The Last Time
When was the last time
you lied down in the grass
with your face to the sky
and your legs and arms spread apart,
while you felt your chest rise
and fall with each breath.
When was the last time
you sat quietly
by yourself, with no book to read
no bus to catch, no where to be,
except exactly where you sat.
When was the last time
you appreciated an imperfection
and ignored whatever was drawn
outside of the lines.
When was the last time
you stood naked
in front of the mirror
and felt happy
with what you saw.
Just a Thought
This evening, as I brushed my hair,
I thought--what if I just asked him
to stay the night,
to nestle beside me,
put his arm around my waist,
the way that you do.
To just sleep there,
with his knees touching
the back of mine.
Without speaking, he could
kiss my neck, and say "goodnight,"
all so I could pretend it was you
beside me, your fingertips,
resting on my waist,
and your lips.
Perhaps I could make believe
that you weren't 3500 miles away,
and instead lying here with me.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
The Military, Segregation, and Gender Stereotypes
Here is a recent (and awful) article about rape in the military, which ends up promoting the idea of segregating women from men in the military. I thought the article was sloppy and disrespectful.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/4677137.html
I wrote a response to the article, which is below.
________________________________
Dear Ms. Parker,
I was extremely troubled by your article, "Behind those tales of rape that wasn't rape."
I think that your attempt to blame the Pentagon for tension between male and female officers was a veil for your real message, which is to keep women out of the military, or to completely segregate them from men, because it is the women who cause all the problems.
You promoted the idea of segregation in the military, and then stated that among other things it would reduce the plague of divorces caused by fraternizing. Segregation of women from men in the military surely, if ever done, shouldn’t be due to the fact that men and women are cheating while away from home. In fact coupling these two ideas mocks women’s rights, women’s efforts to be put on equal grounds with men, and women’s struggles to be respected in the military.
Your final sentence shows the “true colors” of your article. You stated, “Finally, our commanders and fighting men could focus on the business of war rather than tending to gender skirmishes that distract commanders and steal time, resources and energy from the military's purpose.” Your specific mention of men, without mentioning women, again undermines our women in the military, our women who have been the victims of violence by men, those who do the best they can to stay out of other’s way, to fight, and to be held on equal terms.
I am assuming you come from a conservative background, one which teaches that women should remain at home, or perhaps pursue only certain jobs—perhaps journalism is one of them. There was a time when women were not seen to be intellectually equal to men in the field of journalism, yet you today take full advantage of your ability to compete alongside men in your field. Women’s entrance into the military is new and still under fire, but if you are going to raise arguments, at least raise argument with some merit.
You should take a moment to read some cases regarding women’s rights, segregation, and gender discrimination to understand what the valid arguments are, perhaps then you will be able to write a better story. Saying that segregation is “more rational” without backing it up with any facts or research is simply irresponsible and lazy. Here is one particular to women in the military: United States v. Virginia, 518 U.S. 515 (1996).
As a woman, as a journalist, and as an educated individual, you should try to avoid complicated subjects (such as gender segregation) without reading cases and articles, so as to avoid making overbroad generalizations which reinforce the current gender stereotypes that women such as myself try to destroy.
Many people are outraged with your story, unfortunately not all of them have the energy to write you. I hope that you will be more sensitive, exacting, and thoughtful next time you choose to write on such a political topic.
Sincerely,
-ELLA-
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/4677137.html
I wrote a response to the article, which is below.
________________________________
Dear Ms. Parker,
I was extremely troubled by your article, "Behind those tales of rape that wasn't rape."
I think that your attempt to blame the Pentagon for tension between male and female officers was a veil for your real message, which is to keep women out of the military, or to completely segregate them from men, because it is the women who cause all the problems.
You promoted the idea of segregation in the military, and then stated that among other things it would reduce the plague of divorces caused by fraternizing. Segregation of women from men in the military surely, if ever done, shouldn’t be due to the fact that men and women are cheating while away from home. In fact coupling these two ideas mocks women’s rights, women’s efforts to be put on equal grounds with men, and women’s struggles to be respected in the military.
Your final sentence shows the “true colors” of your article. You stated, “Finally, our commanders and fighting men could focus on the business of war rather than tending to gender skirmishes that distract commanders and steal time, resources and energy from the military's purpose.” Your specific mention of men, without mentioning women, again undermines our women in the military, our women who have been the victims of violence by men, those who do the best they can to stay out of other’s way, to fight, and to be held on equal terms.
