@BestEuphemismEver @Sarah Dove: You guys are both right. Dignity was the wrong word. I guess what I meant was more that she'd been publicly humiliated, which correlates to dignity, but she has been a class act.
It is really unfortunate that world class sports don't seem to be able to control what should be private information. This is an extreme case, given the nature of the investigation but similarly with doping offenses, often what should be a confidential first result that an athlete can challenge in court or by requiring a re-test is leaked to the public, thereby ruining the athlete's career and reputation, regardless of validity. This is a problem not limited to sports either. I'm nostalgic for a time when confidentiality (even of an event that might be deemed newsworthy) truly existed.
You know, I don't believe in violence, but I kind of hope all these people die in a fire. I realize sports are a big deal for some people and all, but I really think it's fucked up that in the name of "fairness in sport," this person was dragged through the mud and just generally subjected to an utterly inappropriate level of public scrutiny.
@PilgrimSoul: I am sure your comment was meant tongue in cheek, but speaking as someone who was trapped in a house fire (it was arson) and almost died, it is not a fate I would wish on anyone.
I was randomly thinking about this this morning- how little equality there is in the workforce and how to change it. I honestly feel like what needs to happen is wider acceptance of women in non-powered but typically male positions, not necessarily political positions of power, and vice versa. What I mean is, until we reach equality in our road crews, landscaping teams, and construction crews, as well as in our domestic and service work positions (more men in those), we simply won't see more women being elected because people will still see others in terms of proscribed gender roles. Sort of a bottom-up mentality, I guess. It just seems like no matter how many female senators we have, people will still see women as belonging in the home if all housekeepers are women and still see men as tough if all cops are men because gender stereotypes are continually being subconsciously reinforced on a daily basis and it's very easy to write off those female senators as exceptions to the general rule.
But then again, I haven't studied this and it was before coffee.
@slowpoke.r: Well, that might be happening now. I don't know about everyone else but my boyfriend, while not unemployed per se, is currently working from home.
Coming home to dishes done and dinner made is nice but he blew my mind the other night when he told me he wanted to stay home with our future kids. I am a lawyer and I love my job though recently I've started worrying that I wouldn't be ready for kids until it was too late. The thought that he'd want to stay home with the kids never crossed my mind (even though he's MUCH better equiped to spend ten hours a day with children).
The rethinking of gender roles could be the silver lining of a crap economy.
@PetiteGal: Hm. It's a class issue, perhaps- are girls being encouraged to go into white collar fields, or are people who have the access and education to get white collar jobs more likely to support equality, or at least make a show of it? I really don't know.
In terms of the types of jobs I'm talking about, I'd say there definitely is a physical strength bias as well as a protect-the-little-women mentality that helps keep these jobs gender specific, as well as very limiting concepts about what is "manly" or appropriate work for men. The former biases ignore the fact that women are much more likely to experience violence in their lives already, as well as the fact that domestic work is often just as labor intensive, if not more so, than traditionally male labor-oriented jobs. Those are really based on nothing more than gender roles and they aren't challenged by making a woman the head of the County Works Department, because no matter how capable she is she will still be seen as a token or an exception. The only way to change them is by employing more women and more men in jobs that are currently seen as belonging almost completely, if not completely, to the other gender.
@winner: That's awesome. My bro stayed at home for a couple years with his kids and it really does help people reconsider their own notions of what is and isn't appropriate. I hope you're right about the silver lining.
Many Nordic countries also have a lot of social programs designed to aid working mothers -- for instance, paternity leave and universal daycare. I imagine that this is a huge factor in their advances.
Gender equality nearly exists in Scandinavia because both men and women understand the secret of lutefisk and aren't afraid to use it against the other group. It sounds all peaceful and fun and stuff, but it's really more like the Cuban missle crisis than Utopia.
Well for one thing they're smaller and lack the diversity of the UK and the US. You can get more progressive legislation through if an overwhelming majority think the same way and have the same needs.
@Jessi Ramsey: Smaller, less diverse, more economically stable (well, not Iceland, at least not since the banks collapsed), more peaceful...the list goes on and on.
