Linking Love--Heartbreaking and Necessary

A minister at a church I used to attend always said that he didn't want the church to spend time and energy doing things that other local people were already doing well. In that spirit, I want to call a little more attention to this beautifully written and powerful post over at Racialicious about rape culture. It just breaks my heart, but it has to be said. It reminds me, again, to be vigilant about the way I raise my son. And makes me wonder what in the world my female students must be experiencing.

I'm going to go find some happy reading on the internet now . . .

Boys Don't Cry (and they don't take showers with grown men)

Once, DH and I were at a family event and his 7-year-old nephew was trying to lean on him. He made the boy get up. Later, when I questioned what I thought was unnecessary meanness, he told me the boy was too old to be laying up against a man like that. I relayed this incident to a male friend and he, too, agreed, sharing that his young nephew (the age escapes me, but he was younger than 7) had rested his hand on my friend's leg once and he promptly picked it up and moved it. Apparently, the end age for male touching comes pretty early in a boy's life.

So, a grown man--an unrelated grown man, especially-- taking a naked shower with a 10-year-old boy is just not supposed to be done. Even if and especially if it is "just horseplay." Come on, Jerry Sandusky, you have got to do better than that. As one of Herman Cain's accusers advised of him, just tell the truth so everyone can move forward.

Seriously.

A Few Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

What's wrong with people?

Why is this man in Florida so driven by hate that he insists on burning the Qu'ran even as it presents a threat to American lives? It is a symbolic gesture for which you're willing to risk people's actual lives. Really?!? Not only is it unpatriotic, it is not the love of Jesus.

Why are people going into their former workplaces and shooting up folks? I know you're angry, but everybody didn't fire you. Why must any and everyone die? I get that you are frustrated and mad, but some little kid (who don't even know you and certainly wouldn't hurt you) would like for their mom to come home and read them a bedtime story. When you shoot up your workplace, you take that away from them.

Why do people run and hide from facts like they're the boogieman? I heard on an NPR program this week that once people hear something that may be misinformation, even when you give them facts to correct the errors, they refuse to believe them and even reinforce their belief in the misinformation. For example, the belief that President Obama is a Muslim is a firm erroneous belief in many people's minds. Once, DH reminded a co-worker that he was a member of a Christian church for 20 years. This co-worker asked him if it was one of those Islamic Christian churches. What? Is that even a thing? As an academic, this refusal to accept credible evidence is especially odious to me.

This crazy is really working my nerves.