As I was perusing the top news headlines this morning, I realized that the most interesting and by far the most depressing news topics ranged from a US Government shutdown to Jesuit pedophiles to a young man overdosing on soy sauce. And as I prepare to sum up these news stories for you, I think to myself yet again, What is the world coming to?
First up: The United States Federal Government is at serious risk of having to shut down for a few days. Why? Because we as a country are broke and our brave leaders can't sit in a room together long enough to figure out where to cut $60 billion worth of spending in order to continue to pay the outrageous salaries that we are providing for many of our government workers. Unless they come up with something by April 5 (so that they can have the bill publicized 72 hours before their deadline, April 8th), our government will literally be shut down because we cannot afford to run it.
Maybe they should just raise gas prices to try and scrape a little extra money together.
Oh, wait...
Or maybe they could sue the Jesuits of the U.S. Northwest for sexual abuse. Which is what about 500 former students of boarding schools run by the Society of Jesus are doing in exchange for a $166 million settlement. It will come as no surprise to you that the Jesuit Order is also in the throes of bankruptcy, due mostly to the fact that they had to dole out another $55 million in sexual abuse "reparations" not too long ago. Why the Roman Catholic Church does not have a more thorough screening process for priestly candidates continues to elude me. Not only do these pedophiles stain the reputation of Catholicism, but it's obviously costing the Church a great deal of cash. At least they have a good insurance policy. Although frankly, if they keep getting sued for sexually victimizing children, somehow I think it's going to become increasingly difficult for them to find a company that is willing to insure them. And honestly, I don't think sexual abuse charges should be something for which you can appeal to your insurance policy anyway. Sexual abuse isn't an accident, like a fire or a flood (even one brought on by the Almighty)--it's a purposeful act that the Church is enabling by placing psychologically ill men in situations where they have the opportunity to take advantage of children who trust them.
Speaking of trust issues and--while we're at it--a desperate longing for acceptance and a sense of belonging, our final news story tells the fate of a young man who was dared to chug a bottle of soy sauce. A pledge at the University of Virginia Zeta Psi fraternity, he took the dare no doubt in order to gain the respect and admiration of his potential brothers. That, or people just like watching other people nearly kill themselves. Apparently there are a surprising amount of people on this earth who do not realize that too much of anything will kill you. Even water. According to this story, too much soy sauce will cause you to fall into a fit of seizures and begin foaming at the mouth.
While most of the spectators probably thought that the young pledge was in the process of turning into a zombie, at least one of the frat brothers had the presence of mind to drive him to the emergency room. He was placed in critical condition after they realized he had ingested a dangerous amount of sodium, but he survived. Now authorities are speculating as to whether this U-Va fraternity is committing the misdemeanor of hazing its pledges. Their main reason for speculation? Meals fed to pledges that consist of dog food, matzo balls, gefilte fish, and soy sauce. Let's see, Virginia Police, if a fraternity is making its pledges eat something that makes one gag merely at the thought of the ingredients, I'd say that's hazing.
As I sit here trying to get the thought of soy sauce out of my mental mouth, the only thing I can think of to sum up this post is to wish America the best of luck.
Looks like we're going to need it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/odds-of-government-shutdown-increase-as-breakdown-in-budget-talks-leads-to-public-sniping/2011/03/26/AFvb6ScB_story.html
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/03/26/Jesuits-make-166M-sex-abuse-settlement/UPI-63381301158225/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/12/AR2011031206201.html?tid=obinsite
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
People of Wal-mart: A Tale of Harrowingly Realistic Proportions
So usually I try to write about something relevant to current events, but I think it's about time I shared the following story with the world.
As some of you may know, I spent a brief time during my last semester of college working at Wal-mart. Yes, Wal-mart. I was going to school part-time, and I needed a job. Though I applied to a myriad of places around Ithaca, Wal-mart was the only establishment that was willing to employ me for just 3 months and then let me fly free. So, I donned my khaki pants, my navy blue shirt, and my little nametag, and I began my adventure at the Wal-mart in Ithaca, NY.