I am assuming you come from a conservative background, one which teaches that women should remain at home, or perhaps pursue only certain jobs—perhaps journalism is one of them. There was a time when women were not seen to be intellectually equal to men in the field of journalism, yet you today take full advantage of your ability to compete alongside men in your field. Women’s entrance into the military is new and still under fire, but if you are going to raise arguments, at least raise argument with some merit.
You should take a moment to read some cases regarding women’s rights, segregation, and gender discrimination to understand what the valid arguments are, perhaps then you will be able to write a better story. Saying that segregation is “more rational” without backing it up with any facts or research is simply irresponsible and lazy. Here is one particular to women in the military: United States v. Virginia, 518 U.S. 515 (1996).
As a woman, as a journalist, and as an educated individual, you should try to avoid complicated subjects (such as gender segregation) without reading cases and articles, so as to avoid making overbroad generalizations which reinforce the current gender stereotypes that women such as myself try to destroy.
Many people are outraged with your story, unfortunately not all of them have the energy to write you. I hope that you will be more sensitive, exacting, and thoughtful next time you choose to write on such a political topic.
Sincerely,
-ELLA-
Sunday, March 25, 2007
More Coal In Your Stocking!
Despite the fact that it is known that global warming is caused by CO2 emissions, despite the fact that our weather patterns have already begun to change, that glaciers are melting inches a day, despite all of this...there are over 100 coal plants soon to be built in the US.
Salon.com News Article: Let's call the coal thing off by Amanda Griscom Little, Mar. 12, 2007.
Finish the remainder of the article online.
_______________________________________________________________
Texas, in particular, is contributing to the rise in coal plants. Recently, on All Things Considered, on NPR, Wade Goodwyn described exactly what Texas' role has been and will be in the future.
Continue reading more online.
Salon.com News Article: Let's call the coal thing off by Amanda Griscom Little, Mar. 12, 2007.
Coal supplies nearly half the electricity in the U.S. and is responsible for more greenhouse-gas emissions than any other electricity source. Is it too late to kick the habit? Climate scientists, key members of Congress, enviros and the progressive wing of the business world are plotting a coup d'état. Regime change isn't likely to come soon, but this resistance movement could significantly alter the way the pollution-spewing sovereign wields its power.
The ringleader of this uprising is James Hansen, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies and one of the world's top climate scientists. Last week he threw down the gauntlet: "There should be a moratorium on building any more coal-fired power plants," Hansen told the National Press Club.
Coal supplies nearly half the electricity in the United States and is responsible for more greenhouse-gas emissions than any other electricity source. The Department of Energy reported last month that 159 new coal-fired power plants are scheduled to be built in the United States in the coming decade, intended to generate enough juice for nearly 100 million homes.
"If you build a new coal plant, you're making a 60-year commitment -- that's how long these plants are generally in use," explains David Doniger, policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council's climate center. "So we really need to avoid building a whole new generation of coal plants that use the old technology."
Finish the remainder of the article online.
_______________________________________________________________
Texas, in particular, is contributing to the rise in coal plants. Recently, on All Things Considered, on NPR, Wade Goodwyn described exactly what Texas' role has been and will be in the future.
Texas already has a sorry reputation for its dirty air. Houston vies with Los Angeles, trading back and forth the No. 1 spot on the list of cities most choked by smog. Now, Texas utility companies are proposing to build 17 new coal-burning power plants and one petroleum-coke power plant over the next four years. They have the support of the governor, but mayors in some of the state's largest cities are putting up a fight.
Gov. Rick Perry has issued an executive order fast-tracking state permits for the proposed plants. But a coalition of Texas mayors, newspaper editors and environmentalists are playing the tortoise in this Texas race, trying to stave off the coal plants by slowing the process down until more Democrats get elected in Washington, D.C.
"There's a national movement by the utility companies to build coal-burning plants," says Dallas Mayor Laura Miller. "And the reason is coal is plentiful, coal is cheap and, unfortunately, coal pollutes the air aggressively."