@athenaswisdom: But economically stable and more peaceful for whom? The Minister for Integration and Gender Equality in Sweden has a bias against Muslims. Doesn't really sound like equality efforts are being made for anyone but the majority to me. That isn't different from other countries.
@Jessi Ramsey: Hey, she IS a muslim! (This is NOT about beliefs - it's about your right to impose various restrictions on others, based on your beliefs.)
She has just been very clear that we do not want - for example - separate divorce laws based on religious beliefs (muslim or other) in our country, nor do we condone, say, female circumcision.
If the law says that you are not allowed to spank children, you cannot ask for an exception based on your religious beliefs.
If you think that boys and girls should not go to school together, or that girls should not participate in e g swimming education (mandatory!), or be taught religion (the subject treats all religions as well as humanism/athesim equally in our schools) or find out about where babies come from (mandatory as well) - well, forget it.
Don't try to use religion as an argument - REGARDLESS of whether you're christian (any flavour), muslim, judaeic, mormon, scientologist, bahai... (And home schooling does not exist in our country.)
I might as well ask if you have a bias against women? Black women? Immigrants? Highly educated women? Liberals? Female ministers? People who consider religious beliefs (or lack thereof) to be something personal and private? Female muslims who do not believe in sharia? Any or all of the above?
Then you'd find good company in some of the crazy right-wing christians in our country - they don't like her type either.
But I'm willing to assume that you just forgot to look up the facts.
@littlegreenalien: Yes, I as an educated black woman who is the daughter of immigrants have an issue with black women, the educated, ministers and immigrants.
Separation of church and state is one thing. Protecting women against violence, I am absolutely for that. But saying that Muslims who pray 5 times a day or wear the veil are limiting their opportunities and preventing themselves from "assimilating" is promoting hegemony.
Also, the minster's mother is Muslim but she was raised as non-religious.
@Dalinae: [www.nytimes.com]
I agree with her that people misread what "freedom of religion" means, genital mutilation and other anti female practices are things to not be tolerated in any society. But Muslims who live the book of Koran are limiting their opportunities? Living the word of the Koran can manifest a belief ranging from conservative to progressive feminism. She's painting Islam with one brush.
She also subscribes to the 'complaining about discrimination is making one's self into a victim' school of thinking. She believes Muslims marginalize themselves. How can someone who believes that take the issues/complaints of immigrants and/or minorities seriously?
@Jessi Ramsey: Yeah, she's a bit out there. That's one thing about previously-disadvantaged bootstrap people: they either get a lot more compassion for groups out of the mainstream or way, way less.
Those stats in the video - WAY LOW. That just breaks my heart.
I am glad I didn't have daughters - or sons for that matter. The responsibility for teaching young women to respect/protect themselves while not being afraid to live, and the difficulty in raising responsible young men who are barraged with images of violence and degradation everywhere is paralyzing to me. #hitabitch
WTF? Where are the consequences? No arrest? No revenge-killing? No watching "your" kid beating "your" toddler? You get called names?
A much better way to demonstrate this is that when you hit someone, you're potentially hitting anyone that comes in contact with them, too. And if those people hit someone as a result, it doesn't take a genius to figure out how widespread the damage becomes and it doesn't take an Oscar-winner to visualize it either.
It's an exponential problem, and people need to be made to feel accountable for it be reduced. #hitabitch
@Penny: You should have to upload a picture of your daughter/sister/mother/niece before you start that would replace the face of the girl in the game. That would make the "hit the bitch" game title a bit more effective. #hitabitch
So men are either a "pussy" "gangsta" or an "idiot". Not helpful - since not being an idiot on this scale makes one a pussy. Perfect since every guy wants to be called a pussy and women are in no way offended by using that term. #hitabitch
11/19/09
11/19/09
11/19/09
#tips
11/19/09
11/19/09
11/19/09
11/19/09
Although my mother would tell you that the ill-wishing is kind of violent ;)
11/18/09
But then again, I haven't studied this and it was before coffee.
11/18/09
Coming home to dishes done and dinner made is nice but he blew my mind the other night when he told me he wanted to stay home with our future kids. I am a lawyer and I love my job though recently I've started worrying that I wouldn't be ready for kids until it was too late. The thought that he'd want to stay home with the kids never crossed my mind (even though he's MUCH better equiped to spend ten hours a day with children).
