The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

The Rotherham Horror

Posted on | August 27, 2014 | 68 Comments

Imagine if more than a thousand girls, some as young as 11, were sexually exploited by members of a fundamentalist religious cult. Now imagine that authorities refused to act to stop this heinous abuse of young girls because of their fear of offending public opinion.

Except you don’t have to imagine this. It actually happened.

And the fundamentalist religious cult? Yeah: Islam.

UK HORRIFIC REVELATIONS: How fear of being
called ‘racist’ prevented social workers from
rescuing up to 1,400 mostly white girl children
from sexual abuse and exploitation by
Muslim sex ‘grooming’ gangs in just one town!

That headline at Bare Naked Islam is rather inflammatory, but it’s difficult to describe this story in a way that is non-inflammatory. If you have even the slightest shred of human decency in your soul, this is a story that will make you scream bloody murder. Donald Douglas has this (slightly) less inflammatory headline at American Power:

Sex Abuse Ignored in Britain: 1,400 Girls
Raped by Muslim Sex-Trafficking Gangs
as Police Feared ‘Racism’ Accusations

Fear is a powerful incentive. Severe legal and social sanctions against the expression of “racism” have had the effect in England, as in the United States, of making it impossible to speak honestly about race relations. The situation in England is doubly difficult, because so many of their racial minorities — immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc., whom the British call “Asians” — are also Muslims.

Americans are often shocked when their own opposition to radical Islam is called “racism,” because Islam is a religion, not a race. In England and much of Europe, however, the racial and religious categories overlap to such a degree as to be nearly indistinguishable. Christianity has so declined in secularized Europe that the fact their burgeoning immigrant population is Muslim is less obvious than the fact the immigrants are brown-skinned, and so “racism” is the accusation commonly leveled against European critics of the cultural jihad. Fear of being branded “racist” therefore paralyzed officials in Rotherham, England:

The sexual abuse of about 1,400 children at the hands of Asian men went unreported for 16 years because staff feared they would be seen as racist, a report said today.
Children as young as 11 were trafficked, beaten, and raped by large numbers of men between 1997 and 2013 in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, the council commissioned review into child protection revealed.
And shockingly, more than a third of the cases were already know to agencies.
But according to the report’s author: ‘several staff described their nervousness about identifying the ethnic origins of perpetrators for fear of being thought racist’.
Professor Alexis Jay, who wrote the report, condemned the ‘blatant’ collective failures by the council’s leadership, concluding: ‘It is hard to describe the appalling nature of the abuse that child victims suffered.’
The landmark report which exposed widespread failures of the council, police and social services revealed:

  • Victims were doused in petrol and threatened with being set alight, terrorised with guns, made to witness brutally-violent rapes and told they would be the next if they spoke out;
  • They were raped by multiple perpetrators, trafficked to other towns and cities in the north of England, abducted, beaten and intimidated;
  • One victim described gang rape as ‘a way of life’;
  • Police ‘regarded many child victims with contempt’;
  • Some fathers tried to rescue their children from abuse but were arrested themselves;
  • The approximate figure of 1,400 abuse victims is likely to be a conservative estimate of the true scale of abuse.

The lack of reports was partly down to a fear of being racist, Prof Jay wrote, as the majority of the perpetrators were described as ‘Asian men’, and many were said to be of Pakistani origin.
One young person told the inquiry that ‘gang rape’ was a usual part of growing up in the area of Rotherham where she lived. . . .
The failures happened despite three reports between 2002 and 2006 ‘which could not have been clearer in the description of the situation in Rotherham’. . . .
Teachers reported seeing children as young as 11, 12 and 13 being picked up outside schools by cars and taxis, given presents and mobile phones and taken to meet large numbers of unknown men in Rotherham or other local towns and cities.

You can read the whole thing at the Daily Mail. If this story sounds rather familiar to regular readers, it’s because I reported on a quite similar story from Derbyshire nearly four years ago:

That “rape gang” story in 2010 exposed the shocking extent of what can only be described as cultural decadence in England. In most cases, the young white girls who are exploited are from what used to be called the “working class,” but who are in fact part of the Welfare Class. People in America who complain about welfare are accused of racism because of the mental association — welfare = “inner city” = black — that is a common stereotype.

Yet every problem caused by welfare policies in America, which we mentally associate with “inner city” blacks, is also evident among the white “inner city” population of England. The population of Great Britain is about 95% white, and England’s lower-class welfare-mooching ghetto scum are no less demoralized and crime-prone despite the fact that they are also overwhelmingly white.

Everything you might say about “inner city” culture in America can be applied to the lower-class whites in Great Britain who have been morally corrupted by their cradle-to-grave welfare system. Unwed motherhood, educational failure, drug addiction, violent thuggery — white people are entirely capable of these things, once they succumb to the self-pitying slothful dependency of welfare culture.

