There is very very little hope for the perverse. Continue reading The Last Word on Abbie Smith and Russell Blackford and the Right to Grab Ass at Conferences and All That
Tag Archives: Feminism
Jeremy Stangroom
I among others stand up for women’s rights and against sexism. According to Jeremy Stangroom this makes us bullies, and people will die because of our bullying.
Bullying is bad and people do die. Crazy terrorists also drive planes into buildings. And other bad things happen. If you disagree with what someone is doing or the way they are doing it, the way to express that is to refer to one of those bad things … bullies, terrorists, perhaps even Hitler, and link the person to that bad thing. That is one way to make an argument.
But is is not a very intelligent way to do it. It’s kind of a five-year-old way to do it. I’m not sure who Jeremy Stangroom is or what he does for a living but I sure hope it does not require very much in the way of intellectual maturity and intelligence.
Oh, wait, he’s a Philosopher. He writes philosophy books. Huh. I took four graduate seminars in philosophy in graduate school, but otherwise I’ve not studied it much. I must have missed the historical and critical treatment of the “Nuh nuh nyah nuh nuh, pants of fire” school of thought.
Jeremy Stangroom@PhilosophyExp: …the bullies at FreeThought Blogs run the risk of precipitating a tragedy. Bullying ruins – and sometimes ends – lives. #bullies
Greg@Gregladen: @PhilosophyExp What do you mean by this tweet?
Jeremy Stangroom ?@PhilosophyExp: .@gregladen Taking a break from bullying people, are we? #fuckoff
Greg@Gregladen: @PhilosophyExp I’m asking you to explain your outrageous statement. Can you do that please?
Yes, I’m feeling a little cross today. I wonder why.
Followup comments
As you know, nine of us, Rebecca Watson and 8 FTB bloggers, had a conversation about TAM and DJ Grothe and related topics. There are two points raised during that discussion I’d like to make a few followup comments on. Continue reading Followup comments
Dogma
Dogma [wikipedia]
Dogma is the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, or a particular group or organization.[1] It is authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted, or diverged from, by the practitioners or believers. Although it generally refers to religious beliefs that are accepted without evidence, they can refer to acceptable opinions of philosophers or philosophical schools, public decrees, or issued decisions of political authorities….
Dogma [Dictionary.com]
1. an official system of principles or tenets concerning faith, morals, behavior, etc., as of a church. Synonyms: doctrine, teachings, set of beliefs, philosophy.
2. a specific tenet or doctrine authoritatively laid down, as by a church: the dogma of the Assumption; the recently defined dogma of papal infallibility. Synonyms: tenet, canon, law.
3. prescribed doctrine proclaimed as unquestionably true by a particular group: the difficulty of resisting political dogma.
4. a settled or established opinion, belief, or principle: the classic dogma of objectivity in scientific observation. Synonyms: conviction, certainty.
Note definition #4. The term is not infrequently used in science. For instance, Sasuki has used the term “Central Dogma of Genetics” to describe transcription and translation.[citation needed]
Dogma
Two banished angels … have discovered a loophole that would allow them back into heaven; problem is, they’d destroy civilization in the process by proving God fallible. It’s up to … a lapsed Catholic who works in an abortion clinic to save the day, the heretofore unknown 13th apostle … and a sexy, heavenly muse. …
Dogmatic [dictionary.com]
1. of, pertaining to, or of the nature of a dogma or dogmas; doctrinal.
2. asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner; opinionated.
Dogmatic Feminism [The Intertubes]
Seems to be a recently made up thing.
The Intersection of Non-theism and Feminism
This video from CFI’s Women in Secularism Conference was just posted by Melody Hensley. Thank you Melody!
Susan Jacoby: “The Dearth of Women in the Secular Movement”
This video from CFI’s Women in Secularism Conference was just posted by Melody Hensley. Thank you Melody!
DJ Grothe vs. Tony Stark
I think the DJ Grothe thing has run its course. DJ issued a lengthy apology to Rebecca Watson on Skepchick. The apology has some good things in it, DJ has said some of the proper, need-to-be-said things. But as has been pointed out by both Rebecca and Stephanie (see also this) with added commentary by Jason, DJ’s comment…what it said, how it was said, what wasn’t said, to whom it was said, and to whom it was not said, among other things…underscored rather than diffused the problem. Now, he should be prepared to take the next needed steps.
Dr Phil tells us that there comes a time in many relationships for one person to be a hero. It is now time for DJ Grothe to be the hero. Pursuant to this, I give you … DJ Grothe, Joining The Avengers for a Trial Period: Continue reading DJ Grothe vs. Tony Stark
How many countries have ever had a woman leader?
First, a little Benazir Bhutto story, since we are on the subject of women leaders.
A friend of mine was to be on the podium of Harvard’s graduation the year Benazir Bhutto was to give the keynote, and heard this conversation. John Galbraith, the economists who was also a professor at Harvard, Bhutto’s former undergraduate advisor, and her friend, was also to be on the stage, and all the famous people who were to be on that stage were to walk out in procession. The Secret Service, who were protecting Bhutto who at the time was Head of State, arranged the people so that two or three guys, including Galbraith, were to walk out first, Bhutto in the middle, then a string of people afterwards. The idea was to put the person they were protecting in the middle.
