I’m struck by how it is that someone would think that this “game” is a good idea. Of course, I’m also struck by how it is that people think that violent shoot-em-up video games represent a positive step forward for humanity. (But since I seem to be in the minority about that, I’ll just assume that it’s me that is out of alignment with my culture.) This particular video game, however, defines “off the hook” if anything ever could. I suppose that somebody will argue that this video game could offer potential rapists an outlet so that they don’t have to actually assault someone. But in truth, I don’t think some outside-the-box psychologist is behind this game. I really just want to know who thinks of something like this and then can find him or herself sitting across the table from their mother or sister or daughter sharing a meal.
In any case, check this out. And judging by the first few comments, it’s going to be easy to say “this is sick and disgusting” and then make some anti-Japanese comment. However, it strikes me that this is symptomatic of some larger and deeper process that is occurring in the world and that is connected to us all.
And one more thing…how many of you men reading this would play this game with your male friends and a couple of beers? Honestly.
So what if we flip the script on this gender issue and show how it plays out with race? Imagine that black and brown people sit on the back of buses and use separate drinking fountains and so on…and we just don’t discuss it. “I’m not comfortable discussing that because it’s just the way it is. THERE ARE JUST SOME THINGS THAT WE SHOULD NOT DISCUSS.” Of course, this is exactly what people said for decades…upon decades…
Imagine how you’d feel if you saw it differently and thought that we really should discuss that race issue. And then anyone who brought it up was considered to be butting his or her head into places where it didn’t belong…or worse yet, complaining about something that isn’t going to change. “Why do you have to discuss that. It’s not polite. Everything is fine.”
This is one way that this “28 day cycle issue” fits with the race issue, by the way.
AND, it’s a perfect example of ethnocentrism — of our inability to step outside of our own shoes and see the world in a different way, through someone else’s experience. Remember, ETHNOCENTRISM = THAT’S JUST THE WAY IT IS. So when that’s your argument, you are in questionable territory.
Why do I say this? Because if it wasn’t that way, then the class would’ve been bored stiff when I brought up the issue. However, most of you weren’t bored at all but, rather, opinionated and emotionally charged.
And it seems to me that when we’re truly resistant to thinking about something, that is the very moment that we ought to really consider it. Maybe the Tea Party people are right and we really do need some sort of a major upheaval in the United States. And maybe abortion is murder. And then, maybe life does not begin at conception.
Remember that I “woke up” when I was twenty years old after enough people pointed out contradictions about things that I faced every day but did not see — because I was a fish in the water that was my own culture. Crazy how that is. And once I woke up I could not stop asking questions…and I still cannot stop. That’s why I teach. I’m just trying to answer those damn questions.
Okay, so this is going to stretch some of you into places I am reasonably certain you’ve not yet ventured.
Imagine for a moment, that the religious texts with which you’re familiar were actually written by humans and inspired by Allah/God/G-d. Now consider what “inspired” actually means or what it could possibly refer to. When someone inspires me, for example, they don’t sit behind me and whisper editorial comments into my ear as I’m typing along. Rather, they provoke my imagination and my mind to consider things that I’ve yet to bring to bear on some particular issue. This means that in the end, when I hit save on a document or send on an email, regardless of how instrumental another person’s ideas or thoughts were to my own, the words in the document are mine and probably reflect more of what is happening in MY LIFE than the life of my muse.
Makes sense, right? So now apply this to any religious stories that you believe were inspired by Allah/God/G-d. (If you are a strict, [read: "literal"] interpreter of religious text, you can just jump ahead to the linked article.) One can only conclude that both the sacrosanct stories that give form to our religions AND the ways in which those stories have been interpreted have at least as much to do with mundane matters of daily living as they do with some great mysterious relationship between the writer and his or her otherworldly muse.
So this article points to some things that I’ve thought about (seriously!) but never had the time nor the inclination to research. It’s rather interesting and should provoke some challenging brain activity.
So here’s an article that will surely raise the blood pressure of some of you. It’s about men and sports and accusations of misconduct and women and power and jumping to conclusions. Yeah…all of that.
You really just need to read the article, but before YOU jump to a conclusion, consider how often you do so without knowing all of the facts. In an honest society, one where people actually lived the adage “innocent before proven guilty,” you’d have no opinion when you hear that someone has been accused of some misdeed.
OK…so i just read a bunch of responses to this blog. Please consider the following: imagine how you might engage in unwanted sex (i.e., be “assaulted”) but not immediately say anything because you are trying to convince yourself that what just happened didn’t really happen, that it was really consensual, that you enjoyed it, that it’s not a big deal, and so on. Imagine that you try to supress the experience but then a week or two later realize that you cannot do that. This is extremely common and may be what happened with this woman. I say this because I’m struck by the large number of you who think this woman is “evil” but still don’t know a damn thing about what happened.
Clearly the author of the piece isn’t standing behind the idea that people are innocent until proven guilty; she is allowing her anger to drive her ideas. But then, she makes a provocative point about coming to the defense of people we don’t even know and would never know if we were not celebrity sycophants. (Okay, it’s not really the right word but it feels good.)
In any case, her main idea is one that is worth considering. Why? Just read the comments that are linked to this video:
So now check out the nine comments from this same video that I pulled from the YouTube site:
What a stupid fuckin whore. Bitches like that make it hard for real sexual assault victims to find justice. On top of that, she couldve ruined his life with this lie. If there is justice, this bitch will pay. I dont want her to get hurt, but she should spend time in prison or at least a mental ward.
She did not repor to police because they do a physical exam to confirm her claim and like craigblast said will charge her with a crime if lying. this a bogus claim. nothing can be proved here
This is a bunch of Crap! This was a casual enounter at best between a man an a woman that lead to more. He did nothing wrong but be a popular athlete and she is a gold digger! How lame is that, i was “raped” but i wont report it to police because im afraid the casino will fire me, HAVE A SPINE AND STAND UP FOR YOURSELF IF ITS TRUE
She tells the Hotel Security Guards but didn`t tell the Cops? No why? because she was smart, filing a fake police report is a crime, so what she did was tell the Hotel Security just so she can say she reported the crime. Now after the charges were dismiss she`s trying to save face and make Ben look bad by wanting him to donate money to the Abused women Association. How many women if they were really raped would just want an apology? Or just sue for $400,000, when Ben is worth a $100,000,000?
what is it with americans fucking trying to sue everybody? get your own fucking money stupid woman!
What a bitch trying to set him up like that.
set up!
she must be a browns fan
Civil suits like this should not be a loud [sic] without a criminal trail first.
Stupid fuckin’ whore? Bitch? Wow. Like these people know the truth about what happened. These comments give the author of the article a great deal of credibility. In fact, it seems to reflect exactly what she’s saying.