Our provincialism prevents Americans from recognizing what this means in terms of our own welfare policies, simply because no American can criticize welfare without being suspected of racism. Political correctness creates this helpless confusion, a confusion that is every bit as dangerous as the attitudes which prevented authorities in Rotherham from doing something about the dreadful exploitation of lower-class white girls — mere girls, some of them as young as 11 or 12 — by rape gangs of young Muslim men. Of course, American feminists who hector us about “rape culture” on college campuses won’t say a word about this story.

Feminism’s alliance with the Democrat Party implicates them in the welfare culture that enables the sexual exploitation of young girls. If you’re waiting for feminists to demonstrate their intellectual integrity, you’ll be waiting until Hell freezes over.

Read Professor Alexis Jay’s 153-page report,
“Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual
Exploitation in Rotherham (1997 – 2013)”

 

Category: Crime, Culture, Feminism, Great Britain, Islam, Sex

LIVE AT FIVE: 08.27.14

Posted on | August 27, 2014 | 1 Comment

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Israel Agrees To Open-Ended Truce In Gaza

Netanyahu facing criticism from hard right, residents of communities near Gaza

Solutions to tough issues put off for later
Gazans celebrate “victory”
How Israel made Hamas crawl
Deal boosts Hamas politically, clears way for reconstruction


Syria Warns Against Unauthorized Strikes Against ISIS In Syria
Warning comes the day after Raqqah falls to jihadis

Ukraine Detains Russian Paratroopers Near Donetsk
Russia claims soldiers blundered across the border, surrendered peacefully



POLITICS
Doug Ducey Wins GOP Primary For Arizona Governor

Ducey speaks to forum in Glendale

Former Cold Stone Creamery CEO, state treasurer defeats five other contenders with 37% of the vote

McSally Wins Easily In GOP Primary, Will Face Dem Barber In Rematch

Obama Lays Out Plan To Overhaul VA To American Legion

Lawmakers Demand Vote On Military Action Against ISIS

Former Acting HHS Cybersecurity Director Convicted On Child Porn Charges

IRS Lawyer Says Lerner’s Blackberry Deliberately Destroyed After Start Of Congressional Probe



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Asian Crude Recovers From 14-Month Low: WTI $93.87, Brent $102.73
Will Burger King Get Burned By Canada Move?
Asian Stocks Mostly Higher After Record S&P Close
American, US Air Pulling Listings From Orbitz
Euro Falls To Lowest In Almost A Year On ECB Outlook; Kiwi Gains
Snapchat Valuation Estimated At $10 Billion
Instagram’s Hyperlapse App Brings Pricy Image Stability To Phone Cameras
Google Buys Cloud-Based Special Effects Firm Zync
Kevin Durant Broke The Internet
EA Hoping Add-On Content Sales Will Reach $1 Billion This Year
Zelda, F-Zero, And Animal Crossing Content Coming To Mario Kart 8



SPORTS
Lagares, Gee Lead Mets To 3-2 Win Over Braves

Mets reliever Jenrry Mejia thanks outfielder Juan Lagares after the team defeats Atlanta

Lagares flashes glove in the outfield, hits two-run dinger


Angels Crush Fish 8-2


Tigers Snap Yankees’ Streak, 5-2


Dodgers Score Six In Fourth To Beat Snakes 9-5

Carter’s Blast In 8th Gives Astros 4-2 Win Over A’s

NASCAR Releases 2015 Sprint Cup Schedule

Delle Donne’s Last-Minute Basket Takes Game And Series For Sky

Napoli’s Three-Run Blast In 11th Wins It For Bosox Against Blue Jays

Ike Davis’ Pinch-Hit Dinger Puts Pirates On Top Against Cards

Tribe Tops Pale Hose 8-6 In Tenth

Royals Rally In Ninth, Edge Twins 2-1

O’s Batter Rays Bullpen For 4-2 Win

Phillies Stay Hot, Beat Nationals Again



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Sofia Vergara Slams “Sexist” Criticism Of Pedestal Stunt

Her body, her choice, am I right?

“… It means that somebody can be hot and also be funny…So I absolutely think it’s ridiculous.”

