piasharn | Entries tagged with current events

This is not "just politics" or blaming for political advantage. This is about the real consequences of what governments do and do not do about their responsibilities. And about who winds up paying the price for those policies.

This is a column for everyone in the path of Hurricane Katrina who ever said, "I'm sorry, I'm just not interested in politics," or, "There's nothing I can do about it," or, "Eh, they're all crooks anyway."

Nothing to do with me, nothing to do with my life, nothing I can do about any of it. Look around you this morning.

(source)

Note: this link will only lead to that article for a short period. If I find a more permanent link, I'll edit this post to include it. Otherwise, you'll need to read the article before a new one is posted.

I've started, and deleted, several posts on Katrina. I've tried writing entries that link to all kinds of stories - the good, the bad, and the ugly. I've tried writing opinion pieces. I've tried writing rants. I'm not totally sure why I haven't gone through with any of them. They just didn't feel right.

Perhaps it's because, like so many people, I'm just looking for someone to blame. I see the images of the dead and injured, and I wonder how we could let this happen. I hear people blaming the victims or jumping to conclusions or making racist comments, and I just want to hit something.

So I'm not sure how I feel and how I should feel. However, I do want you to go read that article that I linked above. I think it raises a very important point that we all need to remember. Elections do matter. Politics do matter. What has happened, and is currently happening, in Louisiana is a direct result of the policies and laws that we have allowed to be put into place.

Get informed. Get involved. To quote a bumpersticker, the future is shaped by those who show up.

Current Mood: tired
Current Music: Jimi Hendrix

Via Pandagon, who got it from Eve's Apple, who got it off a Pro-Life mailing list.

Copied below is the actual text of the email that Eve's Apple received on Monday. Man, the things that people come up with...

From: Columbia Christians for Life
Subject: Hurricane Katrina satellite image looks like 6-week fetus
To: Columbia Christians for Life

Satellite picture of Hurricane Katrina at NOAA.com looks like a 6-week unborn human child as it comes ashore the Gulf Coast, vicinity states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida at 12:32 PM, Monday, August 29, 2005

Hurricane "Katrina" (reportedly means "Pure" in Russian) - satellite image - Monday, 29 Aug 05, 12:32 PM (EDT) - coming ashore Gulf Coast - satellite image looks like 6-week fetus

check out NOAA website: www.noaa.gov/

The image of the hurricane above with its eye already ashore at 12:32 PM Monday, August 29 looks like a fetus (unborn human baby) facing to the left (west) in the womb, in the early weeks of gestation (approx. 6 weeks). Even the orange color of the image is reminiscent of a commonly used pro-life picture of early prenatal development (see sign with picture of 8-week pre-born human child below). In this picture, and in another picture in today's on-line edition of USA Today*, this hurricane looks like an unborn human child.

Louisiana has 10 child-murder-by-abortion centers - FIVE are in New Orleans
www.ldi.org ('Find an Abortion Clinic [sic]')

Baby-murder state # 1 - California (125 abortion centers) - land of earthquakes, forest fires, and mudslides
Baby-murder state # 2 - New York (78 abortion centers) - 9-11 Ground Zero
Baby-murder state # 3 - Florida (73 abortion centers) - Hurricanes Bonnie, Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne in 2004; and now, Hurricane Katrina in 2005

God's message: REPENT AMERICA !

First off, I'm going to be nit-picky and point out that at six weeks, it's not a fetus, it's an embryo. Yeesh.

Second, I'm willing to grant that, yes, it does bear a resemblance to an embryo. However, where is their proof that it is a human embryo, eh? Let's play a little game that a biology professor once demonstrated to my class called Spot The Human.

One of these is a human embryo. The others are a tortoise, chicken, pig, cow, and rabbit. Can you tell which is which? ( Click here for the answers. )

If it makes you feel any better, I can't tell without the answer key, either. Incidentally, this is one of those annoying little facts that help prove that, yes, evolution does happen. It's called Comparative Embryology, or something like that. Similar embryo forms indicate a common ancestor. But I digress, as usual.

I don't know about you, but I think hurricane Katrina bears far more resemblance to a chicken embryo than a human. This means that we're really being punished by the Chicken God! Egads!

Repent, America, for your foul behavior towards our fowl brethren!

