Feline, cats (catty), cougar, pussy, kitten—all slang terms used for women and girls—Meow! In the past, all of these terms (and many more) have been used to shame and denigrate women and girls, trying reduce us to some form of “animal.” Additionally, the term pussy, … continue reading »
Category: Society & Culture
Speaking to the Nation
And he’s gone, gone, gone . . . nearly. President Obama spoke one last time to our nation. He gave his last presidential address (steeped in democracy) on Tuesday. He spoke from his heart and from who he fundamentally is—a caring, decent, upstanding, deeply intelligent … continue reading »
A Reminder of Our Inner Power
On Wednesday,the day after the results of the 2016 election—a true hump day for me (suddenly mountains of dread seemed to be everywhere)—I had to be with friends. I couldn’t be alone in my house; alone to stare at the enormity of looming consequences that … continue reading »
Result of hate-mongers
And, as a result . . .
David Duke, the past Klu Klux Klan Grand Wizard, congratulates the new president-elect and thanks Wikileaks.
Thank god the Republicans have fought so hard to continue poverty, to cement low wages, and to undermine education, while supporting white … continue reading »
Language of Patriarchy, Part 1
The language of patriarchy is distinct, unmistakable, and thus, most importantly, recognizable. Patriarchal language reveres and enshrines double-talk, spin, lies, vitriol, deceit, and deception. Patriarchal language shows itself by being itself: demeaning, debasing, hateful, angry, vulgar, ugly, racist, violent, taunting, controlling, bullying, objectifying, tyrannical, vile, … continue reading »
Women & the Climate of Our Times
Stormy times.
As I write this, Hurricane Matthew, a crystal clear sign of climate change, is off the coast of Florida after ravaging Haiti and damaging parts of Cuba. Again and again, climate scientists declare that this type of hurricane is the “new normal.” It’s … continue reading »
Patriarchy and Toxic Masculinity
Educate yourself.
It is not enough to declare that “toxic masculinity” is the cause behind all the mass shootings, police killings, and continued rise in homicidal mayhem by men in our country.
Toxic masculinity is being talked about more and more. Here’s a sampling of … continue reading »
Theology and agents of change
Theology both fascinates me and irritates the daylights out of me. Theology means the study of the nature of God and of religious beliefs. The study of what (or who) humans consider to be divine and why constitutes a large part of the interest and … continue reading »
Gender Wage Equality Forum in Eugene, OR
vent Announcement:
The Zonta Club of Eugene-Springfield is holding their annual community Forum in honor of International Women’s Day—March 8, 2016. As a member of this club (and the larger organization Zonta International), I wanted to let friends, fans, and community members know of … continue reading »
Fairy Tales, Children & Guns
hildren’s stories and fairy tales are back in the news in both thoughtful and disturbing ways. The thoughtful news article about the differences found in British and American children’s stories is an opinion piece from The Atlantic. The disturbing news arises from the American National … continue reading »