“Full House” Cast And Producers Mulling A Revival

Cops Called After Bieber And Gomez Involved In Incident At Hollywood Dave & Buster’s

Sarah Hyland & Matt Prokop Break Up After Five Years

Miley Cyrus’ VMA Date Sought By Cops For Probation Violation

Cory Fukunaga: Instant Emmys Crush

Suge Knight Not Talking To Police

Ansel Elgort And High School Sweetheart Split

Netflix Renews Will Arnett’s “BoJack Horseman”

Rapper Young Jeezy Arrested After Wiz Khalifa Concert Shooting

Lea Michele May Be Guesting On “Sons Of Anarchy” For Multiple Episodes

Chris Hemsworth, Charlie Day Join New Line’s “Vacation”



FOREIGNERS
Wide Gaps Remain As Putin, Poroshenko Discuss Ukraine Crisis
Rotherham Sex Abuse Scandal: 1400 Children Exploited By Asian Gangs While Authorities Turned Blind Eye
American Jihadi Dies Fighting For ISIS In Syria
Freed Hostage Peter Theo Curtis Returns From Syria To America
Libyan Raids Could Herald Bolder Arab Action As US Wavers
UN Helicopter Crash In South Sudan Kills Russian Crew
Boko Haram Seizes More Towns In NE Nigeria As Army Flees
New Aussie Airport Counter-Terrorism Squads Nail First Suspect
Colombian Drug Kingpin’s Former Hitman Freed



BLOGS & STUFF
First Street Journal: Karmic Justice!
Michelle Malkin: Congrats To Diane Douglas! Grass Roots Activist Upsets Pro-Common Core State Superintendent In GOP Primary
Twitchy: “Might As Well Join The ISIS” – Hilarious Lefty Comments To Burger King
Matt Levine: Burger King May Move To Canada For The Doughnuts
American Power: 1400 Children Raped By Muslim Gangs As Police Feared “Racism” Accusations
American Thinker: Where Governmental Incompetence Ends And Malice Begins
BLACKFIVE: To Make Peace, You Must First Make War
Conservatives4Palin: At Last, A Video Compilation Of Harry Reid’s Greatest Hits
Don Surber: The Disconnected Obama Meme
Jammie Wearing Fools: Obama Buddy Warren Buffett Helping Burger King Exercise “Unpatriotic Tax Loophole”
Joe For America: Christians – Long Fuse, Big Bang
JustOneMinute: The Mean Streets Of New York
Protein Wisdom: Western Anti-Semitism Is Led By “Mainstream” Media
Shot In The Dark: The Skewed Market
STUMP: Public Pensions Watch – Miscellany (But Mostly Illinois)
The Gateway Pundit: Arrest Made In #MikeBrown “Revenge Attack” That Put Marine In The Hospital
The Jawa Report: War Porn – The Iron Dome
The Lonely Conservative: Mexican President In California Lecturing Us On Immigration
This Ain’t Hell: President Obama Live At The American Legion Convention
Weasel Zippers: Students Invent Fingernail Polish That Detects Date Rape Drugs; Miserable Feminists Whine It Promotes “Rape Culture”
Megan McArdle: Burger King And The Whopper About Taxes


Reminder: the Pre-Smittypalooza Midweek Knees-Up & Happy Hour starts at 5 PM and is at The Rock It Grill, 1319 King Street in Alexandria.


Category: Live at Five

FREE CATHY BRENNAN!

Posted on | August 26, 2014 | 82 Comments

Cathy Brennan’s Twitter account @GIDWatch got suspended Tuesday because Brennan, a radical lesbian feminist, began “naming names” of those who had signed a petition to end the women-only policy of the Michigan Womyn’s Festival. Transgender activists have been attempting to take over feminist events and organizations, claiming that the fact that they were born with penises and XY chromosomes should not prevent them from being accepted as “lesbian feminists” even if they have not undergone surgery.

Cathy Brennan recognizes this as the shady scam it is:

Trust me: Cathy Brennan is not a conservative and hates everything about my patriarchal heteronormative existence. Nevertheless, Brennan is right about this one thing — women don’t have penises or XY chromosomes. While I don’t want to interfere with any person’s liberty to wear dresses, get themselves injected with hormones and undergo extreme surgery, neither do I think that such people have a right to force others to play along with their psychological dramas and cross-gender fetishism. AMERICA IS A FREE COUNTRY. This means that people are free to disagree with you, no matter how much political power you rally in support of your arguments.

If I am free to call Cathy Brennan a fanatical man-hating nutjob, then Cathy Brennan is free to call me . . . well, whatever. Brennan is also free to say that people with penises are not women, and that even surgery won’t turn an XY-chromosome male into a “lesbian.”

The transgender activists are trying to silence their critics. If they can silence a feminist like Cathy Brennan, guess what? Conservative critics of feminism will be next in line for this suppression of freedom.

Ladies and gentlemen, we must defend this dyke: #FreeCathyBrennan!

 

Category: Feminism

Fat Feminist: ‘Stop Staring at Me!’

