Eighth-grade student Joshua Wolfsun had a meeting with the interim principal Fran Ziperstein earlier in the school year about the school’s Zero Tolerance policy regarding disciplinary matters. Wolfsun was frustrated by the outcome of that meeting, so he and some of his classmates decided to find out what their peers thought.
The group of students spent several weeks conducting interviews with other students at lunch time and compiled their data. They wrote a report for the school paper, The Chestnut Street Journal, which included graphs, student comments and a number of recommendations for improving the situation.
The data that Wolfsun and the other students put together showed that 78% of the students polled do not believe that their voices and ideas were being heard by the school. It also found that 76% think that the disciplinary practices at the Middle School made it a worse place to attend every day, and 65% did not believe that the school’s vision statement portrayed an accurate reflection of the school atmosphere.
When the paper was published, school administration would not allow it to be distributed on campus.
Amherst Regional Middle School is a learning community that challenges and supports every member's intellectual, social, emotional and physical growth. It is a safe, creative, and inclusive community that respects and values academic excellence, individual responsibility and life-long learning. Amherst Regional Middle School is a place in which the uniqueness of each individual is recognized, embraced and appreciated.
No - this is adult talk, like they think it's true.
From the moment Justin and I entered the ballroom, the tension was palpable. We received puzzled stares from students sitting around us, and though we couldn't put a finger on why, we felt incredibly unwelcome. I left feeling uncomfortable and unable to make sense of what had happened.
Back in Tri-Towers, when I told my dorm mates where I'd been, I received similar puzzled looks. You went to a BUS event? Hasn't anyone told you about BUS? They don't want white people attending their functions.
...
Boy were we surprised when we were informed by then-leaders Teddy Harris and Demareo Cooper that BUS's goal was not equality, but to advance blacks beyond that of whites. The goal was black-owned, black-operated businesses and universities. When we said,
"... but that's racism ..." we were told that as the majority, we were unable to feel racism. We just couldn't understand.
...
Now, this is not a column bashing BUS for past mistakes. This is a means to a dialog. I truly believe that BUS should embrace its non-black supporters, because there is power in numbers. We support your cause; now can we please be embraced the same way you embrace your black peers?
So this is what I say to you, current members and leaders of BUS: Tell me again. Tell me again what your goals are. I certainly hope they differ from those expressed to me in 2004.
Tell me what you are doing to reach out to non-black students who support your cause. As a straight girl, PRIDE!Kent has always welcomed me to their meetings and functions because they knew I supported their cause. I want to be able to attend BUS functions and feel the same love.
Racism is still a problem in this country, and it will never be solved if we continue to divide black from white. I have been called names and ostracized for the color of my skin, and I have been ridiculed for sharing my life with a man who is not white.
I am not a white bitch. I am a straight, white girl who will always do everything in her power to support the plight of all minorities.
I don't use the color of your skin against you, so please do not use mine against me.
Please, BUS: Tell me how you plan to use your powers for good. I want to hear your voice, and I want to become a united front in the fight against prejudice.
I am not a white bitch. I am not whitey. I am not a cracker. I am not the man.
And I never want to feel ostracized because of my race ever again. Don't you feel the same?
"But movies about women are not about gems, plural; they are about diamonds in the rough. Diamonds who would never actually wear a diamond, because, eww, icky, stupid, that's what girly girls do.
It's because of that sort of messaging that there was a time I never would have worn pink shoes, no less blogged about them. I wanted to be one of the women who didn't care about being a woman, because those women aren't worth talking about. Their stories suck.
Suffice it to say, I've changed my mind."
In our minds, Link was a hero with gravitas and personality, not a bland effeminate mute.
...
Behold: There once was a dream that was Hyrule, and Nintendo has castrated it.
Re: A question about the military
from karnythia
AFAIK there is no such e-community. You may have to create one.
--- llencelynn wrote:
> Hello, karnythia,
>
> I'm terribly sorry to bother you, but your recent post at ABW (about the rape in the military) has been the first glimpse of something I've been searching for on the internet, and I was hoping you might be able to point me in the right direction. If I'm barking up the wrong tree, please don't hesitate to tell me so, and I'll return to my search.
