Yup, if these tapes are legit, it really does get worse.
Caught on Tape! Mel Gibson Admits to Hitting Ex-Girlfriend
I don't even feel like talking about this one, so I'll let the article speak for itself.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Provo River Trail Attacker In Custody?
Remember how angry Emily was over the excrement-disguised-as-a-human who beat and raped a young woman in Provo Utah?
Well, it sounds like the police have indeed caught him. Initially they weren't releasing any details about what evidence made them so certain it was him, but this article details some additional evidence. In addition to fitting the (somewhat vague) description the survivor of this attack was initially able to give, Shawn Leonard left an ankle bracelet at the scene of the crime. Also, it sounds like the survivor saw him a little longer than it initially sounded like she had and will be able to testify against him in court.
I'm guessing they've also verified DNA evidence against him.
So now I have two questions:
1. What poor sap will get stuck as his defense attorney?
2. How is the sentence for attempted murder different than the sentence for murder? And why? Does someone really deserve to be rewarded for not really killing someone they thought they'd killed?
Well, it sounds like the police have indeed caught him. Initially they weren't releasing any details about what evidence made them so certain it was him, but this article details some additional evidence. In addition to fitting the (somewhat vague) description the survivor of this attack was initially able to give, Shawn Leonard left an ankle bracelet at the scene of the crime. Also, it sounds like the survivor saw him a little longer than it initially sounded like she had and will be able to testify against him in court.
I'm guessing they've also verified DNA evidence against him.
So now I have two questions:
1. What poor sap will get stuck as his defense attorney?
2. How is the sentence for attempted murder different than the sentence for murder? And why? Does someone really deserve to be rewarded for not really killing someone they thought they'd killed?
Friday, July 2, 2010
Mel The Scumbag Gibson? (from Emily)
I was skeptical when Gibson tried to explain away his drunken anti-semitic remarks by saying they'd lurked darkly in his subconscious for years, planted there by his father and unseen by Mel himself. But if Radaronline.com is to be believed, Gibson has proven himself even more racist and a misogynist to boot. In the transcript on Radar Online, he called his ex girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, any number of sexist names, from a c**t to a "pig in heat," and told her that if she was "raped by a pack of n***ers" it would be her fault. Then, he even threatened to rape her and burn down her house.
As far as I know, neither Mel nor Oksana have verified or dismissed the tapes. But I'm inclined to believe that he would immediately deny the veracity of the tapes if he could. Either way, I'm pretty disturbed by the comments on a youtube video where Joy Behar discusses the alleged transcripts. I know the anonymity of the internet insulates plenty of 12 year old trouble makers as they write things they don't really believe, just to get a reaction. But there are a lot of racist and sexist comments on there that have some semblance of logic (albeit poor logic). If someone took the time to think out what they were writing, I'm worried that they actually believe what they're saying and that the anonymity of the internet is allowing their true bigotry to shine.
As far as I know, neither Mel nor Oksana have verified or dismissed the tapes. But I'm inclined to believe that he would immediately deny the veracity of the tapes if he could. Either way, I'm pretty disturbed by the comments on a youtube video where Joy Behar discusses the alleged transcripts. I know the anonymity of the internet insulates plenty of 12 year old trouble makers as they write things they don't really believe, just to get a reaction. But there are a lot of racist and sexist comments on there that have some semblance of logic (albeit poor logic). If someone took the time to think out what they were writing, I'm worried that they actually believe what they're saying and that the anonymity of the internet is allowing their true bigotry to shine.
Grab Bag Feminism (from Emily)
I was looking through some of my saved post drafts, and I realized that I've shelved some pretty cool links. So, here we go:
First up, I want to comment on this ad from Dove:
While I'm pretty skeptical of any beauty product ad campaign, I have been impressed by Dove's "Be your own kind of beautiful" campaigns. Instead of scaring women by implying "you're ugly and worthless and only buying this product will make you pretty again," the Dove ads operate under the logic of "Take care of your body because it's beautiful." Well, now they're painting a really positive picture of masculinity. If I recall correctly, this ad came out shortly after a bunch of misogynistic anti-marriage Super Bowl ads. I find this portrayal of masculinity much more realistic and positive than any portrayal that pits women and men against each other. This ad addresses the very real pressures that men face, but it does so without demonizing women or making men seem like stupid slobs.
Next, here's an article from feministe that discusses the difficulties female feminists face when they try to date men who are not feminists. Her post is actually discussing someone else's post, and the earlier author describes the phenomenon of being a trophy feminist. I'd also like to draw your attention to one of the comments, where a reader wonders if people who are turned off by feminist bloggers are turned off by political discussions in general.