Posted on | August 26, 2014 | 76 Comments

Erin McKelle Fischer (@ErinMcKelle) is a Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies major at Ohio University we’ve encountered a few times previously. She has expressed hostility toward “penis-in-vagina sex” and the “norm” of heterosexuality. In June, we took note of her column about “the very real struggles that young feminists face.” Now she has another “very real struggle” to share with us:

Talk about calling in fire on your own map coordinates, huh? Let’s see what Erin has to say about this Important Feminist Issue:

I’m also a body image and fat positive activist, which basically means that I don’t believe there is anything inherently wrong or bad about being fat. In fact, I love being fat.
Since I enjoy wearing a lot of clothing that reveals my skin and shows off my body, like crop tops, short skirts and shorts, bikinis, leggings and tight dresses, I have to deal with a lot of backlash. Because god forbid a fat woman likes the way she looks and lets the world know it.
Because fat girls aren’t supposed to take pleasure in our bodies or even consider showing other people what they look like, there is a lot of sh*t that can hit the fan. Mostly caused by other people not knowing how to handle someone as sexy as me owning it.
The good news is that the fat positive movement is starting to take off and people are starting to notice. The #fatkini hashtag has gone viral on Twitter, plus sizes are starting to be sold in the stores of hip and trendy retailers like Forever 21 and H&M, and fat is starting to lose some of it’s stigma as a bad word. We’re making progress.
Despite this, though, some people really need to get an education in how to treat fat girls who like to show off our curves some respect. . . .
If you’re offended by me showing my stomach or the way my thighs jiggle, you need to f*ck off. My body is my own and no one has the right to tell me what to do with it. Period.
Boohoo, you have to look at a fat woman’s body. . . .
The most common reaction I get from others when I wear revealing clothing are stares. Some people will sort of roll their eyes or look disgusted; others will just stare as if I’m some kind of art exhibit at a museum. Either way, there are a lot of stares.
Look, I understand that I’m challenging your views on fat womanhood and forcing you to question your beliefs and attitudes, but keep this contemplation to yourself. Yes, I do notice when you’re looking. Yes, it does make me feel uncomfortable.
I’m not some sort of object to be admired; I’m a human being first and foremost. Respect my right to choose to be fabulous and move it along. . . .
You might have the urge to shame me for daring to own my sexiness as a fat girl, or you may even want to compliment me for my taste. But either way, I really don’t want to hear about it. . . .

You can read the whole thing. I cringe in anticipation of the rude things commenters will say about Erin’s “sexiness as a fat girl.”

 

Category: Feminism

Equal Rights for Hostages?

Posted on | August 26, 2014 | 28 Comments

The United States refused to pay a ransom for James Foley, and it would be sexist discrimination to pay ransom for a woman:

A third American hostage held by ISIS has been identified as a 26-year-old American woman who was kidnapped a year ago while doing humanitarian relief work in Syria. The terror group is demanding $6.6 million and the release of U.S. prisoners for the life of the young woman, who the family requested not be identified.
She is the third of at least four Americans who were known to be held by ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. American journalist James Foley was executed by the group in a video that appeared online last week. Another writer, Steven Sotloff, was seen alive but under duress in the same footage.
In addition to the multi-million dollar ransom, the terror group has also demanded that the U.S. release Aafia Siddiqui, an MIT-trained neuroscientist who was convicted by the U.S. in 2010 of trying to kill U.S. officials two years before, according to a supporter of Siddiqui who has been in contact with the hostage’s family.

Meanwhile, an American has been killed fighting for ISIS in Syria. His name is “McCain,” but he’s probably not close kin. He was born in Illinois and my guess is that he’s from the Mississippi branch of the family, who owned vast plantations in the Delta and from which my Crazy Cousin John is descended. I’m from the East Alabama dirt-farmer branch of the McCain family. My folks never owned anybody.

 

Category: Syria, Terrorism

Nobel Peace Prize Winner

Posted on | August 26, 2014 | 38 Comments

“Obama: Anatomy of a World Leader,” by Alex Gray (detail)

There seems to be some confusion about President Obama’s “foreign policy.” At times, it has been alleged that he actually has a policy, but these allegations have never been substantiated. My perception, after watching this administration’s actions for the past five years, is that the “foreign policy” is just one continual ad hoc improvisation.

It’s not a Mozart concerto, it’s bebop jazz. For example:

The White House is struggling to deliver a clear message on the threat posed by radical Islamist group ISIS and what the administration might do to counteract it.
Officials have sowed confusion by giving different statements at different times on the level of danger posed by the Islamic group, whose full name is the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Obama’s decision last year to ask Congress for authority to level Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces with air strikes is also haunting the administration as it mulls strikes in Syria against ISIS. There have been no guarantees that similar Congressional approval will be sought this time around.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest was peppered with questions on the issue Monday. Referring to the proposed strikes against the Assad regime last year, Earnest responded, “That was a different situation, right?”
But he said little that was definitive about whether attacks against ISIS in Syria are now being considered. Any such action would represent a major escalation from the current situation, in which the U.S. is carrying out airstrikes against ISIS positions in northwestern Iraq.
Strikes within Syria would not merely represent a significant ramping-up of U.S, military action. They would also risk providing de facto assistance to the Assad regime, even while the United States hopes that government will be deposed.

