Category: america-disappoints-me
-
On Evil, Or Bullies Do Not Know What They Are.
A couple weeks ago, I used a somewhat risky pedagogical tool to get my students thinking about political rhetoric and assignations of “good” and “evil” identities. They were reading an essay by Edward Said that criticized another essay written in the wake of September 11 that divided the world into two spheres: “The West” and […]
-
Lost in the Amazon(.com), or Amazon Puts a Scarlet "A" (for "Adults Only") on some GLBT’s writers’ books
Currently going around: Yes, it is true. Amazon admits they are indeed stripping the sales ranking indicators for what they deem to be “adult” material. Of course they are being hypocritical because there is a multitude of “adult” literature out there that is still being ranked – Harold Robbins, Jackie Collins, come on! They are […]
-
America and the Culture of Surveillance
After writing my post yesterday, I got to thinking about how unremarkable the idea at the heart of Gossip Girl really is these days. Why we aren’t shocked or surprised by the concept, why we say it couldn’t happen (or even why it shouldn’t happen), or more importantly, why we don’t look away. We live […]
-
Great Moments in the Traditional American Family.
Between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Wednesday, three fathers walked into two hospitals in Omaha and abandoned their children. One left nine siblings, ages 1 to 17. The men, unless proven to have abused the kids, won’t face prosecution under a new Nebraska law that is unique in the nation. The law allows parents […]
-
Gays Propose 3-Strike Marriage Amendment
LOS ANGELES—The passage of Prop 8 in California has given rise to an anti-marriage backlash among gays and lesbians in the state and across the country. On Saturday, prominent gay activist group ACTOUT! held a press conference outside that city’s courthouse to declare war on the institution of “traditional” marriage. “If tradition is what they […]
-
War: What is it good for?
I always enjoy comparative arguments, so here’s a good one about what we could have done with all the money spent on the Iraq war. You’ll notice “liberate foreign countries” is not included on the list. Must have been on oversight. “He calculates $1 trillion could pave the entire U.S. interstate highway system with gold […]