It inspired this art show, which will open at the Antelope Valley College on October 29, 2009:
See ya' there!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Come see my movie, and the Art Show it inspired!
My movie is Wrestling Then and Now, which screens on November 7, 2009, along with Arthur Cauty's Hard Knocks:
Hypocrites.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Rape-Nuts | ||||
| ||||
I'm getting really tired of the hypocrisy.
This clip from the Daily Show illustrates what I'm talking about. All the conservatives getting worked up over ACORN and the sting involving the fake prostitutes, but nobody seems to care when a woman is gang raped by Halliburton employees. The Republicans, currently in office, have denied this woman the opportunity to hold those people accountable. Fortunately, the Democratic majority over ruled them.
Why is it I don't hear criticism about this from those attacking fundamentalist preachers who have sexually abused children and/or adults? Most of those institutions that have sheltered abusive fundamentalist preachers have been very involved in conservative politics. Yet, those advocating for victims seem to be so bent on showing how they haven't become 'apostate' or 'liberal'. They suddenly become quiet when conservative politicians help shield abusers.
I first noticed this when McCain released his ad accusing Obama of wanting to teach sex education to kindergartners. Obama really was endorsing a program that warned children about sex predators and how to deal with them. Did I see one web site, which took a stand against fundamentalist apathy regarding abusive preachers, set the record straight? Nope. Not one. Most victims of religious abuse, at least those on-line, still backed McCain and seemed to ignore how education is a weapon against sex predators.
Those who complained about their words being twisted by fundamentalist preachers did not seem to care how a program designed to stop child sex predators was also given a false description, by the same conservative politicians endorsed by their abusers, as 'sex education for kindergartners'.
And now, everybody's all ticked off about the ACORN scandal, but few seem upset that Republicans do not want to hold Halliburton employees accountable for gang rape.
What a mixed up country we live in!
It's like those 'drink responsibly' quotes that you keep seeing after liquor commercials! After awhile, you stop taking them seriously.
It's amazing how conservatives seem to think gang rape, child sex abuse, and even sexual abuse of adults, can be subject to arbitration without involving government or the police. Even more amazing when victims of fundamentalist abuse, whether as children or adults, and those defending such victims, don't speak out against this.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Excellent article about Roman Polanksi
For the record: I loved the movie, TESS. I defended Roman Polanksi to a fundamentalist friend back during my Trinity days. I was 18 years old, just 5 years from 13. Considering the arrested development most seem to have in the fundamentalist world, it's no wonder I didn't quite grasp the seriousness of the crime. Today, I'm 48. Still admire TESS, especially the final scenes set at Stonehenge.
I no longer defend the integrity of Polanski, however.
The last two or three years of blogging about the Bob Gray case had something to do with it.
Here is an excellent article centering on Polanski weaving a personal myth. Substitute the name 'Polanksi' with your favorite (or non-favorite) pastor who has been accused of child molestation, and tell me this doesn't fit:
Megan Carpenter's Roman Polanski, And The Making Of A Legend.
An excerpt:
The Rapist is still the disgusting, knife-wielding alley-dweller, the man who can only get "sex" one way, the criminal, the man from whom children and women would shy away. Maybe, in the corners of our collective consciousness, we can believe that The Rapist the lewd guy at the party, the perv, the one who doesn't want to have to put the effort into seduction, the one rejected one too many times to try his hand at obtaining consent. These archetypes, seared into our conscious, ignore one thing: rape isn't about sex, at least insofar as most (normal) people understand sex.
Who would want to perform sexual acts on a crying, protesting, resisting woman? One rendered unconscious or semi-conscious? It's grotesque to think about what rape is: a crying, fearful, unresponsive, protesting woman in pain, or one that simply lies there, unconscious, and must be moved like a rag doll to achieve her rapist's ends. It's not sex as much as its an assault, a penetration with a painful but non-deadly weapon. And people don't want to think about Polanski in that way, for their own reasons--but that doesn't mean it's not exactly what he did to his victim.
I no longer defend the integrity of Polanski, however.
The last two or three years of blogging about the Bob Gray case had something to do with it.
Here is an excellent article centering on Polanski weaving a personal myth. Substitute the name 'Polanksi' with your favorite (or non-favorite) pastor who has been accused of child molestation, and tell me this doesn't fit:
Megan Carpenter's Roman Polanski, And The Making Of A Legend.
An excerpt:
The Rapist is still the disgusting, knife-wielding alley-dweller, the man who can only get "sex" one way, the criminal, the man from whom children and women would shy away. Maybe, in the corners of our collective consciousness, we can believe that The Rapist the lewd guy at the party, the perv, the one who doesn't want to have to put the effort into seduction, the one rejected one too many times to try his hand at obtaining consent. These archetypes, seared into our conscious, ignore one thing: rape isn't about sex, at least insofar as most (normal) people understand sex.
Who would want to perform sexual acts on a crying, protesting, resisting woman? One rendered unconscious or semi-conscious? It's grotesque to think about what rape is: a crying, fearful, unresponsive, protesting woman in pain, or one that simply lies there, unconscious, and must be moved like a rag doll to achieve her rapist's ends. It's not sex as much as its an assault, a penetration with a painful but non-deadly weapon. And people don't want to think about Polanski in that way, for their own reasons--but that doesn't mean it's not exactly what he did to his victim.
