span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Hillary, guess what, the oldest and most common type of marriage in human history has been </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygyny" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">polygyny</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">, not heterosexual monogamy. Also, what the hell does what ancient societies did have to do with the institution of marriage today, anyway, particularly considering how the state of women's rights has progressed! </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">"I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. Now, for me as a Christian - for me - for me as a Christian, it is also a sacred union. God's in the mix." <b>-Barack Obama in 2008</b></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Barack, if that whole</span><i style="color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> sacred</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> aspect of marriage is just </span><i style="color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">for you</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">, then why the hell are you bringing it up during a political campaign? Could it be that you are encouraging voters to trust you because you are Christian (because after all, secular people simply can't be as morally upright as good Christians such as yourself.) </span><br />
<span style="color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Of course now all three of these political figures have </span><i style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">evolved</i><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> in their views regarding gay marriage. Now they all think legal gay marriage is just hunky dory. <br /><br />Who cares that all that old rhetoric was incredibly insulting to atheist and agnostic couples (<a href="http://atheism.about.com/od/atheistfamiliesmarriage/a/AtheistsDivorce.htm">who actually have lower than average divorce rates.</a>) Nevermind that such rhetoric helped solidify in the minds of Americans that marriage and religiosity are inseparable, and that marriage that is not regarded as sacred and sacrament is a less serious, less solid undertaking.<br /><br />If Bud Roth wants to be a minister and officiate <i>religious</i> ceremonies then he should go do that. But if he accepted an appointment to officiate <i>civil </i>ceremonies for the state, he has no business turning away couples based on religious beliefs or lack thereof. </span></span></span>Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-52044244140653016972014-05-31T22:55:00.000-07:002014-06-01T17:32:33.471-07:00Exclusive Scouting and the Defamation of Atheists <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUi2K5DgDho3rJO4BdIyBcjWIT4a8qR4Y2x9bz5uabFB3eshfSLH0QXJ1cigc-VAlZjA7nI7KEfkS91f6VyhIQJulLseU-UD4Up2nDEEMIyoNjTL8lbr_9EV-mfJ0iDS9A8oPXAk0DPMXF/s1600/rainbow+scout+hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUi2K5DgDho3rJO4BdIyBcjWIT4a8qR4Y2x9bz5uabFB3eshfSLH0QXJ1cigc-VAlZjA7nI7KEfkS91f6VyhIQJulLseU-UD4Up2nDEEMIyoNjTL8lbr_9EV-mfJ0iDS9A8oPXAk0DPMXF/s1600/rainbow+scout+hat.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A year ago the Boy Scouts of America adopted a resolution to end the ban on openly gay scouts. Many cheered, despite the fact that the BSA - the scouting group with the greatest resources and prominence in American society - still won't allow openly gay leaders and continues its ban on atheist leaders and scouts.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In response, Herb Silverman, founder of the Secular Coalition for America, <a href="http://www.faithstreet.com/onfaith/2013/01/29/from-gay-members-to-atheist-scouts-the-boy-scouts-america-deserves/10967">lamented</a>:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.20000000298023224px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 30px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is no similar step forward for <span style="-webkit-transition: 0.1s linear; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; transition: 0.1s linear;">atheists</span>. This modified policy would still <span style="-webkit-transition: 0.1s linear; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; transition: 0.1s linear;">require local groups to discriminate against atheists</span>, apparently because the Boy Scout Oath implies that an atheist can’t be “morally straight” unless he can do his “duty to God.”<span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.20000000298023224px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 30px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Using this twisted logic, a number of courageous and honest atheists have been kicked out of the Scouts for rejecting all supernatural beliefs. Among them was my friend<span style="-webkit-transition: 0.1s linear; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; transition: 0.1s linear;"> </span><span style="-webkit-transition: 0.1s linear; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; transition: 0.1s linear;">Darrell Lambert, an Eagle Scout, who had been supported by his entire troop.</span></span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-kennedy/the-boy-scouts-half-measu_b_3331020.html">Dan Kennedy</a> was optimistic (well, sort of, I'll explain below) in his response: </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 14px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though Thursday's vote can be seen as a modest step forward, another possible compromise <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/05/us/proposal-to-drop-ban-on-gays-at-center-of-boy-scouts-board-meeting.html?ref=boyscouts&pagewanted=all" style="border: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">floated earlier this year</a> would have been far more workable. You may remember that one: groups that charter troops, such as churches and civic organizations, would have been free to set their own policies.<span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 14px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Such a compromise would have accurately reflected how the BSA actually operates, as troops are considered part of their chartering organizations. To concoct a hypothetical, it would have opened the way for a Unitarian Universalist church to sponsor a troop that allowed gay scouts and adult leaders as well as atheists, another group banned under current BSA policy.</span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I write "sort of " optimistic because policies varying so much from troop to troop remind me of the event that inspired <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Downey">Margaret Downey</a> to devote herself so passionately to defending the rights of atheists: she saw her son in tears because of discrimination. Downey's son had been a Boy Scout at a troop where his atheism was tolerated. But when the family moved, he was denied membership because of his lack of belief. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My daughter will be old enough for scouting in a year, and as a parent I'm interested for many typical reasons. Scouting instills a sense of responsibility through community service, encourages positive relationships with peers, and offers kids opportunities and the motivation to learn new and useful skills. Scouts are generally thought of as eager to lend a hand, adept, and principled.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am therefore deeply grateful for Lance Finney's of Grounded Parents article <a href="http://groundedparents.com/2014/01/10/ethical-and-inclusive-scouting/">Ethical and Inclusive Scouting</a>, which gives a rundown of scouting alternatives for secular parents. I live in a major metropolitan city outside of the Bible Belt, so my kids have several good scouting options to choose from. Not every American atheist family is so lucky.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYfRNxGAjBN4HSZDKJalwKvJJpDMuHTyI4SFKi07z5rT_I5t5Q1btReIb2TuUuY-gjwg3Evw0J1ELYPq-rPUc3yrgnPSjx95Dw_w4_xvErdeul7q-bwTRzvWexalNaxyCRwAd4WD0lGUG/s1600/atheist-cartoon-1-794x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYfRNxGAjBN4HSZDKJalwKvJJpDMuHTyI4SFKi07z5rT_I5t5Q1btReIb2TuUuY-gjwg3Evw0J1ELYPq-rPUc3yrgnPSjx95Dw_w4_xvErdeul7q-bwTRzvWexalNaxyCRwAd4WD0lGUG/s1600/atheist-cartoon-1-794x1024.jpg" height="320" width="248" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As an atheist parent, simply acknowledging the history of scouting can be painful. All scouting has its origins not only Christianity, but an exclusionary mindset that falsely asserts that people must believe in and worship the Christian God in order to be good. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't think of a more clear example of the moral defamation of atheists than this previous wording (changed less than a year ago) in the <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/05/25/boy-scouts-gay-god-column/2357959/">BSA's Declaration of Religious Principle</a>:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">The BSA maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God. In the first part of the Scout Oath or Promise the member declares, "On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law."</span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Consider if such a thing were said of any other faith group: Jews can't be the best kind of citizens. Buddhists can't be the best kind of citizens. Mormons can't be the best kind of citizens. And so on. Pretty awful, isn't it? </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many of these attitudes persist today, especially in America, where <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/in-atheists-we-distrust/">atheists are the most distrusted minority</a>. Not because of anything we real flesh-and-blood atheists do (<a href="http://www.care2.com/causes/atheists-have-stronger-family-values-than-evangelical-christians.html">we tend to be pretty model citizens, actually</a>), but because groups such as BSA maintain an association of God-belief with character, integrity, and high moral standards, thus associating atheism with bad behavior.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://atheism.about.com/od/atheistbigotryprejudice/a/AtheitsHated.htm">Austine Cline</a> suggests:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...atheists are being saddled with the "sins" of American society generally. They are "a symbolic figure" that represent religious theists' "fears about ... trends in American life." Some of those fears involve "lower class" crimes like drug use; other fears involve "upper class" crimes like greed and elitism. Atheists are thus a "symbolic representation of one who rejects the basis for moral solidarity and cultural membership in American society altogether."</span></blockquote>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prejudice against atheists, particularly when instilled in children and youth and under the guise of moral superiority, contribute to <a href="http://americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2013-04-atheist-discrimination-the-weird-and-serious-ways-no">discrimination</a>. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the years the views among many scouting organizations around the world have broadened to include all or most sects of Christianity, Jews, and even people of non monotheistic faiths and atheists. The Girl Scouts of America is an example of a scouting organization that discriminates against none based on worldview, which personally pleases me, as I have daughters.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But what continues to disappoint is that so many scouting organizations persist in discriminating (most often against atheists and homosexuals, but sometimes other non-Christian faiths and certain sects of Christianity) even as they give lip service to the value of inclusiveness and brag about how inclusive they are in other respects. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The BSA Scout Oath includes:</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.5px;">A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others.</span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What meaning does "respect" hold if the organization is formally excluding certain people based on their beliefs regarding the meaning of life, gods, and afterlife? Or maybe they just meant that they respect the religious beliefs of others, but screw all the secularists. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trail Life USA is an alternative to BSA that launched in 2013 specifically in response to BSA's allowing openly gay scouts (but remember, not leaders.) In their statement on <a href="http://www.traillifeusa.com/who-we-are/values/membership-standards/">Membership Standards</a>, Trail Life USA writes: </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While the program is undergirded by Biblical values and unapologetically reflects a Christian worldview, there is also a clearly defined inclusion policy for youth. Accordingly, all boys are welcome irrespective of religion, race, national origin or socio-economic status. </span></blockquote>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But all boys are not welcome since individual Charter Organizations are permitted to exclude boys of certain faiths. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">American Heritage Girls, a sort of sister organization to Trail Life USA, contradicts themselves even more blatantly in their own <a href="http://www.ahgonline.org/inclusionpolicy">Inclusion Policy</a>: </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">All girls of any color, creed, race, national origin and socioeconomic status who agree to live according to the standards of the AHG Oath and the AHG Creed are invited to be a member of the American Heritage Girls. </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So AHG accepts those of "any creed" so long as they agree with their "Creed"? <br /><br />Seriously, how do the leaders of these organizations not recognize their own hypocrisy? Their organizations are either inclusive (which means being inclusive to the nonreligious) or they discriminate based on religion.<br /><br />Camp Quest is an excellent example of an organization that is genuinely inclusive. Though Camp Quest is explicitly set up to promote the values of humanism and is generally run by and attracts <i>secular</i> humanists, there are no oaths or creeds. There is nothing in their <a href="http://www.campquest.org/mission">mission statement </a>that is exclusive to any people of faith because humanist values are pretty similar to Christian values, minus the religious exclusion, sexist gender roles, sexual repression, and bigotry against homosexuals. <a href="http://www.campquest.org/faqs">From Camp Quest's FAQ: </a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Are campers at Camp Quest required to be atheists? </span></span><br />
<fieldset class="collapsible" style="background-color: #f7fbfe; border: 1px solid rgb(214, 221, 185); line-height: 21px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 10px; position: relative;">
<legend class="collapse-processed"><a href="http://www.campquest.org/faqs#" style="background: url(http://www.campquest.org/misc/menu-expanded.png) 5px 75% no-repeat; display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Answer</span></a></legend></fieldset>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No. Campers at Camp Quest are encouraged to think for themselves and are not required to hold any particular view. We firmly believe that children should not be labeled with worldview labels by adults, and instead should be encouraged to ask questions and explore different worldviews as they grow.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We do present atheism and humanism as valid and reasonable options for an ethical and fulfilling life, and most counselors at camp consider themselves to be atheists.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Would a child who believes in God be comfortable at Camp Quest?</span></span><br />
<fieldset class="collapsible" style="background-color: #f7fbfe; border: 1px solid rgb(214, 221, 185); line-height: 21px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 10px; position: relative;">