Continue reading more online.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Another Form of Child Abuse-
This past week a mother in London was able to keep custody of her 8 year old, 218 pound, son. Hopefully she will take the court's orders seriously and help her son to eat a healthy diet and exercise.
In my opinion, parents who allow their children to eat whatever they want, whenever they want, are committing another form of child abuse. This poor boy's health will be impacted for his entire life by his weight if something isn't done about it. Even if he loses weight, it is unknown what the effects of his weight have already had on his internal organs.
The other day while riding on public transportation, I saw a family of four-mother, father, son, daughter. All of them were severely overweight. The mother and father were far over 200lbs, and the children, who seemed to be 8-10 years old, were each at least 130 pounds despite the fact that they were only around 4'6. I think that doctors should be more aggressive in telling parents of overweight children that they are to blame, that they need to toughen up, and that they (in my opinion) committing a form of passive child abuse. I know this sounds extreme, but if a person allows their child to become obese, is that not abuse? I believe it is Passive Abuse--the result of a parent unable to say no. If the child has a genetic disorder, that is a different matter, however the majority of children who are obese ARE NOT suffering from genetic disorders.
See the article below from the Canadian Press:
Overweight 8-year-old sets off child obesity debate in Britain
Published: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 | 5:35 PM ET
Canadian Press: THOMAS WAGNER
LONDON (AP) - A mother who feared she might lose custody of her obese eight-year-old son unless he lost weight was allowed to keep the boy after striking a deal Tuesday with social workers to safeguard his welfare.
The case has set off a debate over child obesity and raised questions about whether genetics, junk food or bad parenting is to blame. Connor McCreaddie, of Wallsend in northeastern England, weighs 218 pounds, four times the weight of a healthy child his age. Connor and his mother, Nicola McKeown, 35, both attended a child protection meeting Tuesday with North Tyneside Council officials.
Before it began, McKeown, a single mother of two, said she hoped she would not lose custody of her son.
Afterward, the Local Safeguarding Children Board issued a statement saying it "was able to confirm that its hope and ambition is to enable this child to remain with his family. In order to move this matter forward, we have made a formal agreement with the family to safeguard and promote the child's welfare."
The agency provided no details about what Connor or his mother would have to do to fight his obesity.
The hearing was held under the Children Act, which places a duty on the local authority to conduct an inquiry if it has "reasonable cause to suspect that a child . . . in their area is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm."
The boy's case attracted national attention after his mother allowed an ITV News crew to film his day-to-day life for a month.
When he was 2½, Connor was too heavy for his mother to pick him up, and at age five, he weighed more than 126 pounds, said The Journal, a regional newspaper. Now the boy, who is tall for his age at five feet, wears adult clothes, the newspaper said.
Sky TV showed footage of Connor's mother serving him meals of french fries, meat and buttered bread. "He'll hover around the kitchen for food. He'll continually go in the fridge," McKeown said of her son. "I just keep telling him to get out of the fridge, wait until meal times and stuff. But . . . he was born hungry. He has always been hungry."
"Bacon. Mmmm. . . . That's my favourite. Um . . . chicken , steak, sausage," the boy told the camera.
Obesity is essentially caused by eating more calories than you burn. Obese people are sometimes thought to have lower metabolic rates than normal, meaning they need less food to maintain their weight. Childhood obesity is of particular concern because it greatly increases the risks of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, skeletal disorders and strokes. Certain cancers are also associated with obesity, and obese children have a higher chance of premature death.
Read the remainder of the article at CBC.
In my opinion, parents who allow their children to eat whatever they want, whenever they want, are committing another form of child abuse. This poor boy's health will be impacted for his entire life by his weight if something isn't done about it. Even if he loses weight, it is unknown what the effects of his weight have already had on his internal organs.
The other day while riding on public transportation, I saw a family of four-mother, father, son, daughter. All of them were severely overweight. The mother and father were far over 200lbs, and the children, who seemed to be 8-10 years old, were each at least 130 pounds despite the fact that they were only around 4'6. I think that doctors should be more aggressive in telling parents of overweight children that they are to blame, that they need to toughen up, and that they (in my opinion) committing a form of passive child abuse. I know this sounds extreme, but if a person allows their child to become obese, is that not abuse? I believe it is Passive Abuse--the result of a parent unable to say no. If the child has a genetic disorder, that is a different matter, however the majority of children who are obese ARE NOT suffering from genetic disorders.
