Disqus - Latest Comments for hysperia

Re: Racist Obama Doll?

hysperia — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:55:30 -0000

Hi snowe. The thing is, I did say I think the doll is atrocious. It is racist. No, I don't think it's more atrocious than the Hillary nutcracker, which is part of a universal and almost ahistorical line of images used to dehumanize and demonize women in ways that has led to their oppression and to violence against them.
I guess I responded the way I did because I'm tired of people minimizing sexism. In responding, I in now way meant to minimmize racism. They are both absolutely appalling and I have posted on this horrible doll.

Re: Racist Obama Doll?

hysperia — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:55:59 -0000

This "doll" is atrocious and I'm glad you've posted on it. But until millions of them are being sold on Amazon and at airports, like the Hillary "nutcracker", I don't think it's yet appropriate to compare. I also think you've misrepresented the argument made by those who were offended by the misogyny surrounding the Clinton candidacy. While there may have been people who said racism is dead and sexism is alive, I can't say that I heard that. What I heard was, if this was an issue of racism, rather than sexism, there would be outrage. As there is here. And rightly so.

Re: Obama Racism/Muslim/Unpatriotic/Scary Black Dude Watch, #69

hysperia — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:34:29 -0000

Months ago when Obama made his speech in response to the Rev Wright controversy, he said that the US needed a national conversation on race. Before having it, someone needs to start up "Finally, Racism 101"

Re: Wordless

hysperia — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:48:59 -0000

I've been writing about Omar Khadr for months. I watched the video this morning. I'm crying reading what people have written here. I've heard people saying they didn't see anything that bad in the video. Where they expecting to see a full-on waterboarding? Did they WANT to? Is that what we NEED to see before we'll do anything? I have a nephew and two nieces who are just past 15, the age of Omar Khadr when he was taken into US custody. Khadr is 21 now. I have a 24-year old son who is facing possible prison time for marijuana related charges. He would go to a Canadian prison. I would be afraid for him. Very afraid. I can't make myself stop imagining it on some days. And all day today, I've not been able to stop myself from imagining Omar Khadr's time in Guantanamo Bay. I seem to have psychically adopted him. I want to scream "Give me my son back! Don't hurt my son!" He IS our son. He is the son of all of us.

This is just a teeny teeny peek into the world of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. Someone please tell me, when will it end? How will we end it?

I know this comment is all over the map. I'm sorry. I'm all over the map too.

Re: Wordless

hysperia — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:50:08 -0000

I'm just reading my comment again and realizing it may sound as though I'm crying because commenters have said things I don't like here. NOT what I meant. Crying because so many people do care.

Re: How to Get Away with Rape in Canada: Just Make Sure Your Victim Is Drunk

hysperia — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:28:31 -0000

Oh this is beyond absurd. If this young woman was too drunk to remember the incident, if she was photographed passed out when the photographed sexual assault took place, it can be assumed that she was TOO DRUNK TO GIVE CONSENT. If this judge hadn't been overcome by his unchallenged misogyny, his belief in the most obvious and basic of rape myths, he would have made THAT assumption rather than the OTHER assumption - consent was given. It is almost ALWAYS assumed that women give consent, that they ARE consenting, because that's what misogynist culture believes about women. Oh maybe not. Maybe it's more like no one REALLY believes that consent is necessary.

I hope that a few people can make this NOT THE END OF THIS STORY. 45 to 60 days my ass.

Re: The Feelgood Comedy of the Summer!

hysperia — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:22:52 -0000

I can't watch it. Having once been a Family Law prof, having once been forced into giving up de facto custody of my children to their brutal but powerful father after a fight that nearly killed me, after the father threatened to kill the children and himself but no one believed me, I simply can't bear this "father's rights" shite - "movement" is correct. Yup, I agree with you Melissa when you say that there do exist situations that are unfair to fathers and I've even had one in my own extended family. But the path of destruction that men like Fain carve in the lives of their "beloved" families is deeper and wider than any women could wreak in a sexist society.