<legend class="collapse-processed"><a href="http://www.campquest.org/faqs#" style="background: url(http://www.campquest.org/misc/menu-expanded.png) 5px 75% no-repeat; display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Answer</span></a></legend></fieldset>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes. Campers at Camp Quest explore different worldviews, and many children aren't decided yet on their beliefs on the God question. Campers who believe in God may get a lot of interested questions from their fellow campers, but the camp environment fosters asking these questions in a spirit of dialogue and mutual respect. As far as we know, campers who believe in God have all had fun, made friends, and had a great Camp Quest experience.</span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This isn't just lip service. I volunteered as a camp counselor for Camp Quest in Ohio <a href="http://infidels.org/library/modern/features/2000/schafersman1.html">(relocated from Kentucky because a group of Baptists got a law passed just so they could legally refuse to rent their camp grounds to us dirty atheists.)</a> One year we had a Catholic boy who was there because his atheist grandfather had suggested it and his Catholic parents were open minded. This boy was immensely popular with the other campers who were eager to show him the tolerance and respect that they who live in very religiously intolerant communities longed for. (Sadly, I've met several kids who lost Christian friends because their friends' parents found out about their atheism.)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />One of the purposes of Camp Quest is to let kids from secular homes know that it's okay to choose no religion and to be skeptical of the existence of god/s, because our kids are constantly bombarded with the opposite message. </span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBCCHSbMm62_-7yEouyAzgue8e3dt5cWVCPfVullt52SKUx5PLR-uaLPQGpKrtusXgPSJ_7eoQkVSWDG8s_J-B0aKqg0nk1D8GsV0kSbR18_u5cDE99d8puafrS-dirr8xbCYGquy2BsQm/s1600/its-okay-to-be-an-atheist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBCCHSbMm62_-7yEouyAzgue8e3dt5cWVCPfVullt52SKUx5PLR-uaLPQGpKrtusXgPSJ_7eoQkVSWDG8s_J-B0aKqg0nk1D8GsV0kSbR18_u5cDE99d8puafrS-dirr8xbCYGquy2BsQm/s1600/its-okay-to-be-an-atheist.jpg" height="92" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://campquestsc.org/rip-edwin-kagin/"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Photo from Camp Quest South Carolina's blog</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's bad enough when peers tease and bully. But it is much worse when in addition, parents, adult mentors, and whole institutions tell a child <i>You don't belong here. Go away.</i> At that point the exclusion can feel like a hopeless situation because it seems the whole world insists they change who they are, or simply disappear.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Exclusion based on personal worldview is wrong, just as exclusion based on race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, disability, or sexual orientation is wrong. It's wrong because it results in needless suffering. It encourages feelings of fear and shame in the people being excluded. It also encourages self-righteous bullying among members of the in-group. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scouting groups that exclude atheists (or gays, or other religious sects, etc.) can tell themselves that they have high moral standards all they want. In reality, they are just bullies teaching intolerance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-18268695282820118012014-05-20T20:14:00.002-07:002014-05-20T20:16:31.828-07:00Women In Art, Forgotten and Ignored <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKB4WyFnIw4qIzCKbju54S1VQC7qTb16EOGyhbFP-zz95sJNjrlbUFtr0LvbXtveYRHPerSVaDLloA_sJHLl0uTsS8RyNWuUugMrMkb5VdzUuQkKU9Z4c6YEabDbpp3CWAxrU2_gqgY-Q/s1600/The-Wounded-Deer-1946-by-Frida-Kahlo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKB4WyFnIw4qIzCKbju54S1VQC7qTb16EOGyhbFP-zz95sJNjrlbUFtr0LvbXtveYRHPerSVaDLloA_sJHLl0uTsS8RyNWuUugMrMkb5VdzUuQkKU9Z4c6YEabDbpp3CWAxrU2_gqgY-Q/s1600/The-Wounded-Deer-1946-by-Frida-Kahlo.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Wounded Deer </i>by Frida Kahlo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every year <a href="http://www.campquest.org/">Camp Quest</a>, a summer camp for secular humanist kids, puts together famous freethinkers cards to educate the campers about the many individuals who, without religion or faith, made significant contributions to history.<br /><br />I was contacted by some Camp Quest organizers who were seeking examples of women artists. So far the only one they had come up with was <a href="http://www.frida-kahlo-foundation.org/">Frida Kahlo</a>, the Mexican artist popularized in America by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120679/">the film</a> starring Salma Hayek, and known for her often surreal and autobiographical paintings. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I ended up highly recommending they use <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/01/arts/design/01bourgeois.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&">Louise Bourgeois</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiki_Smith">Kiki Smith</a>, and <a href="http://www.a-i-u.net/stampart.html">Yoko Ono</a>, as all three are confirmed non-theists and big names in the art world. It does somewhat sadden me that even among college educated people, only one of these three is commonly known, and she's mostly famous for being married to John Lennon. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-Yt9iVsDjIvj_BSD1oydSulv7fwQCA9D7PJam07_sWlgpPGgXqU9DFtKeZPI_Sr3BrdNBhH82TKA1CLLNDBmCcqSD2WbHxjtN05UpC-6yXK7Tl2F4yd_alQDgNRLYkZWZ1qSlr5Xs7ut/s1600/Kevans_portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-Yt9iVsDjIvj_BSD1oydSulv7fwQCA9D7PJam07_sWlgpPGgXqU9DFtKeZPI_Sr3BrdNBhH82TKA1CLLNDBmCcqSD2WbHxjtN05UpC-6yXK7Tl2F4yd_alQDgNRLYkZWZ1qSlr5Xs7ut/s1600/Kevans_portrait.jpg" height="320" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portrait of Victorine Meurent by Annie Kevans</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As both an artist and parent of a little girl who loves to paint, I was thrilled to hear about Annie Kevan's new exhibition: <a href="http://www.faslondon.com/fine_art_society_contemporary/exhibitions/current/annie_kevans.html">Women and the History of Art</a>. It is a series of delicate, yet stark and emotionally charged portraits of women artists, prominent in their time but largely forgotten by history. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nell Frizzell of<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/may/19/why-female-artists-airbrushed-history-annie-kevans"> the Guardian</a> writes: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.98714256286621px;">(Annie Kevans) has now painted more than 30 portraits of successful women who have been smudged out of the history of art for a new exhibition. Women like </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorine_Meurent" style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 18.98714256286621px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="">Victorine Meurent</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.98714256286621px;">, who was an artist in her own right as well as one of Manet's muses, or </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzanne_Valadon" style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 18.98714256286621px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="">Suzanne Valadon</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.98714256286621px;">, who became the first female painter admitted to France's </span><a href="http://www.nationaledesbeauxarts.com/" style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 18.98714256286621px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="">Société Nationale des Beaux Arts</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.98714256286621px;"> are among the women who are only now being singled out by later generations (Kevans's work follows the </span><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01y5qg3" style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 18.98714256286621px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="">BBC's recent Story of Women and Art</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.98714256286621px;">).</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgId4eSqp4wzgO3hprT4JReF9XRGHjtqiMSlFRty8rp9Vy50iTrcjj_CXTyw9T9YFuczlyNUpl7B4jwhZmBfWC5B-h8n-9Um2BAptzGG0AGNOFHAoe7l5SSqaJSXvcp4xWHeyUZAkaYEGEr/s1600/Le_jour_des_rameaux.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgId4eSqp4wzgO3hprT4JReF9XRGHjtqiMSlFRty8rp9Vy50iTrcjj_CXTyw9T9YFuczlyNUpl7B4jwhZmBfWC5B-h8n-9Um2BAptzGG0AGNOFHAoe7l5SSqaJSXvcp4xWHeyUZAkaYEGEr/s1600/Le_jour_des_rameaux.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Palm Sunday</i>, the only surviving example of<br />
painting by Victorine Meurent.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was surprised to learn that Victorine Meurent (the nude model in two of Manet's most famous works: <i>The Luncheon On the Grass</i> and <i>Olympia</i>) was an artist who regularly exhibited in the juried shows of the <i>Paris Salon</i>. Alas, when I went in search of examples of her work, I discovered that there is only one surviving work! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is plenty of lamentation these days about the lack of women in STEM fields, despite the fact that women are often well represented as students in STEM at the academic level. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But these same trends exist in the field of visual arts. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As one can tell from a stroll through any art museum, women artists in general have never been well represented. The numbers today are still rather bleak. <a href="http://theweek.com/article/index/259112/why-are-there-so-few-prominent-women-in-the-art-world">Less than 5%</a> of the artists featured in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art are women, and startlingly, the numbers at the Museum of <i>Modern</i> Art <a href="http://nymag.com/arts/art/features/40979/">aren't much better</a>! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite the fact that in the 1970's (and also today) women were earning more than half of all graduate degrees in studio arts (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Subjects-Artists-American-University/dp/0520215028">source</a>), less than half of full time professors of art are women, and only 30% of the artists represented by professional galleries are women. (<a href="http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/8971">source</a>.) </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Similarly, women artists are featured only about 30% of the time in reviews and articles of </span><a href="http://www.artnews.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ARTnews</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://www.artinamericamagazine.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Art in America</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6M-7r96EpMwXKMjiaZ6jdLQ2SEOCskg2e_EyO5naPvbff4KVyH-laMM_Ogc3Gd2JCxrDoUMBSpA-QhGMOtbHDjDEr8mIDfjl3vSAzUEfJwK7AWqjs34YDei8nwVP1Vt0p0UMuIxtl6FKW/s1600/shamsia-hassani-09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6M-7r96EpMwXKMjiaZ6jdLQ2SEOCskg2e_EyO5naPvbff4KVyH-laMM_Ogc3Gd2JCxrDoUMBSpA-QhGMOtbHDjDEr8mIDfjl3vSAzUEfJwK7AWqjs34YDei8nwVP1Vt0p0UMuIxtl6FKW/s1600/shamsia-hassani-09.jpg" height="227" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #111111; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">Shamsia Hassani, an Afghan graffiti artist</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Given all the female talent coming out of academia with BFA and MFA degrees, academic awards and solid portfolios, why the inequality in professional representation? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is here that the sexism inherent in American society is most evident. Evaluation of the quality and significance of works of art is a largely subjective practice. Expectations and standards evolve over time based on the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ever-changing values and conditions of the society from which the artwork emerges. When only a slice of societal perspectives is represented by the dominant institutions and publications, history is bound to be skewed, and social progress stunted. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In is alarming, for instance, that <a href="http://www.juxtapoz.com/">J</a></span><a href="http://www.juxtapoz.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">uxtapoz</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, a magazine covering the underground art scene, including graffiti, street art, erotica and illustration, features very few women artists (but plenty of <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/misog-edgy-celebrating-iconic-objectifier-robert-williams">casually sexist imagery without critical commentary</a>), sometimes having whole issues which include not a single woman artist. This despite the fact that there are plenty up-and-coming female <a href="http://www.gurl.com/2014/04/11/young-female-artists-illustrators-photographers-on-instagram/">illustrators</a>, creators of <a href="http://lisolett3.wix.com/index#!__artists/visual1-2">erotica</a><u>,</u> and <a href="http://www.policymic.com/articles/85809/21-daring-women-proving-street-art-isn-t-just-a-man-s-game">street artists </a>out there to profile, interview, and critique. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxXbDOSXgc04MbqUDgn6ZBaEPkpwLB7nphXX3iWg9Uscdjjl4ZlxvknUAJR3UCRcRsbjBfQvyNcVQh-QbS2wiBSLFUF-49mZvCecGH55JhNI_bZKvv23aYbn5dUDMWiST9eST6A7YP5qi/s1600/Tatyana+Fazlalizadeh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxXbDOSXgc04MbqUDgn6ZBaEPkpwLB7nphXX3iWg9Uscdjjl4ZlxvknUAJR3UCRcRsbjBfQvyNcVQh-QbS2wiBSLFUF-49mZvCecGH55JhNI_bZKvv23aYbn5dUDMWiST9eST6A7YP5qi/s1600/Tatyana+Fazlalizadeh.jpg" height="178" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description" style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, an American street artist</span></h2>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Critics, curators, dealers, and editors need to wake up to the sexist biases that influence their choices of what to write about, exhibit, and feature. They need to cultivate an awareness of the broader society and make real efforts to seek out the art (which does already exist!) that gives voice to historically marginalized groups, including not only women, but people of color, ethnic minorities, and LGBT people. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moreover, just like Annie Kevans, we need to remember the women artists forgotten by history; bring them back to prominence, and teach about them to our daughters who long to be artists. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The summer of 1995, when I was a senior in high school, I spent 5 weeks in Mexico learning their language and culture. During that time I had the great privilege to visit the <a href="http://www.museofridakahlo.org.mx/">Frida Kahlo Museum</a> in Mexico City. The building (<i>La Casa Azul</i>) had been Kahlo's home. Many of the rooms have been kept as they were when the artist was alive. It was a hauntingly intimate experience. I felt a bit as if I'd stepped into someone's home, uninvited. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In one room I noticed a pillow with the hand-embroidered inscription: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No me olvides, mi amor. </span></i></span><br />
