- I’ve been meaning to link to Liliane, Bi-Dyke for ages. Lots of really terrific cartoons here. I particularly enjoyed her 27-page comic for women who’d like to be taken for men, Tips on Passing.
- I wasted some time today reading through Find A Death dot com. I had no idea that Glenn Quinn – who I thought was excellent as Mark on Roseanne, and who also played Doyle on Angel – died two years ago. Typical sad Hollywood drug overdose thing.
- Interesting news story – in at least one state, parents do not have the right to eavesdrop on their children. The Washington state Supreme Court has overturned a pursesnatching conviction, because some evidence used at trial came from a mom eavesdropping on her teen daughter’s phone conversation (the daughter’s boyfriend was the pursesnatcher). “The court ruled that the daughter and her boyfriend had a reasonable expectation of privacy on the phone. Washington state law prohibits intercepting or recording conversations without consent from all participants.”
- At last, a good reason for pregnant women to take weight-loss pills.
- Just found this online – The Senate Judiciary Committee’s 1993 “The Response to Rape” report. I remember reading this off a blurry microfilm copy a decade ago, and being appalled. A very important report on how the justice system is simply unlikely to put a rapist in prison; and a decade later, it’s still mostly accurate, as far as I can tell. From the report:
* 98% of rape victims will never see their attacker apprehended, convicted and incarcerated.
* Over half (54%) of all rape prosecutions result in either a dismissal or an acquittal.
* Almost one quarter of convicted rapists are not sentenced to prison but, instead, are released on probation.
* Almost half of all convicted rapists are sentenced to less than one year behind bars.The lesson, imo, isn’t just that reforms are needed (although they are), but also that it’s folly to depend on the criminal justice system to bring about any large-scale reduction of rape.
- I’m getting to be a big fan of Minnesota City Pages writer Beth Hawkins. I’m sure I’ll blog several articles of hers in the weeks to come.
- This is awesome – skeleton studies of various cartoon characters. Do check it out.
- Amanda at Mouse Words and Jessica at Feministing comment on Frances Kissling’s article about the value of a fetus.
- The next stage of “conscience clauses”: a South African nurse is suing for the right to refuse to treat critically injured women who were hurt as a result of complications while getting an abortion. You read that right: She’s not suing for the right to refuse to perform abortions, she’s suing for the right to sit by and refuse to give women injured during abortion procedures lifesaving treatment. (Link via Premature Terminal Delivery, where the pro-life blogger approves of this nurse’s position.) Tell me again how pro-lifers don’t want to see women punished?
So just to be clear it's not acceptable to call Ron a Fascist or a Nazi, but it is OK…
Here’s a question.
Say a very antigay couple is pregnant, and the wife has been taking all kinds of diet pills and whatnot (as per the diet pills -> homosexuality link post).
If the couple decides to abort the child because they don’t want a gay baby, is that a legitimate exercise of choice?
“Legitimate” in the sense that “it should be legal?” Yes, of course it is.
“Legitimate” in the sense that “I, Barry, would personally advocate couples making that choice for that reason?” No, of course not.
There is also http://www.findagrave.com, for all your necromancy needs.
Seriously, it’s actually quite a good resource.
The rape report looks fairly depressing. Maybe Mike Callahan’s suggestion still works; charge the bastard with indecent exposure, instead.
that last one, about the south african nurse gave me chills.
a professional code of ethics (in this instance, the hippocratic oath) is something I take very seriously, and I really can’t imagine anyone not taking them seriously.
I just can’t imagine someone saying to themselves “this person did something I disapprove of, and thus I feel they deserve to suffer and die.”
it seems disgustingly cruel and even inhuman to wish suffering upon another, for any reason.
I really, really wish my thoughts were organized better, but 1:30 in the morning plus broiling pit of disgust sitting in my stomach are making that difficult. suffice to say, such an immoral position should exclude one from the practice of medicine in any respect.