See? The chattering class is convinced that the Obama administration has a “message” problem, when in fact, it’s a policy problem.

Exactly what the hell is the policy? Today is Tuesday, so the Obama administration’s Tuesday policy is in effect, and the Tuesday policy is whatever the hell they decide it is. There’s no long-term plan, no overarching strategy. For the first four years, the Obama administration’s foreign policy was the same as its domestic policy, i.e., “Whatever It Takes to Get Obama Re-Elected.” Now, it seems, the policy is “Whatever It Takes to Help Harry Reid Keep the Senate Majority.”

What this translates to is rather simple:

  1. Try to avoid obvious disasters.
  2. When obvious disasters happen anyway, try to avoid blame.
  3. If you can’t avoid blame, minimize the disaster, accuse critics of racism and get your media friends to change the subject.

As long as the media are eagerly solicitous to pretend that the Obama presidency has been a spectacular success, this approach can never fail. If radical Islamic terrorists were to take over Cleveland, Ohio, next Thursday, the media would unite their voices in a chorus of praise for the president’s handling of the “Cleveland crisis,” and any Republican who pointed out the obvious truth — that the crisis was actually a direct result of Obama’s failed policies — would be denounced as an irresponsible extremist hatemonger.

The media are judging the Obama administration by the standards of a kiddie soccer league where the score doesn’t matter and every child gets a trophy. As a matter of politics, therefore, Obama is always the winner. But policy failure is still policy failure, no matter how many times you call it “success.” If the media had been this blindly partisan in 1968, LBJ would have cruised to re-election on the strength of his “successful” policy in Vietnam.

 

Category: Barack Obama, Iraq, Islam, Media Bias, Syria, Terrorism

LIVE AT FIVE: 08.26.14

Posted on | August 26, 2014 | 4 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Federal Judge Strikes Down California’s Waiting Period, But-

Ten-day waiting period struck down

Strikedown only applies to existing gun owners or those with licenses

Who’s Carrying Out Airstrikes In Libya?
Egypt, UAE not bothering to inform Washington

IRS, Eh? Tim Hortons Deal Could Lower Burger King’s Tax Burden
Canadians Less Than Thrilled With Merger



POLITICS
Michael Brown’s Mourners Urge Black Americans To Take Action

Lesley McSpadden wipes away tears during her son’s funeral

Father’s request for a day of peace honored by protesters and thugs alike

Liberal Billionaire Steyer’s Campaign Ads Get Weird

Former FBI Director Louis Freeh Badly Hurt In Car Crash

GOP Says Justice Probe Into IRS Compromised, Demand Special Counsel

VA: Hey, There’s No Proof Care Delays Actually Caused Any Vet Deaths

Rick Perry’s Lawyers File Motion To Dismiss Indictment

DOJ Lawyers Admit Lerner E-Mails Still Exist

McDonnell Cross-Examination Marked By Tense Exchanges

Pentagon Says No Direction From White House To Tone Down ISIS Threat



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Asian Crude Continues Slide On Ample Supply: WTI $93.18, Brent $102.11
S&P 500 Hits New Record, But Doesn’t Crack 2000
Deep Tax Cuts Open Northern Front For US Companies
Asia Shares Firm As Euro Languishes On ECB Easing Hopes
Market Basket: Still No Deal
Judge Rejects Settlement Deal For HP Derivative Lawsuits
Amazon Bets On Gamer Website Twitch In $970 Million Deal
Cellphone “Kill Switches” Will Be Required In California
Facebook Moves To Rid Its Feed Of Clickbait
Samsung/B&N Nook Not Impressing Reviewers
Busted: 5 Myths About Facebook’s Messenger App



SPORTS
Samardzija Dominant As A’s Crush Astros 8-2

8 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10K

A’s deliver finishing blow with five-run ninth


Blue Jays Fall Short In 4-3 Loss To Red Sox

Fish Rout Angels 7-1

Bombs Away: O’s Bash Five Homers In 9-1 Flaying Of Rays


Yankees Pound Shields For Six Runs En Route To 8-1 Rout Of Royals

Cards Edge Pirates, 3-2

M’s Bats Go Silent, Rangers Win 2-0

Rockies Edge Giants 3-2

Bucs To Sign Richie Incognito?