<br />Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-44604397893747097392014-05-09T21:34:00.000-07:002014-05-09T21:43:51.409-07:00Demonizing Mothers In Greatest Need <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEabXSI2WBO0k7QSOMatWeQ_qcrfJ2gn4oGIMZdq832oyYf5GlhPWwa2YfXf7c4_Ex-56jEDEHFh6Lnc_DEWrlAxPCsdalWNM01V2iMHEyHdc3KrzqWtxKXEV63jU08_9y14hUukKIhSZ/s1600/Devil_Mom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEabXSI2WBO0k7QSOMatWeQ_qcrfJ2gn4oGIMZdq832oyYf5GlhPWwa2YfXf7c4_Ex-56jEDEHFh6Lnc_DEWrlAxPCsdalWNM01V2iMHEyHdc3KrzqWtxKXEV63jU08_9y14hUukKIhSZ/s1600/Devil_Mom.jpg" height="320" width="273" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Just remember, you don't come first anymore."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These were words said to me by a friend over the phone after I told him I was pregnant with my first child. This took me way off guard as this was a liberal friend who I knew through the Humanist movement. An awkward silence followed, after which I struggled to articulate a response. I finally said something like, "I think we both come first. After all, I can't take good care of a kid if I don't take good care of myself."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why would such a <i>reminder</i> be necessary or appropriate? I was an adult woman with a career, great marriage, financial security, good health, and family support. With all that going for me, the only way I'd be an awful parent is if I'm an awful human being.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmO3vhlyp-ybKxwZF6fISQ0jQAO6kj5nw2jLxwkSTOXHffe8QnQXxhpwYRFqHG9DBLgnhhd1w_a1GFPOdE68IOZ5UjsYW5GFYMzcNJVzPOlgXk0H0F3uSov0yt7zwh6jqkEUo6DXxTrju/s1600/Pedestals1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmO3vhlyp-ybKxwZF6fISQ0jQAO6kj5nw2jLxwkSTOXHffe8QnQXxhpwYRFqHG9DBLgnhhd1w_a1GFPOdE68IOZ5UjsYW5GFYMzcNJVzPOlgXk0H0F3uSov0yt7zwh6jqkEUo6DXxTrju/s1600/Pedestals1.jpg" height="320" width="171" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I doubt my friend thinks I'm an awful human being. But I also doubt he'd have made that comment to my husband or any other father.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a pervasive message in our culture that when women become pregnant and then mothers, we're taking on some monumental endeavor, opposed to one that is, while significant, commonplace. It is as if, such as in this Shel Silverstein drawing, we're escorted to a pedestal, after which the only options are to climb atop to be revered as goddess-like matrons, or fall short of expectations and be despised. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For over a decade, legislation such as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_homicide">Unborn Victims of Violence Act</a> has turned on women before their children are even born, criminalizing the abuse pregnant women inflict on themselves due to mental illness, addiction, and/or desperate circumstances, because that damage extends to a fetus.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most obscene example of prosecution and imprisonment of a woman because of severe health issues suffered while pregnant is the case of <a href="http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2013/05/06/criminalized-pregnancies-when-one-womans-suicide-attempt-becomes-murder/">Bei Bei Shuai</a>. Shuai attempted suicide with rat poison after her unborn child's father left her. Friends found and saved her, but after treatment, an emergency c-section and the subsequent death of her baby, she was charged with murder and imprisoned. At one point the prosecution offered a deal if Shuai would plead guilty to feticide, but she refused. In the end, she<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/02/woman-freed-after-plea-agreement-in-babys-death/2614301/"> plead guilty</a> to criminal recklessness. But not before she'd already spent over a year behind bars.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5FCt4MrVL-a6rRjtIg7lXCk0NAbAOMbgvvHHGxnjwX60ugeIrpFSrOvqIe5ltAdojbr_rWycc2PiN-GxERDF-u9Wdw8v2UeN0xUBQiPdnMxwmXgk1pC02q6HtvwWHdnjAb-PiE6g7ffe/s1600/Depressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5FCt4MrVL-a6rRjtIg7lXCk0NAbAOMbgvvHHGxnjwX60ugeIrpFSrOvqIe5ltAdojbr_rWycc2PiN-GxERDF-u9Wdw8v2UeN0xUBQiPdnMxwmXgk1pC02q6HtvwWHdnjAb-PiE6g7ffe/s1600/Depressed.jpg" height="218" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are other cases, such as that of <a href="http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2004-03-25/news/0403250176_1_fetus-melissa-ann-pregnant-woman">Melissa Ann Rowland</a>, a mentally ill addict with a record of child abuse, who was charged with murder for not having a c-section that would have saved her fetus. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/03/judge-tosses-mississippi-_n_5086215.html">Rennie Gibbs</a> who was charged with murder for her use of cocaine, resulting in the stillbirth of her child. Neither of these charges resulted in convictions, but the persistent trend is disturbing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alabama has prosecuted 60 addicts who used while pregnant. One well-publicized case was <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/magazine/the-criminalization-of-bad-mothers.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0">Amanda Kimbrough</a>, charged with chemical endangerment for the use of meth during her pregnancy and leading to the premature birth and immediate death of her child.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most recently, Tennessee passed SB 1391, a bill that allows women to be charged with assault if their children are harmed by their drug use. It passed despite warnings from pretty much the entire medical establishment that the law would discourage addicts from seeking treatment while pregnant.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Imani Gandy of <a href="http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2014/04/17/tennessees-pregnancy-criminalization-law-will-hit-black-women-hardest/">RH Reality Check</a> wrote:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 18.98714256286621px; margin-bottom: 13px; padding: 0px;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: 18.98714256286621px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Multiple medical associations and counseling services, as well as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Tennessee Association of Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Other Addiction Services, <a href="http://advocatesforpregnantwomen.org/medical_group_opinions_2011/Medical%20Group%20Positions%202011.pdf" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">opposed SB1391</a> as the dangerous threat it is.</span> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: 18.98714256286621px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white;">These doctors stressed that any such law would continue a frightening trend of women who fail to seek out prenatal care – <a href="http://health.state.tn.us/dmhde/prenatalcare.shtml" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">23% of pregnant women in Tennessee receive none at all</a>, and the trend is <a href="http://www.childtrends.org/?indicators=late-or-no-prenatal-care" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">more common among women of color</a>. A 2009 review by the National Institutes of Health found that <a href="http://www.childtrends.org/?indicators=late-or-no-prenatal-care" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">30% of women in a study failed to get prenatal care because of substance abuse problems</a>.</span></span></blockquote>
</div>
<div style="background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 13px; padding: 0px;">
<div style="line-height: 18.98714256286621px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySv1_d05PMy0piQnSmriNswaW7LQ4gfwhZktC426dr5xGXJ6Dg7njg9p7-mp3QEgJrnH14Dfr9RdGojZcfAW0NjMiULfrdA0qLvNC0uBMpSji-Acg0fSxpAjbMWZSM8e2-Fml_wGR7jir/s1600/Addict.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySv1_d05PMy0piQnSmriNswaW7LQ4gfwhZktC426dr5xGXJ6Dg7njg9p7-mp3QEgJrnH14Dfr9RdGojZcfAW0NjMiULfrdA0qLvNC0uBMpSji-Acg0fSxpAjbMWZSM8e2-Fml_wGR7jir/s1600/Addict.jpg" height="218" width="320" /></span></a><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.98714256286621px;">The only aspect of SB 1391 that saves it from being a totally heinous attack on women who suffer from addiction is an amendment which gives women the option of abandoning charges if they enter an approved treatment program. Of course by that point, the damage is already done. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are two issues with these laws that criminalize the behavior of pregnant women. The first is an issue of choice. The biological reality is that a fetus, while a discreet human organism, is completely dependent on the woman as incubator for his or her survival. There is no perfect comparison to this situation in the real world. However it says something that we do not force people to be organ donors, even in death, and even though doing so would certainly save lives.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A woman who neglects or abuses her children can have those children removed and placed in the care of other adults. This is not an option if the "child" is a fetus. If fetuses are given the same legal rights as children, then every pregnant woman no longer has the same rights that everyone else has over our bodies. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In his stand up, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvF1Q3UidWM">George Carlin said</a>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If a fetus is a human being, how come the census doesn't count them? If a fetus is a human being then how come when there's a miscarriage they don't have a funeral? If a fetus is a human being then how come people say "We have two children and one on the way." instead of saying "We have three children."</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Carlin makes the point that culturally and legally, we acknowledge the difference between a fetus and a baby that can live independent of its mother's body. Laws such as SB 1391 are little more than anti-abortionist attempts to establish a legal precedent out of line with these societal norms.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second issue with these laws is the harmful outcomes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As much as people might despise a woman who smokes crack cocaine while pregnant, much mental illness and addiction is exacerbated if not caused by the conditions of poverty, and are therefore preventable. Putting the mentally ill and addicts in prison only makes a bad situation worse.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We now have <a href="http://articles.philly.com/2013-07-22/news/40709969_1_hallam-hurt-so-called-crack-babies-funded-study">evidence</a> that growing up in the conditions of poverty are more harmful to a child than being a "crack baby."</span><br />
<br />
<div class="area" id="area-article-block-1" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="mod-phillyarticletext mod-articletext" id="mod-article-text-1" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, after nearly a quarter century, the federally funded study was ending, and the question the researchers had been asking was answered.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did cocaine harm the long-term development of children like Jaimee, who were exposed to the drug in their mother's womb?</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The researchers had expected the answer would be a resounding yes. But it wasn't. Another factor would prove far more critical.</span></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That other factor: poverty. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course if poverty can have a worse impact on a child than exposure to crack while in the womb, harsh conditions of poverty can also impact the health and choices made by pregnant women. Poverty is associated with increased drug abuse and more prevalent mental illness. People like to point to rich addicts such as Phillip Seymour Hoffman and say, "See, anyone can be an addict." The implication being that it is simply a matter of personal will. But these arguments fall apart when we look at the statistics and the <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2528810/">horrible impact poverty has</a>, particularly on children and the women who bare and raise them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More than one in five children are growing up in poverty, and 75% of households under the poverty line are headed by mothers. What business do we as a society have imprisoning women who suffer from serious health problems when we don't have a universal, comprehensive health care system, we're cutting supplemental food programs, Head Start, and public schools in poor communities are failing. If we want better outcomes for children, we need to give more support to the adults who bare and raise them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They say that behind every great man is a great woman. This Mother's Day let's remember that behind every exceptional mother, there's both a history and present community of support.</span><br />
<br />
<br />Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-42499982854375346732014-05-02T04:52:00.002-07:002014-05-07T10:18:07.491-07:00An Owl with Quaker Values <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkMbpzpsjfgqSbqKfKzV0b08NUS5eOTQ18CFYak9-3AF5mnsN-bHd9P689QI-7tvITnQffavmVZ61h6nxR-dd7b-OyyEZIDSQ5pH-us3-ji_zKRL6gPXfzbh4bLV_gClV7cPEhJ_zZ3c4/s1600/Owly_book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkMbpzpsjfgqSbqKfKzV0b08NUS5eOTQ18CFYak9-3AF5mnsN-bHd9P689QI-7tvITnQffavmVZ61h6nxR-dd7b-OyyEZIDSQ5pH-us3-ji_zKRL6gPXfzbh4bLV_gClV7cPEhJ_zZ3c4/s1600/Owly_book.jpg" height="320" width="241" /></a></div>
Last year, while browsing in a comic shop, I came upon a delightful collection titled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Owly-Vol-Tiny-Tales-v/dp/1603090193/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398968412&sr=8-1&keywords=owly%3A+tiny+tales"><i>Owly: Tiny Tales</i></a> by <a href="http://www.andyrunton.com/">Andy Runton</a>. The cover featured a cartoon owl with enormous eyes in an armchair, reading a book for a gathering of forest critters, all wearing gleeful expressions on their faces.<br />
<br />
Curious, I flipped through a few pages, and found it to be both child-friendly in content, but more interestingly, wordless. The characters communicated through a series of symbols, exclamation points and question marks, as well as lightbulbs to express having an idea and horseshoes to say "Good luck!" As a teaching artist who values visual literacy and parent of two pre-readers, I was pleased with my discovery. I purchased it while imagining my daughters learning to read symbols and also having a book they could "read" all on their own. <br />
<br />
Later, I realized it had even greater value.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgVb4JD5o7BLzjAU2amBGlVw12h_6_I-k0LdY-rHlyBDj1_sGrTfqEDBlQxt9XDFUfCD-TE_PLLGklu-oBYJvh-n8SJ5eXerSd2pIegm1HWFBlBC08CCIMNzd6KKa1Eludl_H6xzcC73k/s1600/Owly+Tiny+Tales.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgVb4JD5o7BLzjAU2amBGlVw12h_6_I-k0LdY-rHlyBDj1_sGrTfqEDBlQxt9XDFUfCD-TE_PLLGklu-oBYJvh-n8SJ5eXerSd2pIegm1HWFBlBC08CCIMNzd6KKa1Eludl_H6xzcC73k/s1600/Owly+Tiny+Tales.jpg" height="320" width="220" /></a><i>Owly: Tiny Tales</i> (you can read an excerpt on <a href="http://www.andyrunton.com/bookstore.html">Andy Runton's website</a>) is a collection of short stories told in classic comic format. The first story was "Splashin' Around." On a blazing hot, summer day, Owly and his best friend Wormy go to water a drooping flower and find that their watering can has a hole in it. They take it to the Nursery where Raccoon patches it up, but not before they notice a flock of birds joyfully playing in a puddle that has formed under the can. Racoon tells the pair about a contest to build the best bird bath. Owly and Wormy decide to enter. They bounce their ideas back and forth and come up with a bird bath that is a large bowl of water attached to a potted tree, because birds love both water <i>and</i> trees. Their birdbath isn't the most aesthetically pleasing design, and they become worried when they see a much larger, fancier, shinier birdbath in the competition. Nevertheless, they wish their competitors good luck. Even though the judges all express approval with the reasoning behind Owly and Wormy's tree birdbath, the first prize is still awarded to the fancier entry. Owly and Wormy eyes fill with tears and they mope all evening. But the next morning, Raccoon shows up at their door with news of a happy surprise. They rush back to the nursery to joyfully discover that <i>the birds</i> prefer their birdbath.<br />
<br />
I'm not ashamed to admit that my own eyes teared up a bit when I read this story. Most children's stories in books, shows, and movies fail to achieve this level of just sheer <i>goodness,</i> even when, and maybe <i>especially </i>when they are trying to teach morals, ethics, and values to kids.<br />
<br />
