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According to Feministing.com, you can send an e-mail or print a form and mail the sheriff's office about the treatment of the Tampa Rape Victim. I have sent my own letter and urge you all who are just as angry to do the same! Here is the site to go to.
I must admit, I was quite furious at the articles and blogs that I read today. Earlier this afternoon, I was venturing through the blogosphere when I saw an article from the Feministing blog site. It was about a woman who went to the police to report being raped and when the police began to file the report, they discovered that the woman had an outstanding warrant for arrest from 4 years ago. Infuriatingly, the police sent her to prison for this warrant. The worst part of this entire situation is that when this woman arrived at the jail, the jail nurse refused to give her a second dose of emergency contraception perscribed for her as a part of a rape examination because of her religious beliefs. Are you serious?! I was so angry after reading this, I decided to read something else, and I turned to Bitch Ph.D.. Much to my surprise, there was another blog on this situation right at the top of the page. After reading what Bitch Ph.D. and Feministing.com had to say about this issue, I am still furious, but I believe that my energy would be better spent e-mailing my furiosity to the city of Tampa on its shitty police decisions. Grrr...
I just read a news story from Ms. Magazine online about the new draft of the South Dakota Anti-Abortion Legislation thats going through right now. These "Legislators For Life" believe that not ALL abortions are wrong. They are going to "allow" abortions in cases of "rape, incest, and to protect the life and health of the mother." Anyone else out there wondering exactly what these fuckers are going to include as for the health of the mother? I am silently and possibly out loud considering what the health and life clause includes. If a woman cannot afford to have a baby, does that mean that it endangers her economical health? Would that be included? Or is it only a possible fatality? If that is the case, I believe that this clause must be contested. Let me know what you all think about out there! What do you think about these new inclusions?
While you are at it, check out this site too!
Alright! I haven't been on here for awhile, but this is my attempt to get back on and become active in the blogosphere! So for all of you sophomores and juniors out there, I suppose you are beginning to think about what paper or project you want to do senior year? Well, I'm one of those losers, and I'm thinking that I need to connect my two majors of Poli Sci and Gender, Women, & Sexuality Studies somehow. So, here are my ideas: space and theory. I know it doesn't make a whole lot of sense right now, but space can be political space, personal space, emotional space, and literal space. What are the connections between places and spaces and how do they connect between the poilitical and feminist spaces? Or do they? Are they too difficult to connect? I'm also considering theory. There are about a million different definitions of theory out there. For example:
"A theory is a set of related propositions that help explain why events occur the way they do. A theory is an abstract, conjectural or speculative representation of reality. Thus, one does not ask of a thoery whether it is true or false; rather, one asks whether it is enlightening. To theorize is to speculate with an intention to understand or explain" (Knutsen 1997, 1).
This definition comes from one of my course textbooks entitled, "A History of International Relations Theory." I know, boring. Anyways, moving from bell hooks to Audre Lorde to Knutsen and even to Baumgartner & Richards, all hold their own definitions of theory. What are these great differences and how do they affect the theories that each author offers? Or perhaps I will do some combination of space and theory and how they relate to each other. I'm not sure. Let me know what you guys think...
Also, what is the difference between real and belief? Is real what you imagine real to be, which would make it closer to belief, or is real a set of facts and nothing else? hmm...perhaps I will save this question for another day.