It was an experience. I was a cashier, so I got to deal with all of the customers first-hand. It was about a 50-50 split between college students and residents of Ithaca and the surrounding areas. Now, let's get this straight right now--Wal-mart definitely has a reputation for drawing customers from the more...interesting...scope of the population. If you've ever visited peopleofwalmart.com--or Wal-mart, for that matter--you know what I mean. Now, this being Ithaca, which is populated by mostly priveleged college students, I didn't have too many run-ins with really bizarre people. But I did meet some.
The story you are about to read is completely true. Any relation to persons living or dead is in fact purposeful.
It's 10 o'clock at night. I've just left my post at register 12, and I'm ready to end my shift. I'm shuffling to the back of the store toward the mysterious double doors labeled "Employees Only", my navy blue Keds scuffing along the dusty floor, hands in the pockets of my khaki pants. I bust through the swinging doors and am met by the smell of incomplete construction projects layered with a hint of dog food, or something like it. I go to my locker, twist the knob of my combination lock, and yank open the door to my life. I reach in, grab my crumpled-up sweatshirt and 80s leather purse, say good-bye to whoever is within sight, and head back through the swinging doors.
I always washed my hands before leaving work. It was both a symbolic washing my hands of Wal-mart and also a literal washing of all the dust and grime that had accumulated on my fingertips as I swiped barcodes across the scanner and jammed grimey dollar bills into my cash drawer. (Plus, this Wal-mart, which was already enormous, was in the process of becoming a Super Wal-mart, so there was a layer of sawdust covering just about every inch of the store.) Anyway, there's a public restroom right outside the employee doors, so I head toward the door, being careful to avoid the scooter precariously parked outside of the doorway by a customer who was presumably unable to walk independently around the vast enormity that is the Ithaca Wal-mart.
I enter the ladies' room, assuming (stupidly) that I will be able to wash and dry my hands in peace and then be on my merry way. Instead, I am almost immediately met with the sight of a rather large woman standing in front of the electric hand dryer, pantsless. And I do mean pantsless. Completely naked from the waist down.
Now at this point, I have no idea what to do. Knowing full well that I can't just scream and run out of there--at the risk of embarrassing this woman even further--I simply make my way to the sink and begin the handwashing process, hoping to complete it as quickly as possible and making a mental note to use paper towels to dry my hands.
But of course my hopes of avoiding all interaction with this woman are dashed. Having found herself standing half-naked in a public restroom, she feels the need to provide to me an explanation for her actions.
"I don't usually take my pants off in public restrooms," she says to me.
I glance at myself in the mirror. Reverse Courtney, what do I do? My reflection gives me no counsel and instead simply stares back at me, horrified. I respond with something senseless like, "Oh. Ok."
She then proceeds to relay to me the following story: while driving down the road, she spilled her hot coffee on her lap and was so uncomfortable that she decided to come into Wal-mart and dry her pants and undergarments.
Now, this sort of makes sense. However, I failed to see the logic in what I later gathered must have been the process of her actions. She, 1), spills coffee on her lap. Ow, she thinks, that hurt. And my pants are wet, but I would prefer them to be dry.
2) She sees a Wal-mart in the distance, shining like a beacon of redemption and dryness.
3) She pulls up to the Wal-mart, parks her car, and gets out with some difficulty.
Here's where things get confusing. At this point, the coffee has undoubtedly cooled, though her pants may still be uncomfortably damp.
Now, personally, if it were me, I would tough it out in my wet pants and just drive home, where I could take my clothes off in my privacy of my own room.
But no. She instead decides to walk into Wal-mart, commandeer a scooter, drive all the way to the back of the store, park her scooter, enter the bathroom, take off her pants and her underwear in the public area of the restroom, and begin to dry them under the electric hand dryer, knowing full well that anyone could walk in an any time and be met with a very surprising and very unpleasant sight.
And yet, it is the decision she chose to make. And so, I finished washing my hands, avoiding looking anywhere but straight ahead and praying that she would not ask for my assistance. I exited the restroom, power-walked to the front of the store, said good-bye to my fellow cashiers, and burst out into the night air, knowing that--if nothing else--this encounter provided me with some serious material for a story.