See the article below from the Canadian Press:
Overweight 8-year-old sets off child obesity debate in Britain
Published: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 | 5:35 PM ET
Canadian Press: THOMAS WAGNER
LONDON (AP) - A mother who feared she might lose custody of her obese eight-year-old son unless he lost weight was allowed to keep the boy after striking a deal Tuesday with social workers to safeguard his welfare.
The case has set off a debate over child obesity and raised questions about whether genetics, junk food or bad parenting is to blame. Connor McCreaddie, of Wallsend in northeastern England, weighs 218 pounds, four times the weight of a healthy child his age. Connor and his mother, Nicola McKeown, 35, both attended a child protection meeting Tuesday with North Tyneside Council officials.
Before it began, McKeown, a single mother of two, said she hoped she would not lose custody of her son.
Afterward, the Local Safeguarding Children Board issued a statement saying it "was able to confirm that its hope and ambition is to enable this child to remain with his family. In order to move this matter forward, we have made a formal agreement with the family to safeguard and promote the child's welfare."
The agency provided no details about what Connor or his mother would have to do to fight his obesity.
The hearing was held under the Children Act, which places a duty on the local authority to conduct an inquiry if it has "reasonable cause to suspect that a child . . . in their area is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm."
The boy's case attracted national attention after his mother allowed an ITV News crew to film his day-to-day life for a month.
When he was 2½, Connor was too heavy for his mother to pick him up, and at age five, he weighed more than 126 pounds, said The Journal, a regional newspaper. Now the boy, who is tall for his age at five feet, wears adult clothes, the newspaper said.
Sky TV showed footage of Connor's mother serving him meals of french fries, meat and buttered bread. "He'll hover around the kitchen for food. He'll continually go in the fridge," McKeown said of her son. "I just keep telling him to get out of the fridge, wait until meal times and stuff. But . . . he was born hungry. He has always been hungry."
"Bacon. Mmmm. . . . That's my favourite. Um . . . chicken , steak, sausage," the boy told the camera.
Obesity is essentially caused by eating more calories than you burn. Obese people are sometimes thought to have lower metabolic rates than normal, meaning they need less food to maintain their weight. Childhood obesity is of particular concern because it greatly increases the risks of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, skeletal disorders and strokes. Certain cancers are also associated with obesity, and obese children have a higher chance of premature death.
Read the remainder of the article at CBC.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Raid in Greely, Colorado Will Leave Deep Scars
Once again our Administration has effectively sent a message that if you (1) look like an alien or (2) are an alien, you will be terrorized, disrespected and stripped of your civil rights.
What many may not know is that if you have entered the United States, even illegally, you have constitutional rights. Only those who have not yet entered and are seeking admission are denied Constitutional Rights. Even those seeking admission may not be detained for an unreasonable amount of time. Certainly the raids of several companies, Swift & Co was that raided in Greely, were far beyond reasonable.
ICE has become an agency aimed at terrorizing both documented US residents and undocumented aliens.
See the excerpt of "Lockdown in Greely" from THE NATION magazine's February 26th, 2007 issue.
Lockdown in Greeley
by MARC COOPER
Greeley, Colorado
On the northern edge of this frozen-over city of 90,000 halfway between Denver and Cheyenne, Swift & Co.'s beef processing plant squats like a windowless concrete bunker alongside the snow-covered railroad tracks. The winter air hangs heavy with the stench of animal waste. And the three strings of barbed wire atop the chain-link fence that girdles the facility give the hulking complex all the appeal of some forsaken, remote prison. Nevertheless, the steam snaking high and gently from the plant's smokestacks has for several decades served as a beacon of hope and promise for thousands of immigrants, mostly Mexican, who have come north looking for a better life.
[]
At least until December 12, the holiday celebrating the appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe. What materialized in front of the Swift gates that morning was more like a vision of hell. Shortly after 7 am a half-dozen buses rolled up with a small fleet of government vans, which unloaded dozens of heavily armed federal agents backed by riot-clad local police. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents sealed off all entrances and exits and formed a perimeter around the factory. Then others barged inside and started rounding up the whole workforce.