Burnett K’s 12 As Phillies Edge Nationals, 3-2



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Amanda Peet Pregnant With Third Child

Shown with husband David Benioff

Debuts her baby bump on the Emmy Awards red carpet


Nicki Minaj Has “Wardrobe Malfunction” While Opening VMAs


Watch Out: Kelly Ripa, Rosie O’Donnell Will Be Sharing The Same Building


Solange Knowles MIA At VMAs After Red Carpet Appearance


Croatian Church Turns Thumbs Down On Lena Headey’s Bare Boobs

Hayden Panettiere Announces It’s A Girl At The Emmys

Rapper Young Jeezy Busted For Possession Of Assault Rifle

Celebrities Win Big At Emmys

Emotional Beyonce Weeps At VMAs

TV Theme Songs Get The Weird Al Treatment At The Emmys

“Doll & Em” Finale: Season 2 Not In The Works

“Breaking Bad” Goes Out With A Bang



FOREIGNERS
Ukraine President Poroshenko Calls Snap Election On Eve Of Putin Summit
Obama Okays Surveillance Drones Over Syria
Aggressive Salmond Crushes Darling In Second Scottish Independence Debate
French Government Falls After Austerity Dispute
At Least Fifteen Killed As Car Bombs Detonate In Baghdad’s Shiite Neighborhoods
British Embassy In Washington Apologizes For Tweet Commemorating Burning Of White House
Australian Lawmaker Apologizes For Anti-China Rant
Thousands Flee To Cameroon After Boko Haram Attack On Nigerian Town
Syria Ready To Fight Terror Alongside US
Modi Invites England To Partner In Energy Conservation
Imran Khan: Demonstrations Will Continue Until Sharif Resigns



BLOGS & STUFF
First Street Journal: Democrisy – Do As They Say, And Don’t Even Look At What They Do!
Michelle Malkin: The Jihadi Serial Killer Nobody’s Talking About
Twitchy: Richard Dawkins Offers Weaksauce Apology To Mothers Who Don’t Abort Their Downs Babies
Alfonzo Rachel: We Want Justice, Gin, Juice, Hair Extensions, Rims, And Democrats
American Power: Layoffs At CNN? Start By Firing Serial Plagiarist Fareed Zakaria
BLACKFIVE: Task Force Black Back On The Attack
Conservatives4Palin: Kyle Smith – Why Comedians And “SNL” Are Shielding Obama
Don Surber: Ferguson Is About White Guilt
Jammie Wearing Fools: Chicagoland – At Least 19 Shot In 12-Hour Period Sunday
Joe For America: According To Michigan Teacher, “White Privilege” And The Tea Party Caused Michael Brown’s Death
JustOneMinute: Wrong-Way Columnist – It’s Perry-Bashing Time!
Protein Wisdom: Update From Jeff
Shot In The Dark: Their Masters’ Voice
STUMP: Public Pensions Watch – Rhetorical Failure In Illinois
The Gateway Pundit: Marine Severely Injured After Racially Motivated Beating
The Jawa Report: Where Your UN And US Aid Dollars Actually Went
The Lonely Conservative: Surprise! More Concealed Carry Permits Means Fewer Violent Crimes
This Ain’t Hell: Can’t Bomb Them Into Submission?
Weasel Zippers: Mexico Has Deported 93% Of The Illegal Immigrant Minors Detained At Its Border, And 64K of The 69K Adults
Megan McArdle: Fareed Zakaria And The Mysteries Of Plagiarism


Category: Live at Five

How ‘Fringe’ Is Radical Feminism?

Posted on | August 25, 2014 | 72 Comments

A few days ago, I happened to notice my Turner Middle School yearbook — the Signal, from 1973, when I was in eighth grade — on one of the bookshelves in my office, and started looking through it. My 11-year-old daughter Reagan became curious, and I began showing her some of the pictures, commenting on which girls I had crushes on (basically, all of them) and after a while, Reagan said, “Wow, Dad, you must have been totally annoying.” True, that. Anyway, among the girls I pointed out were (a) Alice, the first girl I ever kissed, and (b) Kathy, the second girl I ever kissed (neither of these kisses happened until ninth grade, however).

Quite coincidentally (the reason I’m telling this) a couple days later, the same Kathy commented on my Facebook page where I’d posted my article “Reading Feminist Theory,” asking about my “obsession with fringe feminist theory. . . . What is your point?”

A fair question. Since I started blogging regularly about this in January (“Mental Illness and Radical Feminism”), several regular readers have appreciated my work and encouraged me to write an ebook about it. Knowing from prior experience what grueling work it is to put together a book, I dreaded the thought, but in July, I finally surrendered. The “Sex Trouble” series, which began July 14 (“Radical Feminism and the Long Shadow of the Lavender Menace”) is basically an ongoing preview of draft chapters. The business of sorting all this stuff out, editing and compiling it, still lies several weeks or months in the future, but regular readers can watch the process as the unwieldy beast takes shape.

My “obsession,” therefore, is actually work, and my point is that “fringe feminist theory” isn’t fringe anymore. Remember this?

Ms. magazine found that over 900 programs in the women’s studies field were functioning in the US in 2009. That meant 10,000 courses teaching over 90,000 students at 700 colleges and universities across the nation . . . That included 31 Master’s programs and 13 Ph.D. programs . . .
[T]he American Association of University Women has started advocating to implement “gender studies” programs in public high schools, and the Feminist Majority Foundation is enthusiastic about the prospect of teaching 10-year-olds about “sexuality and gender identity” with a focus on “gender equity” while girls “are still malleable and relatively free of . . . gender role bias.”