Now, before I wrap this up, I just want say a couple of quick things about working at Wal-mart. It may have been unpleasant at times, and maybe it wasn't a postgraduate career that I wanted to pursue, but I would never take back those three months that I spent working there. It was one of the most educational and humbling times of my life. My co-workers were some of the nicest and most down-to-earth people I've ever met. Sure, there were some strange folks, but mostly, just genuinely honest people. People who ask how you are and actually care about your answer. A manager who sincerely thanked me for my time there when I announced that I had to leave.
And then of course there were the humbling moments. Times when customers would ask me about myself and be genuinely surprised that I was in college. Times when I would see people from school come in and feel embarrassed that I was working at Wal-mart--not because I doing research for some liberal expose of corporate America, but because I needed the money. Times when my professors would tell me to quit, not realizing that I couldn't.
But like I said, I would never take those moments back. Not every part of life is sparkly and shiny. Sometimes life is difficult--a lot more difficult than working at Wal-mart for a semester--and not everyone gets to experience that. So many people have to fight every single day to keep going, and so many other people have no idea what that's like. It would be so much easier to live with each other and to create a better world for each other if only everyone knew what it was like to struggle, even just a little bit.
I don't think everyone should go out and work at Wal-mart for a week, but maybe just take a step back from your life and realize that the amount of what you have is the exact amount of what you have to lose.
As some of you may know, I spent a brief time during my last semester of college working at Wal-mart. Yes, Wal-mart. I was going to school part-time, and I needed a job. Though I applied to a myriad of places around Ithaca, Wal-mart was the only establishment that was willing to employ me for just 3 months and then let me fly free. So, I donned my khaki pants, my navy blue shirt, and my little nametag, and I began my adventure at the Wal-mart in Ithaca, NY.
It was an experience. I was a cashier, so I got to deal with all of the customers first-hand. It was about a 50-50 split between college students and residents of Ithaca and the surrounding areas. Now, let's get this straight right now--Wal-mart definitely has a reputation for drawing customers from the more...interesting...scope of the population. If you've ever visited peopleofwalmart.com--or Wal-mart, for that matter--you know what I mean. Now, this being Ithaca, which is populated by mostly priveleged college students, I didn't have too many run-ins with really bizarre people. But I did meet some.
The story you are about to read is completely true. Any relation to persons living or dead is in fact purposeful.
It's 10 o'clock at night. I've just left my post at register 12, and I'm ready to end my shift. I'm shuffling to the back of the store toward the mysterious double doors labeled "Employees Only", my navy blue Keds scuffing along the dusty floor, hands in the pockets of my khaki pants. I bust through the swinging doors and am met by the smell of incomplete construction projects layered with a hint of dog food, or something like it. I go to my locker, twist the knob of my combination lock, and yank open the door to my life. I reach in, grab my crumpled-up sweatshirt and 80s leather purse, say good-bye to whoever is within sight, and head back through the swinging doors.
I always washed my hands before leaving work. It was both a symbolic washing my hands of Wal-mart and also a literal washing of all the dust and grime that had accumulated on my fingertips as I swiped barcodes across the scanner and jammed grimey dollar bills into my cash drawer. (Plus, this Wal-mart, which was already enormous, was in the process of becoming a Super Wal-mart, so there was a layer of sawdust covering just about every inch of the store.) Anyway, there's a public restroom right outside the employee doors, so I head toward the door, being careful to avoid the scooter precariously parked outside of the doorway by a customer who was presumably unable to walk independently around the vast enormity that is the Ithaca Wal-mart.
I enter the ladies' room, assuming (stupidly) that I will be able to wash and dry my hands in peace and then be on my merry way. Instead, I am almost immediately met with the sight of a rather large woman standing in front of the electric hand dryer, pantsless. And I do mean pantsless. Completely naked from the waist down.
Now at this point, I have no idea what to do. Knowing full well that I can't just scream and run out of there--at the risk of embarrassing this woman even further--I simply make my way to the sink and begin the handwashing process, hoping to complete it as quickly as possible and making a mental note to use paper towels to dry my hands.
But of course my hopes of avoiding all interaction with this woman are dashed. Having found herself standing half-naked in a public restroom, she feels the need to provide to me an explanation for her actions.
"I don't usually take my pants off in public restrooms," she says to me.
I glance at myself in the mirror. Reverse Courtney, what do I do? My reflection gives me no counsel and instead simply stares back at me, horrified. I respond with something senseless like, "Oh. Ok."