Some of the frightened workers jumped into cattle pens; others hid behind machinery or in closets. Those who tried to run were wrestled to the ground. Sworn statements by some workers allege that the ICE agents used chemical sprays to subdue those who didn't understand the orders barked at them in English. The plant's entire workforce was herded into the cafeteria and separated into two groups: those who claimed to be US citizens or legal residents and those who didn't.
While the Greeley plant was being locked down, more than 1,000 ICE agents simultaneously raided five other Swift factories in Texas, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah and Minnesota. By the end of the day, nearly 1,300 immigrant workers had been taken into custody--about 265 of them from Greeley. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff boasted that the combined raids amounted to the largest workplace enforcement action in history. ICE Assistant Secretary Julie Myers would later claim that Operation Wagon Train, as the raids were dubbed, dealt a major blow in the "war against illegal immigration."
Now critics of the raids--workers, union reps, clergy, community leaders, policy analysts and lawyers--wonder what the high-profile sweep accomplished other than to traumatize a few hundred Latino families and to cost Swift an estimated $30 million in lost production. If anything, it starkly reveals, once again, a federal immigration policy completely detached from economic and social realities and a Bush White House incapable of moving ahead with much-promised reform. "What has changed because of all this?" rhetorically asks Francisco Granados, a Greeley businessman and volunteer providing relief services to the affected families. "Nothing. Nada. The whole system is set up to make you lie."
Read the remainder of the article online.
What many may not know is that if you have entered the United States, even illegally, you have constitutional rights. Only those who have not yet entered and are seeking admission are denied Constitutional Rights. Even those seeking admission may not be detained for an unreasonable amount of time. Certainly the raids of several companies, Swift & Co was that raided in Greely, were far beyond reasonable.
ICE has become an agency aimed at terrorizing both documented US residents and undocumented aliens.
See the excerpt of "Lockdown in Greely" from THE NATION magazine's February 26th, 2007 issue.
Lockdown in Greeley
by MARC COOPER
Greeley, Colorado
On the northern edge of this frozen-over city of 90,000 halfway between Denver and Cheyenne, Swift & Co.'s beef processing plant squats like a windowless concrete bunker alongside the snow-covered railroad tracks. The winter air hangs heavy with the stench of animal waste. And the three strings of barbed wire atop the chain-link fence that girdles the facility give the hulking complex all the appeal of some forsaken, remote prison. Nevertheless, the steam snaking high and gently from the plant's smokestacks has for several decades served as a beacon of hope and promise for thousands of immigrants, mostly Mexican, who have come north looking for a better life.
[]
At least until December 12, the holiday celebrating the appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe. What materialized in front of the Swift gates that morning was more like a vision of hell. Shortly after 7 am a half-dozen buses rolled up with a small fleet of government vans, which unloaded dozens of heavily armed federal agents backed by riot-clad local police. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents sealed off all entrances and exits and formed a perimeter around the factory. Then others barged inside and started rounding up the whole workforce.
Some of the frightened workers jumped into cattle pens; others hid behind machinery or in closets. Those who tried to run were wrestled to the ground. Sworn statements by some workers allege that the ICE agents used chemical sprays to subdue those who didn't understand the orders barked at them in English. The plant's entire workforce was herded into the cafeteria and separated into two groups: those who claimed to be US citizens or legal residents and those who didn't.
While the Greeley plant was being locked down, more than 1,000 ICE agents simultaneously raided five other Swift factories in Texas, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah and Minnesota. By the end of the day, nearly 1,300 immigrant workers had been taken into custody--about 265 of them from Greeley. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff boasted that the combined raids amounted to the largest workplace enforcement action in history. ICE Assistant Secretary Julie Myers would later claim that Operation Wagon Train, as the raids were dubbed, dealt a major blow in the "war against illegal immigration."
Now critics of the raids--workers, union reps, clergy, community leaders, policy analysts and lawyers--wonder what the high-profile sweep accomplished other than to traumatize a few hundred Latino families and to cost Swift an estimated $30 million in lost production. If anything, it starkly reveals, once again, a federal immigration policy completely detached from economic and social realities and a Bush White House incapable of moving ahead with much-promised reform. "What has changed because of all this?" rhetorically asks Francisco Granados, a Greeley businessman and volunteer providing relief services to the affected families. "Nothing. Nada. The whole system is set up to make you lie."
Read the remainder of the article online.
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