My friend Heather is understandably pround of her work with Girls Kick Nuts Girls Fight Back, a personal safety/self-defense education group for women/girls. She's also understandably proud of her all-too-brief appearance in the GFB promo video. Self-defense training is important. And it should only be taught by people who know what they're talking about. The GFB girls seem to know … Read More
So Do Women Like Porn?
This is one of those posts which generates a lot of traffic to my site… from Google searches. That's not why I'm blogging about it…. it's just that there seems to be several schools of thought on this, and the social psychology major in me is interested things like this. The schools of thought on the women/porn question, watered down … Read More
Is There A Gender Bias In Theater?
The New York Times covers a new study conducted by Emily Glassberg Sands, a Princeton economics student. It's common knowledge that play by men get produced more often than plays by women. But why? Is it merely because there are more male playrights than female playwrights? Or is there discrimination at play? To answer these questions, Ms. Sands conducted three … Read More
Anti-Abortion Terrorist Cell
He could be crazy, but it's hard not to think that the murderer of Dr. George Tiller was not acting as a lone wolf, especially when he says things like this: "I know there are many other similar events planned around the country as long as abortion remains legal," Roeder said. When asked by the AP what he meant and … Read More
Discussion Question
If abortion opposers believe that (a) abortion is murder; and (b) "justified murder" is morally acceptable (as is in the case of Dr. Tiller), then aren't they tacitly conceding that some abortions could — at least in theory — be "justified" and therefore morally acceptable?
Responding To Megan McArdle
In the Atlantic, Megan McArdle asserts her pro-choice cred, but then writes: Imagine a future in which the moral consensus has changed, and our grandchildren regard abortion the way we regard slavery. Who will the hero of history be: Tiller, or his murderer? At the very least, they'll be conflicted, the way we are about John Brown. I do not … Read More
Reasonable vs Unreasonable Voices
I’ve written recently about the inflammatory rhetoric of Fox News, Bill O’Reilly, etc., and how it can lead to events like the murder of Dr. George Tiller this weekend. Some people get it. This is a thoughtful post from Rod Dreher, a conservative, at Belief.net: Unsurprisingly, on this blog’s comboxes and elsewhere, some are blaming the entire pro-life movement for … Read More
Remember That DHS Report?
Michelle Malkin apparently doesn't think the killer of Dr. Tiller is a "terrorist". He's an "extremist". She adds: Interesting how the t-word has been rediscovered. She has the memory of a moth. It was only back in April when the Department of Homeland Security issued a report equating right-wing extremism as a possible breeding ground for terrorist acts. The right wing … Read More
The Dr. Tiller I Knew
From a Daily Kos diarist: Like many in this community, my heart is heavy today. There have been many great diaries that talk about Dr. Tiller's years of service to women, and the threats he has endured throughout the last years of his life. My story is a bit more personal and I want to share it with all of … Read More
Profile Of The Killer
They've caught the guy who shot and killed Dr. Tiller. According to KWCH-TV: Deputy Chief Tom Stolz w/ Wichita Police Dept. says Dr. Tiller died of a single gunshot wound. The Associated Press says the man detained in the Kansas City area is 51-year-old Scott Roeder of Merriam, Kansas, according to Law Enforcement authorities in the area. Roeder has not been formally … Read More
Right Response, Wrong Response
National Right To Life Committee: WASHINGTON – The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the nation's largest pro-life group, today condemned the killing of Dr. George Tiller. The following statement may be attributed to NRLC Executive Director, David N. O'Steen, Ph.D.: National Right to Life extends its sympathies to Dr. Tiller's family over this loss of life. Further, the National Right to … Read More
This Is Terrorism
Ann Friedman: Dr. George Tiller, an outspoken advocate for abortion rights and one of the few late-term abortion providers in the country, was shot dead in church this morning.Cara Kulwicki writes at Feministe: This is the first time an abortion provider has been murdered in over a decade. I have friends who work in abortion clinics. This is terrorism. And right now, I just don't … Read More
Ugly America
By now, you may have heard about the killing of Dr. George Tiller in Wichita, Kansas this morning. It took place in (of all places) a church. Dr. George Tiller has long been a target (literally and figuratively) of the religious right, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, and others because he performs late term abortions. As Amanda Marcotte wrote: [Tiller] is … Read More
Best Self-Defeating Opening Paragraph By A Columnist Evah
Carey "Get Off My Lawn" Roberts is always a howl to read over at Renew America. A good 75% of his columns are meandering screeds against women, although of course, he refers to them generically as feminists. He is one of the few brave conservative columnists to take a stand against those seeking to end domestic violence. It's hard to tell … Read More