>
> My significant other is in the Army. He is being deployed to Afghanistan soon. As someone who considers herself a progressive and a pacifist, I have oh-so-many issues revolving around war (especially this one) and the military. I don't know how to be sensitive to my dearest's choices and needs while still remaining true to my beliefs. It has, recently, provided me with a significant amount of unresolved anguish.
>
> What I would dearly love would be to find a community of other pacifist progressives (hell, even nonpacifist progressives would be a step up from my current situation) who have significant others in the military, so that I can converse with them and learn how to handle the serious mental stress that this is placing on both he and I.
>
> My question is: Do you know if such a place exists, and if so, where?
>
> Thank you so much for your time,
> Llencelynn
[Sans titre]
Je veux seulement changer le monde.
Est-ce trop demander?
Je veux seulement que les enfants n'affament pas,
Qu'elles* ont assez de nourriture pour survivre.
Je veux seulement qu'il y ait un leader honnête,
Qui a lutté dans sa vie.
Je veux seulement que La Terre survive l'humanité,
Et ne succombe pas à notre avidité.
Je veux seulement changer le monde.
Est-ce trop demander?
Je veux seulement mettre fin à la guerre,
Qui me menace de tuer mon amour.
Je veux seulemnt avoir le mariage pour tous,
Parce que l'amour ne peut pas être arreté.
Je veux seulement que le monde soit sans danger,
Pour que les personnes se sentent confortables chez elles.
Je veux seulement changer le monde.
Est-ce trop demander?
Je veux seulement changer le monde.
C'est une demande simple.
Je veux seulement changer le monde.
Pourquoi est-ce que c'est difficile d'aimer?
Je veux seulement changer le monde.
Je changerai le monde.
We have all heard ad nauseam from the Rev. Al about Tawana Brawley, the Duke rape case and Jena. And all turned out to be hoaxes. But about the epidemic of black assaults on whites that are real, we hear nothing.
Damn Straight I'm A Feminist
When I told my now-boyfriend that I was a feminist, the first thing he said was, "You're not one of those feminists, are you?" By "those" feminists, he meant the image of a feminist that he had built up in his mind. A false image, based on one encounter with an embittered professor and the ridiculous stereotypes he'd heard throughout his life. I'm ashamed to say that my response was, "Oh, no! Don't worry, I'm not like that." Yup, that's what I said. So much for being strong and confident, right?
Why did I respond that way? Why did he respond that way? Who are "those" feminists? I don't know who they are. What I do know is that I am a feminist. I believe in equality for all people. I believe in an end to violence. I believe that women and men should have every opportunity available to them and that they should be able to make their own choices without social pressures.
I’ve never felt so strongly about any cause as I do about feminism. That’s probably because it’s the easiest one for me to identify with. I care about ending racism and poverty and any number of other social ills, but being the privileged white, heterosexual, middle class citizen that I am, I will never be able to understand firsthand what it is to face discrimination from those arenas. So, being female, feminism is the cause that caught my eye. The wonderful thing about it is that it opened my eyes and allowed me to be more understanding of the plights of groups who face different types of discrimination. It helped me to be aware of my privilege and to know that even if I don’t immediately understand where someone is coming from, they still deserve my respectful attention, and they deserve for me to think long and hard about what they've said, rather than just dismissing it because it doesn't immediately fit into my worldview. People who knew me in high school can tell that I’ve done a 180 between now and then. I’m proud to be a feminist, I care about problems in the world and want to act to make change. I’m a lot more informed than I’ve ever been in my life, and just all around a better, more accepting person.
Feminism has done this for me. Feminism has helped me grow and mature. It is still doing that, too, because I have a lot of growing and maturing left to do.