In <a href="http://www.nurtureshock.com/">NutureShock</a>, chapter 9: "Plays Well With Others", journalists Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman report on studies into children's entertainment. Dr. Jamie Ostrov and Dr. Douglas Gentile ran repeated studies, trying to find out if watching violent shows such as <i>Power Rangers</i> made children more anti-social, and conversely, if watching "educational" shows such as <i>Clifford</i> and <i>Arthur</i> would make children more pro-social. The results were surprising:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
More exposure to violent media did increase the rate of physical aggression shown at school -- however, it did so only modestly. In fact, watching educational television <i>also</i> increased the rate of physical aggression, almost as much as watching violent TV. And just like in the Minnesota study, educational television had a dramatic effect on relational aggression. The more the kids watched, the crueler they'd be to their classmates. This correlation was 2.5 times higher than the correlation between violent media and physical aggression.<br />
Essentially, Ostrov had just found that <i>Arthur</i> is more dangerous for children than <i>Power Rangers</i>. </blockquote>
Ostrov was quoted saying:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Preschoolers have a difficult time being able to connect information at the end of the show to what happened earlier. It is likely that young children do not attend to the overall 'lesson' in the manner an older child or adult can, but instead learn from each of the behaviors shown." </blockquote>
<br />
In other words, when preschoolers watch fictional bullies, they learn about the social advantages that motivate bullying behavior.<br />
<br />
This is why <i>Owly </i>is so refreshing. "Splashin' Around" was a narrative that didn't resort to anyone being cruel or selfish in order to create conflict. Every person honored the dignity of every other person. Some experienced painful emotions, but were able to quietly sit with those feelings without lashing out at others. Resolution was found not in the protagonists getting the showy accolades they sought, but in them receiving a more profound appreciation for their efforts.<br />
<br />
One of the first things that struck me about Owly is that his best friend is a worm. One of nature's most vicious and stealthy avian predators paired with a creepy crawly synonymous with bird food! I instantly thought, here is a contemporary version of the <i>Peaceable Kingdom</i>. <br />
<br />
The <i>Peaceable Kingdom</i> is a series of 61 paintings by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Hicks">Edward Hicks</a>, inspired by the Biblical passage Isaiah 11: 6-8:<br />
<div class="passage version-NIV result-text-style-normal text-html " style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<div class="poetry top-05" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding-left: 2.6em; position: relative;">
<div class="line">
<span class="text Isa-11-6" id="en-NIV-17891" style="position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="display: block; font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;"> </span>The wolf will live with the lamb,<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-17891A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-11-6" style="position: relative;">the leopard will lie down with the goat,</span></span><br />
<span class="text Isa-11-6" style="position: relative;">the calf and the lion and the yearling<span class="footnote" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="[<a href="#fen-NIV-17891a" title="See footnote a">a</a>]">[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2011:6-8#fen-NIV-17891a" style="color: #b37162; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top;" title="See footnote a">a</a>]</span> together;</span><br />
<span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-11-6" style="position: relative;">and a little child will lead them.</span></span><br />
<span class="text Isa-11-7" id="en-NIV-17892" style="position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="display: block; font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;"> </span>The cow will feed with the bear,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-11-7" style="position: relative;">their young will lie down together,</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-11-7" style="position: relative;">and the lion will eat straw like the ox.<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-17892B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="text Isa-11-8" id="en-NIV-17893" style="position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="display: block; font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;"> </span>The infant<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-17893C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></span> will play near the cobra’s den,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-11-8" style="position: relative;">and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-17893D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></span> nest.</span></span></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-11-8" style="position: relative;">(From the New International Version) </span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj40gsW7t41lmv5RTmR27M9p15YlpPVsj61vpEM5-V769hK4ipmt9LBDptoecpv6pF3aL8UDmqRj_LcoLJAqNzQu5GkEqvzKNlD4d4ExowPQj-zsAArohYMDaN17IVHSCUmNWHjM6_JghoE/s1600/Edward_Hicks-The_Peaceable_Kingdom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj40gsW7t41lmv5RTmR27M9p15YlpPVsj61vpEM5-V769hK4ipmt9LBDptoecpv6pF3aL8UDmqRj_LcoLJAqNzQu5GkEqvzKNlD4d4ExowPQj-zsAArohYMDaN17IVHSCUmNWHjM6_JghoE/s1600/Edward_Hicks-The_Peaceable_Kingdom.jpg" height="227" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of Edward Hick's <i>Peaceable Kingdom</i> paintings.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Of course taken literally by anyone deeply acquainted with biological science, the passage seems absurd. But I (and most Christian theologians) would argue that taking the passage literally is absurd. Certainly Hicks, a Quaker, didn't take it literally. This passage is far more interesting and indeed inspiring when interpreted symbolically. Quakers such as Hicks believe the "inner light", or that which is of God, is part of every human being. Learning to think and live the right way allows people to tap into the divine, and thus salvation.<br />
<br />
To me, a secular humanist, this passage and Hick's fanciful imagery represents the human animal striving to create conditions that bring out that which is most noble about our species.<br />
<br />
I taught art for two years at a PreK-8th grade Friends (Quaker) school, and reading Owly stories, I constantly find parallels between his fictional world and the ideals expressed in the <a href="https://www.afsc.org/testimonies/introduction">Quaker Testimonies</a>.<br />
<br />
Quakers worship in silence, only speaking if moved by the "inner light." Referring to the testimony of <b>Silent Reflection</b> as a "habit of mind", the American Friends Service Committee writes:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
...silence is often used to settle into a meeting, to invite reflection, or to allow time for the synthesis of ideas. Silence refreshes the spirit and makes way for deep thinking about both ethical and intellectual quandaries.</blockquote>
There is a lot of silence in Owly stories, not only because of the absence of true dialogue. Almost every tale begins with a framed panoramic view of the larger setting. Owly and his friends are often seen eating in silence, awake in bed thinking, quietly assessing their surroundings, setting up, building, or just sitting quietly. All of these moments compel a deeper appreciation for simply being alive and self aware.<br />
<br />
The testimony of <b>Simplicity</b> is often expressed. The winning bird bath was rather ostentatious, but in the end the birds preferred Owly and Wormy's more simple design. In the story "Helping Hands", the rabbit drops and breaks a fancy potted plant she has purchased as a gift for her grandfather. Owly and Wormy help her create a new pot with handmade decorations. The rabbit worries that her grandfather will be disappointed by her handmade gift, but after she sheepishly explains what happened, he declares the handmade pot to be better than a whole bunch of fancy store bought ones.<br />
<br />
Many associate Quakers with the testimony of <b>Peace</b>, due to their long history of organized war protest and conscientious objection to military service. Violence, both physical and verbal, is so prevalent in popular children's literature and entertainment that it is taken for granted. But in Quaker schools and homes, it is common to ban even toy weapons. At the school where I taught, children were prohibited from excluding others from games. Out of the 12 stories in <i>Tiny Tales</i>, none involve physical violence, and only 2 include the violence of harsh words or aggressive behavior. In both of those, the conflict was resolved through changes in circumstance, kindness, or cooperation, opposed to the "good guys" responding with their own threats.<br />
<br />
Another testimony is <b>Stewardship</b>, or reference for nature and conservation of natural resources. The characters in Owly are constantly outdoors, planting and caring for plants and feeding wildlife. Racoon's nursery is is an essential part of many stories. An appreciate for nature has been part of Owly's world from the beginning. In the back of Tiny Tales, Runton writes:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
When I was trying to come up with a comic book idea, I tried dragons, aliens, ninjas... but nothing worked. Then one day, I looked closer at my little owl. And I drew this... It kinda summed up what I felt. I wanted to draw comics about this little owl. But I was afraid to be myself. </blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdheYZYQBLC9Eir0XDGv5YxbO4HnOcRG2i3W8MBYN2w1tV2CNIgpF9oSRbJ_g3GLndNRzSvlraAwEnouIoIK3oydKDnVPVD-1kiSMx1h4MHAFsSBbuVNnmhOTGYUJq8i7jaJlJDUr2QAiH/s1600/First_Owly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdheYZYQBLC9Eir0XDGv5YxbO4HnOcRG2i3W8MBYN2w1tV2CNIgpF9oSRbJ_g3GLndNRzSvlraAwEnouIoIK3oydKDnVPVD-1kiSMx1h4MHAFsSBbuVNnmhOTGYUJq8i7jaJlJDUr2QAiH/s1600/First_Owly.jpg" height="248" width="320" /></a>Note how Owly doesn't pick the flower. He simply enjoys it, and then draws a picture so as to translate the experience through creative expression and then have a piece of that experience with him in his home.<br />
<br />
The best thing about Quaker testimonies is that although they are proscribed by a religious sect, they are ultimately secular and universal to the human experience. It is no surprise for me to discover, in my work at a Quaker school, that many modern-day Quakers, especially on the East Coast, are also atheists and agnostics.<br />
<br />
I recently purchased a copy of <a href="http://www.andyrunton.com/bookstore.html">Owly & Wormy: Friends All Aflutter</a>. This book is a large, hardback, full color 40 page picture book; in other words, an object of value to be cherished. My daughter was thrilled.<br />
<br />
The story was in line with the values of the previous volume. In it, Owly and Wormy attempt to attract butterflies with flowers, To their dismay, a couple of caterpillars begin munching away at the plants. Despite their initial upset, Owly and Wormy befriend these invaders and come to prefer their company to the hypothetical butterflies. Soon they are striving to keep the caterpillars comfortable enough to return when they disappear (unbeknownst to Owly and Wormy, the caterpillars never left; they are merely in their chrysalises). Owly's and Wormy's putting kindness and friendship over their desire for superficial beauty is rewarded when their friends emerge, transformed.<br />
<br />
Truly these are the values to teach the upcoming generation; the values and actions necessary to live the best life possible, and also build a better world.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41BnKPmirwfLU_NageSJZktFp2j4EtuCcUrwT2B9Ys2-AF6Td6zIR1e9GoPG_TzZcL40WFXkRm05r7dReDcciA1qWTfxzCCHbHWKcUjfX2bRWkhJybxsbkygiu-PAUtUFrB2FPU-t2bEM/s1600/Bee+and+Owl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41BnKPmirwfLU_NageSJZktFp2j4EtuCcUrwT2B9Ys2-AF6Td6zIR1e9GoPG_TzZcL40WFXkRm05r7dReDcciA1qWTfxzCCHbHWKcUjfX2bRWkhJybxsbkygiu-PAUtUFrB2FPU-t2bEM/s1600/Bee+and+Owl.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">May we all learn from the wisdom of owls.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Addendum: </b>On a related note, another stunningly illustrated picture book with owls and which supports the values of nonviolence, quiet contemplation, and appreciation for simplicity and nature is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0735841306/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=12LFHEG5EUCRU&coliid=I28JIRS0CPZ970">The Happy Owls by Celestino Piatti</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-74966507992516374712014-04-24T21:50:00.001-07:002014-04-24T22:10:51.707-07:00Beyond the Birth Wars<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIToejZaCZVVameY9dXGhJSoX6mvACNz_DTvsBzXbHeRtYS5lW3YNf0xddOGA9qzy-jr9W5OnZs_-noq8dQMBB6CH35wwbzEdmp5DhHEoLw2EtpxSSYKZQli63oX7qqxmKf-H96m9AgGUC/s1600/kollwitz-grieving-parents-woodcut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIToejZaCZVVameY9dXGhJSoX6mvACNz_DTvsBzXbHeRtYS5lW3YNf0xddOGA9qzy-jr9W5OnZs_-noq8dQMBB6CH35wwbzEdmp5DhHEoLw2EtpxSSYKZQli63oX7qqxmKf-H96m9AgGUC/s1600/kollwitz-grieving-parents-woodcut.jpg" height="261" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Grieving Parents</i> by Kathe Kollwitz</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since writing two essays which address the natural childbirth movement (first in <a href="http://humanistmom.blogspot.com/2011/07/natural-childbirth-under-skeptical.html">2011</a>, then again <a href="http://humanistmom.blogspot.com/">last week</a>) I feel a bit as if I've been sucked into the tunnel vision of the <a href="http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1898316,00.html">Birth Wars</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taking a step back, I see it all as a paltry debate among those of us who are lucky enough to have quality and choices when it comes to our health care. <br /><br />Don't read me wrong; it's clear that there is a whole lot of natural childbirth woo out there that is distinctly anti-science, anti-medical establishment, and anti-feminist. It is clear that lay midwives attending high-risk births in homes instead of hospitals has resulted in the preventable deaths of babies and women. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's just that in reading about the broader picture of birth in both America and across the world, I see a much greater concentration of death and harm among the economically disadvantaged, and especially women of color. I feel compelled to check my priorities. It's not that every woman and baby doesn't matter. It's that <i>every</i> woman and baby does matter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUO3LNkENemijQh187xZTcm7S7GhNr9zFF6x8Z1y4UWLxceuwbi3zsCjA09Pv90a8XASk_0aO8cXA8dGEThCU3MLmU_QhIltbFZXx0ZXDgyyX-hKH6LQNiFWSTRwiY4vZ-7nk0NvbTV1p/s1600/kollwitz_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUO3LNkENemijQh187xZTcm7S7GhNr9zFF6x8Z1y4UWLxceuwbi3zsCjA09Pv90a8XASk_0aO8cXA8dGEThCU3MLmU_QhIltbFZXx0ZXDgyyX-hKH6LQNiFWSTRwiY4vZ-7nk0NvbTV1p/s1600/kollwitz_2.jpg" height="181" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>The Widow II</i> by Kathe Kollwitz</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For many pregnant women and their newborn babies, the difference between rich and poor is the difference between life and death. For instance, according to Save the Children's <a href="http://www.savethechildrenweb.org/SOWM-2013/">State of the World's Mothers 2013</a>, in Cambodia, babies born to the poorest 20% of parents have a 144% elevated risk of death compared to babies born to the richest 20%. More than a quarter million women die every year because of complications from childbirth.The dead babies (and consequentially the grieving mothers, many of whom must endure their grief without sufficient social or mental health support) number over a million every year. Without question, most of these deaths are preventable, connected to, and exacerbated by the conditions of poverty. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">America's GDP doesn't make Americans immune to the deadly disadvantages of poverty. In 2011 the World Health Organization <a href="http://www.livescience.com/15843-newborn-death-rates.html">reported</a> that the USA had a higher newborn mortality rate than 40 other nations. And a 2010 publication by Amnesty International <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/deadlydelivery.pdf">reported</a> about the high rates of maternal deaths and complications associated with pregnancy and birth for American women. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addressing these issues, natural childbirth advocates cry out about overused medical interventions and unnecessary c-sections. But it seems apparent to me that the problems for women and babies at higher risk begin long before a woman becomes pregnant. Food insecurity, poor nutrition, unsafe and/or highly stressful living conditions, and inconsistent access to preventative health care set women up with issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity, all of which can easily lead to complications in pregnancy, which then may very well require all those interventions and c-sections. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhjYCHZosheJmwIA-li7JY2OiwcwoRL1iSMCT4SDgjUMzHe4XOAUEfEm3OwVslIw10ZI5FNjP7pRHCiWNMJ-H3VIc1t2QY7p8GSlZOOyjMepmuj6fFkYFfji3dkbnyn_N1jYJTD7lqghN/s1600/zzzz.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhjYCHZosheJmwIA-li7JY2OiwcwoRL1iSMCT4SDgjUMzHe4XOAUEfEm3OwVslIw10ZI5FNjP7pRHCiWNMJ-H3VIc1t2QY7p8GSlZOOyjMepmuj6fFkYFfji3dkbnyn_N1jYJTD7lqghN/s1600/zzzz.png" height="187" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then there's the elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about, and often if anyone does, they are shut down: racism. Race is </span><a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/07/08/137652226/-the-race-gap" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the strongest predictor</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> of outcomes for birth in America (with black women and babies suffering the worst outcomes), and yet when these huge disparities are reported and discussed, the focus tends to stick </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">exclusively</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to economic disadvantages and ignore the *gasp* possibility that black women are treated differently by doctors, nurses, and other health care workers (not to mention employers, teachers, social workers, or anyone else they encounter and who might impact their lives.) But is it so hard to imagine that pervasive and damning stereotypes of pregnant black women, especially poor, young, pregnant black women, could have at least a subtle impact on the way they are handled and advised by medical professionals during prenatal care, birth, and postpardum care? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Authors of the 2010 article <a href="http://www.unnaturalcauses.org/assets/uploads/file/ClosingTheGapBWBirthOutcome.pdf">Closing the Black-White Gap in Birth Outcomes: A Life-Course Approach</a>, outline a 12 point plan which includes suggestions which seem indirectly connected to pregnancy and birth, such as "Invest in community building and urban renewal", and "Reduce poverty among African American families." People who enjoy strong communities and financial security often take their huge benefits for granted and fail to see how they dramatically impact a person's overall health, behavior, and choices. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course the broad suggestions in this 12 point plan need to be refined into specific programs, many uniquely tailored for particular communities, but the overall point is sound. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The issues that result in dead or injured women and babies at birth can't be solved by either warm and fuzzy homebirth midwives or even a well-trained OB with a scalpel. The physical, emotional, and social needs of impoverished women not being met are far too great. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-54322092035618364842014-04-14T21:50:00.000-07:002014-04-15T10:47:25.001-07:00My Failed VBAC Attempt <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0FhPaxBLa2GbDfaOJU_lC9kl1rKjHDPRaUeY4cz0LgoqgkNe4WsRqBg7cuDfjO8RZHwVeaFRNCb61PG6jvYb-9xEWZzD44J8kZIUekfNfCc9-3YOlOm61BcyV52yi16TrGkv86M_XZX2/s1600/VBAC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0FhPaxBLa2GbDfaOJU_lC9kl1rKjHDPRaUeY4cz0LgoqgkNe4WsRqBg7cuDfjO8RZHwVeaFRNCb61PG6jvYb-9xEWZzD44J8kZIUekfNfCc9-3YOlOm61BcyV52yi16TrGkv86M_XZX2/s1600/VBAC.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I attempted VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) for all the right reasons. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To run down the list: under 35, not overweight, no gestational diabetes, had only one previous c-section, more than 2 years ago, with a transverse incision. I went into labor before my due date and my daughter was only 7.1 pounds. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My prenatal care was with a well-trained CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife) with 15 years of experience delivering babies, <a href="http://womanwisemidwifery.com/wwm2/?page_id=1721">including VBAC</a> babies, in a hospital setting. The hospital was welcoming to appropriate VBAC candidates, and the staff even had a recent experience with uterine rupture which thankfully had a healthy outcome. I felt confident in their ability to handle an emergency situation. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQX9TlBwE26KlXPLudrvf_FRuhhxcDyCWhCOzT3JWqiwm8ugVVIDGYl0LE0CQwckNli7vWcWCHPf_fsslgXHzKoAfPv4H56q5zj9u0nUReN-08BdGOI_OTY7IaKXHDHHXWDcpfq7nos_3E/s1600/VBAC_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQX9TlBwE26KlXPLudrvf_FRuhhxcDyCWhCOzT3JWqiwm8ugVVIDGYl0LE0CQwckNli7vWcWCHPf_fsslgXHzKoAfPv4H56q5zj9u0nUReN-08BdGOI_OTY7IaKXHDHHXWDcpfq7nos_3E/s1600/VBAC_2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My midwife told me not to frighten myself by looking up a bunch of uterine rupture stories, but of course I was going to at least do some looking into the issue. <a href="http://www.babycenter.com/0_uterine-rupture_1152337.bc">Uterine ruptures</a> are rare, but not that rare - about 7 in every 1000 births. They are <a href="http://reference.medscape.com/article/275854-overview">a life threatening complication</a> for both the woman and especially the baby. Even for the survivors, it is common for a woman to end up with a hysterectomy, and for the baby to suffer brain damage. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you Google "uterine rupture stories" you can find plenty with happy endings (I imagine the people with sad endings don't like to share their stories as much), but they all happen in a hospital and after a terrifying ordeal for everyone involved. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course having another c-section carries its own additional risks, so I decided that as long as I remained low risk throughout the pregnancy and did my VBAC with a CNM (opposed to a non-nurse midwife) in a good hospital, I'd be okay. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgPb1q_hs61ZM6zbYM91mPQ8wDy0tOziMz6CKYvaH9yxgiFbpnNsiHoPNiN_8a7xOpqGzCKD1FvwGZwC-jguuQbiKJf_BNvFvptWdRxcfOsnj7E0pQLIcAEdeGYXx0iBbiuxmAc7iE3mC/s1600/VBAC_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgPb1q_hs61ZM6zbYM91mPQ8wDy0tOziMz6CKYvaH9yxgiFbpnNsiHoPNiN_8a7xOpqGzCKD1FvwGZwC-jguuQbiKJf_BNvFvptWdRxcfOsnj7E0pQLIcAEdeGYXx0iBbiuxmAc7iE3mC/s1600/VBAC_3.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hospital didn't stop me from keeping Bee in my room.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank goodness I took the necessary precautions, because I did have a uterine rupture! After almost two hours of pushing and the baby almost coming out, the OB told me, my husband, and the CNM that she "strongly recommends a c-section." That was enough for me; just show me where I sign the consent form and get this baby out. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It wasn't until after they opened me up that she saw the ruptured uterus. Apparently my daughter's body was blocking the opening, thus preventing anything from coming out or in. Had I managed to push her out vaginally, everyone at the hospital would have gone into red alert mode trying to save both our lives. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yIxesRFd3vIojQemq0kCTlNEk95D8zXPFtXQuskGppLNuR4u2jVN1zvZNmgQgQW453BsszYv1CbCigkf_hBJtxCpeJ0kOSwsHokZrMZTfg32VLrzD5Z-FpchWEHCItcWNXMm1u-2MHqE/s1600/VBAC_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yIxesRFd3vIojQemq0kCTlNEk95D8zXPFtXQuskGppLNuR4u2jVN1zvZNmgQgQW453BsszYv1CbCigkf_hBJtxCpeJ0kOSwsHokZrMZTfg32VLrzD5Z-FpchWEHCItcWNXMm1u-2MHqE/s1600/VBAC_5.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Mom, Dad, big sis, and baby Bee, all healthy and together.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After they whisked my daughter Eulabee, my husband, and the CNM out of the room I closed my eyes. Thinking I was asleep, the staff went ahead and expressed their shock over what had happened. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OB: So.... when I opened her up, the baby's shoulder was sticking out of the open scar. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*a couple soft gasps and some awkward silence* </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ANESTHESIOLOGIST: She's not going to try this again, is she? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, siree, I am not! I'm quite happy as the mother of two, and this birth scared the bajeebers out of my husband so bad that he ran out and got an vasectomy as soon as he could. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I attempted VBAC for all the right reasons, and it failed. </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>Because I took all the precautions recommended by the medical establishment, I'm fine and Eulabee is fine. What about those who don't take such precautions? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have only ever written about birth and the Natural Childbirth Movement once before. It is still <a href="http://humanistmom.blogspot.com/2011/07/natural-childbirth-under-skeptical.html">my most frequently read post</a>, attracted the most comments, many of them attacking me for criticizing aspects of that movement. When I wrote that post, I had not yet delivered Eulabee. But I was pregnant, and wrote: </span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I found out I was pregnant again, I immediately called the Birth Center. I found out I couldn't have my second baby there, so I asked for recommended options. I was given a short list of CNMs who work at or with hospitals, which was great.<span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But then the person on the phone said, "I can also give you the names of midwives who do homebirths." <i>What!?</i> If it isn't considered safe enough for me to attempt VBAC at a top notch Birth Center across the street from a hospital, why the hell would it be safe for me to try it in my home that is a 20 minute car ride (not accounting for traffic) from the nearest hospital? If the Birth Center is responsible enough to not take on clients with higher risks, why would they be so irresponsible as to recommend alternatives which are even less safe? This is the influence of natural childbirth, a movement that is more motivated by crackpot theories and warm-and-fuzzy feelings than science and evidence.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That evaluation stands. To promote a VBAC for women who fit all the low-risk criteria and who are giving birth in a hospital with staff poised and ready for an emergency is fine. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But there are lots of people out there promoting HBAC (Homebirth after c-section) and HBA2C, HBA3C, and even HBA4C. Since the increased risk of HBAC is<i> relatively</i> small (although I imagine in hindsight it seems huge for the parents who watch their babies die or suffer brain damage) there are, of course, far more success stories than tragic ones, and these happy endings are <a href="http://www.homebirth.org.uk/vbac1.htm">blasted all over the Internet</a> as if they are proof that HBAC is generally as safe as VBAC in a hospital. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On MotherBloom, midwife Christy Tashjian<a href="http://www.motherbloommidwifery.com/vbac-homebirth-after-4-csections/"> tells the story</a> of one successful HBA4C, frames it as a women's rights issue (opposed to a health care issue - as if the mothers are the ones who would be held accountable for malpractice), and emphasizes <i>feelings</i> over medical facts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Holly on <a href="http://homebirthersandhopefuls.com/can-i-still-have-a-homebirth/vbac-vaginal-birth-after-cesearean/">Homebirthers and Hopefuls</a> tries to downplay the risk of uterine ruptures by saying: </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.399999618530273px;">The main risk that midwives and consultants are concerned about with VBACs is uterine rupture, however, this is a much misunderstood and extremely rare occurrence. The vast majority of uterine ruptures will </span><span style="border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20.399999618530273px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">not</span><span style="line-height: 20.399999618530273px;"> result in mortality for mother or baby. Rupture can also occur in an unscarred uterus and can happen before labour begins, which means that it can happen whether you plan a VBAC or an elective caesarean. </span></span> </blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The majority of uterine ruptures do not result in mortality for mother or baby because of treatment that is <i>only</i> received in a hospital! More importantly, if treatment is delayed even by minutes, that severely increases the chance of death or brain damage. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, <i>extremely</i> rare? The overall rates are 7 uterine ruptures for every 1000 births. Given how many women are giving birth every day, that's a lot of uterine ruptures! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The CNM attending my prenatal care and birth had already done over 1000 births (I'm not sure how many VBACs) by the time she got to me, and she boasted that she'd never seen a rupture. After mine, I jokingly apologized for ruining her stats, and she jokingly said, "no it's fine, now I've had my one so I hopefully won't see another before retirement." But I could tell she was really shaken up. Uterine ruptures are no joke. When they happen they are serious threat to the lives and health of the mother and child. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What this means is that midwives who attend HBACs have resigned themselves to needlessly endangering the lives of seven woman and their babies for every thousand, for the sake of giving the other 903 women a more pleasant birthing experience. That hardly seems ethical. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vicki Williams, a "Birthkeeper, Doula, Breastfeeding Specialist, and Lactation Consultant" (so no medical credentials), goes so far as to encourage a <a href="http://mydoula.co/uterine-rupture/">homebirth after a uterine rupture</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some women, such as <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/12/16/ep.vbac.birth.at.home/">Aneka</a> who managed a successful HBA3C, are portrayed in the media as rather heroic. After watching Ricki Lake's documentary The Business of Being Born, she said she realized:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">I'd been robbed of the birthing experience. If possible, all women should be allowed to birth naturally.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aneka wasn't robbed of her good health and success in having three healthy children by c-section. Yet she expresses only disdain for the medical establishment that delivered those healthy babies. Had she been one of the minority who experience uterine rupture and lost her fourth baby because of the time it took to get to the hospital, would that have been worth the "birthing experience"? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then you just have <a href="http://mamabirth.blogspot.com/2011/09/home-birth-vbac-must-read.html">this sort of insanity</a> on website such as MamaBirth, which really hypes the "pride" and "empowerment" and how it "feels" to give birth naturally at home, and just outright disregards the increased risks of complications such as breech, as well as VBAC. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Really, I've just touched the tip of the Natural Childbirth iceberg when it comes to advocating homebirth for VBAC and other higher risks pregnancies. Surf around the Internet for an hour and discover gobs more crazy for yourself. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since so many people seem to be moved by personal birth stories, Dr. Amy of Skeptical OB writes a lot about the unfortunate and grieving minority whose babies die or experience brain damage because they attempt high risk homebirths. HBAC examples include <a href="http://www.skepticalob.com/2011/01/vba3c-homebirth-ruptured-uterus-brain.html">baby Vera</a>, whose mother attempted an HBA3C, just like Aneka, <a href="http://www.skepticalob.com/2014/04/giving-birth-in-the-hospital-is-an-act-of-love-giving-birth-at-home-is-an-act-of-selfishness.html">baby James</a>, <a href="http://www.skepticalob.com/2011/06/another-hbac-another-rupture-another.html">baby Liam</a>, a baby whose<a href="http://www.skepticalob.com/2011/05/complaining-that-obstericians-play-dead.html"> mother was hoping for an "awesome HBA2C story"</a>, the <a href="http://www.skepticalob.com/2011/06/motheringcom-death-toll-continues-to.html">mother who attempted a VBAC at a birth center</a> without continuous electronic monitoring, the<a href="http://www.skepticalob.com/2011/08/mother-of-6-dies-in-wake-of-attempted.html"> mother of 6 who attempted an HBA2C</a>, a mom who bragged online about her HBAC, despite the fact that <a href="http://www.skepticalob.com/2012/08/conflicted-successful-vbac-brain.html">her baby suffered brain damage</a>, and many more. (I can only stand reading so many of these before I want to crawl into a closet and cry.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In his article <a href="http://academicobgyn.com/2009/12/17/ten-thoughts-on-vbac/">Ten Thoughts On VBAC</a>, Nicholas Fogelson of Academic OB/GYN - who favors VBAC attempts<i> in hospitals and under the right circumstances</i> - writes: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">VBAC should not happen at home. I have recently referred to that as a game of Russian Roulette, and defend that view here. In this case the gun has 100 barrels, but the bullet will kill the baby just the same. If a woman can honestly say they are willing to take a 0.5% to 1% risk of disaster, then fine, but to me that risk is way too high. I think home birth is an acceptable option in many cases, but VBAC is not one of them.</span></span></blockquote>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifm2530N0EClz3rzBTjZbHiV9hc-_8xCx193IiitiI566byAKm96880ZjrKp34f-dXGzuflCXgMyrxwCkqr8cZaYbJC9a3z6JJWSZVEEF0J5chDHtDqqB1o5Uolkp5LbWHOvI7P1BEKvQO/s1600/Stop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifm2530N0EClz3rzBTjZbHiV9hc-_8xCx193IiitiI566byAKm96880ZjrKp34f-dXGzuflCXgMyrxwCkqr8cZaYbJC9a3z6JJWSZVEEF0J5chDHtDqqB1o5Uolkp5LbWHOvI7P1BEKvQO/s1600/Stop.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HBAC? Please! I could have died, mama!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note the lack of touchy feeling bullshit. </span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I attempted VBAC for all the right reasons, and it failed, because birth is inherently risky, even more so after having a c-section. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifm2530N0EClz3rzBTjZbHiV9hc-_8xCx193IiitiI566byAKm96880ZjrKp34f-dXGzuflCXgMyrxwCkqr8cZaYbJC9a3z6JJWSZVEEF0J5chDHtDqqB1o5Uolkp5LbWHOvI7P1BEKvQO/s1600/Stop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To any women out there thinking about VBAC, I strongly advise only doing so if you are low risk, and then finding a OB or CNM working in a hospital that is totally supportive. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For those planning an HBAC, I urge you to reconsider. HBAC is simply not safe enough. Had I made such an attempt, my spunky toddler Eulabee would not be here to make funny faces as she grabs for my cellphone. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As any adoptive parent knows, welcoming a new son or daughter isn't about the birth experience. It's about bringing them home. </span>Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-49397485097395964922014-04-11T20:46:00.000-07:002014-04-11T20:53:25.696-07:00Barbie at the Book Fair <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lIcxmL7ZUAIG_LSDrqXgxEHhbHRmX_eVyEq5ViOo_tzCDUPm7R9ff0TuSt6ZSr9puhQPNFxPWfasM4RKs-ttr-Fza7ij8kl8BhHtbFA7Y-x1BYBTQLF-DC4-WKBVRVWP_DbHgqxO-bVO/s1600/Barbie_book+fair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lIcxmL7ZUAIG_LSDrqXgxEHhbHRmX_eVyEq5ViOo_tzCDUPm7R9ff0TuSt6ZSr9puhQPNFxPWfasM4RKs-ttr-Fza7ij8kl8BhHtbFA7Y-x1BYBTQLF-DC4-WKBVRVWP_DbHgqxO-bVO/s1600/Barbie_book+fair.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Advertisements masquerading as children's literature.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Barbie showed up at my four-year-old's school Book Fair. She was there in all her blond and blue-eyed, plastic, dead-eyed, all-surface-no-depth glory in the form of five "based on the movie!" board books and two sticker storybooks.<br />
<br />
Stickers - they're interactive! (And chocking hazards for half the kids at my daughter's reverse mainstream preschool. Not to mention a cheap gimmick to distract kids from desiring and delving into <i>actual</i> children's literature. But I digress.)<br />
<br />
Like many of her friends, my daughter wanted to buy a Barbie book. I observed that they came with plastic toys or stickers and were poorly written and illustrated, so I said no. Instead she picked out <i>Fancy Nancy: Fanciest Doll in the Universe</i>, written by <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com/author/microsite/about.aspx?authorid=12552">Jane O'Connor</a> and illustrated by <a href="http://www.robinpreissglasser.com/">Robin Preiss Glasser</a>, and <i>Princess Grace</i>, written by <a href="http://www.maryhoffman.co.uk/">Mary Hoffman</a> and illustrated by <a href="http://carolinebinch.co.uk/">Caroline Binch</a>.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WZq8rRN6JmzasyKXQ2iAdF35zdcUNUiY4zpE6I_KbAqltqaYXA-hOVuLzHXH-8Y-Yn0OGlQH3HME5dprLYPkku6tpz_Ga4tSGBlrAsSL3tW0OzHid_esv4mfe9rLxAMgaCIiVq8bWoxE/s1600/Princess_Grace_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WZq8rRN6JmzasyKXQ2iAdF35zdcUNUiY4zpE6I_KbAqltqaYXA-hOVuLzHXH-8Y-Yn0OGlQH3HME5dprLYPkku6tpz_Ga4tSGBlrAsSL3tW0OzHid_esv4mfe9rLxAMgaCIiVq8bWoxE/s1600/Princess_Grace_cover.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">THIS is children's literature.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What a difference a professional author and illustrator make! The characters of Nancy and Grace feel like real people with distinct personalities. While Nancy does at first seem to be the typically girlie girl who adores fancy stuff such as tutus and accessories, she's also a quirky designer with her own unique style, and is sometimes clumsy or tacky. She is rather dramatic with both her words and body language, capable of intense anger, but also forgiveness. With the character of Grace, too, the traces of typical girl melt away as we learn what really grabs her interest, and how her ma, nana, teacher, and friends (her daddy moved away and is re-married) influence her views.<br />
<br />
These books are stories about the human experience, particularly what is can be for children. How the reader perceives the surface appearances changes as we get to know the personalities and personal dramas of the characters, and that provides a meaningful connection to our understanding of real life, with all its bumps and blemishes.<br />
<br />
I don't have serious problems with Barbie <i>as a doll</i>. I don't like the re-enforcement of unrealistic beauty standards, but I must admit that I loved playing with fashion dolls as a kid. Even a child without her own fashion dolls will likely encounter and play with them at a friend's house. Much creativity, social, and intellectual development ensues when children play pretend games with dolls.<br />
<br />
But Barbie in books? No. No no no no, a thousand times no.<br />
<br />
That goes for LEGO in books, shamelessly stealing attention away from quality children's literature in order to advertise their line of <i>Chima</i> and <i>Ninjago</i> toys. Toys are one thing. Books are another.<br />
<br />
That goes for all the books based on animated children's shows and films, such as Disney Princesses, Bubble Guppies, and yes, even Elmo.<br />
<br />
I have read enough of this crap to know that the vast majority of it is poorly written and poorly illustrated.<br />
<br />
For instance,<i> Barbie the Pearl Princess</i> takes the form of a board book (books marketed to toddlers), but the actual text is far too long-winded for that age group. It reads like a straight-forward synopsis of the movie. The words merely describe the bare facts of what has transpired, and so any personal human experience, character development, building of suspense, impact during climax, or emotional satisfaction found in the resolution of conflict, is dulled.<br />
<br />
The illustrations are equally awful. Don't get me wrong - they are pretty. Glossy, brightly-colored, slick and shiny. But in every image the characters appear as if posing for a movie poster, rather than behaving naturally. Every page made me think of the cover of a fantasy novel, but with a plastic fashion doll used as the model.<br />
<br />
Worse yet, the pictures had only the most superficial connection to the text. For instance, on one page of <i>Barbie the Pearl Princess</i>, the words tell us Caligo had "spies everywhere." This is a perfect opportunity for the illustrator to show the dangers in Lumina's midst, but instead we're shown just another pretty picture of Lumina as a child playing with her adopted mother. The problem is that an hour-long film is being crammed into a 24 page picture book. Countless great story-telling opportunities are sacrificed for the sake of forcing something that doesn't really work to work.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsPec7Dqe0EnKt6A5Iw4TEpljRROlD4gKMgjSpLl5S3H7MY6R4ae1KUL4QncjJ9fKackcM361UJSGs61q8LF3dVN7qOhCjrynpWW29Uymuf6paFDS1RrMIFyaHbwghhaJyAnlM7u9SIx4/s1600/zzzzzzzzz.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsPec7Dqe0EnKt6A5Iw4TEpljRROlD4gKMgjSpLl5S3H7MY6R4ae1KUL4QncjJ9fKackcM361UJSGs61q8LF3dVN7qOhCjrynpWW29Uymuf6paFDS1RrMIFyaHbwghhaJyAnlM7u9SIx4/s1600/zzzzzzzzz.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">THIS is also children's literature</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In a good picture book, words and pictures also interact and compliment each other. Words tells us that Fancy Nancy's little sister JoJo is "a handful, which is a nice way of saying really naughty", while the illustration shows JoJo dressed as a cop in a menacing stance, tying her playmate to a tree. Words tell us that Grace has decided to be an African princess wearing a dress made by her nana out of Kente cloth, while the illustration shows us how regal and unique she appears on the float. <br />
<br />
In books based on toys, shows, and movies, oftentimes no author or illustrator is even listed on the cover. Indeed, why would they be? These books are not the brainchild of any artist and/or creative writer. These books are an assignment for commercial writers and illustrators. They are in every meaningful way advertisements that merely take the form of a child's picture book.<br />
<br />
To quote <a href="http://theinfosphere.org/Transcript:A_Fishful_of_Dollars">a poignant scene</a> from the satirical show <i>Futurama</i>, where the character Fry discovers that in the future commercials are broadcast right into people's dreams.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fry: That's awful. It's like brainwashing.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leela: Didn't you have ads in the 20th century?</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fry: Well, sure, but not in our dreams. Only on TV and radio. And in magazines and movies and at ball games, on buses and milk cartons and T-shirts and bananas and written on the sky. But not in dreams. No, sir-ee!</span></blockquote>
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;" />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmkNE_RtshE3SUm5D0ExNWn-OF3u8LlITPynlff0u5fOZENGUHjwq1UoM6RerhSpUIeUYgU4Az0GWtl6y3LiIGEWHr5D9wP6YENPSv1wrLmA7FmAUuNZ0XK4CSWRPO0cZqce4W7Wt4rFO/s1600/fry.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmkNE_RtshE3SUm5D0ExNWn-OF3u8LlITPynlff0u5fOZENGUHjwq1UoM6RerhSpUIeUYgU4Az0GWtl6y3LiIGEWHr5D9wP6YENPSv1wrLmA7FmAUuNZ0XK4CSWRPO0cZqce4W7Wt4rFO/s1600/fry.png" height="240" width="320" /></a>Call me a snobby bibliophile, but books for kids should be off limits. Or at least the ones being sold at book fairs in schools should be off limits. Children's literacy is too important to turn their books into advertisements for cheap, plastic crap.<br />
<br />
We let this happen, and we will become a society of anti-intellectual dupes who run out and buy every piece of shiny shit dangled in front of our eyes, oblivious to the harm all this junk is doing to our intellect, our aesthetic senses, our emotional experiences, not to mention our budgets.<br />
<br />
But maybe it's too late. To quote one of the many 5 star reviews of <i>Barbie the Pearl Princess</i>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">My daughter may be 8yr old but she loves her Barbie books! This was easy for her to read and the story is always a learning tale. I love the happy endings. Gives a girl something to dream of herself. :) Thanks for always giving my girl something to dream about. :)</span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span>
See, advertisers don't need to develop any futuristic technology to broadcast their cheap, plastic crap into our dreams. They already found a way in.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-24331016799955634242014-04-10T22:14:00.001-07:002014-04-10T22:21:10.951-07:00Despite Many Choices, Low-Income and City Kids Still Lose Out<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6CKrBjxjMwFftk13dGFQreJT1cTc5Ww5q_zrBQtkDwQX_HZ2E4bemjo6SZhm7a5e3JNk64LdZzeq8WsZxKa3URfbmwYB0PSkbTokFxpI-DFOkCHzQVJMBZh4nXs9uanm545NLTgT2eU8/s1600/question_mark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6CKrBjxjMwFftk13dGFQreJT1cTc5Ww5q_zrBQtkDwQX_HZ2E4bemjo6SZhm7a5e3JNk64LdZzeq8WsZxKa3URfbmwYB0PSkbTokFxpI-DFOkCHzQVJMBZh4nXs9uanm545NLTgT2eU8/s1600/question_mark.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a>A year from now I could be registering my eldest child for kindergarten. I write "could" because I haven't decided whether I even want her to go to school given our bleak options. While there are many wonderful private schools within a few miles of our home, our family cannot afford the tuition at any of them. None-the-less, living in Philadelphia, we have literally <i>dozens</i> of school choices to explore.<br />
<br />
Welcome to parenting hell.<br />
<br />
In his TED talk <i><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_on_the_paradox_of_choice?language=en">The Paradox of Choice</a></i>, psychologist Barry Schwartz laments the depressing consequences of having too many choices.<br />
<br />
Schwartz starts out speaking about little stuff like salad dressing and stereo systems. Then he gets into the heavy stuff: Choices about medical treatment. Choices about the timing of marriage and kids. Choices about gender identity. Choices about work. He doesn't specifically mention parents choosing an educational path for our children, but considering that school is where kids spend most of their waking hours, certainly that falls into the category of Major Life Decisions.<br />
<br />
Schwartz argues that having too many choices creates a sort constant stress of decision making, second guessing ourselves, and what he calls "paralysis rather than liberation." He gives the example of a study which found that for every additional 10 choices of retirement funds a company offered its employees, enrollment in any program went down. This makes me wonder if the increase in "school choice" through charters and vouchers is one reason for the increase in homeschooling.<br />
<br />
After looking at the choices offered to my kids, I definitely feel a lot of the "paralysis" Schwartz spoke of, and I'm seriously considering homeschooling. Or if not that, moving to the *groan* burbs.<br />
<br />