BTW, when my kids got old enough to walk, they walked out of their father's house and back into mine, trailing horrible stories of emotional and physical abuse. Their father is now the proud ex-OWNER of four children, two mine, two from a previous marriage, who haven't seen him or spoken to him in decades. Over which he weeps and blames ... well, guess who?

Re: The Feelgood Comedy of the Summer!

hysperia — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:10:30 -0000

hey nightshift66, yeah, I had to explain that many times when I was actually practising law. And I had to explain worse things than that. Like why a woman had to hand her 18 mo old baby girl over to a father who almost certainly had sexually abused her for a weekend. Frankly, that was the end of it all for me. People who do that work with a scintilla of intelligence and understanding have my everlasting respect.

Re: More on Knoxville Church Shooting

hysperia — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:31:20 -0000

I think right wing conservatism just mught amount to a mental illness.

Re: More on Knoxville Church Shooting

hysperia — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:33:44 -0000

You know, parts of this conversation are reminding me of what happened after Marc Lepin killed fourteen women at L'Ecole Polytechnique, leaving a note saying his problems were caused by feminists. There are STILL people who say misogyny had nothing to do with his rampage. That's just NUTS.

Re: More on Knoxville Church Shooting

hysperia — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:56:57 -0000

Yeah, um, I realize there's a difference with respect to the issues, but I'm not sure the analogy doesn't hold. You'll have to explain that one to me. All of us are MORE at risk of being harmed or killed within personal relationships - even men - but sometimes, in cases such as this, the hatred leaks out and takes the lives of strangers. Same as with gay and trans bashing and killing, n'est-ce pas? Sorry for mispelling that guy's name.

Re: More on Knoxville Church Shooting

hysperia — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:12:19 -0000

I don't see what's so feckin' difficult about making the connection between the hatred and violent speech acts that are rampant in our society and the ways that affects EVERYONE. To see that this may have an even greater and tragic impact on people who are vulnerable to it, for WHATEVER reason seems just plain OBVIOUS. I very much doubt that mass murderers and serial killers in ancient Rome left notes about feminists and liberals. There IS empirical data that shows the link between social "tensions" and individual acts of violence but I'm not going searching for it just now, because I think people should be able to sort this out just by using their brains.

Re: More on Knoxville Church Shooting

hysperia — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:15:52 -0000

Crap I'm really pissed off now. If there WAS no connection between media-voiced hatred and individual acts of violence, these rightwing nutjobs wouldn't be feelin' so DEFENSIVE about it and might take a minute to think.

Re: More on Knoxville Church Shooting

hysperia — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:44:38 -0000

Ok look, people like this mass murderer may well find someone to kill under any circumstances, but I doubt it. We have to wonder why we have so many MEN, and by far the greatest number of them ARE men, AND white, who can find no way to express their pain and frustration than by killing people. And WHY they use this particular method in some societies more than others, MUCH more. And WHAT in our societies makes certain people vulnerable targets of insane hatred. I think the better question is, why would these acts NOT be related to obvious social tensions and frankly, to call them "tensions" is to minimize them.

During certain periods of time, in America, mass murders have been more likely to be related to racial tensions, economic insecurity (going "postal"), misogyny, homophobia and so forth. While it MIGHT be true that these men would have killed people anyway, it is, nevertheless, a matter of some importance to sort out WHO they kill. At the very least, this can tell us something about the way that hatred plays itself out along an admitted continuum - some people, like Limbaugh et al, talk; some people act. I'm appalled that some people aren't even interested in doing whatever it's possible to do to correct the social faultlines that make some people more likely to be victimized than others. To draw a rather exaggerated but NOT illogical analogy, Adolf Hitler was able to kill six million Jews and many Roma people, disabled and homosexual people because they were the lowest of the social low in German and European society and nobody gave a shit. Or not enough people gave a shit, anyway. Besides, why on earth would anyone be unwilling to admit that these bigotries have no fecking EFFECT?! Only if they don't give a shite, in my not very humble opinion.

Re: More on Knoxville Church Shooting

hysperia — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:06:33 -0000

Here's one summary of a study on the relationship between dominant social tensions and acts of mass murder:

http://www.albany.edu/scj/jcjpc/vol15is1/Bratin...

It's a pdf as you can see and I must note that it DOESN'T look at sex and gender issues.

