January 10, 2010
Banning Maya Angelou from school libraries and curricula is like banning Jesus’ crucifixion from Bible studies because it is “violent” and possibly “gory.”
Here is the relevant quote:
While you’re at it OC, ban the bible too. There’s a lot more rape and killing in that horrid book.
No, I don’t think the Bible should be banned. I think every school should have important religious and cultural texts in its library, for students to access and study (including important books of other religions, such as the Torah and Qur’an).
For the same reason, Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings should be in every school library. It is a relevant, timeless classic that can help us learn about ourselves, including how to develop empathy and compassion. For example, to overcome internalized homophobia (that says gay people somehow want or need to become straight, rather than asking us to accept them for who they are). And isn’t that what Jesus was all about?
“The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.” –Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891
Leave a Comment » |
Quote of the Day, i read, i think | Tagged: banned books, Banned Books Week, Bible, censorship, Christianity, compassion, empathy, fear, homophobia, hypocrisy, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Jesus, Maya Angelou, Qur'an, Torah |
Permalink
Posted by ozob
December 11, 2009
Viggo Mortensen writes over at Huffington Post about his experience unlearning the myth of the “great man” in our histories, and what it means about our abilities and responsibilities:
We can’t wait on others to “lead” us or solve our problems for us. We have to participate, to engage, every day and not just once every four years.
The rest of the brief essay is great. Check out the Voices of a People’s History project when you have a chance.
Leave a Comment » |
Quote of the Day, i read | Tagged: A People's History, great man, history, Howard Zinn, Huffington Post, myth, Viggo Mortensen, Voices of a People's History |
Permalink
Posted by ozob
December 2, 2009
Thomas over at Feministing posed a great question in response to the movie trailer for the new film, An Emasculating Truth:
So I’ve been thinking about this, and I keep coming back to a question that I can’t answer:
What positive qualities do I want to see in a son that I don’t want to see in a daughter?
I can’t think of any.
Great question. Hopefully, it stumps most everyone. Hardcore sexists, maybe not so much. But in the least, it’s a great conversation starter.
Leave a Comment » |
Quote of the Day, i read | Tagged: an emasculating truth, femininity, feminism, gender, masculinity, sexism |
Permalink
Posted by ozob
November 19, 2009
UPDATE: Alex Dibranco is a woman. And I still love her question. Thank you to Alex for the correction.
Courtney over at Feministing have put together a compilation of various men’s thoughts in response to her previous post, which discusses alternatives to “toxic masculinity” (e.g., Tucker Max). My personal favorite (either by Courtney or David Pitcher — I can’t tell) echoes sentiments I expressed in response to a local outbreak of domestic violence murder-suicides:
Boys are so paranoid about appearing feminine that they adapt a “culture of cruelty” and retreat into the common male role. How can we raise our boys to break this pattern?
To answer this question, a little further up, Alex Dibranco ventures:
What if Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment |
Quote of the Day, i read, i think | Tagged: Alex Dibranco, David Pitcher, femininity, feminism, feministing, Global Symposium on Engaging Men and Boys on Achieving Gender Equality, masculinity, sexism, Tal Peretz, Tucker Max |
Permalink
Posted by ozob
November 11, 2009
4 Comments |
Just Thinking Out Loud, News, i think | Tagged: Ashley Kendall, bystander intervention, Ceantwaun L. Barr, courage, domestic violence, entitlement, Fort Hood, free hugs, gender roles, gender-based violence, gun control, gun violence, guns, healthy masculinity, male pattern violence, masculinity, men's violence, Mukesh Suthar, Prevent-Connect, prevention, racism, Robert James Beiser, Ronak, sexism, shootings, slavery, Tameka Medina, Teresa Marie Beiser, Travis Kendall, Varsha, violence against women, violence prevention |
Permalink
Posted by ozob
September 9, 2009
DiezelP writes over at What’s Happening PDX:
Will Hip-Hop Ever Reach Its Full Potential?
The Worth of Women
How will hip hop ever grow to its full potential when the very gender that reproduces our future artists, activists, columnists, producers, and entrepreneurs of our urban community are belittled to almost an object for the testosterone filled modern day rappers? When did the women of our culture become only useful for physical beauty and sexual activity? Why doesn’t Rap music uplift and inspire their female listeners to reach the same level of success males have?
Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » |
art, i read, i think | Tagged: bitches, DiezelP, disrespect, dominant narrative, hip hop, hos, leadership, misogyny, objectification, oppression, Oregon, PDX, pop culture, Portland, rap, respect, sexism, What's Happening PDX, women |
Permalink
Posted by ozob
Football Fans: Racism, Sexism, Masculinity
December 31, 2009Data source: Stokley gets ejected for slapping the ref
sample size: 1622 comments (as of 01:30 12/31/09)
A keyword search of comments reveals the following:
Pussy (and variants) x 72
Sissy x 4
Bitch (and variants) x 63
Fag (and variants) x 32
Gay x 30
blowjob jokes x 18
Nigger (and variants) x 36
Coons x 2
Assuming 1 keyword per comment, ~15.5% of comments are sexist or racist
CAVEATS: Read the rest of this entry »