Bhutto was fairly diminutive of stature, so she would have been hard to see and while this would enhance her safety, it would also have lessened the impact of hear appearance at this event, a former undergrad returning as a Prime Minister of a whole country. Galbraith, her friend and mentor, would have nothing of it. He insisted that he be in the front of the line. When the Secret Service agents, tough, numerous, steely eyed and, well, convincing as they tend to be, told him that this would be impossible, and that security concerns trumped appearances and that she would be walking out onto the stage in the middle of the procession, Galbraith, whom you may remember as having been a very tall and imposing figure with deep booming voice, turned to the head of the security detail and simply said, “Sir, I overrule you,” at which time the detail backed off, Bhutto, grinning, walked to the front of the line, and the procession began.
Apropos the question that has come up in recent years as to the meaning of, say, a “black” or a female president of the United States … as to whether we are “ready” or whether such a thing would advance civil rights in the US or whether such a thing would lead to polarizing opposition from racists or misogynous, we can look at what has happened with the presidency of Barack Obama (and see that all of the above are true) and also look at the place in the world of the United States. Many other nations have had women prime ministers, presidents, queens, or whatever. Is the United States in the majority yet, are we one of the few countries (or one of the few “Western” countries, or one of the few “democracies” or whatever) who has not had a female in charge?
Pursuant to this question I made a list (made = copied from the internet) of countries and put a star next to those which I think have had a woman leader. I’m sure I missed some. Have a look. Tell me which countries I should move from one list to another (or if I’ve left out some countries). There are complexities. Continue reading How many countries have ever had a woman leader?
“The Women’s Policy Committee” …. Good luck with that, GOP.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
I know it’s a little early for Christmas Toy Commercials, but …
… it is never too early for Feminist Vision Laser Attack Mode!!!!
Hat tip: Charlotte. Not Charlotte Bronte, the other Charlotte.
Why do Republicans always want to regulate things?
A while back, in a land far away, something bad happened at a pair of clinics in Pennsylvania, and some people died there. It was pretty horrible. The clinics did not have qualified staff, charged for procedures that were illegal, made millions of dollars on abusing their patients and the system. Pretty much everything that happened at those clinics that shouldn’t have happened was illegal or against existing regulations. The owner of the clinic and others were arrested and charged with several crimes. The system failed in letting this happen, but succeeded in eventually noticing and doing something about it. The clinics ran in poor areas and for this reason may have been under the radar of the MWJS. Continue reading Why do Republicans always want to regulate things?
Belvedere vodka ad is highly questionable
Or, should I say … was highly questionable, as I believe it was pulled very quickly after the consumer reaction to it.
The ad showed what looked more or less like a rape in progress, sort of, or at least a guy being a real jerk and a women being visible terrified by him, with the caption “Unlike some people … Belvedere always goes down smoothly.”
I’m told they make good Vodka, but really, Vodka is just ethanol with some water. Not that I’m recommending ethanol, but you might want to lay off the Belvedere for a few weeks (if you are a regular Vodka drinker) and let them see a dip in their sales. If corporations actually were really people, you could just slap it upside the head, but since they are not, speaking with your feet, as it were, is in order.
Hat tip Asha. Here’s the source.
What are the key women’s issues of the upcoming election? There really is only one: Republicans.
I was at a political meeting last night, in support of Sharon Sund, who is running against some guy for the Democratic Party nomination for MN Third District Congress, and eventually, against Erik Paulsen, who now “represents” the district. As we were breaking up and starting to head out, two women I was standing near started talking about which women’s issues should be underscored in an upcoming event. Someone suggested “There is only one issue” and they both looked at the speaker to see what it was. “Getting a woman–this woman–elected to Congress!”
And then spontaneiously the two of them sang every verse of “Bread and Roses.” It was awesome.
Anyway, I can’t really reproduce that event for you but I can show you this video I just got from Moveon.org:
“We women have a serious problem with the Republican Party”
And now …
Oh what the heck, let’s do that again with a slightly different feel:
And, what does it all mean?
Thank you Katie and Samantha.
“By the authority invested in me by the GOP base, I thee rape.”
Next week. Doonesbury, the cartoon, will be addressing transvaginal ultrasounds that will be foisted on certain women by order of the government. Apparently, there are some newspapers that are on board with this institutional rape, and rather than allow criticism of it, they will not show those Doonesbury ads. One of our local papers, the Pioneer Press, is among them. I will be cancelling my subscription in the morning. Continue reading “By the authority invested in me by the GOP base, I thee rape.”
The Virginia Senate has Approved Revenge Rape Bill
Women who exercise their legal and constitutional right to make their own reproductive and medical decisions in Virginia will henceforth be subjected to what amounts to being raped by a robotic device that looks inside their uterus in the hopes that something in there looks like a person, which can be photographed and show to the woman to make her feel very bad about having an abortion.
I find it hard to believe that the women of Virginia are going to stand for this.
From the New York Times:
The 21-19 vote in the Republican-controlled Senate — mostly along party lines — came after Gov. Robert F. McDonnell asked legislators to soften the bill following protests on Capitol Square and mocking on national television, including “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “Saturday Night Live.”
The bill was changed. If the woman can prove that she was already raped recently, she does not have to get raped again by the Virgina Senate, Governor, and Republican Party. And Charles Colgan and Phil Puckett, the turn-coat Democrats that voted with the others.
Mockery here.