Quote of the Day: Diamonds and Sex Trafficking

“A diamond is forever”

Here’s some cultural context for you in an analysis of this new phenomenon of the “GFE” in prostitution:

[...]Dude, talk about buying someone heart and soul.

Then of course there’s the entitlement aspect. The men who engage in such a thing not only believe that it’s right and appropriate to buy away a woman’s loathing of them and that she should act like she likes it, but they also believe that they, for whatever reason, have a right to a relationship. They have a right to buy another human being, use it, discard it, and she should pretend that she enjoys it.

A local anti-sexist activist of faith here (where I live) regularly talks about how “the culture is a pimp for all our girls and women.”   In other words,

Canaries in the Cultural Mine: Suicide and Justice

In my experience, few people doubt that when someone commits suicide, it means something was terribly wrong. However, too often we draw the conclusion that something was wrong with the person committing suicide. We often assume in the absence of information that the cause of the suicide was purely internal (e.g., psychological) rather than external (e.g., environmental; social or cultural). We also tend to label people who commit suicide as “selfish.” This assumption is often completely wrong.

In his essay, “Of collateral damage and roosting chickens…” Tim Wise uses the “Canary in the mine” analogy to describe how racism amongst the white working class actually does considerable damage to the welfare of white workers:

Open Letter to Attorney General concerning the death of Aiyana Stanley-Jones

Below is the letter, based on the suggestions about how to channel your outrage over Aiyana’s death. Also, for a great analysis of the role “reality TV” and racism played, read this

Dear Attorney General Eric Holder,

I am one of the people outraged at what happened to Aiyana Stanley-Jones in Detroit. Not just because the police carelessly burned and executed a seven year old girl sleeping on a couch. That is bad enough. Despite the fact that police received warnings that there were children in the house. That is worse. But most of all because the police, and whoever heads the police, think black people are worthless enough to be used as props on the latest thin-brained reality TV show. Aiyana Stanley-Jones died that day for a few minutes of televised entertainment. Long before that, white power brokers dehumanized and alienated the members of the black community to the point where they lost their intrinsic value as people in the eyes of the police. And this is the real reason why Aiyana died, like so many before her.

Racist violence is resurging in America. Where is the leadership for justice and compassion?

Is “vegan hypocrisy” redundant?

I am reposting my response to a vegan soapboxing about animal rights and respect.  The title is provocative — I think there are plenty of ways and reasons to be vegan and vegetarian without being a hypocrite.  I just wish that the hypocritical thinking wasn’t as pervasive as it currently is — it doesn’t help anyone when vegans are constantly trying to position themselves amongst the “elite” of environmental activists, and it calls into question their understanding of the systemic nature of oppression.  To talk about the oppression of animals (and plants, and…), we need to talk about human power, privilege, and identity, and how that shapes our relationships with non-humans on this world.  It means taking a look at our spirituality and the spiritual connection we experience and share (or not) with all living things, regardless of their kingdom.

The argument I hear boils down to “I don’t eat meat because I respect animals.”  I believe it’s a dangerous and incoherent line of reasoning. “Oppose the injustice against the plant kingdom: stop eating plants!”  I.e., the injustice isn’t in what we eat, it is in HOW.  For examples, see many of the aboriginal cultures we are still systematically dismantling.  The full response is below.

Equal societies are safer, healthier, happier

These days have me questioning our current predicaments:   Why did we get to where we are at today? Two answers, two sides of the same coin: Greed and need.