By Samhita • 18 years ago

Internet porn reduces rape?

An article in Slate concedes that the increase in the use of internet porn has a direct correlation to a decrease in rape. He also contends that violent movies decrease violent behaviors and crimes. Now theoretically, this is plausible, but his logical leaps are a little grandiose.
Have at it.

Does pornography breed rape? Do violent movies breed violent crime? Quite the opposite, it seems.
First, porn. What happens when more people view more of it? The rise of the Internet offers a gigantic natural experiment. Better yet, because Internet usage caught on at different times in different states, it offers 50 natural experiments.
The bottom line on these experiments is, “More Net access, less rape.” A 10 percent increase ...

An article in Slate concedes that the increase in the use of internet porn has a direct correlation to a decrease in rape. He also contends that violent movies decrease violent behaviors and crimes. Now theoretically, this ...
By Jessica • 18 years ago

MD Court: Women can’t say no after sex has started

This is perhaps one of the scariest rulings I’ve ever seen:

An appellate court said Maryland’s rape law is clear — no doesn’t mean no when it follows a yes and intercourse has begun.
A three-judge panel of the Court of Special Appeals Monday threw out a rape conviction saying that a trial judge in Montgomery County erred when he refused to answer the jury’s question on that very point.
The appeals court said that when the jury asked the trial judge if a woman could withdraw her consent after the start of sex, the jury should have been told she could not. The ruling said the law is not ambiguous and is a tenet of common-law.

Holy shit. Holy ...

This is perhaps one of the scariest rulings I’ve ever seen:

An appellate court said Maryland’s rape law is clear — no doesn’t mean no when it follows a yes and intercourse has begun.
A three-judge panel ...
By Samhita • 18 years ago

Women’s rights after the Taliban.

After the fall of the Taliban women were promised many rights that have yet to be realized. According to international women’s rights organization, Womankind Worldwide, women in Afghanistan still face systematic discrimination and violence.
via BBC.

The report admits that there have been some legal, civil and constitutional gains for Afghan women. But serious challenges remain and need to be addressed urgently, it states. These include challenges to women’s safety, realisation of civil and political rights and status.

Furthermore, women have received at least 25% representation in the government, but the culture surrounding female politicians and activists is still a hostile one.

“Women who are standing up to defend women’s’ rights are not being protected,” says Brita Fernandes Schmidt of Womankind ...

After the fall of the Taliban women were promised many rights that have yet to be realized. According to international women’s rights organization, Womankind Worldwide, women in Afghanistan still face systematic discrimination and violence.
via BBC.

The ...
By Ann • 18 years ago

New poll on support for SD abortion ban

Despite all the false advertising and other dirty tactics, polling shows support for the South Dakota abortion ban is down 10 points headed into the last week before the election. Sweet! If (and it’s a big “if”) all those people actually turn out to vote, things are looking good.

Despite all the false advertising and other dirty tactics, polling shows support for the South Dakota abortion ban is down 10 points headed into the last week before the election. Sweet! ...
By Vanessa • 18 years ago

‘Cause we’re fancy like that.

So I’m heading off in a bit to bring 100 girls (yikes) from Girls for Gender Equity’s programs to this year’s Glamour Women of the Year Awards. I have no idea what to expect, but I heard last year’s event featured Queen Latifah, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Mary J. Blige.
Let’s hope it will be as inspiring as it sounds; I’ll write a little something on it later in the week. Wish me luck! (It’s not easy chaperoning a hundred adolescents on a mission to see some stars.)

So I’m heading off in a bit to bring 100 girls (yikes) from Girls for Gender Equity’s programs to this year’s Glamour Women of the Year Awards. I have no idea what to ...
By Vanessa • 18 years ago

Synonyms are a girl’s worst enemy.

Let’s play a game called “Which synonym is the most offensive?” Via Thesaurus.com:

Main Entry: girl

Definition: female

Synonyms: babe, baby doll, bird, blonde, bobby-soxer, boytoy, broad, butterfly, canary, chick, coed, cupcake, cutie, dame, damsel, daughter, deb, debutante, doll, female, filly, gal, jail bait, lady, lassie, mademoiselle, maid, maiden, minx, miss, missy, mouse, nymph, nymphet, piece, queen, schoolgirl, she, sis, skirt, spring chicken, teenybopper, tomato, tomboy, virgin, wench, witch, woman

“Piece” is really sticking out for me. Here is its “antonym”:

Main Entry: boy

Definition: young man

Synonyms: buck, cadet, chap, child, chip, dude*, fellow, gamin, guy, half-pint*, junior, lad, little guy*, master, punk*, puppy*, runt*, schoolboy, shaveling, shaver*, small fry*, sonny*, sprout*, squirt*, stripling, tadpole*, whippersnapper*, youngster, youth

Just a little reminder of ...

Let’s play a game called “Which synonym is the most offensive?” Via Thesaurus.com:

Main Entry: girl

Definition: female

Synonyms: babe, baby doll, bird, blonde, bobby-soxer, boytoy, broad, butterfly, canary, chick, coed, cupcake, cutie, dame, damsel, daughter, deb, debutante, ...

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