Wednesday, August 27, 2014

G.O.P. Stuck in the Past

According to a new research indicates that female voters view the Republicans as “intolerant,” “lacking in compassion” and “stuck in the past.”

As a away to block African-American voters from voting, since they tend not to vote Republican, the G.O.P. has tried hard to put in voting restrictions into every state it can. Hispanic voters have voted against Republicans more and more as time passes. People who are in other racial minorities also understand that the Republican agenda tends to support hierarchies more than the Green Party or Democrats.

So who do we have left who are the major supporters of the G.O.P.? Just look at the picture in this article and it answers that question.

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/08/gop-poll-of-women-party-stuck-in-past-110398.html?google_editors_picks=true

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Mo'ne, Don't Listen to Him

 Will white males ever get it? Look at this video to see how clueless one can be.

Little League World Series star Mo'ne Davis, with her 70 mph fastball, featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, has to put up with comments that we hoped would have left major media years ago. This white male asked her why she doesn't play something more female friendly than baseball.

And when she is done with the LLWS, maybe she should go back into the kitchen and just learn to cook.

http://www.upworthy.com/black-girl-makes-history-white-man-asks-her-why-she-doesnt-do-something-more-female-friendly?c=ufb1

Gender-Neutral Language is Official

In a world where everyone is equal, would it no longer be necessary to distinguish gender in converstaions, which has for centuries been used to keep men on top of our hierarchies.

A new pronoun, hen, has entered the Swedish National Encyclopedia which can be used in place of "hon" which means "she" in Swedish, or "han" which means "he."

Imagine discussing a possible promotion for an employee and using the word "hen" when the gender is unknown. It would be kind of like having musicians audition behind curtains.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/11/swedish-gender-neutral-pronoun-hen-national-encyclopedia_n_3063293.html

Friday, August 15, 2014

India's Prime Minister - Hold Boys Accountable to Curb Rape


India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that with the rising cases of rape, he urged parents to treat their daughters and sons the same. 

"Every parent who has a 10 year old girl at home, ask them where are they going, when will they come back and tell them to call back home after reaching their place.”

“But have you ever asked as to where your sons are going? why they are going? and who are they making friends with? After all, the person committing the crime is the son of someone.”
Modi said that rape makes ‘our heads hang in shame’ and asked parents to take responsibility for their son’s actions and put the same restrictions on them as they put on their daughters.


http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/foreign/15-Aug-2014/modi-asks-parents-to-put-check-on-sons-to-curb-rape

Friday, August 8, 2014

Whatever it Takes to Stay Clueless

A Republican congressman from Alabama, Mo Brooks, now claims that Democrats are engaged in a "war on whites." He says that it is part of the strategy of the Democrats, implemented by Barack Obama in 2008 and continued in 2012, to divide people by race, gender, creed, envy, and class warfare, "all those kinds of things."

People at the top, like Mr. Brooks, believe they represent everyone, and that as long as they prosper, there is no reason that we should change the situation. They don't see that it is their hierarchical privilege that brings them their advantage, so to them there is no productive need to discuss why other people unlike themselves aren't in the same position. In other words, discussions of race, gender, creed, and class can do nothing but divide us from  accepting a wonderful country where everyone, if they worked hard enough and were clever enough, could have what the top has.

Clueless through and through.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/04/mo-brooks-war-on-whites_n_5647967.html

Monday, July 28, 2014

Ivy League - Perpetuates Hierarchies

In an interesting article concerning how setting children up to be accepted into an Ivy League college makes them conform to the status quo, William Deresiewicz states that the system is exacerbating inequality, retarding social mobility, perpetuating privilege, and creating an elite that is isolated from the society that it’s supposed to lead. In addition to describing in detail the decisions made as to who will be accepted, he gives us this paragraph toward the end of this informative piece:

"It’s partly because of the students that I’d warn kids away from the Ivies and their ilk. Kids at less prestigious schools are apt to be more interesting, more curious, more open, and far less entitled and competitive."

In other words, people at the top continue to be predictable and clueless.

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/118747/ivy-league-schools-are-overrated-send-your-kids-elsewhere

Monday, July 21, 2014

Topism – Time to Discuss Openly

We all acknowledge racism, sexism, homophobia, and discrimination against people with disabilities exists.

Topism - the attitudes and behaviors that cause all of the above isms. Now it is time to break our programming to not hold the top accountable and openly and boldly call top-of-the-hierarchy attitudes and behaviors just what they are.

Any and all of us exhibit topism, in small and large ways. But if we want to see prime examples, just look at the white, male, heterosexual, tall, able-bodied Christian men in Congress who vote to further the advantages of the haves in our society, and you will see the effects of being clueless to the advantages given to those on top while ignoring the contributions and rights of the masses who actually generate the wealth and well-being of our nation.