Re: Patriotic Image of the Day

hysperia — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:17:26 -0000

Perhaps I'm just overtired, but it took me a full minute to figure out what this WAS, tilting my head this way and that. I think it was the sheath that I found most odd. I was trying to see if it was some kind of camoflaged MEAT. The carving fork idea fits perfectly, but generally, how entirely odd. Is it really that cool to have one's nation's symbols identified with images that provoke thoughts of violence? And rather nasty and crude violence at that.

Re: The slut-shaming goes to 11

hysperia — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 09:33:50 -0000

Right. Defend McCain by insulting women. Because hardly anyone will notice. Nicely done boys.

Re: Obama-McCain Tied Nationally

hysperia — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 22:16:52 -0000

From Canada so can't vote, but following the elections very carefully. I hope very carefully. Apart from the factors noted in the post and comments, or maybe alongside them, Obama seems to have put aside his talent for high-flown rhetoric and frankly, that was one of his major "plusses". I don't mean to insult him when I say that he had a way of making people trust him or hope in him despite his relative lack of experience and creds. And yeah, I still think that. But he's flattened his message entirely now, in what I assume is his attempt to appeal to a broader spectrum of voters. That sorta isn't "him" and I think the interest in him has simply waned. What was once a truly passionately fought campaign, no matter whom you liked, seems pretty usual and ho-hum. What attracted many people to Obama in the first place was that he appeared to be a new kind of politician. To find out that he is really no different may have put an end to the excitement.

Also, I wonder if the state of the economy hasn't come down so hard on many of the people that ought to be excited Dems that the election campaign just isn't so much in their sights any more. I know that might seem both irrational and counterproducive, but it makes sense to me that people who are trying to figure out how to keep food on their tables and how to get to work without gas in their cars just might not have the time or the energy to figure out who best to lead the country out of disaster.

This makes me wonder about those blue collar, white and mostly male Americans who were pro Edwards and/or Clinton in the first place. I certainly believe that racism plays a role. But it could also be that these voters viewed their material interests to be better represented by a candidate other than Obama. Maybe in that way, these voters have more intelligence than they've been given credit for.

Whatever the case may be, the Obama campaign had better figure a good way to re-ignite broad based interest in his campaign and soon.

I've experienced a real flattening of my own interest in the campaign. And post Obama's hack job on abortion rights, post FISA and whilst watching him hire all of Bill Clinton's economic advisors, I'm with Mr. Shakes. I couldn't vote for this guy even if I could. If you get that.

Re: Obama-McCain Tied Nationally

hysperia — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 10:51:54 -0000

Jenn, I neither said that working class or blue collar working people were stupid nor that they were racist. I said that race could be a factor in support for Obama or not, in that group, meaning in that group or any other. And I most certainly don't think blue collar voters are stupid. To the extent that people from this demographic were supporting Edwards or Clinton from the start, I think they're quite smart. And to the extent that they're not supporting Obama now, I think they're quite smart. If I didn't say that clearly, I hope I'm saying it clearly now.

And I sure as hell don't think that people who supported Clinton were racist by definition. And I'm not too happy that you've interpreted my comments as if these are the things I was either saying or implying.

No, blue collar workers are not a monolith. But they are a demographic and there is a legitimate reason for trying to sort out what their collective interests. If we can't identify collective interests, I'd suggest that's a big part of the problem of trying to mobilize folks collectively, to act in their own best interests.

Re: Kyle Payne speaks out about his criminal charges

hysperia — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 21:55:34 -0000

So Payne is just a poor victim of his past and not a predatory jerk after all? Come now ...

Re: Kyle Payne speaks out about his criminal charges

hysperia — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 23:23:45 -0000

http://media.www.ucbvu.com/media/storage/paper1...

Re: Vlogging Feminism: The Garneau Rapist and Victim Blaming

hysperia — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:38:45 -0000

I found you through Feministe and I love the work you're doing here. I think you might be interested in this work by a guy I found today:

http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~rjensen/freelance/mas...

Hope you find it as interesting as I did and thanks again.