If you research the faculty and curricula of Women’s Studies programs, and examine the content of their output in journals of academic feminism, you find yourself in a swamp of radicalism. Research a little more, and you find that Women’s Studies is “interdisciplinary,” which means that radical gender theory seeps into history, political science, psychology and other fields. The field of sociology, for example, appears to have been swallowed whole by radical feminists. At many schools, Women’s Studies is most commonly a minor, rather than a major, so you have students majoring in psychology, history or English with a Women’s Studies minor, and feminist doctrines thereby become part of the academic discourse far beyond the Women’s Studies classrooms, as these students go onto graduate school in their major field.

The extreme doctrines taught in Women’s Studies are not cordoned off from the rest of academia, and the fear of being accused of sexism — discrimination is a violation of civil rights, which could mean getting dragged into an ugly federal lawsuit — is so overwhelming within higher education that no member of the faculty or administration will criticize the radical feminist agenda. Unhindered by any opposition, then, the high priestesses of radical feminism have an influence on campus far greater than their numbers might suggest. The 90,000 students enrolled annually in Women’s Studies programs are less than 3% of total enrollment in U.S. colleges and universities; however, these numbers add up cumulatively year after year, so that it’s likely there are more than 500,000 American women under 30 who have taken at least one Women’s Studies class. Having scoured the Internet for online syllabi, I can assure you that even the basic “Intro to Women’s Studies” class is likely to be crammed full of radicalism.

In 1998, when Daphne Patai published Heterophobia — a book I highly recommend — this phenomenon was already clearly evident, but radicalism has steadily accumulated strength since then. Because the mainstream media prefer to ignore this subject, you’re not likely to realize how far it’s gone unless you start researching it. While looking for feminist texts on Amazon, for example, I found Interrogating Heteronormativity in Primary Schools: The ‘No Outsiders’ Project, edited by Renee DePalma and Elizabeth Atkinson:

The No Outsiders team, a collaboration of primary education practitioners and university researchers, has taken groundbreaking steps in addressing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in primary schools. DePalma and Atkinson and their colleagues from the ESRC-funded No Outsiders research team explore and analyze central issues which permeate the team’s challenge to gender conformity through primary education.
The need for primary teachers and other professionals working with children to address equality in relation to sexual orientation and gender expression is becoming increasingly urgent in the light of recent changes in UK legislation. . . .
This academic companion to the team’s practice-focused book drawing on the project teachers’ classroom work, Undoing Homophobia in Primary Schools, will be essential reading for all those in primary education who are concerned to challenge this last bastion of inequality, as well as for students and researchers in sociology, cultural studies, queer studies and related fields where the underlying discourses shaping heteronormativity and gender conformity require urgent analysis in the move towards a fairer society.

Notice this idea — challenging “gender conformity . . . working with children to address equality in relation to sexual orientation and gender expression” — is considered “increasingly urgent” because of changes in British law relating to homosexuality (e.g., the Equality Act of 2007). Similar arguments are being made in the United States and Canada: The legalization of same-sex marriage, we are told, means that our entire education system needs to be revamped to be “inclusive,” yadda, yadda, yadda. It is not enough, then, that your tax dollars should pay for a public school system to indoctrinate kids with atheism, global warming hysteria, multiculturalism and other such progressive dogma. No, it is now necessary that the radicals must “challenge this last bastion of inequality” — primary school — with postmodern gender theory developed by the disciples of Michel Foucault and Judith Butler.

Can you say “gender is a social construct,” boys and girls?

This bizarre experiment was funded with a grant of £575,000 ($950,000) from the British Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), and sparked controversy when it made headlines in 2007:

Schools are teaching children as young as four about same-sex relationships to comply with new gay rights laws . . .
They are introducing youngsters to homosexuality using a series of story books in preparation for controversial regulations coming into force next month.
Fourteen primary schools are already taking part in a £600,000 Government-funded study aimed at familiarising children with gay and lesbian relationships.
The research team behind the project intends to post the findings on national websites to help all schools use the books in their literacy lessons. . . .
The academics working on the study say showing children that homosexuality is part of everyday life helps reduce homophobic bullying in the playground.
They claim schools need to ensure they are serving the needs of gay pupils and parents to comply with the Equality Act.
However the scheme sparked alarm among Christian groups who fear the legislation could leave schools open to lawsuits if they refuse to use books with gay characters. . . .
The use of the books in England prompted claims that repealing Section 28 — the law banning the promotion of homosexuality in schools — has increased the use of inappropriate teaching materials.
There are also claims that new gay rights laws, coming into force on April 6, will allow schools to be sued if they do not use homosexual texts. . . .
Dr Elizabeth Atkinson, reader in social and educational inquiry at Sunderland University, said: “The purpose of the project is to support schools in meeting their requirements under the Equality Act, which will require all public institutions to meet the needs of gay and lesbian users.
“There’s very little out there at the moment to enable them to meet the needs of all pupils.”
The No Outsiders project, which has received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council, is run by Sunderland jointly with Exeter University and London’s Institute of Education.
It has been launched in 14 schools across the North East, the South West, London and the Midlands.
Dr Atkinson added: “We are already finding that books like these are changing attitudes around homosexuality. Pupils are more willing to understand issues of discrimination.”
However Simon Calvert, spokesman for the Christian Institute, said: “The predictions of those who said the repeal of Section 28 would result in the active promotion of homosexuality in schools are coming true.”