She then proceeds to relay to me the following story: while driving down the road, she spilled her hot coffee on her lap and was so uncomfortable that she decided to come into Wal-mart and dry her pants and undergarments.
Now, this sort of makes sense. However, I failed to see the logic in what I later gathered must have been the process of her actions. She, 1), spills coffee on her lap. Ow, she thinks, that hurt. And my pants are wet, but I would prefer them to be dry.
2) She sees a Wal-mart in the distance, shining like a beacon of redemption and dryness.
3) She pulls up to the Wal-mart, parks her car, and gets out with some difficulty.
Here's where things get confusing. At this point, the coffee has undoubtedly cooled, though her pants may still be uncomfortably damp.
Now, personally, if it were me, I would tough it out in my wet pants and just drive home, where I could take my clothes off in my privacy of my own room.
But no. She instead decides to walk into Wal-mart, commandeer a scooter, drive all the way to the back of the store, park her scooter, enter the bathroom, take off her pants and her underwear in the public area of the restroom, and begin to dry them under the electric hand dryer, knowing full well that anyone could walk in an any time and be met with a very surprising and very unpleasant sight.
And yet, it is the decision she chose to make. And so, I finished washing my hands, avoiding looking anywhere but straight ahead and praying that she would not ask for my assistance. I exited the restroom, power-walked to the front of the store, said good-bye to my fellow cashiers, and burst out into the night air, knowing that--if nothing else--this encounter provided me with some serious material for a story.
Now, before I wrap this up, I just want say a couple of quick things about working at Wal-mart. It may have been unpleasant at times, and maybe it wasn't a postgraduate career that I wanted to pursue, but I would never take back those three months that I spent working there. It was one of the most educational and humbling times of my life. My co-workers were some of the nicest and most down-to-earth people I've ever met. Sure, there were some strange folks, but mostly, just genuinely honest people. People who ask how you are and actually care about your answer. A manager who sincerely thanked me for my time there when I announced that I had to leave.
And then of course there were the humbling moments. Times when customers would ask me about myself and be genuinely surprised that I was in college. Times when I would see people from school come in and feel embarrassed that I was working at Wal-mart--not because I doing research for some liberal expose of corporate America, but because I needed the money. Times when my professors would tell me to quit, not realizing that I couldn't.
But like I said, I would never take those moments back. Not every part of life is sparkly and shiny. Sometimes life is difficult--a lot more difficult than working at Wal-mart for a semester--and not everyone gets to experience that. So many people have to fight every single day to keep going, and so many other people have no idea what that's like. It would be so much easier to live with each other and to create a better world for each other if only everyone knew what it was like to struggle, even just a little bit.
I don't think everyone should go out and work at Wal-mart for a week, but maybe just take a step back from your life and realize that the amount of what you have is the exact amount of what you have to lose.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Ch-ch-ch-changes...
One of my male co-workers forwarded me an article today from a feminist magazine that discussed the new generation of young adults and how glaringly different we are from our predecessors. We've created a new generation and with it, a new way of life--new expectations for ourselves, new motivations for accomplishing goals, new goals in general.
But one of the most interesting points made in the article was the theory that young men in their 20s are trying to extend their adolescence a little bit further than they have in the past. The author of the article, Kay Hymowitz, argues that young men who have graduated from college are still attempting to live a college-boy lifestyle. They aren't trying to get married, or become responsible father figures, or even necessarily live independently. They're trying to work full-time while still maintaining the care-free and sometimes drunken lifestyle that they maintained in college.
Now, granted, this is a generalization which of course I do not support--at least in full. But it is an interesting point. And the argument that the author made was that young men don't have to get into the responsible and stoic father/husband role just yet because young women are no longer heading toward the mother/wife role as quickly as they used to. Generations ago, women didn't even go to college. They moved through grade school and then prepared for life as a mother and wife. But now women are pursuing careers--not just jobs, but real careers. They don't have time to be pregnant, or engaged, or even in a relationship in their 20s.