If I stay in the city, here are my kids' school options:<br />
<br />
<b>1. The public school for our catchment:</b> Oh <i>hell</i> no. This school doesn't even have a playground. We're talking barely passing test scores in math and reading, poor student attendance, high turnover of both students and faculty, and 99% of students are "economically disadvantaged" - which is not at all reflective of our neighborhood's economic and racial diversity.<br />
<br />
<b>2. Lots and lots <i>and lots</i> of questionable charter schools:</b> Enough that I get dizzy trying to do my own amateur research on them all. Some will brag about test scores, but leave out some of the icky strategies they use to achieve those scores, such as expelling even mildly troublesome students, or sacrificing joyful learning experiences for grueling test preparation. I have a friend who is a passionate educator with a Masters degree and 8 years of teaching experience. She was suddenly fired (along with almost all the rest of the faculty) by one of Philly's charters simply because her (mostly poor and at-risk students) didn't have high enough test scores. Gee, all their teachers being fired must have been great for the students! Many charters have only recently opened and don't have much of a track record, and could close down just as quick as they pop up.<br />
<br />
<b>3. A few good charter schools:</b> The more established charters with good reputations and high test scores are usually nowhere near my neighborhood, and they all have big lotteries and<i> long</i> waiting lists. These fall into the category of <i>Yeah, You Wish!</i><br />
<br />
<b>4. Public schools outside our catchment: </b>There are a couple K-8th grade public schools just outside of my catchment where we can't afford to buy a home, but the schools have higher test scores, genuine economic and racial diversity, and often serve as feeder schools for the best magnet high schools. I have repeatedly heard that principals at these schools can grant students outside of a school's catchment permission to enroll. The idea is to convince the principal beforehand that my kid is a benefit to the school and that my family will be helpful and involved. However, budget cuts have curbed this practice, and until my kid is actually enrolled, there are no guarantees.<br />
<br />
Like I said before, parenting hell.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFd54sqjIfkWF1rA_TOEht0UerXwMeO3vZ_ZsUoN5lY4N4-smYA5e0Bju98XCng96Ui1ma8LqBzAkyYJ7Zy6577jiTYTyS6LUlT4RwEJBMd6zsAPUWhyphenhyphenqE6DZXphE6LdvyAKnoaN0bodP/s1600/school+choice_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFd54sqjIfkWF1rA_TOEht0UerXwMeO3vZ_ZsUoN5lY4N4-smYA5e0Bju98XCng96Ui1ma8LqBzAkyYJ7Zy6577jiTYTyS6LUlT4RwEJBMd6zsAPUWhyphenhyphenqE6DZXphE6LdvyAKnoaN0bodP/s1600/school+choice_2.jpg" height="193" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Cartoon by <a href="http://www.truthdig.com/cartoon/item/school_budgets_20130506">Signe Wilkinson</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
In his TED talk, Barry Schwartz mentions doctors shifting responsibility onto the patient, and how this is problematic since the doctor more often than not has the experience and knowledge to make a wiser decision. I can't help but compare this to choices about education. We have scores of people with Masters and PhDs in Education, teachers and administrators with decades of experience, and yet we don't have an approach to public K-12 education that provides <i>every</i> parent and child with a single, quality option.<br />
<br />
Let's face the real issue here, more affluent communities have excellent public schools. Parents in those communities don't sit around agonizing over pages of data, trying to figure out what schools are excellent, mediocre, or shamefully substandard without sufficient context or expertise, and then keeping track of methods and deadlines for applications, open houses, and stressing out over lotteries, wait lists, and meeting minimum standards for magnet schools. In affluent communities, most typically there is <i>one</i> public school option, and it has reasonably high test scores, well-trained faculty who seem to like their jobs, fine facilities, a variety of extracurricular activities, and appropriate interventions and aids for special needs or gifted students.<br />
<br />
As much as the political liberal and progressive educator in me hates vouchers, charter schools, standardized testing, not to mention a public school model with roots in factory-worker-style conformity, I dare say that none of that is the big issue. This is not a question of educational philosophy. This is an issue of economic justice. <a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/27/no-rich-child-left-behind/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0">The best predictor </a>of school success is household income. </div>
<br />
In other words, the problem is poverty. Schools in poor communities have way more problems (due to violence, over-crowding, food insecurity, inadequate healthcare, etc.) but because of the way we fund schools, instead of getting way more funding and resources, they get less. It isn't a coincidence that<a href="http://credo.stanford.edu/pdfs/MI_report_2012_FINAL_1_11_2013_no_watermark.pdf"> charter schools serve more low-income students</a>. I feel like instead of dealing with poverty, especially the horribly high levels of <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/09/17/new-census-data-children-remain-americas-poorest-citizens/">child poverty</a> plaguing the USA, we're throwing a bunch of equally lame or worse school options at those families and saying,<i> Isn't this great? Now you have a choice! </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
A bunch of crappy choices isn't any better than one crappy choice. In fact, if Schwartz is right, it's worse, because at least if there's only one crappy choice you can complain to the Powers That Be. With all these damn choices, parents are left feeling that we alone are to blame if we make the wrong choice. If the cities want to keep middle class and affluent families from fleeing to the burbs, they need to put more money into the schools. If they want to reduce the hardships of poverty for their most vulnerable citizens, they need to put more money into the schools. Money for more teachers, counselors, tutors, and other support staff who make all the powerful one-on-one connections with students in greatest need.<br />
<br />
But Philly is making school budget cuts. So I guess come the fall of 2015, I might be homeschooling my kindergartner, seeing as I'm one of the few parents lucky enough to have at least that option.<br />
<br />
<br />Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-78306557484403702232014-04-04T10:58:00.001-07:002014-04-04T11:07:05.501-07:00Is Food In America Cheap? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1n1-6QXBgJ63JG6UD7XcwSj3lyFOkUAf1tu75jEWfcP0oI4st_0ZI7kJCw9j7JVD3JMceq_kdKkx6T0A58nEzcDC2lnrytEul0o9b458UMPfmhHWhdgWn7JvlFfoLtizlUnznxsjUd-8R/s1600/food_baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1n1-6QXBgJ63JG6UD7XcwSj3lyFOkUAf1tu75jEWfcP0oI4st_0ZI7kJCw9j7JVD3JMceq_kdKkx6T0A58nEzcDC2lnrytEul0o9b458UMPfmhHWhdgWn7JvlFfoLtizlUnznxsjUd-8R/s1600/food_baby.jpg" height="306" width="320" /></a></div>
Perhaps you have read, as I have on several occasions, that in the USA, "food is cheap". At least compared with both our nation's past and to other nations when we look at what percentage of Americans' household expenditures pay for food.<br />
<br />
According to the latest numbers from the USDA, Americans spend about 10% of our disposable income on food, and this is the lowest in the world. If you do your own Google image search for "percent of disposable income spent on food by country" you can find lots of similar charts such as this one from the <i>Economist</i> and articles with data from the last few years repeating similar data.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MTs6Uhuc2KC45VRUxBtc6h4a8MqOu1aO0o6uWrRGPvfEFPVojWetaN20RZ9hef25Fw51IfQMMHlI0N6enZBComJheK6S9GyVASHBb_mZ7zI2QThitusUgWToOzWaH577xlykXDbxFBvF/s1600/chart.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MTs6Uhuc2KC45VRUxBtc6h4a8MqOu1aO0o6uWrRGPvfEFPVojWetaN20RZ9hef25Fw51IfQMMHlI0N6enZBComJheK6S9GyVASHBb_mZ7zI2QThitusUgWToOzWaH577xlykXDbxFBvF/s1600/chart.png" height="320" width="299" /></a>When I do the math based on Americans spending 10% of disposable income on groceries, I find that an individual with an annual gross income of $30K (twice minimum wage) is spending about $40/week on food - which seems barely manageable, even for just one person.<br />
<br />
Also according to the US Department of Agriculture, an American family of 4 must spend between $147 and $289 per week on food to meet basic dietary requirements for good health. That seems about right since I have a family of 4 and we spend about $150 per week on food. I've tried to get it below that, but I can't without resorting to buying junk food instead of healthy food.<br />
<br />
With a weekly grocery bill of <i>at least</i> $147 a family of 4 that spends that as 10% of their disposable income on food must have a gross income of more than $90,000 - that's a hell of a lot higher than the median gross income of just below $70K for an American family of 4.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6tXCBT2s_jog5qVq1jJlyfTM95Y7y_cI9Knw69SpTTB9ZnKuMfOIY4ui_L2E3ghl_5njPDR__sgbHDEr1wG0z995fg3vi8EddK-1Jml4ZN9bhrm4J__ExPAJhqez81FUvLK_qNIgXxZi/s1600/income-distribution-in-america-chart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6tXCBT2s_jog5qVq1jJlyfTM95Y7y_cI9Knw69SpTTB9ZnKuMfOIY4ui_L2E3ghl_5njPDR__sgbHDEr1wG0z995fg3vi8EddK-1Jml4ZN9bhrm4J__ExPAJhqez81FUvLK_qNIgXxZi/s1600/income-distribution-in-america-chart.jpg" height="181" width="320" /></a></div>
Additionally, median incomes only can tell us so much when <a href="http://americablog.com/2013/03/shocking-video-about-income-inequality-in-america.html">income disparity</a> in America is so pronounced. 15% of Americans live in poverty (that same percentage, according to the USDA, received food assistance through SNAP in 2013.) Many more live in the gap between being eligible for government food assistance and actually earning enough to be spending merely 10% of disposable income on adequate nutrition.<br />
<br />
The reality is, many American families are being forced to choose between adequate nutrition and junk food, or worse yet, between food and other expenses, <a href="http://feedingamerica.org/press-room/press-releases/heat-or-eat-2014.aspx">such as heat</a>. <a href="http://www.asa.org/policy/resources/stats/">Or student loans</a>, as millions of borrowers are now in deferment for financial hardship or default.<br />
<br />
So regarding this claim that American food is cheap, what gives? Because it seems to me that in reality, either food is too expensive, or... ooooooooh. Wages for most Americans are just too low.Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-22331257018062798402014-03-30T20:52:00.001-07:002014-03-31T09:50:03.157-07:00Fruit! Eat As Much As You Can (Afford) <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChmBkUwBuvO4UW3VqAdAQP3YMI2eC-FMbKEWQ2dg9bnfSUoxWK3eKO9Tto55gsDYnez1FYSrMiEiJMBKgYX6SsBUCbK50vvbMIxDzHJoOCSVSzRkWvVTqmz4QBzd_0yayRQoMabDK88FA/s1600/8898_eat_more_fruit_vintage_nz_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChmBkUwBuvO4UW3VqAdAQP3YMI2eC-FMbKEWQ2dg9bnfSUoxWK3eKO9Tto55gsDYnez1FYSrMiEiJMBKgYX6SsBUCbK50vvbMIxDzHJoOCSVSzRkWvVTqmz4QBzd_0yayRQoMabDK88FA/s1600/8898_eat_more_fruit_vintage_nz_poster.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">For many families, easier said than done.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One of the most basic things I do for my kids as a parent is provide them with fresh fruit. As much as they want, every day.<br />
<br />
We all know that fruit is great for health. The message has been drilled into our minds by posters in doctor offices and schools, ads in magazine and on television. The links between eating more fruit and avoiding a whole host of health problems is well established. Fruit is high in fiber, provides many nutrients, and is low in fat and calories. Filling up on fruit means being less likely to fill up on junk. The FDA says it. The American Cancer Society says it. The American Pediatric Association says it.<br />
<br />
Simple: eat more fruit. But is it?<br />
<br />
I decided to write this post because I'm starting to notice the financial consequences of encouraging my kids to eat as much fruit as they desire. I only have two children, and they are only 2 and 4 years old. And yet I find myself spending nearly a third of our grocery budget on<i> just fruit</i>. I try buying the fruit on sale, but it spoils more quickly and often tastes past its prime. Luckily, my family can afford to make cuts in other areas of our budget to make room for all that fruit.<br />
<br />
My eldest is enrolled in a state subsidized preschool program which offers free breakfast, lunch, and snack. After seeing the menu, and because we can afford to, I turned down the free food. The main reason? Fruit. Regulations require a certain number of servings of fruit. But they also allow the fruit to come in the form of fruit juice from concentrate, sweetened applesauce, and sweetened fruit cups. Since the price of fresh fruit is so much higher than for these processed, sugar-added alternatives, guess what gets served for more than half of the requirements? I wanted to do better for my kids.<br />
<br />
But shouldn't we as a society want to do better for <i>all</i> kids?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAQgDEkVcRWzyI2j_fwglAPHcOSbeMkha-J_Q-Rz8Tgv5CIHS-C6tukTFVmKCrjKamAewiC1t_zhGlQPdCecZZq39FP6lBjcXqjpDTBaL5WrONNk2pDnGjMoTgEHOIP739MNumsz7Wob7/s1600/servingoffruits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAQgDEkVcRWzyI2j_fwglAPHcOSbeMkha-J_Q-Rz8Tgv5CIHS-C6tukTFVmKCrjKamAewiC1t_zhGlQPdCecZZq39FP6lBjcXqjpDTBaL5WrONNk2pDnGjMoTgEHOIP739MNumsz7Wob7/s1600/servingoffruits.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The FDA recommends 1.5 daily servings of fruit for kids, and 2 for adults. Half a cup is generally one serving. One serving is one small apple or banana, an eighth of a cantaloupe, or a couple handfuls of grapes. It's not a lot of calories, maybe 30-100 per serving, depending on the fruit. Considering that<a href="http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/estimated-calorie-requirement"> kids need anywhere from 100-1800 calories per day</a>, fruit should account for about 20% of our caloric intake. The average price of one serving of fresh fruit costs 28 cents. To achieve the <i>minimum</i> number of servings a day for everyone, a family of 4 would spend about $14 a week on fruit (That's assuming that everyone actually eats their share and nothing goes bad. Those of us with young kids know why that's funny.) <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/01/grocery-costs-for-family/2104165/">According to the US Department of Agriculture</a>, families of 4 are spending between $147 and $289 per week on groceries. If those families spend $14/week on fruit, then fruit accounts for about 10% of their bill. So that works out, if a family of 4 can afford at least $147 per week (over $7,000 per year.)<br />
<br />
For a family of 4 straddling the poverty line, $7,000 per year is about a third of their <i>gross</i> income. Which explains why <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/23/why-are-47-million-americans-on-food-stamps-its-the-recession-mostly/">so many Americans are on SNAP benefits</a> (food stamps) and why <a href="http://www.nutrition.gov/food-assistance-programs/school-lunch-and-breakfast-programs">school breakfast and lunch assistance programs</a> are so common.<br />
<br />
Looking at the numbers and the failure of government-subsidized programs to provide 5 servings of <i>fresh</i> fruit to school children, I consider the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/09/17/new-census-data-children-remain-americas-poorest-citizens/">1 in 5 American children living in poverty</a>, and I wonder how often those 21% of American children even see a fresh piece of fruit.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cgR15uYjKlovNFHMHxnG9npMsu0RN1-IfMC389R-09WzQ0i5QSETVaKOUtveoDEOPOHFwlmm2M_nw45bp0mOckIwGBzZlxnNadNo-FekUn3S2_Ia1lmY25mNDTLZO2JIbRiOuXxIamkY/s1600/cost_of_fruit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cgR15uYjKlovNFHMHxnG9npMsu0RN1-IfMC389R-09WzQ0i5QSETVaKOUtveoDEOPOHFwlmm2M_nw45bp0mOckIwGBzZlxnNadNo-FekUn3S2_Ia1lmY25mNDTLZO2JIbRiOuXxIamkY/s1600/cost_of_fruit.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">A poster at my daughter's preschool.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