(In all seriousness, though, my heart goes out to those caught in the path of destruction. I'll being going in soon to donate blood and money. For those of you who can spare the cash, donations to the Red Cross can be made here.)

Current Mood: dorky
Current Music: Gogol Bordello

Remember Zach? The 16 year-old boy in Tennessee who was sent to a reparative therapy camp against his will?

Thanks to the national attention his case garnered from his blog post, he's been released. PFLAG has released a statement concerning not only this case, but the dangers surrounding reparative therapy in general.

Immediately before entering the program, Zach wrote, "I’ve been through hell. I’ve been emotionally torn apart for three days" and "Honestly how could you support a program like this? If I do come out straight I’ll be so mentally unstable and depressed it won’t matter."

Zach's fears were well-founded. According to the AMA (American Medical Association) and APA (American Psychiatric Association), "reparative therapy" does not work. But the dangers of these programs are real. At a minimum, those in "reparative therapy" must cope with the emotional damage of being relentlessly badgered with fear tactics and being told to change who they are. At worse they are at risk for self-destructive behavior including suicide."

Zach's story is far from unique, and Love in Action is certainly not the only "ex-gay" program out there. However, I hope that the national attention this situation drew will help open people's eyes. Once enough people are aware of the problem, we will be able to change things for the better.

Current Mood: pleased
Current Music: Flogging Molly

I'm not going to make this an in-depth post. Rather, I'm going to highlight some of the parts that I feel are more important.

- About 50% of her brain had died.
- She was blind, as the vision center was one of the dead portions. (This means that the video of her watching a balloon was nothing more than a fluke.)
- She was in a persistent, vegetative state.
- The damage was irreversible, and no amount of therapy and/or treatment could have revived her.
- No evidence of abuse was found.
- The cause of the initial heart attack which triggered the brain damage is still unknown.
- The cause of death was dehydration. (See, I told you that she wouldn't starve.)

Sadly, Mr. and Mrs. Schiavo are still in denial. Even after the autopsy report, they seem to think that their daughter could have recovered. They also contend the claim that she was blind. But... if the visual center of the brain is dead, how in the world is the brain supposed to interpret the information that comes in via the optical nerves? Just because your eyes are working doesn't mean you can see.

I hope that they manage to come to peace with the situation, and their son-in-law, at some point in the future. I understand that the sorrow over her illness and death will never fully leave. However, she is at peace, and there is nothing anyone can do to change the past. Hanging onto denial and anger will not make their lives any easier.

"People should understand that sometimes, for known or unknown reasons, individuals sustain massive brain injury that for which healing is not possible," said Dr. Karen Weidenheim, the chief of neuropathology at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. "Everything that could have been done was done for this lady for 15 years, and this case is very tragic."

(article)

Current Mood: working
Current Music: Deepak Chopra

Via Ex-Gay Watch. A 16 year-old boy in Bartlett, Tennessee named Zach recently came out of the closet to his parents. Their reaction was to send him to Love in Action, a live-in program designed to change homosexuals to heterosexuals. Zach is being forced into this program against his will.

Of course, no evidence exists that proves that reparative therapy actually works. In fact, given the high rates of depression and suicide attempts by those who have been through it, the process does more harm than good. If a consenting adult chooses to enter into such a program, that is their decision to make. However, forcing an unwilling adolescent into this is horrible, and is just inviting psychological damage.

In a blog entry, Zach posted some rules of the program he would soon be sent to. These had been sent to his parents via email, and were not intended to be known by participants in the program.

- Participants are not allowed to speak to anyone (even parents) for the first two days.
- Kids are not allowed to keep a journal or diary.
- They are not allowed to discuss the program and what goes on in it with anyone, not even family.
- They are allowed no physical contact with another person except for handshakes and pats on the shoulder, and only when approved.
- The are only allowed to listen to approved, Christian music. Bach and Beethoven are not considered Christian, and are therefor forbidden.
- They are not allowed to speak after 9 p.m. for any reason.
- They may be placed in a state of isolation in which they have no contact with anyone.
- Permission is needed to watch television, go online, read books, and make/receive phone calls from friends and family.
- Entering non-Christian book stores, music stores, and any restaurant that serves alcohol is forbidden.