As Hymowitz states, "Today, however, with women moving ahead in our advanced economy, husbands and fathers are now optional, and the qualities of character men once needed to play their roles—fortitude, stoicism, courage, fidelity—are obsolete, even a little embarrassing. "
But I must disagree. Just because women are starting to show more fortitude and courage doesn't mean men should give up on those things. While I do think that women have made great progess over the past few generations in terms of indpendence and gender equality, I certainly don't think that a young man who is responsible and faithful is something to be laughed about or to be embarrased by. To me, the most attractive men are the ones who take responsibility for their actions, who work hard, and who show respect for women, for their families, and for other people.
Does that mean I want to get married to a respectable young man tomorrow or even in the next few years? No. I am one of those girls who is trying to create a life for herself that consists of a career and complete financial independence. Because let's face it, you can't successfully be with someone else until you've learned how to be yourself. It sounds corny, but it's true. How can you share your life with someone else when you don't even know what life is?
Someone else I work with was talking about all of the uprisings that have been occurring in Africa and the Middle East and commented that the world was falling apart. But I had to argue. The world isn't falling apart, it's getting better. We're improving our own lives by rising up against oppressive leaders, stereotypes, and the expectations and boundaries set for us by past generations. Sure, we may have absolutely no clue what we're doing because we have no historical examples to follow, but the point is, we're doing something different. And despite its flaws, it seems to be working.
Here's the article (Thanks, Patty): http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704409004576146321725889448.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read
But one of the most interesting points made in the article was the theory that young men in their 20s are trying to extend their adolescence a little bit further than they have in the past. The author of the article, Kay Hymowitz, argues that young men who have graduated from college are still attempting to live a college-boy lifestyle. They aren't trying to get married, or become responsible father figures, or even necessarily live independently. They're trying to work full-time while still maintaining the care-free and sometimes drunken lifestyle that they maintained in college.
Now, granted, this is a generalization which of course I do not support--at least in full. But it is an interesting point. And the argument that the author made was that young men don't have to get into the responsible and stoic father/husband role just yet because young women are no longer heading toward the mother/wife role as quickly as they used to. Generations ago, women didn't even go to college. They moved through grade school and then prepared for life as a mother and wife. But now women are pursuing careers--not just jobs, but real careers. They don't have time to be pregnant, or engaged, or even in a relationship in their 20s.
As Hymowitz states, "Today, however, with women moving ahead in our advanced economy, husbands and fathers are now optional, and the qualities of character men once needed to play their roles—fortitude, stoicism, courage, fidelity—are obsolete, even a little embarrassing. "
But I must disagree. Just because women are starting to show more fortitude and courage doesn't mean men should give up on those things. While I do think that women have made great progess over the past few generations in terms of indpendence and gender equality, I certainly don't think that a young man who is responsible and faithful is something to be laughed about or to be embarrased by. To me, the most attractive men are the ones who take responsibility for their actions, who work hard, and who show respect for women, for their families, and for other people.
Does that mean I want to get married to a respectable young man tomorrow or even in the next few years? No. I am one of those girls who is trying to create a life for herself that consists of a career and complete financial independence. Because let's face it, you can't successfully be with someone else until you've learned how to be yourself. It sounds corny, but it's true. How can you share your life with someone else when you don't even know what life is?
Someone else I work with was talking about all of the uprisings that have been occurring in Africa and the Middle East and commented that the world was falling apart. But I had to argue. The world isn't falling apart, it's getting better. We're improving our own lives by rising up against oppressive leaders, stereotypes, and the expectations and boundaries set for us by past generations. Sure, we may have absolutely no clue what we're doing because we have no historical examples to follow, but the point is, we're doing something different. And despite its flaws, it seems to be working.
Here's the article (Thanks, Patty): http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704409004576146321725889448.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read
Thursday, February 24, 2011
A Step in the Right Direction!
A couple of posts ago, I asked readers to go to freedomtomarry.org and write a letter to their state representatives, pleading with them to work to pass a bill that legalizes gay marriage. I wrote my letter, and I hope that some of you did too.
If you did, you might have made a difference. Yesterday, Obama declared that the federal government could no longer defend the fifteen year-old Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman. It also states that no state needs to acknowledge a same-sex marriage just because another state deems it a marriage.
So when Obama decided that the DOMA, which bans gay marriage, was unconstitutional, that was a step in the right direction. Not for just one state, but for the whole country.