The pro-gay British media was alarmed at the backlash:

So far, it has prompted such headlines as ‘Four-year-olds will get gay fairy tales at school’ and ‘Pro-gay kids’ books launched’. In one article, Stephen Green, director of the Christian Voice advocacy group says: “The arrogance of people like Elizabeth Atkinson, using children as guinea pigs is outrageous and thoroughly wicked.”
Sitting in a cafe in Newcastle, Dr Atkinson says she doesn’t mind that the project has attracted such vehement opposition — it’s all part of the wider debate. “To be attacked is a sign of recognition that you are doing something to change the world and the job of education is to change something for the better,” she says. “Fair enough if I’m attacked for changing the world for the better — so be it.
“We knew when we started this that the Christian groups wouldn’t like it because they don’t like homosexuals. It wasn’t surprising.” . . .
“Section 28 led to the continued marginalisation for children and adults who did not fit into specific norms,” says Dr Atkinson. “What repealing Section 28 has done is make it possible for that group of people to have their human rights recognised. It’s no good saying we’re going to have equality but there’s going to be an exception. There should be no exceptions.”
The No Outsiders project has the backing of the Department for Education and Skills and the National Union of Teachers. Dr Atkinson was recently awarded the scholar activist award by the American Educational Research Association.
But she feels a mark of success will be the day that raising awareness of homophobic bullying will be as prominent and normal as education about sexism and racism.
“If you look back 20 or 30 years ago people used to justify racism,” she says.
“We aren’t in any way teaching them about sexuality or teaching them to be gay. We’re teaching them about diversity and the right to be respected. But it will take time.”

Using children as guinea pigs in this taxpayer-funded experiment is about “human rights” and “changing the world for the better,” see?

And if you disapprove, you’re just a homophobic bully.

This totalitarian attitude — compulsory approval — has been fomented on campus within the Women’s Studies/Gender Studies faculty for the past two decades. Genuinely strange ideas about sexuality and gender have flourished within academia because no one was allowed to question feminism’s radical egalitarian dogma. Lawrence Summers, a liberal in good standing, who served in both the Clinton and Obama administrations, was chased out of his job as president of Harvard University merely for suggesting that there may be “innate” differences between men and women:

Several women who participated in the conference said . . . they had been surprised or outraged by Dr. Summers’s comments, and Denice D. Denton, the chancellor designate of the University of California, Santa Cruz, questioned Dr. Summers sharply during the conference, saying she needed to “speak truth to power.”

Denice Denton? Say, whatever happened to Denice Denton?

Denton, who was openly lesbian, resided part-time in downtown San Francisco with her partner of more than ten years, Gretchen Kalonji, a professor of materials science. On June 24, 2006, one day following Denton’s discharge from the Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute where she had been treated for depression, she leapt 33 stories to her death from The Paramount, a high-rise in which she shared an apartment with Kalonji.

Probably just a coincidence.

At any rate, the trends are all pointing in the same direction:

A female PE teacher who groomed a girl pupil and then filmed them having sex in hotel rooms escaped jail yesterday.
Hayley Southwell, 27, started a relationship with the girl when she was 15 but waited until her 16th birthday to have sex with her.
Yesterday Southwell was given a 12-month suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to engaging in sexual activity with a child under 18 in a position of trust.
The court heard how Southwell had started the nine-month relationship with the pupil at The Nelson Thomlinson school, in Wigton, Cumbria, in May last year.
At the time the pupil, who cannot be named, was 15 but Southwell groomed her and planned to have sex with her as soon as she turned 16.
Prosecutor Greg Hoare said: ‘Police investigations did not show there was anything of a sexual nature that occurred before she turned 16.
‘It was plain they were counting down the time till this girl was 16 and thereafter a sexual relationship did occur.’ . . .
There were both videos and photographs they had shared with each other, which were ‘intimately explicit’ and of a ‘sexual nature’, it was said.

“Changing the world for the better,” Dr. Atkinson would probably call it.

So that’s my point, Kathy. I’m a journalist. I’m also a Dad.

 

Category: Education, Feminism
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