“The war on terrorism has certainly raised our awareness of the ways in which women’s bodies are controlled by a repressive regime in a far away land, but what about the constraints on women’s bodies here at home, right here in America? … Whether it’s the dark, sad eyes of a woman in purdah or the anxious darkly circled eyes of a girl with anorexia nervosa, the woman trapped inside needs to be liberated from cultural confines in whatever form they take. The burka and the bikini represent opposite ends of the political spectrum but each can exert a noose-like grip on the psyche and physical health of girls and women.” – Joan Jacobs Brumberg and Jacquelyn Jackson, Boston Globe. Has it occurred to these writers that there is a difference between behaviors which are a function of free choice and behaviors that are mandated by law?
ASBESTOS AND THE WTC: An interesting article forwarded to me from a website called “Access To Energy” adds one more fact to the World Trade Center collapse. Apparently, in 1971, while the WTC was under construction, New York City banned the use of asbestos as a building material. The WTC was already under construction – but the floors above the 64th were yet to be built. It was those floors that didn’t have asbestos protection in the columns. ”If a fire breaks out above the 64th floor, that building will fall down,” argued Herbert Levine, an asbestos expert in the 1970s who wanted his firm to get the contract. I’m not qualified to judge the physics and chemistry of this, but the article is well worth a quick read – or filing under the header – Environmentalism’s Unintended Consequences.
MORE HATE FROM THE GAY LEFT: The far gay left is one of the most virulent hate-groups in the country. Tolerated by much of the gay media and beyond, their hate-filled and near-violent tactics are often ignored or tolerated by other gay men and women and liberal straights who should know better. Here’s a small taste of what some gay hate-groups are now up to. It’s a list of leading individuals the authors of the website “usqueers.com” want to see dead. The headline: “Wanted: To Experience A Horrible Death By Any Means Soon. Well-Known Het-Supremacists Deserve It As Their Reward.” Notice the phrase ‘By Any Means.” Are these people condoning murder? There then follows this statement:
“If a person on this list dies (preferably a horrible death), a line will be drawn through their name (and they will probably be added to our Good Riddance! list.) If a person on this list is merely wounded or debilitated in some way, we will change the color of their name to brown. NOTE: We’re just getting started on this list, but the type of information we will be listing here as it comes in includes anything such as Home Address, Home Phone, Office Address, Office Phone, Studio Address, Church Address, Girlfriend’s Address, Boyfriend’s Address, Favorite Hangouts (restaurants, etc.), Family Members, details about automobiles, just about anything which could be useful in spotting these dangerous het supremacists when they are wandering around loose. Organization information is also helpful, but mainly when it can be linked to specific het supremacists.”
They add a disingenuous disclaimer disavowing violence – but these are the very people who seize on even the slightest homophobic remark to argue that it leads to gay-bashing. Notice also their complete contempt for anyone’s privacy or personal dignity – a good indicator of a totalitarian mindset. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for their free speech. And I’m no fan of many of the individuals they oppose. But this kind of extremist, personal rhetoric is simply disgusting. It’s equivalent to the hate-filled pro-lifers who discredit their cause by advocating the murder of abortionists. I don’t know where these people get their hatred from, but it is as real and as dangerous as any of the right-wing hate groups who also deserve censure. These people do as much damage to the cause of gay equality and civility as anyone on the far right. It’s time we stopped ignoring their evil.
The Dish 