And then to top it all off, today the Maryland Senate started the ball rolling by approving a bill that legalized gay marriage. Tomorrow, the House will begin their debate and voting process, and if they approve the bill, Governor O'Malley will sign the bill (as he promised to do during his run for office), and Maryland will become the 6th state to legalize gay marriage.
So what does this mean? It means that we're finally making progress when it comes to establishing equal rights for everyone. It means that the people who have been fighting to legalize gay marriage against all odds are finally starting to feel a sense of victory. It means that our own president is finally willing to admit that a ban against gay marriage is unconstitutional and that people who are fighting for equality are finally getting support from their own government.
Others will always fight to keep marriage as some kind of sacred and exclusive bond between a man and a woman. But we will keep fighting back. And someday, decades from now, people will laugh when they think that we ever had to fight at all. Someday marriage will be a right that is afforded to every couple. So keep writing and keep fighting until we've stomped out DOMA altogether!
http://www.npr.org/2011/02/24/134035020/after-obamas-gay-marriage-decision-a-new-world
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/feb/24/maryland-senate-oks-bill-on-gay-marriage/
If you did, you might have made a difference. Yesterday, Obama declared that the federal government could no longer defend the fifteen year-old Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman. It also states that no state needs to acknowledge a same-sex marriage just because another state deems it a marriage.
So when Obama decided that the DOMA, which bans gay marriage, was unconstitutional, that was a step in the right direction. Not for just one state, but for the whole country.
And then to top it all off, today the Maryland Senate started the ball rolling by approving a bill that legalized gay marriage. Tomorrow, the House will begin their debate and voting process, and if they approve the bill, Governor O'Malley will sign the bill (as he promised to do during his run for office), and Maryland will become the 6th state to legalize gay marriage.
So what does this mean? It means that we're finally making progress when it comes to establishing equal rights for everyone. It means that the people who have been fighting to legalize gay marriage against all odds are finally starting to feel a sense of victory. It means that our own president is finally willing to admit that a ban against gay marriage is unconstitutional and that people who are fighting for equality are finally getting support from their own government.
Others will always fight to keep marriage as some kind of sacred and exclusive bond between a man and a woman. But we will keep fighting back. And someday, decades from now, people will laugh when they think that we ever had to fight at all. Someday marriage will be a right that is afforded to every couple. So keep writing and keep fighting until we've stomped out DOMA altogether!
http://www.npr.org/2011/02/24/134035020/after-obamas-gay-marriage-decision-a-new-world
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/feb/24/maryland-senate-oks-bill-on-gay-marriage/
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Freedom for Egypt, but at what price for others?
As most people who don't live under a rock now know, on Friday, Egypt's president finally stepped down after a 30-year rule. The people of Egypt protested in the streets for weeks, wondering if and when President Mubarak would ever relinquish his power. Finally, on February 12th, he made the announcement that he would be giving up his presidential seat.
I was excited--in a world full of bad news, finally some victory for people who deserved it. But now, in the wake of this freedom, some other more disturbing stories are starting to surface. Like the report of CBS correspondent Lara Logan being brutally raped and beaten by a mob of men just after Mubarak made his announcement that he was stepping down.
Now sexual and physical assault is bad enough on its own. Rape is one of the most horrendous offenses anyone could commit against a woman. But in a situation like this, where a huge crowd of people has just earned themselves the victory of a lifetime, why would you choose to defile someone in that way? What possesses a person, who has just been freed from a lifetime of oppression by their own government, to then rob someone else of their sexual and physical freedom? Not to mention, a person who is there for the sole purpose of broadcasting said mob's jubilation and celebration of this long-awaited victory?
It's disgusting. When I first heard the story of Egypt's freedom, I was jealous of the energy that the people in those streets must have been feeling. To finally be free after decades of oppression and unfair rule? To be able to celebrate that moment with thousands upon thousands of people who are feeling the same glorious victory that you feel? But now I wonder what kind of energy must have been flowing through that crowd that would motivate a group of protestors who had just achieved a seemingly impossible goal to violate an innocent woman. What kind of celebration is that? What kind of message does that send?
Men are free, women will never be?
Our government is no longer figuratively raping us, let's literally rape someone else?