The reactions of others when they discover my feminism make it obvious that not everyone realizes what a wonderful thing it is. Some people have let stereotypes blind them to reality. Some have never really given feminism any thought. By experiencing feminism with me, my boyfriend is starting to learn that feminism has value. What I hope for is that if enough people understand the true purpose of feminism, then more people will be passionate about equality. When asked if I am a feminist, I want my response of, "Damn straight I'm a feminist!" to be the norm, rather than the exception.
Why Women's Week Is Important to Everyone
More often than not, sexual violence (i.e. rape and sexual assault) is a topic that is filed under “Women’s Issues.” I propose that we change this categorization. Why? Well, because sexual violence isn’t an issue solely for the victims of a crime. It is an issue for the perpetrators as well. And according to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victimization Survey Statistical Tables for 2005 (pg. 51), in rape, sexual assault, and verbal threats of those two items, 97.8% of offenders were male. Of the victims, 92% were female and 8% were male. Sexual violence is a women’s issue? Call me crazy, but...
Please don’t think I am accusing men of anything. The men I know are generally good people. A lot of them wouldn’t hurt a fly, let alone another person. Despite this, I find it frightening that men are so overwhelmingly the ones responsible for sexual violence. And in fact, men are the majority perpetrators of all the crimes of violence contained in the report. The highest percentage of female offenders was 22.7%, for simple (as opposed to aggravated) assault.
So what’s happening? For starters, most people just don’t realize that there is this great an imbalance. Most feminists could probably have quoted that statistic to you without a second’s thought, but the average person has no idea how skewed the demographic is. A very good friend of mine actually found these statistics in trying to refute my claim that I had every right to be more afraid of men than I am of women (the hypothetical situation was a dark parking lot at night). He was shocked to discover that my fear has a very sound statistical basis. So, the lack of “common knowledge” on this topic is a very big reason why this issue so hidden, and believed to be “just” a women’s issue.
What’s causing this trend? I’m not the person to answer that in any definitive way. I’m not a scholar of society. But I am a feminist. And as such, I’ve read a lot of the information about these topics that exists out there, and you know know what? Like blogger Twisty, “I blame the patriarchy.” Many, though of course not all, men are indoctrinated from an early age into a culture of violence - a culture that tells them it’s okay to hit, that violence and rape are funny. How could anyone be expected to turn out peaceful with that type of teaching?
And, unfortunately, men have, thus far, been very reluctant to hear this from women. Women’s advocate groups have been calling attention to this discrepancy for decades at the very least. Few people seem to have listened with anything like real interest.
So I say that it is time for men who believe that sexual violence is wrong (violence of any type, in fact) to step up to the plate. Join the ranks of women who are fighting to end this travesty. Begin teaching your brothers that rape is never funny. Talk to them about what sexual assault really means, and why really “being a man” should mean having a respect for other human beings.
Rise up, men! See the terrible culture of violence that has sprung up around us. See how it tears ours lives apart at the seams, how it destroys relationships, families, communities, and society. Realize that sexual violence is not a women’s issue, it is a human issue.
And then do something about it.
Crime statistics found at:
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cvus05.pdf
Miss [Llencelyn],
First, great articles and well written.
Your article about, “Why women’s week is important to everyone” kind of blindsided me, I know you may find this hard to believe but being raised in a single parent home by my Mother, I was taught that violence against anyone was wrong and especially towards women. I cannot believe people actually believe rape is a women’s issue and not a human/cultural issue! That is like Larry the cable guy’s saying, “if guns kill people, I can blame my pencil for misspelled words” (Gun control is another issue). The same people who believe rape is a women’s issue are the same individuals who say, “She had it coming or, it is her own fault, look how she dresses!” Total Bullshit! Weak minded men are to blame for the statistics in your article!!
As far as your other article, “Damn straight I’m a feminist” I’m glad you feel as strongly as you do, it is refreshing to see young people stand up for what they believe in. This is one of the reasons I love the Army so much, I see young Americans everyday fired up about serving their country.
But I would have to disagree that you are a “Radical Feminist”. As I look at some of the definitions for Feminism, I would say you strike me more as a Global Feminist. [Here he is referring to a list of "Feminisms" that I took from a book I have called 33 things every girl should know about women's history.]