Re: Vlogging Feminism: The Garneau Rapist and Victim Blaming

hysperia — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:39:46 -0000

I'd only read that one article by Jensen and I still like it a lot and will use it in classes for sure. I'm grateful for the other links on the issue of pornography. I've read a bit and will keep reading. So far though, what I see are differences of opinion about sex, sexuality, porn and anti-porn. Some of them are interesting and make substantial contributions to the conversation. I've pretty much always been anti-censorship, but whether that makes me pro-porn or not, I truly don't always know. But Jensen seems hardly a Puritan, just because he sees the way that sexism inevitably contributes to sexual pratices. I don't see how that can be denied, although everyone is certainly entitled to their interpretations of how that works. Sigh. These days, we seem to have nothing better to do than to come up with reasons to be divided from and against each other. Actually, not a new phenomenon.

Re: Vlogging Feminism: The Garneau Rapist and Victim Blaming

hysperia — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:11:02 -0000

I can't respond to that because I haven't read the books or much else. However, I will read a bit more and I imagine that I'll understand, then, what you mean. The article I read was about how to get young men to understand the consequences of their uncritical acceptance of "masculinity". I liked it and I shouldn't talk about other aspects of his work and yours that I know nothing about. And I apologize for doing so.

Re: Vlogging Feminism: The Garneau Rapist and Victim Blaming

hysperia — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:43:45 -0000

Impossible to know what the police may know in this situation and I agree, sorta, that it's at least possible the survivors my not know more about their rapist than has been publicized. But I ALSO know that there are plenty of instances when the police have been less than forthcoming about giving information about rapists, to the detriment of people who live in the predator's chosen zone. In fact, it's very common. Police use excuses like worrying that rapists will get scared away, into another jurisdiction, making it more difficult to apprehend them - though there's very little evidence that rapists are transient. Failure to adequately warn the public is an extremely common offense of many police forces, though obviously, I can't tell if that's the case here.

Re: Another Woman Assaulted by the Garneau Rapist

hysperia — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:13:15 -0000

Forward to Derek: I let loose a bit here and talked to the cops and everyone else, through you. We've talked about this asshat rapist and the police before and, having lived through a situation very similar to this with a friend, it leaves me furious to see it being replayed.

Well look, if women know the rapist is around and they have a good enough profile, I'm sure they well know how to protect themselves. Guess why? BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO DO IT 24/7 ALL THE TIME! They hardly need to be told to lock their doors and windows for feck sake. Are they CHILDREN? Some people, like cops, many men and newspaper reporters who want to feel as though they're doing something but who aren't really doing anything, like to think so. It makes everything so much easier. Don't waste your energy, boys, telling women how to live. FOCUS ON THE RAPIST AND ON EMPOWERING WOMEN. Involve women in your investigation. BIG TIME! Women have the experience, they know their neighbourhoods and they can often give you a lot of information about men who rape. Publish as much detail about this rapist as you can. It won't undermine your investigation. It will enhance it. There are men and women out there you will recognize something about this man and they will turn him in or report something helpful to police. Most serial rapists are caught due to some small thing that slips them up. Create more opportunities for him to slip up. Cops shouldn't view the information as their private property so that they can claim the credit if and when they make a credible arrest. This is a community problem and requires a community solution. Let all the women and men of the community participate. ENCOURAGE all the women and men of the community to participate. Women certainly aren't responsible for rapists, but they do want to stop them from hurting each other as much as anyone else; probably more, unfortunately.

And for cripes sake, DON'T accuse women such as those of the Garneau Sisterhood of being threatening vigilantes. These are women who give a great big shit and are exercising their powerful right to protect their community, they're not rapists and murderers! In the past, actions by community women have been instrumental in catching rapists and alerting the community to the things that MIGHT REALLY HELP. They're your friends, stupid. They know what they're doing because they take it seriously and know that locking doors and closing windows DOESN'T CATCH RAPISTS! What if it's too hot to close the windows? Heat stroke is the choice?

I can just hear the chatter after a woman is raped now: "Oh that's too bad but geez, what a stupid woman, she had an open window; oh, she forgot to lock her door, HOW COULD SHE? Gimme a break.