Director John Smid has been reported as saying, "I would rather you commit suicide than have you leave Love In Action wanting to return to the gay lifestyle. In a physical death you could still have a spiritual resurrection; whereas, returning to homosexuality you are yielding yourself to a spiritual death from which there is no recovery." Please note that this is just hearsay from an ex-ex-gay person that hasn't been confirmed. Smid has denied ever saying this, although I admit that that doesn't convince me. And if he did say this (or something very similar) then I am very, very afraid for Zach and the other kids forced through this program.

In another disturbing bit of information, only two (!) staff members at Love in Action have college degrees in a field related to counseling. Truth be told, this doesn't seem to be all that unusual in reparative therapy programs.

Also, Mike Ditto makes a list of Love in Action rules and how they resemble cult rules.

You know, I hear people bash liberals and hippies all the time. After hearing stories like this, though, I would never give up my old-hippie parents for anything. They're not perfect, but at least they love and accept me for who I am. Coming out of the closet didn't change our relationship at all.

So I don't care what anyone else thinks. Thank the gods for hippies. And I pray that these kids emerge from this hate, fear, and ignorance filled program with their souls intact.

Current Mood: shocked
Current Music: Tilt

There's a bumper-sticker that I keep meaning to buy for my car which states, "God, protect me from your followers." When I first saw it, it was just a cute, catchy phrase to me. With each year that goes by, it has morphed into an actual prayer.

Because, quite frankly, the stupidity of Creationists (among other Christian nutjobs) just scares me.

Oh, it's not that they believe in a Higher Power, or that said Power created the universe. It's their total denial of the mountains of scientific evidence which continues to show us that life evolved into the current forms it takes. It's how they insist that their views deserve equal time in classes and other areas of science when said beliefs have nothing to do with science.

Take this incident for example. The Tulsa Zoo, in Oklahoma, will be adding a display on the creation of the Earth according to the Bible. Many people have spoken up against this, saying that tax money should not be used to promote this belief in a scientific setting.

Those that pushed it through have pointed out that other religious symbols are already present (such as a depiction of the Hindu god Ganesh) and that if they deny this display, it would be religious discrimination. "It's a matter of fairness," said the Tulsa resident who started the whole shebang. "To not include the creationist view would be discrimination."

Normally, I'd say he has a point. If you're going to promote one religion, you've got to allow others to have a place. However, what these people are missing is that the zoo is not promoting any religious views.

The statue of Lord Ganesh that is present in the zoo is not there to educate people about (or convert them to) Hinduism. The zoo has several displays which show how different cultures symbolize the various animals. Lord Ganesh's image is there as part of a display on elephant symbols. Said display also includes the logo of the Republican party.

Too bad they can't seem to realize the difference.

Current Mood: pensive
Current Music: Bond

The idea that colleges and universities lean to the left is not a new one. However, a recent study has shown that, in a survey of 1,643 full-time faculty at 183 four-year schools, 72% consider themselves liberal, while only 15% identify as conservative. This, of course, has resulted in a great number of people (on both sides of the fence) getting their panties in a twist and jumping to conclusions.

While the study has confirmed that a student is more likely to have a liberal professor (especially in the arts [performing, visual, and music], english, humanities, and science), I am of the opinion that we need more information before we can decide exactly what this tidbit actually means.

We know that this is occurring. Now we need to find out why, and what effect(s) it has on the population.

Does it mean that colleges and universities actively discriminate against conservatives who are trying to enter the field, or are conservatives simply not going into education? Does it mean that professors are forcing their beliefs upon their students, or do they keep their opinions to themselves? Were the professors liberal before they began teaching, or did they become more progressive as time went on? Is it some combination of factors?

At this point in time, none of these questions can be answered, yet many people seem to be forgetting this. I'm going to make an attempt to look into some of the possibilities, but please remember that I am not touting any of these claims as truth.

( In which I attempt to ponder the why and how of the situation. )

The irony of this situation is that now certain conservatives are calling for a solution to this issue. Namely, they want affirmative action. Of course whenever the issue is discussed concerning race, they respond that if a business does not want to hire a black employee, they should have that right. However, if a private university doesn't want to hire a conservative professor, they should be forced to by law?

Buh?

I suppose that all this really proves is that human beings make absolutely no sense.

Current Mood: nerdy
Current Music: Beethoven - 5th Symphony

I know this is a nitpick. I can't help it.