Today, I went to the Mall of America and purchased a brand new MacBook Pro computer. I am in love with it much much more than my other computer, but I think it will take me a little time to get used to this new keyboard. I decided that it was necessary to get a new computer since my last one decided to die and leave me no hard drive to work from. It has the ability to revive itself, but since I don't have any of my old work, I might as well get a new one anyways. At least, that was my justification. I also bought a new iPod as well as a bra. As I am putting every CD I own into iTunes, I have been looking at the seasons of L word that I own and looking forward to the new 4th season which has already begun. I'm considering getting a TV and a subscription to Showtime just for the L word on Sunday nights. I am not the only one who shares this guilty pleasure. My roommate, Sarah, and my best friend Jahna would agree as well. What I find amazing about the series is its discussion of issues and the connection between these incredible and very different women. I must say, I am intrigued by the relationship between Tina and Bette. Even from the beginning, I did not believe that their relationship was perfect, nor did I believe the two were even compatible. As the show continued, I became even more sure even after Tina's return right before the baby was born. The way that they are partners, then friends, and now as the fourth season starts an even rockier relationship intrigues me. I must admit, I am very excited for the next season to come! Apparently, Marina makes another appearance and there are four new main characters! If anyone knows anything more about the new season, let me know!
For more info on the L word, www.thelwordonline.com
From that site, there is a link to see the season premiere! It didn't work on my computer, but perhaps someone else's computer works better?
When I was growing up, I was not subjected or introduced to religion. I barely remember sunday school when I was little and my family stopped going to church after we moved to our current house when I was three years old. Although I was not given an education of the christian faith or any religion, I was aware that there was A God. I did not know who this god was, but I knew that everyone believed he was male. Rather than a sense of right and wrong according to scripture or god, I was taught good and bad according to ethics and virtue. Looking back at my upbringing, I greatly appreciate this education from my parents. I was what most of my peers declared a "goody good." Even though this was not quite the reputation one hoped for in middle school, I certainly lived up to it. I always worried about whether I could get in trouble or if anything was a good decision. I worked hard in school and earned good grades. In 7th grade, my neighbor and good friend, Lauren, invited me to a christian summer camp that would last a week in New Ulm, Minnesota. After careful consideration and my mother's advice, I decided to go. I will not forget my mother's words to me, however. She told me right before I left that no matter what anyone says or believes, that doesn't mean that I have to believe in it or agree. I will always love her for that advice. After attending an amazing week and a half with good friends and great music, I came home with a new outlook on life. Home did not seem like home anymore. To me, it was lonely and sad without the music and all the laughing and rejoicing for life. Not surprisingly, my easily influenced self had been very much converted by the friendly people of New Ulm. Looking back now, I see that the friends and music made that trip amazing, not god or any form of divine. I am a person who becomes completely transformed by music, body and soul. The uplifting sounds and energy were interpreted as divine rather than simply musically wonderful. After camp, I became a god-fearing girl who felt terrible constantly. I always felt like I was sinning by thinking or feeling a certain way. Through crawling into my shell, I "saved" myself from any sinful behavior or thought. I remained the same through my junior year in high school when I began to take AP classes and make new friends. I found that the more I learned about history, biology, and political science, it was harder and harder to believe as innocently as I had been. Thinking that christianity was a necessity, I kept believing and became much more angry. After graduation, I broke up with my christian boyfriend of three and a half years and prepared myself for college at the University of Minnesota. When I arrived, I found many people who were believers like me that lived on my floor in the dorms. They held prayer sessions in the room next door every Sunday night at eight o'clock and I attended but found prayer difficut because I was easily distracted. After a couple months, I re-examined my life as a christian. I found reading the bible tedious and difficult, I never remembered to pray at night, and the more educated I became, I believed less and less. One day, I stopped believing all together. With this new freedom, I began to learn more about myself and the way that I connect with the world. I remain braced with the virtues and ethics that I learned while growing up, but now I understand that christianity or any male god has no place in my life, especially one that makes me feel sinful for having sexual thoughts or even for telling a little white lie. I am no criminal nor am I a horrible person, but I will not live my life under a god that did nothing for me or guide me in any way. I feel too strongly about women's choices and marginalized groups like homosexuals to even flirt with another huge male entity who does not believe in what I believe in. I feel the only thing left is an Ani DiFranco quote that describes how I feel better than I ever could.
"first you'll roll your eyes to heaven
say you never had love so divine
but it will go from
more than ever
to not enough
in no time"
By the way, this is only my opinion and my experience. You need not agree with me.