Jivin J’s Life Links 12-27-10
by JivinJ, host of the blog, JivinJehoshaphat
- In the San Francisco Chronicle, Wesley Smith calls for the end of California’s stem cell institute.
- A leading rabbi in Jerusalem used his Saturday night sermon to speak out against abortion. The YNetNews.com article mistakenly claims EFRAT is a pro-choice organization.
- The Times of India has a piece on Indian women traveling to Bangkok for IVF and pre-implantation genetic diagnoses to assure the birth of male children:
- Indian couples want male heirs. Pooja from Delhi cites an example: “A couple went for gender selection, but they won’t tell anyone. They’re embarrassed that although they’re modern in every other way, well travelled, open-minded – she wears short skirts – they still want a son. There’s a lot of money in the family, so they want an heir and to carry on the family name.”
- Michael Egnor replies to a variety of arguments from another science blogger.
- The Kansas City Star has an article on an ongoing federal investigation into whether there was some kind of conspiracy behind Scott Roeder’s murder of abortionist George Tiller. According to The Star, it appears the investigation was renewed after authorities captured Justin Moose, a NC man who was willing to share bomb-making techniques online.
Dec.27, 2010 1:00 pm |
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Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
A leading rabbi in Jerusalem used his Saturday night sermon to speak out against abortion. The YNetNews.com article mistakenly claims EFRAT is a pro-choice organization.
It appears that this error has been corrected. The article currently reads:
During the sermon Rabbi Yosef praised the pro-life organization EFRAT, calling its employees “righteous.”
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4004368,00.html
It is wonderful to see Jewish religious leaders being vocal about the evil of abortion.
It’s quite sad that some Indian couples can’t see the future harm that pro-male sex selection will cause for future generations. How long can the custom of males being the only heirs in the family continue?
Well..I think it’s also because in India, parents still give a dowry when a daughter gets married, and since many families are so poor, they can hardly afford it. Boys take over the family business, run the farm, etc. so to the India mindset “Girls COST money, boys MAKE money”.
Ex-RINO,
Heres the link to the article written by the omsbudsmen for the L A Times [not a conservative or a pro-lifer, just a RARE intellectually honest newsguy/journalist.].
http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-me-shaw01jul01,0,5601598.story
The article was published in July of 1990 and deals with both print and broadcast news.
Things have not improved, with the exception of the addition of FOX news and the internet and conservative talk radio.
True journalists are a rare breed. A true jouranlist is one whom maintains her/his objectivity and intellectual integrity/honesty no matter what his/her political proclivities may happen to be.
I would include Juan Williams in that category as well as Bob Schieffer and Cokie Roberts.
There
Boys take over the family business, run the farm, etc.
It gets worse than that. Ever heard of bride burning? A lucky bride might wind up back with her parents and ‘unmarriageable’ from burn scars. In that sort of culture, I’m not sure I’d want to have a daughter either.
So if a girl faces a hard life, better to kill her before something else kills her later.
Really, it would be best to kill all the women in India. It’s the feminist thing to do.
Exactly. The solution to a culture treating women wrongly is not to abort/kill women. It’s to change the culture. But that’s really hard, and killing is easy, and people are lazy.
LOL, yes, YCW, that makes PERFECT sense. XD
So if a girl faces a hard life, better to kill her before something else kills her later.
That’s not what I said, that’s not what I meant, and that’s not even what the original article is about. Can you at least wait for me to mention abortion before jumping down my throat about it?
No, because that’s the point the pro-choice side makes ALL THE TIME. “Oh, these kids are going to suffer. Kill them now.” “Oh, these kids will have a hard life. Kill them now.” “Oh, these kids will feel pain. Kill them now.”
What sense does that make, EVER?
Pamela and Jayn — it’s especially hard for a dark-skinned girl, because many Indians have the “light is right” mentality. Skin lighteners like “Fair and Lovely” are very popular there, even though some of them contain harmful ingredients. If you want to see what I mean, watch some Bollywood films and see how light-skinned the actors are, especially the females.
I read that Israel is considered the abortion capitol of the Middle East. The army even pays for abortions. Sad.
Hi Phillymiss,
Interesting how beauty is so culturally defined and those who are “different” are deemed to be so exotic and beautiful.
Years ago a lab tech from India worked in our hospital. Exotically beautiful woman. It was depressing to be in the same room with her. I was surprised when she told me that in India she is considered an average looking woman who is “too tall” at 5 feet 5 inches and could not understand why people considered her so striking. In fact, her in-laws considered her “too dark”. I thought her skin coloring was gorgeous. She told me I would be considered exotic and beautiful in India! Oh good grief, are people there visually challenged?
Growing up I was fascinated by China dolls with what were to me exotic looks and dress. I find it interesting that Chinese girls are equally fascinated by blond, blue eyed Barbie dolls. I was insanely jealous of the “exotic” Filipino girl in my school with her very dark skin and long black hair.
Here we have people cooking themselves in tanning booths and under the sun. Growing up I was endlessly ridiculed by my inablility to tan, even by my own family. It didn’t help that the beautiful blond girl across the street and her beautiful tan were endlessly fawned over.
So I really don’t think there’s any inherent aversion to dark skin, I think its what is viewed as “different” that makes for what is “beautiful”.
Interesting point about Israel. Don’t they have enough problems with surviving without destroying their young?
Mary, I’ve heard a couple different theories about why lighter skin is considered desirable in India. One is that it’s a hold-over from colonialism, the other that darker skin was a sign of poverty–richer people didn’t have to work outside and thus tended towards lighter skin. In Western society (at least among whites), it’s turned towards the opposite–most people work inside these days, so a tan is a sign of leisure. You can see similar examples with our attitudes towards weight across cultures.
