Rolling Stone Panty Twist

So, I come into work today and when I get a free few minutes, I see my Facebook feed blown up with people upset with the current cover of Rolling Stone. So, I click on a photo of the cover. It has a selfie of suspected Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev plastered across the front. So, I check the headlines. I am still unsure what is the big deal.

Then. I am told Rolling Stone is "glorifying" Tsarnaev like he is some kind of rock star. So, my next thought was asking the question "When did a cover story turn a bombing suspect into a rock star?" I suppose as a journalist, I look at things differently. The exact same photo on the cover of Rolling Stone ran on the cover of both the New York Times and New York Post several weeks ago. Why was there no outrage in those instances? Granted, both are considered straight up news publications while Rolling Stone is a music magazine, but Rolling Stone has never strayed from covering everything from crime to politics to world issues. President Obama, Lindsay Lohan, Jon Stewart, Johnny Depp, and even Snooki have graced the magazine's cover. None of them have anything to do with music and some of them shouldn't be glorified either.

So, why all the fuss? People have their panties in a twist because of their perception of the cover. My perception is that Rolling Stone is covering a news story. Others perceive it as the magazine revering the bombing suspect. It seems to me that the people most upset over the cover are the ones who don't read the magazine. Look at it any way you want, but Rolling Stone is profiting from all of this. In the 1970's, they put Charles Manson on the cover, so this isn't something new for them or for anyone who knows about Rolling Stone.  CVS drug stores have banned the issue. It looks like CVS won't profit from a Rolling Stone issue that will certainly fly off of store shelves.

Another thing I need to point out is that last week, Tsarnaev pled not guilty to 30 federal charges relating to his alleged role in the Boston marathon bombing.  In the United States, you are innocent until proven guilty. But the American media and public have already put him in the electric chair. Now, I do believe he did what he is accused of, but like so many people in the spotlight who are accused of heinous crimes, he is already guilty.

Now, keeping in mind the depth of Tsarnaev's crimes, would we be equally appalled if, say,  Newton school shooter Adam Lanza were on the cover? My guess would be no. We are an "it's too soon" society and we wouldn't hear a peep of indignation if this exact cover story were published a year from now.

Lately, I have tried to stray from meaningless news stories or ones created to make you go to a website or tune into a certain show. One such example was a news story I saw regarding the death of Glee star Cory Monteith. TMZ posted several photos snapped a few days before his death where he was outside hanging with some friends. There was a 6 pack of beer present, but there wasn't even a single shot of him drinking a beer much less holding one. And the article made it sound like Monteith led a double life where he partied in Vancouver, but stayed sober while doing the show in the United States. It was a stretch for a story, but people buy into that. People actually BELIEVE what even their own eyes are telling them is not true.

So, when people are trained to believe the worst, then they actually do. And that is why I still don't understand the outrage, but I understand why people believe Rolling Stone was glorifying a man, who, according to the United States legal system, is presumed innocent.

The Tennessee Legislature: A Paradox in Terms

I have officially lived in Tennessee for over ten years, so it's safe to say I am a citizen. And the longer I have lived here, the more I have become aware that the body of individuals who make laws for Tennessee are, for the most part, embarrassing. Granted, there are some that actually do some good, but usually, the news from the Capitol is about how absolutely ridiculous these people think and the actions they take to put their twisted views into law.

For example, very recently, some Tennessee lawmakers got their panties in a twist because they thought a mop sink at the state capitol building was a foot-washing sink for Muslims.

http://www.tennessean.com/viewart/20130325/NEWS02/303250057/TN-lawmakers-confuse-mop-sink-Muslim-foot-washing-sink

I truly wish I was making this up. Their fear of a religion that has existed peacefully in Tennessee for over a hundred years is all of the sudden trying to put their evil plumbing just yards from where they make laws specifically aimed at keeping that religion from practicing in Tennessee. Oh the humanity!

But that is just one instance of the joke that is the GOP-dominated Tennessee General Assembly. The TGA makes up the 33-member state senate and 99-member house of representatives. I, for one, am a bit tired of these people making this great state look like were all a bunch of right wing nut job homophobes with a Jesus complex.

One of the biggest examples is the infamous Don't Say Gay Bill. It was first introduced in 2011 and stalled in the House. But it's back and could have some terrible repercussions on Tennessee children. The irony is that it's called the Classroom Protection Act and it essentially prohibits the discussion of any sexuality besides heterosexuality in public school classrooms. But bill sponsor, Senator Stacey Campfield, has added another little tidbit to the bill's reintroduction earlier this year. The new and unimproved legislation would now require teachers to out their students to their parents. The sheer amount of bigotry and unconstitutionality of this so-called would-be "law" is a disgrace. And the fact that there are people out there -- and lawmakers no less -- that would be so willing to trample on a child's humanity and identity is deplorable. It's also another veiled attempt at people in power pushing their religious views on Americans. Let's be honest. This is simply about forcing conservative Christian beliefs on the children of Tennessee.

