Will Shetterly's Blog, page 137
March 10, 2014
on hateful words and compassionate ones
Just left this comment at What Really Happens When You Use the R-Word | John C. McGinley: "Actually, "retard" and "retarded" are not always used as put-downs. They're only used as put-downs when they're used rhetorically as put-downs. If you do a little googling, you will find every other euphemism for people who are developmentally disabled being used as a put-down, including "developmentally disabled". Compassion is about compassion, not about the words we use. We can say the...
March 9, 2014
quick thoughts on Heroes, Arrow, and Agents of SHIELD
Emma and I tried the first episode of Heroes a few years ago and only liked one character, Hiro. I'm not sure why we decided to try it again, but now we can't understand why we didn't like it. Though we still think Hiro's the greatest, it's a fine show so far—we're about halfway through the first year. I understand the next two years fall in quality, rather like Veronica Mars did, so I don't know if we'll stick it out. But the first year so far is damn fine work.
We nearly stopped watching Arr...
We nearly stopped watching Arr...
Clara Zetkin, founder of International Women's Day, on solidarity
Clara Zetkin, socialism and women's liberation | SocialistWorker.org: "The proletariat will be able to attain its liberation only if it fights together without the difference of nationality and profession. In the same way, it can attain its liberation only if it stands together without the distinction of sex. The incorporation of the great masses of proletarian women in the liberation struggle of the proletariat is one of the prerequisites for the victory of the socialist idea and for the con...
March 8, 2014
The difference between sex and gender, especially for the trans athelete suing CrossFit
Transgender athlete sues CrossFit for banning her from female contest - CNN.com:
The lawsuit also alleges that CrossFit's policy of having to compete in a person's original birth gender, would require that transgender athletes would have to reveal their personal histories. In essence, that they'd have to "out" themselves, even if they sought privacy, the lawsuit alleges. After her sexual reassignment surgery, Jonsson changed all her records to reflect her sex change to female, including her bi...
March 7, 2014
my first Amazon review for my latest book
At Amazon.com: How to make a Social Justice Warrior, D. J. Anderson said,
Don't worry. I probably won't share any more. But that's a lovely one to start with.
Shetterly is a fascinating writer, and he covers a LOT of material here. He is consistently thought-provoking, and he is at his best here, struggling with complicated issues and walking through his thoughts and personal journey.That's about as good as it can get.
Don't worry. I probably won't share any more. But that's a lovely one to start with.
March 5, 2014
Belle Knox, aka the Duke University Porn Star
I was inspired to write by Elizabeth Stoker's This Duke University Porn Thing, which applies her version of Christian ethics, which I generally like, to the story of Belle Knox, the 18-year-old would-be porn star who has been outed and harassed at Duke University. Stoker made me want to look at the story simply as a socialist.
Like renting space in your womb or being a medical test subject, sex work is one of the purest forms of capitalism. The only ways you could more literally sell your...
Like renting space in your womb or being a medical test subject, sex work is one of the purest forms of capitalism. The only ways you could more literally sell your...
