Vogue’s “Diversity” cover manages to make seven women from differing ethnic backgrounds look about as non-diverse as possible. Of course, I’m not the only one who has noticed this, but I think I have a unique observation as to where the problem really lies. It’s the noses. You can look however you like in fashion, as long as you have the same cheekbones and noses. The occasional “plus-sized” model is allowed for extra diversity points, but she can’t be posed... Read more
Over two week ago, a young man named Alexandre Bissonnette walked into a mosque in Quebec city and opened fire, leaving six people dead and eight injured. US White House press secretary Sean Spicer responded by calling the attack, “a terrible reminder of why we must remain vigilant and why the president is taking steps to be proactive and not reactive on issues of national security.” Later in the week, Reuters ran a story titled, “Exclusive: Trump to focus counter-extremism... Read more
I’m still settling in here at Patheos, after a month in my new blog digs. I made the decision to dive right in rather than post an introduction, mostly because I’m still figuring out what, exactly, I want this space to be. It was easy enough to dive in. I began my Patheos blogging alongside the inauguration of the new US president, and there’s been a lot to talk about. I started off with a bang, blogging on an almost-daily... Read more
I’ve been mulling over the evolution of modern activism, the assumption that different activist groups using the same ideological terminology and basis SHOULD be natural allies, and the reality that they very rarely seem to be. The organization of last month’s Woman’s March was plagued by accusations of racial insensitivity and exclusion of disability rights. The whole “intersectionality” concept is an attempt to address these divides; it appears to be used instead as an internecine weapon, widening them. And I think... Read more
I was at a bus station yesterday morning and a fellow at the ticket counter was wearing a Jayne hat. (Non-geeks can find an explanation here. In brief, it’s a hat from the show Firefly, and it’s ugly enough only a fan would wear it.) I’m normally really socially awkward–you may decide after reading this that I’m just hopelessly socially awkward–but right when he was on his way out of the room I screwed up the courage to call out, “Hey,... Read more
Something I think we lose sight of. America represented something different in the age of nation-states: a nation built, not on cultural unity or shared history, but on a set of aspirational values. A nation founded, not on the gradual accrual of historical rights granted to citizens, but on the inherent rights of men. The story of America is a story about challenging, fighting over, and extending that vision. Attempting to rectify inconsistencies that marred it and countering ideologies that... Read more
This post is going to be my ongoing clearinghouse for fact and data-based references on refugee statistics, processes, and policies. I hope people find it useful. There’s a lot of heat out there right now, but I don’t know how much of it sheds any light. I have not inserted pull quotes or summarized the information at any of the following links. That’s probably a mistake as far as creating something that will go viral and get me a lot of... Read more
It’s popular in some circles to advise people to ask themselves, “Am I on the right side of history?” The idea is to look at contemporary issues from a distance and ask yourself what a theoretical future person would think of the issues of our day. I’m not sure, however, how useful it is. We are very good at imagining that future generations will think like we do–we certainly project contemporary values on the past all the time in our... Read more
Quotable words from a Facebook friend, applicable whenever we find ourselves cheering on violence as an antidote to fear, whether it is a blow to the head of a White Nationalist, or the waterboarding of a suspected terrorist: It’s an expression of power and violence, not resistance borne of love. It is not the reluctant use of force when all else has been exhausted; it is a delight in one’s own capacity for violence, one’s own proud refusal... Read more
Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Long before anyone was talking about “alternative facts,” multiple locations around the world had made plans to host an exhibition this week entitled, “State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda.” Embed from Getty Images Why choose to focus on propaganda, rather than on the stories of holocaust victims or the evils of the concentration camps? From the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: This powerful exhibition examines how the Nazis used propaganda to win... Read more
Peace and Pekoe
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