I think it's true that a lot of people are turned off by these discussions. I still remember how disappointed I was on my first date with Carl The Open Minded Chauvinist, when instead of talking about all the cool topics he'd talked about with me when we first met, he only wanted to talk about standard, I'm-getting-to-know-you date topics. On the second date he kept apologizing for talking about politics, but I was just feeling relieved. Finally, a fun date conversation! So, the good news is, there are people out there who enjoy debating and talking about politics as much as people like Erica and I do. Who find these conversations thrilling and exhilarating. But when we're around people who do consider these topics taboo in social situations, what do we do? How can we be ourselves, as people are always recommending, if talking about feminism over dinner makes others squeamish?
First up, I want to comment on this ad from Dove:
While I'm pretty skeptical of any beauty product ad campaign, I have been impressed by Dove's "Be your own kind of beautiful" campaigns. Instead of scaring women by implying "you're ugly and worthless and only buying this product will make you pretty again," the Dove ads operate under the logic of "Take care of your body because it's beautiful." Well, now they're painting a really positive picture of masculinity. If I recall correctly, this ad came out shortly after a bunch of misogynistic anti-marriage Super Bowl ads. I find this portrayal of masculinity much more realistic and positive than any portrayal that pits women and men against each other. This ad addresses the very real pressures that men face, but it does so without demonizing women or making men seem like stupid slobs.
Next, here's an article from feministe that discusses the difficulties female feminists face when they try to date men who are not feminists. Her post is actually discussing someone else's post, and the earlier author describes the phenomenon of being a trophy feminist. I'd also like to draw your attention to one of the comments, where a reader wonders if people who are turned off by feminist bloggers are turned off by political discussions in general.
I think it's true that a lot of people are turned off by these discussions. I still remember how disappointed I was on my first date with Carl The Open Minded Chauvinist, when instead of talking about all the cool topics he'd talked about with me when we first met, he only wanted to talk about standard, I'm-getting-to-know-you date topics. On the second date he kept apologizing for talking about politics, but I was just feeling relieved. Finally, a fun date conversation! So, the good news is, there are people out there who enjoy debating and talking about politics as much as people like Erica and I do. Who find these conversations thrilling and exhilarating. But when we're around people who do consider these topics taboo in social situations, what do we do? How can we be ourselves, as people are always recommending, if talking about feminism over dinner makes others squeamish?
I'm Sick of Hearing about Eclipse (from Emily)
and about that author in general. The literary community at BYU is still trying to forget she is at all connected to us.
But Womanist Musings wrote an interesting review of the most recent vamp flick. In this review you'll find a discussion of the "it's just entertainment so the social implications don't matter," argument. (An argument my LDS friends should be very wary of, if I might be so presumptuous to say so). But you'll also find a critique of how feminism does and doesn't play into the movie, and a critique of how racial stereotypes play in. I am particularly intrigued by the section where she discusses the objectification of Jacob. Do the film and the audience objectify him from a racist standpoint?
But here's another question. Does the author of this post go too far by pulling Stephanie Meyer's religion into her critique? As a member of the same faith (and an alumn of the same major at the same university, to boot!) I'm pretty horrified by how the twisted non-doctrinal, BYU-culture, and Utah-culture phenomenons have shown up in that book. But is it ever, ever, ever fair to critique a piece of artwork for the creator's religion?
But Womanist Musings wrote an interesting review of the most recent vamp flick. In this review you'll find a discussion of the "it's just entertainment so the social implications don't matter," argument. (An argument my LDS friends should be very wary of, if I might be so presumptuous to say so). But you'll also find a critique of how feminism does and doesn't play into the movie, and a critique of how racial stereotypes play in. I am particularly intrigued by the section where she discusses the objectification of Jacob. Do the film and the audience objectify him from a racist standpoint?
But here's another question. Does the author of this post go too far by pulling Stephanie Meyer's religion into her critique? As a member of the same faith (and an alumn of the same major at the same university, to boot!) I'm pretty horrified by how the twisted non-doctrinal, BYU-culture, and Utah-culture phenomenons have shown up in that book. But is it ever, ever, ever fair to critique a piece of artwork for the creator's religion?
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Speaking of Blaming the Victim (from Emily)
Read over the loaded diction in this article about a 30-year-old man who raped a girl from the time she was 12, till the time she was 13. Then read over the comments (if your stomach can handle them), and note how many commentators are calling for the 13-year-old girl's head, and how many go so far as to defend her rapist. For more about this article, read this post on I Blame the Patriarchy.
And, also from I Blame The Patriarchy, here's the article Lara mentioned, which offers a new "how to prevent sexual assault" forward.