And I know what you mean about being jealous of the darker girls. I can’t tan at all (I could probably get a sunburn in a tanning booth), and I think Indian women are gorgeous.
It didn’t help that the beautiful blond girl across the street and her beautiful tan were endlessly fawned over.
Some idealized concepts of beauty are unattainable, because most natural blondes have fair skin that burns instead of tans.
I read that women in Asia, Africa, and Latin America often spend money on skin whiteners even when they can’t afford it, and as I mentioned, these products often have chemicals like mercury in them that can cause serious damage. I wish people would realize it’s okay to be dark, and it’s also okay for white people not to tan ;-)
(Xalisae): No, because that’s the point the pro-choice side makes ALL THE TIME. “Oh, these kids are going to suffer. Kill them now.” “Oh, these kids will have a hard life. Kill them now.” “Oh, these kids will feel pain. Kill them now.”
Pro-Choicers aren’t going to say that. Pro-Choicers are for leaving it up to the woman or couple. That said, there are situations where it is understandable that some people want to have abortions, understandable to us whether we are for legal abortion or not.
Hi Jayn,
Interesting points about skin coloring and weight. Darker skinned women likely worked in the fields and would have dryer, rougher skin and aging features. Women of wealth and status would not be outdoors where they would darken and likely their skin was more beautiful overall. Also in some societies, great weight is admired and indicative of beauty.
Our European male ancestors would not recognize the modern day concept of feminine beauty. Those early statues and paintings that made women look like men with two bumps on their chests was the femiine form that had our male ancestors drooling. They would have considered a small waist, an endowed chest, and flat abdoman an aberration.
BTW, I think Nigerian and Ethiopian women are striking. Also, Afghan and Arab women.
Hi phillymiss,
I agree, there is nothing wrong with how we look. However since the beginning of time society has had its standards of beauty and women have put themselves through every kind of torture imaginable to be “beautiful”. Unfortunately, they also put themselves at risk with surgery and chemicals in the process. Our plastics surgeons in my midwestern community are doing very well.
Let a man be pot-bellied, flabby, and bald and he is “distinguished”.
BTW I just got my hair colored and curled and I have to go pluck my eyebrows.
Let a man be pot-bellied, flabby, and bald and he is “distinguished”.
BTW I just got my hair colored and curled and I have to go pluck my eyebrows.
Mary, you are so right; it ain’t fair.
Hi Doug,
LOL. Indeed my friend it ain’t fair.
I’m waiting for the day a bunch of commentators discuss the need for male politicians and public officials to get facelifts, hairplugs, and fitness trainers, not to mention some good fashion advice. Was he actually wearing brown socks with that suit?? Have you noticed what wide rear ends and wrinkled faces some of them have? Please, at least find a decent barber and get a good color job on your hair.
From a woman’s perspective, there ain’t a lot of male politicians and public officials that make my heart go pitter-pat.
While we’re talking double standards, don’t many of these men have families? What do they think they’re doing, running for office when they have children at home that need them? Shame on them.
And some people have the nerve to say we don’t need feminism anymore :/
Hi Jayn,
Good point. I recall it was Sarah Palin who’s fitness and ability to be a mother and VP was called into question when she ran for VP. Oh, and what about Obama’s ability to govern and parent? He has two young daughters. I don’t recall anyone questioning Bobby Kennedy’s ability to be president and father to 10 children with another one on the way.
I don’t think its a question of feminism, but politics. Feminists have shown time and again that liberal Democrats are given a free pass. They can even sexually assault women and not lose the blessing of the feminists. Sarah Palin being a conservative woman is what really motivated this “concern” and double standard.
Sarah Palin being a conservative woman is what really motivated this “concern” and double standard.
Mary, there may be some of that, yes, but it’s also because sometimes she acts like she’s coo-coo for cocoa puffs.
Mary, I think it’s a little from column A, a little from column B. Most people will look for reasons to hate on certain politicians (and Palin is particularly polarizing), but that holds true across the board. If the Clinton kids were younger I suspect Hillary would get the same treatment.
I find Sarah Palin fairly interesting because she’s a symbol of both the goals of feminism and the ideologies of social conservatives. Her status isn’t quite a contradiction, but at times I do see it as being at odds with itself. I’d love to delve into the social dynamics of her being in the position she is.
Hi Jayn,
I really don’t think Hillary having small children would have made an iota of difference. It certainly didn’t matter to feminists that she had tolerated her husband publicly humiliating her time and again. In fact, they continued to idolize the husband who humiliated her and sexually abused other women.
Sorry Jayn but IMHO, a definite and glaring double standard exists for liberals and conservatives.
http://www.bestandworst.com/r/101828.htm
“Why do so many people hate Hillary Clinton?” : D
Hi Doug,
Well I’m sure Sarah wouldn’t have asked scientists if the Mars pathfinder probe had taken a picture of the flag planted on Mars by Neil Armstrong in 1969. - Sheila Jackson Lee, Liberal Democrat congresswoman.
But, just imagine if SHE had!
I have no strong feelings either way for Hillary. I would think putting up with a husband who publicly humiliates you time and again is everything feminists supposedly stand against, but hey, its her business. Do what you have to to get ahead.
Well I’m sure Sarah wouldn’t have asked scientists if the Mars pathfinder probe had taken a picture of the flag planted on Mars by Neil Armstrong in 1969. - Sheila Jackson Lee, Liberal Democrat congresswoman.
Ha! Love it, Mary. : )
Sarah Palin would probably ask if a snowmobile could travel on the path that the Mars Pathfinder left behind…. : P