The funny thing is that the diet pill thing doesn’t give much insight to the nature vs. nuture argument, other than give those who think that masculinity and huge appetites are somehow connected.
god damn it.
I make my post here, fine and dandy.
unfortunately, I then stay awake another 5 hours, philosophizing on the the origins of ethics. the conclusion reached: ethics are derived from identity. the only universally immoral acts are the ones that take away another’s right to identify themselves as they choose. If Shelly identifies as a living person with fifty dollars who doesn’t want to have sex with me at the moment, to force a change in any of those (through rape, robbery or murder, for example) is unethical and immoral.
then came the part about codes of ethics (the Williams Creed, the Hippocratic Oath, the presidential oath, etc) and virtues and faults. most virtues relate to a willingness to live up to one’s identity’s creed, even when inconvienient or even dangerous. most faults are personality traits that can lead one to fail to live up to said creed.
what about people that work at burger joints? even if they don’t have a professional ethical credo, personal variants can be made, with or without the use of dieties (the bible, Confucius, and secular humanist writings all have pretty good sets of personal codes of ethics)
why am I bringing it up? because I got no sleep last night because I was thinking about it, because Amp made a post that I had to respond to which in turn made me think about it for hours on end.
I know that sounds like it’s actually my fault, but I still hold you all responsible, and as such, you’re going to listen to my slightly bitter, sleep deprived ramblings!
Karpad, I identify myself as the ruler of earth with six billion hard-working and industrious slaves. To avoid making an immoral choice, get your ass over here and help me put up this Christmas tree.
(Stop at Hobby Lobby and pick up a rock tumbler for my son on your way over.)
Funny thing that I found — Liliane, Bi-Dyke — from another source.
They are really good. Some of the one’s from other illustrators were a little much for me since I am not a lesbian or am I. What I do know now is that I did not know there was a difference between lesbian and dyke except one was the derogatory synonym for the other. But, I guess I am wrong. I guess I have to do some research :-) I know that is such a straight guy thing to say. . .
unfortunately, such an identity is morally impossible, as it removes the right to self identify from everyone else.
and screw you! this Rock tumbler is for my little cousin!
Nowhere in the world is there a ***recognised ethical stance*** allowing civilian medical personnel to refuse emergency treatment solely on the basis of race, religion, known conviction for a crime, suspicion that individual may have committed a crime. The nurse has allied herself with North Korea and other totalitarian states in considering that individuals likely to have committed crime may be refused emergency treatment and thus sentenced to death without criminal due process. Of course, one might say that in totalitarian states, essentially the whole country is under martial law. Now, many countries (see below) may refuse treatment to illegally aborted women unless they name the individual doing the procedure. But this common practice (and it was common in the USA too) is not sanctioned by professional medical oaths.
The nurse was offered reasonable accomodations (job in non-emergency operating rooms) and she refused. I don’t think the labor court will treat her any more seriously than the equality court.
Interesting that the nurse looks Filipino or “colored” in the old SA racial category, possibly a migrant laborer (the US is full of Filipino nurses given visas due to nurse shortage). In other words, she may be imperialistically imposing her Catholic viewpoint on a country with other items on its agenda, and doing what she sees as standard Phillipines police-surrogate duty.
Hey there! Thanks for the link to my liliane comics at keenspace! I came to check you out cuz I am getting a lot of hits referred from you! Nice blog you have here. As for the nurse and women injured from abortions… wow. I cannot imagine what medical treatment, and especially emergency rooms would be like, if each doctor and nurse were allowed to not treat injuries from any activity they didn’t agree with. “oh, you had this accident while drunk driving? I am not going to stitch you up” “oh you were skateboarding on the street when you cracked your skull? I’m certainly not going to check you for concussion. I want you to learn something.” “You were shot while robbing a bank? Sorry, I guess you’ll have to bleed outside while we see if we have anyone who is ok with treating criminals”. Boggling. absolutely boggling. Zero professionalism, zero compassion. Cheers. And thanks again!