Has the FFF been suspended?
Is this just a cyber-burp? Or, has the FFF been suspended?
I clicked on fundamentalforums.com and got a blank page with this URL: http://server9.urljet.com/suspended.page/
Hmmm, gee, wonder why the FFF would ever get suspended? Well, when you got crazy guys talking about praying for the President's death, others being rather gleeful about the killing of George Tiller, and not one person (it would appear) saying these are bad things, it shouldn't come as a surprise.
We shall see. . .
I clicked on fundamentalforums.com and got a blank page with this URL: http://server9.urljet.com/suspended.page/
Hmmm, gee, wonder why the FFF would ever get suspended? Well, when you got crazy guys talking about praying for the President's death, others being rather gleeful about the killing of George Tiller, and not one person (it would appear) saying these are bad things, it shouldn't come as a surprise.
We shall see. . .
The New Conservative Bible
Article: New Conservative Bible Project.
I doubt seriously this will catch on! Whether it does, or does not, it kinda confirms what I've been thinking for the past decade about fundamentalist churches and schools (especially independent Baptists).
It is possible, I believe, to graduate and totally repudiate everything you were taught in the school, but you will still be embraced as long as you accept conservative Republican values. I've seen it in practice! People who have become Atheists, or even spreading praises toward Anton Lavey-styled Satanism, have been described as 'smart', but let a Christian, who believes the same things regarding salvation as fundamentalists do, venture down anything resembling 'liberalism' and they will be exiled.
I don't think it's a liberal/conservative thing, though. It just seems to be that most conservatives do not like laws that demand accountability from organizations. It doesn't matter whether those organizations are financial firms or non profit churches. They just want to be left alone!
Fundamentalists don't want the government telling their people how to live. Fundamentalists, after all, do that job quite well themselves!
Sooo. . .since it seems to be politics they worship over their own values, doctrines, and what not, why not rip out the story of the woman caught in adultery? According to this article, she will be one of the first victims.
While you're at it, do something about that pesky millstone story.
Hmmm, exactly how do you define 'offend' these little ones?
If you have not inflicted 'pain', then you have not 'offended' the little ones?
Well, that will let a lot of child sex predators off the hook! The possibilities are endless with the new conservative bible!
Of course, as the events of the last two weeks have demonstrated, there really is very little difference between conservatives and liberals when 'their own' are arrested or accused.
Example:
"I am guilty of a transgression, but it was neither sexual nor immoral."
the late Bob Gray, Conservative Independent Baptist, commenting on child molestation accusations against him.
"It wasn't rape-rape. It was statutory rape."
Whoopie Goldberg, liberal Democrat, commenting on Roman Polanksi, who was arrested for drugging and raping a 13 year old girl.
It appears neither side seems to respect sexual crimes when committed against children.
Wonder why that is?
If it involves children, it's neither 'sexual nor immoral', nor is it 'rape-rape'.
Interesting.
I doubt seriously this will catch on! Whether it does, or does not, it kinda confirms what I've been thinking for the past decade about fundamentalist churches and schools (especially independent Baptists).
It is possible, I believe, to graduate and totally repudiate everything you were taught in the school, but you will still be embraced as long as you accept conservative Republican values. I've seen it in practice! People who have become Atheists, or even spreading praises toward Anton Lavey-styled Satanism, have been described as 'smart', but let a Christian, who believes the same things regarding salvation as fundamentalists do, venture down anything resembling 'liberalism' and they will be exiled.
I don't think it's a liberal/conservative thing, though. It just seems to be that most conservatives do not like laws that demand accountability from organizations. It doesn't matter whether those organizations are financial firms or non profit churches. They just want to be left alone!
Fundamentalists don't want the government telling their people how to live. Fundamentalists, after all, do that job quite well themselves!
Sooo. . .since it seems to be politics they worship over their own values, doctrines, and what not, why not rip out the story of the woman caught in adultery? According to this article, she will be one of the first victims.
While you're at it, do something about that pesky millstone story.
Hmmm, exactly how do you define 'offend' these little ones?
If you have not inflicted 'pain', then you have not 'offended' the little ones?
Well, that will let a lot of child sex predators off the hook! The possibilities are endless with the new conservative bible!
Of course, as the events of the last two weeks have demonstrated, there really is very little difference between conservatives and liberals when 'their own' are arrested or accused.
Example:
"I am guilty of a transgression, but it was neither sexual nor immoral."
the late Bob Gray, Conservative Independent Baptist, commenting on child molestation accusations against him.
"It wasn't rape-rape. It was statutory rape."
Whoopie Goldberg, liberal Democrat, commenting on Roman Polanksi, who was arrested for drugging and raping a 13 year old girl.
It appears neither side seems to respect sexual crimes when committed against children.
Wonder why that is?
If it involves children, it's neither 'sexual nor immoral', nor is it 'rape-rape'.
Interesting.
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