If I could offer some advice, as a future professional about to find work, I would be careful how you express your views, I am not saying don’t stand up for what you believe in, but sometimes it is good to keep your cards held close. I have learned a lot of hard lessons by, “Wearing my heart on my sleeve”
As they say, “Don’t talk religion and politics with friends”
MJ
[MJ],
Thank you for taking the time to read those articles. I really appreciate knowing that someone is actually reading those publications! I hope you also take the time to read the other articles in the TBT. They're all quality.
To respond:
I am happy to hear that you find arguments such as, "She had it coming," to be as ludicrous as I do. One of the many (many many many) goals of feminism is to create a world where NO ONE thinks such statements are reasonable. Unfortunately, though it may surprise kinder individuals, there are a very sad and unfortunate and sizable number of people (and even sadder how many of them hold positions of power!) who seem to believe that such ideas are legitimate. Even the way rape cases are investigated by the police demonstrate such beliefs. One of the first things a police officer will ask (unless, of course, s/he is socially conscious and knows how silly it is) is what the VICTIM was wearing, as opposed to, you know, what the PERPETRATOR was wearing. I hesitate to state that without support, but the situation is well-documented, so I think I'm alright. I'd be happy to assist you in looking up citations for my claims.
There is a very good skit that a friend of mine was discussing today, where an individual goes to the police to report that he was mugged. The police officer begins asking the types of questions that are typical in a rape case ("What were you wearing? Oh, a fancy suit? I see..." {insert look of disapproval}). Throughout the skit audience members often mutter, and even cry out in protest at the blatantly unfair treatment the victim is receiving. At the end of the skit, it is revealed that this process is what people who work up the courage to report a rape are facing. We're hoping to perform the skit next year for Women's Week. It's a great awareness raiser. Many people simply don't realize. And that's only the treatment that female rape victims face. Male rape victims are put in an even worse positions [Yeah, typo, I know. Cringe!] by a society that ignores and even outright denies their existence. There is also much documentation and literature on this topic. It is widely believed, among the groups that document such things, that male-victim rapes go drastically underreported, because of the censure male victims believe (rightly) that they are likely to face. And throughout all of this, the perpetrators of the rapes are left out of the focus, excused, defended ("He couldn't help himself!"), and generally given more leeway than animal abusers (I'm not kidding on this one. I'll try to find some of the articles I've read about this. It's terrible).
And, to get to a point I meant to make earlier, one of the largest obstacles to ending such lunacy is that people who, like yourself, understand how wrong it is to blame a victim rather than a perpetrator for a crime do not speak up. Thus, as in the "For A Male Reader" article in the TBT issue [I bummed this off of Kate Harding at Shapely Prose, with her permission.], the people who actually do hate, or who are confused, are left believing that their hatred/cruelty is okay, because no one is calling them on it. It is for this reason that I am striving to bring more people an understanding of feminism, civil rights, GLBT rights, global human rights violations, etc. These movements are not "crazy." They are sane and logical and they need all the support they can get. And I find that many people, once it's explained to them, are generally willing to help (my own self being a case in point. Until approximately a year ago, I would have scorned the feminist label. Then I learned).
As for the type of feminist that I am, I am going to disagree with you. I'll excuse your analysis through lack of familiarity with me. :) Really, the idea behind "feminisms" is that there are all these different "types" of feminism, but many people will identify with multiple feminisms, or choose no rigorous label at all. That is why I generally reject all of those labels in the TBT issue, and simply call myself a feminist. It is the most inclusive label I can come up with, though it has its own faults. The earlier feminists had a bad habit of excluding women of color and trans women (thus the evolution of the "womanist" label, and the tendency of trans women to identify more with GLBT groups than feminist groups). I most certainly strive not to exclude anyone.