Let's metaphorically steal something from someone because we've had so much stolen from us?
We hate the United States?
Don't broadcast our freedom?
It makes you wonder what kind of world we live in. Will there never be any good news?
http://www.lfpress.com/news/world/2011/02/15/17287441.html#/news/world/2011/02/15/pf-17287436.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12476771
I was excited--in a world full of bad news, finally some victory for people who deserved it. But now, in the wake of this freedom, some other more disturbing stories are starting to surface. Like the report of CBS correspondent Lara Logan being brutally raped and beaten by a mob of men just after Mubarak made his announcement that he was stepping down.
Now sexual and physical assault is bad enough on its own. Rape is one of the most horrendous offenses anyone could commit against a woman. But in a situation like this, where a huge crowd of people has just earned themselves the victory of a lifetime, why would you choose to defile someone in that way? What possesses a person, who has just been freed from a lifetime of oppression by their own government, to then rob someone else of their sexual and physical freedom? Not to mention, a person who is there for the sole purpose of broadcasting said mob's jubilation and celebration of this long-awaited victory?
It's disgusting. When I first heard the story of Egypt's freedom, I was jealous of the energy that the people in those streets must have been feeling. To finally be free after decades of oppression and unfair rule? To be able to celebrate that moment with thousands upon thousands of people who are feeling the same glorious victory that you feel? But now I wonder what kind of energy must have been flowing through that crowd that would motivate a group of protestors who had just achieved a seemingly impossible goal to violate an innocent woman. What kind of celebration is that? What kind of message does that send?
Men are free, women will never be?
Our government is no longer figuratively raping us, let's literally rape someone else?
Let's metaphorically steal something from someone because we've had so much stolen from us?
We hate the United States?
Don't broadcast our freedom?
It makes you wonder what kind of world we live in. Will there never be any good news?
http://www.lfpress.com/news/world/2011/02/15/17287441.html#/news/world/2011/02/15/pf-17287436.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12476771
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Could craigslist users get any dumber?
Probably.
It seems like craigslist's reputation gets worse and worse with each passing day. First, craigslist was tainted by the so-called "craigslist killer" who not only used craigslist to find murder victims but then earned a top spot on the Lifetime Movie Network with his self-titled made-for-tv movie.
But craigslist has become more than just a place to find roommates, cheap appliances, and victims. Now it is also serving as a brothel and a blackmarket for stolen goods! Oh, and did I mention that it's now the perfect place to ruin your political career?
That's right; up until recently, craigslist operated an "adult services" section where people could apparently both advertise and look for opportunities that were less than...wholesome. The website shut down this section after pressure from state attorneys and activist groups, but don't worry, weirdos. The prostitutes haven't disappeared. They've moved to facebook.
If that wasn't enough to keep people from using craigslist for anything legitimate ever again, maybe this is: now craigslist is a place where you can sell goods you've stolen from Wal-mart for a profit! That's right, if you're like the Florida woman who was charged with grand theft for stealing electronics from her local superstore, craigslist might be just the place for you. Just don't sell the hard drives to an undercover police detective. Oh, and maybe you should scratch the serial numbers off of the devices so that your local Wal-mart can't match them to the items recently stolen from their establishment.
And as if there weren't enough avenues for politicians to completely destroy their careers, Republican Congressman Chris Lee has found another one in craigslist. The worst part is, he didn't even make an earnest attempt to hide his identity before he sent topless photos of himself to some random woman he found on the site. Oh wait, he did change his name. From Chris Lee to Christopher Lee. And instead of admitting he was a congressman, he told her he was a lobbyist. Really, buddy? That's the best you can do? At least he was smart enough to resign from Congress after that whole debacle. And to think these are the people we have running our country.
I think these stories are just more fuel for the argument that we need to take a few steps back from technology. Or at least from weird illegitimate websites.
Here are the articles for these awesome stories:
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110207/23394213001/prostitutes-have-just-moved-craigslist-to-facebook.shtml
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-02-07/news/os-sanford-computer-parts-arrest-20110207_1_external-hard-drives-craigslist-ads-portable-hard-drives
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2011/02/rep_chris_lee_r-craigslist.html
It seems like craigslist's reputation gets worse and worse with each passing day. First, craigslist was tainted by the so-called "craigslist killer" who not only used craigslist to find murder victims but then earned a top spot on the Lifetime Movie Network with his self-titled made-for-tv movie.