The rethinking of gender roles could be the silver lining of a crap economy.
11/18/09
@PetiteGal: Hm. It's a class issue, perhaps- are girls being encouraged to go into white collar fields, or are people who have the access and education to get white collar jobs more likely to support equality, or at least make a show of it? I really don't know.
In terms of the types of jobs I'm talking about, I'd say there definitely is a physical strength bias as well as a protect-the-little-women mentality that helps keep these jobs gender specific, as well as very limiting concepts about what is "manly" or appropriate work for men. The former biases ignore the fact that women are much more likely to experience violence in their lives already, as well as the fact that domestic work is often just as labor intensive, if not more so, than traditionally male labor-oriented jobs. Those are really based on nothing more than gender roles and they aren't challenged by making a woman the head of the County Works Department, because no matter how capable she is she will still be seen as a token or an exception. The only way to change them is by employing more women and more men in jobs that are currently seen as belonging almost completely, if not completely, to the other gender.
@winner: That's awesome. My bro stayed at home for a couple years with his kids and it really does help people reconsider their own notions of what is and isn't appropriate. I hope you're right about the silver lining.
11/18/09
11/18/09
11/18/09
11/18/09
11/18/09
11/18/09
She has just been very clear that we do not want - for example - separate divorce laws based on religious beliefs (muslim or other) in our country, nor do we condone, say, female circumcision.
If the law says that you are not allowed to spank children, you cannot ask for an exception based on your religious beliefs.
If you think that boys and girls should not go to school together, or that girls should not participate in e g swimming education (mandatory!), or be taught religion (the subject treats all religions as well as humanism/athesim equally in our schools) or find out about where babies come from (mandatory as well) - well, forget it.
Don't try to use religion as an argument - REGARDLESS of whether you're christian (any flavour), muslim, judaeic, mormon, scientologist, bahai... (And home schooling does not exist in our country.)
I might as well ask if you have a bias against women? Black women? Immigrants? Highly educated women? Liberals? Female ministers? People who consider religious beliefs (or lack thereof) to be something personal and private? Female muslims who do not believe in sharia? Any or all of the above?
Then you'd find good company in some of the crazy right-wing christians in our country - they don't like her type either.
But I'm willing to assume that you just forgot to look up the facts.
11/18/09
11/18/09
Separation of church and state is one thing. Protecting women against violence, I am absolutely for that. But saying that Muslims who pray 5 times a day or wear the veil are limiting their opportunities and preventing themselves from "assimilating" is promoting hegemony.
Also, the minster's mother is Muslim but she was raised as non-religious.
11/18/09
I agree with her that people misread what "freedom of religion" means, genital mutilation and other anti female practices are things to not be tolerated in any society. But Muslims who live the book of Koran are limiting their opportunities? Living the word of the Koran can manifest a belief ranging from conservative to progressive feminism. She's painting Islam with one brush.
She also subscribes to the 'complaining about discrimination is making one's self into a victim' school of thinking. She believes Muslims marginalize themselves. How can someone who believes that take the issues/complaints of immigrants and/or minorities seriously?
11/19/09
#tips
11/18/09
11/17/09
I am glad I didn't have daughters - or sons for that matter. The responsibility for teaching young women to respect/protect themselves while not being afraid to live, and the difficulty in raising responsible young men who are barraged with images of violence and degradation everywhere is paralyzing to me. #hitabitch
11/17/09
Little did I know, I was reducing his chances of domestic violence! #hitabitch
11/17/09
A much better way to demonstrate this is that when you hit someone, you're potentially hitting anyone that comes in contact with them, too. And if those people hit someone as a result, it doesn't take a genius to figure out how widespread the damage becomes and it doesn't take an Oscar-winner to visualize it either.
It's an exponential problem, and people need to be made to feel accountable for it be reduced. #hitabitch
11/17/09
11/17/09
I thought not. #hitabitch
11/17/09
"Now, play again an imagine that this woman is your daughter/sister/mother/niece." #hitabitch
11/17/09
11/17/09
11/17/09
11/17/09
11/17/09