As for the advice about expressing views. I very much appreciate the note of caution. I understand why it is important to consider. But, on the other hand, I feel that not enough people truly CARE precisely because too few people speak up about their beliefs. My fellow students think it's alright to be apathetic because they don't realize how many of their peers are passionate about various causes. I feel that if I can be extra, vocally, loudly passionate, then maybe it will wake up someone who is on the border. As for the professional world, I do realize that sometimes one has to keep quiet simply to find work. But on the other hand, I quite simply would not want to work in a place where I could not express my passion for basic human rights. Fortunately, I have privilege. When I am done with my education I will have a Ph.D. in Physics and a respectable undergraduate degree. I am confident enough in my intelligence and competence to believe that I will effectively be able to pick and choose where I would like to work. With that in mind, if I am rejected from a university (being a professor is my intention) simply for my views as a feminist, well I guess I would probably give them a cheerful "F*** you," and be on my way to a university that actually appreciates diversity and differing viewpoints and the struggle for progress and change.
A lesson I have learned since transitioning from high school to college and since undergoing some radical personal changes is that my friends are the foremost people with whom I should discuss religion, politics, etc. Had I not gone into a shell of non-discussion in high school, I could have skipped two and a half years of parroting the words of my father, rather than reading and researching and developing my own opinions. With whom would it be better to talk about deep, intense issues than a friend? A friend will listen and be polite, and I would be more inclined to reciprocate when speaking with a friend. I understand the concern that such discussions would cause rifts in the relationships, but I think that would only speak to the weakness of a bond. If the friendship (or whatever relationship) is truly strong, then such debate can only foster growth and a deeper commitment to the relationship. My best friend [CW] is a case in point here. Throughout high school we had radically different political views. But we discussed them. While we almost always disagreed, we were able to learn from each other, and have developed a deep, lasting friendship that I am confident will stay with us our whole lives.
I suppose this is probably more than you ever wanted to hear on these topics, but I guess your comments just inspired me! :) Again, thank you for taking the time to read those articles. I hope you continue to read the TBT in the future (there will be another issue this April), and I would love to continue any discussion of feminism, religion, politics, or whatever in which you might be interested.
Have a great Women's Week!
[Llencelyn]
P.S. You should come see the Vagina Monologues on Friday! 7:00pm (seating at 6:30pm) in M&M U115. It's free to enter, though donations are welcome. Any proceeds will go to support the Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home, so it's for a good cause. Plus, the Monologues are quite entertaining, and yours truly will be performing! :)
What are you majoring in that you can take the time to write all this down??
Kind of funny we have something in common. My father was a police officer turned lawyer/prosecutor and my mother is a corrections officer and the best man at my wedding was a military Police officer and is now a US Marshall. So when I hear about people being victimized, especially women and children, I want to ensure those who did it, no longer can, well really that they can no longer do anything at all, like walk, eat, stand or my favorite breath, once they stop doing that long enough, they are pretty much not a threat to anyone any longer. I support violence towards the violent!! Terrible isn’t it!! Oh I own guns and lots of them, absolutely appalling isn’t it!! Damn 2nd Amendment!!
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
-- George Orwell
Your reply in itself is a great piece. I can appreciate your beliefs/opinions, but If I could share another hard lesson I have learned, is what we call, second and third order effects. Your pretty smart (I am not patronizing you either)so this is something you probably already know, especially since you are Physics major, but what you do and say now will have an impact on other people and the way they think and interact with you in the future. I get this all the time, obviously, I wear a uniform so I am just an idiot with no education and I couldn’t hack it in the real world so I join the military, well not so much of this is untrue, but the blowing things up is kind of cool too!! But I have a college degree and I can actually read, and this is going to sound terrible but I believe my beliefs are more important then others because I have sacrificed my freedoms for the greater good and I have also paid for them by serving my country. Terrible view isn’t it!!
Freedom is not free.
There are 300 million Americans wishing the world was a better place, there are 500,000 of us in the Army making it one.
Hey wait does that make us Global Feminist???
I appreciate the invite to the Vagina Monologues, but I am more of western/action/shooter fan.
Good discussion, you ever thought about Philosophy?
We could have a cool discussion about this over some hard boiled eggs and beer at the dog [a local bar] when [MJ's name for my beloved] was here.