Terri Schiavo's body will not starve to death. Dehydration will set in long before she could starve to death. Without water, your kidneys shut down which in turn causes massive organ failure. Yeah, it sounds rather nasty, but it doesn't hurt. It's a method often employed by terminally ill people who wish to end life on their own terms. From what I understand, without the kidneys filtering the blood, the chemical balance shifts and less oxygen is delivered to the brain. The result is a pleasant, floating sensation. (In layman's terms: you get high.)

Not that that matters, since her brain is so badly damaged that I doubt she feels anything anymore.

Now for some interesting links on the subject...

Along with the medical misinformation that is being spread on this subject, the frequent vilification of Michael Schiavo is another instance in which people obviously haven't done any research into the history of this case. A blunt, to-the-point rant about this, along with some of the political ramifications that could ensure, by the Misanthropic Bitch.

"I advocate the use of force to rescue Terri Schiavo from being starved to death. I further advocate the killing of anyone who interferes with such rescue."

-- Hal Turner

I believe that all life is sacred, and I'll kill to prove it! Does this confuse anyone else?

throwingstardna posts about some situations in which people claiming to be Pro-Life act in a way that suggests they have very little respect for the lives of others. More instances are discussed in a similar post by Ampersand at Alas, A Blog.

Also via Ampersand, an article in the St. Petersburg Times explores the relationship with the uproar about the Shiavo case and the fact that Terri is female.

Though the families of many vegetative patients - male and female - have faced life-or-death decisions over the years, the plights of injured young women are more likely to engage the public and attract right-to-life advocates, says Steven Miles, a professor for the Center for Bioethics at the University of Minnesota.

"People say, 'She needs to be rescued, she needs to be cared for,'" Miles said...

Finally, a well-written article on Mind-Body dualism and seeing things from the other side of the fence by Philosoraptor. While I may not agree with the stance they have taken, I still think it's important to try to see where other people are coming from. Also, to remember to not simply think of them as ignorant because they don't see things the same way I do.

Gods willing, I will not post on this subject again.

Current Mood: sore
Current Music: Benny Goodman Orchestra

I'll be perfectly blunt; this whole situation with Terri Schiavo has me disgusted. Not just a thin patina of disgust either. There are layers and layers to this issue that have built up the emotions that wash over me whenever I see/hear/read something about this. I'll even break it down so that you can analyze each layer of disgust for yourself.

( Continue on... )

Current Mood: irate
Current Music: Bach

"Massachusetts becomes the nation's first state to marry gay and lesbian couples Monday amid a swirl of court challenges, demonstrations, legal questions and celebration."

How cool is that? ^___^

Current Mood: ecstatic
Current Music: Tom Waits

In case you haven't heard, San Fransisco made history today when city officials issued around 15 marriage liscences to same-sex couples.

I'm actually crying, as stupid as that may seem, because of how joyful this event is. I just can't express how happy this makes me. This is so absolutely wonderful... it gives me so much hope for the future.

Mayor Gavin Newsom, thank you so much.

Current Mood: ecstatic
Current Music: Ani Difranco

Massachesettes Supreme Court Declares that Denying Homosexuals the Right to Marry is Unconstitutional

WASHINGTON — "The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled today that same- and opposite-sex couples must be given equal civil marriage rights under the state constitution. The ruling in Goodridge et al. v. Department of Public Health makes the state the first in the nation to grant same-sex couples the right to a civil marriage license. Ruling that civil marriage in Massachusetts means "the voluntary union of two persons as spouses, to the exclusion of all others," the court allowed the Legislature 180 days to change the civil marriage statutes accordingly."

Ladies and Gentlemen, history is being made right in front of our eyes. I don't know about you, but I couldn't be happier. This is only a nudge in the right direction, mind you. They haven't actually declared gay-marriages to be legal (yet). However, I imagine that this is the start that we need to get things rolling.

Didn't I tell you that it would happen eventually? ^_____^

Current Mood: ecstatic

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An Altered State of Consciousness

Don't worry, it's just a ride...

Entries tagged with current events

The Politics of Katrina

True Stories of the Absurd

Good News

Terri Schiavo Autopsy

Holy Fuck

Oh, bother...

Liberal Bias in Higher Education

Terri Schiavo Addendum

Yet Another Terri Schiavo Post

Hell, YEA!

Wonderful News!

This is fucking AWESOME!