*Take a step back*<br />
<br />
This is a small issue compared to many others impacting poor children. Beyond just fruit, <a href="https://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-studies/map-the-meal-gap/child-food-insecurity-executive-summary.aspx">millions of American children are food insecure</a>. Insufficient early childhood care and education <a href="http://guardianlv.com/2014/03/poverty-on-intelligence-and-health/">take a huge toll</a>. So does violence, as <a href="http://www.justice.gov/defendingchildhood/facts.html">60% of kids are exposed to violence or crime</a> in their homes, schools, or communities. <br />
<br />
This blog post isn't actually about advocating for the inclusion of more fresh fruit in government food assistance programs. I <i>wish</i> America were at the point where that sort of advocacy could be a reasonable priority.<br />
<br />
This post is really about putting things in perspective. Middle and upper class American parents like me are worried about making sure our kids are offered a wide range of fresh fruit on their plates, daily, while children who might live just miles or even blocks from us are skipping whole meals.<br />
<br />
And while the majority of households receiving government food assistance include children, <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/08/09/foxs-shameless-misrepresentation-of-snap-recipi/195338">conservative media demonizes</a> them as freeloaders, and politicians are <a href="http://lacrossetribune.com/vernonbroadcaster/news/opinion/cut-in-snap-benefits-hurts-the-hungry-economy/article_0c32c6c5-2444-55d0-9feb-0255f03fdf45.html">yet again cutting</a> already insufficient SNAP funds.<br />
<br />
As a society, can't we do better than this? Or will we who are lucky remain content and complacent, so long as we can serve up a bowl of fresh blueberries for breakfast to our own kids?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707197604706199554.post-31674575986623571512014-03-20T22:53:00.000-07:002014-09-05T21:46:16.982-07:00What Does Secularism Have to Do With Women's Rights? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpslSktUljeOTA5PWzG7eZdj7H6QahGvN5zeWkiuy-h8loy697K0nIk-SKx-QICQwtoTTkaSvNzPrFqiTHcnv7TvHpysdFxOtIWjXQUjyERwd7PQkgmWOkS57Z7eTmy9YFcUYjozAXPUg/s1600/Pigliucci+quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpslSktUljeOTA5PWzG7eZdj7H6QahGvN5zeWkiuy-h8loy697K0nIk-SKx-QICQwtoTTkaSvNzPrFqiTHcnv7TvHpysdFxOtIWjXQUjyERwd7PQkgmWOkS57Z7eTmy9YFcUYjozAXPUg/s1600/Pigliucci+quote.jpg" height="320" width="262" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a long time I've sort of taken my reproductive rights for granted. While I've never been faced with an unintended pregnancy, I've faced that possibility since puberty, and will continue to face it until menopause. I've always felt assured that I'd be able to get a safe, legal, early-term abortion, if that's what I so choose. Based on the privileges of<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/04/us/women-losing-access-to-abortion-as-opponents-gain-ground-in-state-legislatures.html"> where I live</a><u>, </u>my <a href="http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/publications-a-z/2285-abortion-and-parental-involvement-laws">age</a>, and my <a href="http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/what-is-choice/fast-facts/low-income-women.html">income</a>, that presumption is sound. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For now. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Forty years after Roe v. Wade, Americans remain <a href="http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/17/in-public-opinion-on-abortion-few-absolutes/">conflicted</a> about abortion. Anti-abortion activists continue to <a href="http://groundedparents.com/2014/02/28/guest-post-tales-from-an-abortion-clinic-escort/">harass women at clinics</a>, commit <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-abortion_violence#United_States">horrific acts of violence</a>, and passionately lobby for countless laws that restrict women's access to abortion, regardless of the real life<a href="http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/media/fact-sheets/abortion-birth-control-the-protect-life-act.pdf"> financial,</a> <a href="http://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2013/07/potential-effects-new-anti-abortion-laws-and-2014-personhood-measure-raise-m">healthcare,</a> and even <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/may/30/indiana-prosecuting-chinese-woman-suicide-foetus?intcmp=239">criminal</a> consequences. If we value reproductive choices and the most sound public health care policies, this is not an issue where we can afford to back down. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's another thing I've always taken for granted: that the secular movement, which I've been involved with since I was 19, politically stands for women's reproductive rights. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I say I've "been involved" with the movement for 16 years, this is no casual interest. After being VP and President of the campus freethought club at<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_State_University"> the third largest university</a> in the USA, I became one of the founding board members of the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=secular+student+alliance&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS449US450&oq=secular+student+alliance&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l2j69i60j0l2.2577j0j4&sourceid=chrome&espv=210&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8">Secular Student Alliance</a>, and editor of the first publication of the SSA's Group Running Guide. I've been VP of <a href="http://hcco.org/">HCCO</a>, one of the largest local chapters of the <a href="http://americanhumanist.org/">AHA</a>, and when I moved to Philadelphia I became heavily involved with <a href="http://www.hagp.org/">HAGP</a>, one of the AHA's oldest local chapters. I was twice a camp counselor for <a href="http://www.campquest.org/">Camp Quest</a>. I was a celebrant certified by the Humanist Society, and for 6 years I officiated secular weddings, baby namings, and one memorial service. I have given talks on secular humanism for a class at Penn State. I was the coordinator for the launch of <a href="http://unitedcor.org/philly/page/home">PhillyCoR</a> (the precursor to <a href="http://unitedcor.org/national/page/home">UnitedCoR</a>). I'm even mentioned by name in Greg Epstein's book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Good-Without-God-Billion-Nonreligious/dp/006167012X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395375509&sr=8-1&keywords=good+without+god">Good Without God</a>. At this point the number of volunteer hours that I have put into this movement are incalculable. </span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigY9XbVH2AzyeyurVynfZTc4pU_QF_FvZl9GtvmMRQKPKq_68ledAn97yOKB1OznboGJlve9Sr-oKfrsdOoOaVsp10TTOFHpM9E7bUKbZ4sMrHMwU-yfhxZhSuh-R08_NcdU8vuC_R12Z5/s1600/secular_abortion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigY9XbVH2AzyeyurVynfZTc4pU_QF_FvZl9GtvmMRQKPKq_68ledAn97yOKB1OznboGJlve9Sr-oKfrsdOoOaVsp10TTOFHpM9E7bUKbZ4sMrHMwU-yfhxZhSuh-R08_NcdU8vuC_R12Z5/s1600/secular_abortion.jpg" height="255" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I list all this to make clear just how much of a personal stake I have in the secular movement. These are "my people." This is my "comfort zone." Of course I don't agree with everything I hear anyone at a meeting or conference say. I enjoy a spirited and intellectually challenging debate with a Libertarian atheist over, say, school funding or gun control. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the issues where critical inquiry, scientific evidence, and compassion heavily weigh on one side (vaccination, science education in public schools, government funds for faith-based initiatives, and embryonic stem cell research, for example) our leadership and the most visible representatives of our community take a firm stance. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Right? </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe not. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Three days ago <a href="http://humanistmom.blogspot.com/2014/03/friendly-atheist-gives-platform-to-anti.html">I wrote about</a> David Silverman's statement at CPAC about "secular argument against abortion" and Friendly Atheist Hemant Mehta's giving a platform to two different secular, anti-choice organizations. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Massimo Pigliucci of the long-running and popular blog Rationally Speaking weighed in with <a href="http://rationallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2014/03/david-silverman-and-scope-of-atheism.html">David Silverman and the Scope of Atheism</a>. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pigliucci puts a lot of effort into defending philosophical debates over the morality of abortion. And he repeatedly makes it clear that he thinks this is okay because supposedly we're not talking about anti-choice laws and political activism. He writes (my emphasis in bold): </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course there are logical, science-based, and rational arguments against abortion. They may turn out to be ultimately unconvincing, or countered by better arguments — as I believe they are — but they certainly exist.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...</span><br />
<div>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are these arguments <b>sufficient to justify forceful state interventions on women’s bodily integrity, under any circumstances? Very likely not.</b> But plenty of countries (including the US) do already regulate, for instance, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_termination_of_pregnancy">late term abortion</a>, noting the ethical complexity of the issue and of course making room for a number of special circumstances, usually having to do with the health of the mother. </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">... </span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, <b>does that mean that we should therefore advocate a restriction of women’s rights as they are currently defined in the US? Of course not</b>, nor do I see any evidence that that’s what Dave meant to suggest.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Regardless of what Dave Silverman meant to suggest, while at a convention of parties which officially advocate severely restricting if not outright banning abortion, Silverman made a statement which implied that there are reasonable, secular arguments that favor such anti-choice political activism. It is worth noting, too, that American Atheists allowed Secular Pro-Life, an extremely anti-choice activist organization, <a href="http://skepchick.org/2012/03/science-isnt-science-if-its-about-abortion/">to table at their 2012 conference</a>. </span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Regardless of his own pro-choice stance and pro-choice writings, Hemant Mehta gave a platform to two anti-choice organization leaders, both of who, through their anti-choice activism, apply the same sort of irrational and dishonest arguments and tactics used by religious anti-choice activists. </span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was heartened to learn that the AHA's Humanist magazine not only published <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2012/08/20/are-pro-life-atheist-groups-promoting-sound-science/">criticism</a> of this rise of secular "pro-life" activists, but also refused to publish <a href="http://www.prolifehumanists.org/secular-case-against-abortion/">this response</a> by anti-choice activist Kristine Kruszelnicki. </span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At least the humanist wing of the movement maintains integrity on this issue. </span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Massimo Pigliucci's article evoked such a critical response that he added a <a href="http://rationallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2014/03/david-silverman-and-scope-of-atheism_16.html">Postscript</a> defense. In it he writes: </span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look at it from the point of view of a parallel between atheism and gay rights. The gay rights movement has rightly focused on the issues that are closest and most specific to it: the legal rights of gay people.</span></blockquote>
<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So women's rights are not one of the "closest and most specific" issues to the secular cause? Even though the scientific evidence tells us that women are equal to men in terms of sentience and intellect, but a non-viable embryo/fetus has no more sentience than a tree? Even though evidence also tells us that early-term abortions (which account for almost all abortions) are safer than pregnancy? Even though critical inquiry tells us that late-term abortions are rare and sought for reasons which are tragic? Even though compassion should compel us to defer to the women's personal moral judgement and the ethical standards of the medical establishment?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The importance of quality science education public schools is close and specific enough to our cause, but women's rights are not?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The importance of preventing school authorities from leading students in prayer is close and specific enough to our cause, but women's rights are not?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Secular Coalition for America unites 13 of the largest and most active organizations in our movement, including American Atheists. On the issues page <a href="http://secular.org/content/health-and-safety">Health and Safety</a> they indeed state they have an interest in defending women's rights with regard to abortion:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Religiously Based Health Care Policy- Government officials should rely on high quality research, not religious beliefs, when making health care policy decisions. (stem cells, women’s health care, substance abuse treatment)</span></blockquote>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMUCUWO8ogDDfmo6S06f2AoNi3zAaass7m7ABu7D5SvShyphenhyphen4it7Oat0RGRxC4Lm13vlO7nPIbzGX-Q8wG-JCJXpExpUAjE8njzLEBlDDZAP-BDQnIwrpwK7kn5oHqe9EhkNytBAgwhR_fw/s1600/kruger+your+body+is+a+battleground.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMUCUWO8ogDDfmo6S06f2AoNi3zAaass7m7ABu7D5SvShyphenhyphen4it7Oat0RGRxC4Lm13vlO7nPIbzGX-Q8wG-JCJXpExpUAjE8njzLEBlDDZAP-BDQnIwrpwK7kn5oHqe9EhkNytBAgwhR_fw/s1600/kruger+your+body+is+a+battleground.jpeg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Image by artist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Kruger">Barbara Kruger</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So maybe this is why Massimo Pigliucci focused on a philosophical debate over the morality of personally choosing to have an abortion. Maybe he's taking Roe v. Wade and its support <i>for granted. </i> </span></div>
</div>
<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">I might not mind people sitting around discussing the morality of abortion (as a personal decision, not something up for legal banning) <b><i>so long as</i></b> my right to a safe, legal, abortion for any reason during the pre-viability stages of pregnancy AND my access to health care which promotes my health over that of a fetus is</span><span style="line-height: 21px;"> <b><i>fully supported by all present company</i></b>. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 21px;">If not, I'm not having that conversation. I refuse to have a calm, philosophical discussion about the morality of abortion with anyone who doesn't respect and defend equal rights for me and all other women. To expect me or any other feminist to do so is belittling and offensive. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 21px;">The secular movement is better than that. At least I hope it is. Otherwise I've seriously wasted much of the last 16 years of my life. </span></span><br />
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Martha Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681751924771756798noreply@blogger.com5