Another example of the veiled Neocon agenda is the more recent introduction of a piece of legislation that wouldn't allow the police forces of  certain private state universities (like Vanderbilt) to make arrests if they didn't amend their non-discrimination campus policies. In real terms: they wanted to give groups (and religious ones in particular) on these campuses the ability to discriminate against homosexuals. Fortunately, our Republican governor (give credit where credit is due) did veto a similar bill last year and he has noted that this new piece of legislation doesn't exactly thrill him.

And while I give Governor Bill Haslam credit for stopping some of this nonsense, I am more angered by the fact that my tax payer money was wasted on a single piece of copy paper for these bills. If we want to focus on real issues in this state, let's start with education because it seems like a lack of education is what is causing these brainless laws to be introduced in the first place. Every time I flip on my local news, I hear about money problems in schools and a recent report from Education Week's Quality Counts gave Tennessee public schools a C+ grade and a national ranking of 22. I am not paying a 7% sales tax (and higher in the Nashville area) for Tennessee children to get a C+ rating and for TN lawmakers to introduce legislation that teaches creationism in public classrooms. Again, a veiled Christian agenda snaking its way into public school. No pun intended.

Let's also keep in mind this is the same group of legislatures that banned Sharia Law and passed an abstinence-only sex education program that prohibits almost any discussion of sexual activity. The sex ed bill was also known as the "gateway body parts" legislation because it states educators can mention kissing or hand-holding, but can't talk about the touching of "gateway" body parts like genitals. Ummmm.... so explain to me how this is sex education?

The Tennessee General Assembly has also passed a law that would make causing a miscarriage murder and let's not forget that life-altering bill that makes saggy pants a crime. And these are just the laws they PASSED. The amount of ridiculous bills introduced, but didn't pass includes a bill discriminating against transgender Tennesseans. And let's not forget a GOP rep who sent an email to constituents saying that President Obama was planning to fake an assassination attempt in order to fix the 2012 election.

I really have trouble trying to picture the reality these people live in because it's not even close to the real world. Tennessee doesn't need a bunch of Bible thumpers imposing extreme agendas. Other countries in the world ruled by religious law should be a clear indication that theocracies don't work and never will. Perhaps they should pay attention to their counterparts in wacky over in Texas who decided to cut Planned Parenthood. But because of rising health care costs, they are quietly restoring federal family planning funding. So much for pushing that quasi-religious agenda, Texas. Tennessee, are you paying attention?

The Raping of American Women

It has taken me several weeks to find a good head space to write about rape in the United States and how too many politicians from the right are using it to exploit their abortion beliefs. I boil up with anger just thinking about it, so I have to pause a lot to get my thoughts together.

I will start with attempting to make a person (especially men) understand what a woman goes through when she is raped. First of all, she is forcibly and sometimes violently violated in the most personal way possible by a person she did not want to have sex with. Not only can it cause irreparable physical damage, but it completely causes irreparable psychological damage. It not only destroys the life of the victim, but the victim's friends and family are also permanently scarred. It sets off a chain of destruction in the lives of countless people and that kind of deep-seated suffering and trauma never completely goes away.

"Victims who survive these crimes have to worry about having contracted sexually transmitted diseases, they may have physical injuries, girls and women have to worry about pregnancy. This is on top of the stigma, fear and anger that being victimized may bring. It is never 'just sex'. Ask any victim of any age or gender. Anyone who's ever had someone trespass against them can start to understand how this crime can traumatize."

That quote is from an unidentified rape victim I found on a victims support website.

And let's also keep in mind that many rapes aren't reported because the crime is so personal and heinous and private. When asked about the attack, victims must relive what happened and reporting it to the police means reliving it. Reliving it at trial etc... That's not to mention the medical examination after the attack. You were just man-handled inappropriately and traumatically and now, you must undergo similar touching as part of your exam.

And despite what some politicians claim, you can indeed get pregnant from a rape. It has happened hundreds and hundreds of times. And I guess this is leading up to what I really want to address in this blog and that is politicians continually excusing and trivializing rape in order to push their anti-abortion agenda. 

After seeing the reports of New Mexico rep Cathrynn Brown, who introduced a bill where rape victims who got pregnant from their attack would be jailed for having an abortion because they destroyed evidence of the crime, that was the last straw. (Fortunately, Brown's bill doesn't have the support to become a law, but the fact it was even introduced is mind boggling. And the fact it was introduced by a woman is disgusting.)

Of course, there have been other pieces of legislation introduced and my mind automatically turns to Paul Ryan, who doesn't seem to care much for the victims of rape, but more for the product of rape. 