Re: Another Woman Assaulted by the Garneau Rapist

hysperia — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:16:58 -0000

And you Hobbes, if you were truly interested in engaging in a respectful conversation with women and feminists, WOULD GO READ A FUCKING BOOK before you try, because you're much too ignorant for it right now. Try Feminism 101. If you're really interested. Which I doubt very much.

Re: Another Woman Assaulted by the Garneau Rapist

hysperia — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:02:51 -0000

You are simply, totally offensive. You're rude, condescending, arrogant and suitably baffled. Anyone who chose to take more than a few minutes to engage with you would be WASTING THEIR TIME.

Women should lock their doors? Wow. That's the most original solution to the problem of rape I've ever heard. lol your nuts

Re: Another Woman Assaulted by the Garneau Rapist

hysperia — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:45:24 -0000

Feminist politics IS about keeping human beings safe. Women being ... yes ... you've GOT it ... HUMAN BEINGS. That would be autonomous human beings ... often ADULTS ... who do not need to be told to lock their doors and windows you humongous, flying spaghetti monster concern troll. I really, really LIKE it up here on my high horse and I ain't climbin' down. When's the last time you left your DOOR open? This response is simply, clearly, absolutely INSULTING and INFANTILIZING. And it's meant to make concerned trolls like you feel like you're doing something when you're actually doing ABSOLUTELY zip-all NADDA NOTHING.
This has EVERYTHING to do with men and women. If rape isn't about feminist politics, what in the name of all that's good and lovely do you think feminist politics is about?

Re: Women, YOU Can Prevent Sexual Assault (Your Own)

hysperia — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 22:15:07 -0000

Never work at night. Never travel home from work alone. Don't use public transportation at night. Don't jog in the park, day or night. Don't be young, middle-aged or elderly. Never look vulnerable. Carry mace in your left hand and brass knuckles in your right. Never mind alcohol, don't drink ANYTHING in a bar - remember rape drugs. Don't go to university but, if you must, don't live in residence. Don't be disabled. Don't have male friends who haven't been castrated. In fact, never have male friends at all - remember, rape isn't about sex, it's about power. Don't let your divorced mother re-marry. Don't go to church. Never find yourself alone with your uncle, grandfather or any male family friend. If you find your country is at war, emigrate immediately. Don't be poor. Don't get a job. Don't accept packages from Fedex. Never get stopped by a police officer. Don't let fire fighters in to your burning house. Don't have broken appliances. Don't rent your house or apartment. Close your eyes. No, grow eyes in the back of your head. Never relax - you can't afford to let your guard down. Don't be alone. Don't be with anyone either. In fact, lock yourself up tight in a concrete room with no windows and no doors - windows can be broken, locks can be jimmied.

If this doesn't sound like living, swallow it. Every man is your enemy until proven otherwise. Don't ask any man to have your back -don't ask women either - they may have male friends or relatives.

Aaahhhhhhh, what a relief. Thanks for this.

Re: My Apologies

hysperia — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 01:56:09 -0000

Derek, thanks for getting rid of this dolt. I don't particularly like participating in this kind of stuff, but I can't let it just stand out there unanswered. He's clearly not sorry for anything and just can't stop self-referencing. He may not intend to be a troll but that doesn't mean he isn't.

Great work here, Derek, as always. Thanks for you ...

Re: A lot can happen in a week…

hysperia — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 20:24:40 -0000

Thanks for the links. :)

Re: Vlogging Feminism: The Garneau Rapist and Victim Blaming

hysperia — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:09:48 -0000

I think you and your readers might be interested in this post about "risk avoidance" and why it doesn't/won't stop rape:

http://rockymtnfeminist.net/blog/2008/09/05/ris...

Re: Parliament to Vote on Fetal Personhood Law

hysperia — Fri, 16 May 2008 03:32:17 -0000

I think we should stop calling male violence against women "domestic violence". The gender neutrality of the term clouds the facts. Especially in this case, since it's women who get pregnant (apart from one transgendered male in the US), the term "domestic" seems particularly obscurantist. I don't think this is being picky. Names, labels, language - are important. They tend to define things.

Otherwise, this is a great article and I thank you for it.