But craigslist has become more than just a place to find roommates, cheap appliances, and victims. Now it is also serving as a brothel and a blackmarket for stolen goods! Oh, and did I mention that it's now the perfect place to ruin your political career?
That's right; up until recently, craigslist operated an "adult services" section where people could apparently both advertise and look for opportunities that were less than...wholesome. The website shut down this section after pressure from state attorneys and activist groups, but don't worry, weirdos. The prostitutes haven't disappeared. They've moved to facebook.
If that wasn't enough to keep people from using craigslist for anything legitimate ever again, maybe this is: now craigslist is a place where you can sell goods you've stolen from Wal-mart for a profit! That's right, if you're like the Florida woman who was charged with grand theft for stealing electronics from her local superstore, craigslist might be just the place for you. Just don't sell the hard drives to an undercover police detective. Oh, and maybe you should scratch the serial numbers off of the devices so that your local Wal-mart can't match them to the items recently stolen from their establishment.
And as if there weren't enough avenues for politicians to completely destroy their careers, Republican Congressman Chris Lee has found another one in craigslist. The worst part is, he didn't even make an earnest attempt to hide his identity before he sent topless photos of himself to some random woman he found on the site. Oh wait, he did change his name. From Chris Lee to Christopher Lee. And instead of admitting he was a congressman, he told her he was a lobbyist. Really, buddy? That's the best you can do? At least he was smart enough to resign from Congress after that whole debacle. And to think these are the people we have running our country.
I think these stories are just more fuel for the argument that we need to take a few steps back from technology. Or at least from weird illegitimate websites.
Here are the articles for these awesome stories:
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110207/23394213001/prostitutes-have-just-moved-craigslist-to-facebook.shtml
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-02-07/news/os-sanford-computer-parts-arrest-20110207_1_external-hard-drives-craigslist-ads-portable-hard-drives
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2011/02/rep_chris_lee_r-craigslist.html
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Freedom to marry
Maryland legislators are going to be voting on a bill legalizing same-sex marriage. Please visit freedomtomarry.org to write a letter to your state representative, urging them to vote for equal marriage rights for all.
There is a standard letter already composed for you if you don't know what to say.
This is what I wrote:
I live in your district at [my address] and I am writing to urge you to vote for a bill allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry.
America has long been hailed as a place where people can be free. Being able to marry someone that you love, no matter what, should be one of those freedoms.
As a young woman who hopes to have a family of her own one day, I want to know that I will be able to raise my children in a state--and someday a country--where everyone is afforded the same rights.
We have a responsibility to our fellow humans. You, as state representatives, have the power to make the change that no one else can--to finally give same-sex couples the same rights as everyone else.
Thank you,
[my name]
I'm not going to make an argument for same-sex marriage here. If you don't already believe that everyone should have the same rights in marriage, reading a blog post by someone--no matter who it is--isn't going to change your mind.
But if you, like many others, believe that everyone should be afforded the same rights, please take a couple of minutes to visit freedomtomarry.org and send a letter to your representatives.
We have to start taking care of each other.
There is a standard letter already composed for you if you don't know what to say.
This is what I wrote:
I live in your district at [my address] and I am writing to urge you to vote for a bill allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry.
America has long been hailed as a place where people can be free. Being able to marry someone that you love, no matter what, should be one of those freedoms.
As a young woman who hopes to have a family of her own one day, I want to know that I will be able to raise my children in a state--and someday a country--where everyone is afforded the same rights.
We have a responsibility to our fellow humans. You, as state representatives, have the power to make the change that no one else can--to finally give same-sex couples the same rights as everyone else.
Thank you,
[my name]
I'm not going to make an argument for same-sex marriage here. If you don't already believe that everyone should have the same rights in marriage, reading a blog post by someone--no matter who it is--isn't going to change your mind.
But if you, like many others, believe that everyone should be afforded the same rights, please take a couple of minutes to visit freedomtomarry.org and send a letter to your representatives.
We have to start taking care of each other.
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