"Whether it's the language of Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan that isolates the concept of  'forcible rape,' simply looking to limit abortions at all costs, or bills like Brown's that have a myopic focus on punishing the assailant, the GOP continually misses what should be one of the most critical parts of any rape-abortion legislation -- the perspective of the victim." - Brittany Bullock, Huffington Post blogger.

Bullock's point is what's so infuriating. These laws are introduced with ZERO consideration of the victim of a heinous crime. These politicians are introducing legislation that would allow rapists parental rights to children they created during a rape. It's bad enough these women are victims, but people like Paul Ryan want to force them to have a child they probably don't want and then have to DEAL with the man who attacked them in their everyday lives because that child has a right to see their rapist father. It is sick. 

You have to be a sick, heartless bastard to push your pro-life agenda? We get it. You are pro-life, but be pro-life to the point of reason. In trying to save the life of one child, how many more are you destroying?  These proposed laws turn rape victims into criminals. Rape is NEVER deserved and if pregnancy is the product of that rape, you should NEVER be forced to have that child. 

This mindset of using rape as a means to give your pro-life agenda a boost is doing nothing but trivializing rape. The more you talk about it happening and the more you give reasons as to why a rapist has certain rights, the more you put the notion into society that rape is okay. And rape is NEVER okay. EVER. And lending it credence is Mr. Ryan saying that rape is just another "method of conception." 

If you want the national mindset on abortion to turn around, then use education (something the GOP seems to dislike) instead of asinine laws that will only empower rapists. We need common sense in these kinds of situations. Women who are raped are victims and they have and will have gone through enough without a heartless politician furthering their suffering to gain brownie points with an extreme right agenda.

I have personally seen the negative toll the rape of one person can have and the aftershocks number in the hundreds. Stop being a champion for an agenda and start being a champion for victims. You might also be able to keep your public office. Maybe. 

Call Me A Hypocrite

I am a hypocrite. I admit it. I got some not-so-nice messages after my last blog that discussed my complete hatred of guns. I cited mass shootings as one of my reasons and stressed why the deaths of children makes these crimes even more horrific.

Then, the cowards who decided not to air their grievances as comments on my blog, decided to DM me on facebook or email me. They said there was no way I could be pro-choice and anti-gun. How could I advocate killing babies and then advocate not killing babies?

I suppose, however, my alleged hypocrisy has exceptions. It does bother me a bit when pro-lifers assume that just because I am pro-choice, I am pro-murder. That is like saying someone who is pro-death penalty is pro-murder. It's not exactly correct. I know there are some aspects of issues that I like to proclaim as being "that simple." But, abortion isn't simple and never has been. If it were, the Supreme Court wouldn't have ruled on the issue in the first place.

So, let's compare the killing of children in a mass shooting situation versus abortion.

The first word that came to my mind when thinking this through was choice. You see, that is why I am pro-choice. This gives a woman a choice in what happens to her body. With abortion, two lives are involved, not just one. In mass shootings, the perpetrator doesn't walk into a school and first call the parents of the children they plan on gunning down to check if that's okay. When a gunman walks into an establishment with the intent to spray bullets, and the child's mother is not around, it doesn't present a physical danger to the mother. You see, sometimes abortions are necessary to save the life of the mother. Sometimes abortions are necessary if the mother was raped or there is incest. Abortion can be mulled over, thought about, considered and discussed. Mass shootings are obviously NEVER necessary and rarely is discussion even an option.

Now, I understand how conservatives see abortion as just another means of birth control and I know for a fact that it has been utilized that way. Human life is precious and the decision to end a life isn't something that should be taken lightly. But we have all seen Dirty Dancing enough times to know that if safe and medically-performed abortions aren't available, then back alley and wire hanger abortions will begin again. These types of dangerous procedures threaten both the lives of the mother and child.

And it seems to me that most members of the GOP only care about those children being born. Once they are in this world, the charity stops. Many babies are aborted because families can't afford another child or the mother is drug-addicted, homeless, abused or destitute. The GOP is against funding welfare, food stamps, drug rehabilitation programs, low-income housing, Planned Parenthood and other social initiatives. So, they just want that child to be born so it can starve in the streets. Great plan. And I am the one being called a hypocrite by the right wing.

But, as usual, I digress.

I hear many say mass shootings are "God's will," but abortions aren't. Pardon me, but what's the damn difference? I don't believe in the will of any deity, but I do believe in the will of some wacko with a legal arsenal of guns that can take my life and your life in less than a second. So, take the guns.

Just like we don't call American soldiers "murderers" we shouldn't call people who are pro-choice murderers. Our beliefs and our actions are truly for the good of the United States and its children. And THAT is why a pro-choice, anti-gun America is heading in the right direction. It's progress. Deal with it.