If you have a really strong stomach, read I Blame The Patriarchy's category of posts on rape culture. Pretty disturbing, huh?
And, also from I Blame The Patriarchy, here's the article Lara mentioned, which offers a new "how to prevent sexual assault" forward.
If you have a really strong stomach, read I Blame The Patriarchy's category of posts on rape culture. Pretty disturbing, huh?
Monday, June 21, 2010
Pissed (from Emily)
That's right - Emily just swore. And as everyone knows, when someone who thinks "that sucks" is a swear says that she's pissed... she's fuming.
What has me so mad? Well, recently some expletive-worthy male person attacked a 19-year-old woman while she was running, in the middle of the day, just a few miles from where I live. He crushed her throat so she couldn't scream for help, while he then shattered every bone in her face, knocked out every one of her teeth (to prevent anyone from identifying her) and broke multiple bones in her body, while raping her. Then, assuming he had killed her, he dumped her body in the bushes.
It was 3:30 pm, and she was running on a trail for pedestrians and cyclists. The trail borders the Provo River, and several meters of trees and brush line each side of the river/trail. This was not the deep woods - Utah is incapable of producing a forest, and the deepest the trees get is maybe 10 meters.
Right now the police have a suspect who fits the description she gave (the poor woman somehow survived the attack), but I doubt it's him. The man they nabbed robbed a nearby store a few hours after the attack, and he has a criminal record. However, despite his rather long history with the law he has never been arrested for harming another individual, and he didn't rape or hit the woman who was working at the store he robbed.
One part of the story that makes me particularly angry, though, is how some individuals have responded to this story. While most people are horrified in general, sympathetic toward the victim, and angry at the perpetrator, many of the comments people have written in response to online articles focus on what the victim should have been doing differently. I know none of these individuals think she deserved what happened, or that she in any way provoked the perpetrator, but by focusing on how "she shouldn't have been running alone," or "she should have been armed, and this wouldn't have happened if she'd been armed," they (unknowingly) tap into antiquated beliefs that women are responsible for being raped.
Frankly, I'm angry with the city of Provo over this incident. Relatively few serious crimes take place in this city (relatively few given how large the population is), and as a result of the low-ish crime rates police officers are free to enforce the relatively minor laws that go ignored in many other locations. Crimes like jay-walking, or having picnics in parks an hour or two after the park has officially closed. While I would hate to criticize any individual police officers, I think the police department has made a serious oversight by not patrolling this trail. Just last year a man attacked and attempted to rape a woman on that trail, using a "chemical-soaked" cloth to try to knock her unconscious.
I'm all for community patrols of that trail, and for people organizing group runs - almost immediately following news of this attack, a facebook group sprang up with those very goals in mind. This attack reminds everyone who lives in a city that they think of as crime-free or low-crime, that disturbing things happen. But as we take precautions to prevent future attacks, let's remember what really caused this problem: a violent individual with no respect for another person's life made a sickening decision. The victim did nothing wrong by deciding to go for a jog at 3:30pm.
What has me so mad? Well, recently some expletive-worthy male person attacked a 19-year-old woman while she was running, in the middle of the day, just a few miles from where I live. He crushed her throat so she couldn't scream for help, while he then shattered every bone in her face, knocked out every one of her teeth (to prevent anyone from identifying her) and broke multiple bones in her body, while raping her. Then, assuming he had killed her, he dumped her body in the bushes.
It was 3:30 pm, and she was running on a trail for pedestrians and cyclists. The trail borders the Provo River, and several meters of trees and brush line each side of the river/trail. This was not the deep woods - Utah is incapable of producing a forest, and the deepest the trees get is maybe 10 meters.
Right now the police have a suspect who fits the description she gave (the poor woman somehow survived the attack), but I doubt it's him. The man they nabbed robbed a nearby store a few hours after the attack, and he has a criminal record. However, despite his rather long history with the law he has never been arrested for harming another individual, and he didn't rape or hit the woman who was working at the store he robbed.
One part of the story that makes me particularly angry, though, is how some individuals have responded to this story. While most people are horrified in general, sympathetic toward the victim, and angry at the perpetrator, many of the comments people have written in response to online articles focus on what the victim should have been doing differently. I know none of these individuals think she deserved what happened, or that she in any way provoked the perpetrator, but by focusing on how "she shouldn't have been running alone," or "she should have been armed, and this wouldn't have happened if she'd been armed," they (unknowingly) tap into antiquated beliefs that women are responsible for being raped.
Frankly, I'm angry with the city of Provo over this incident. Relatively few serious crimes take place in this city (relatively few given how large the population is), and as a result of the low-ish crime rates police officers are free to enforce the relatively minor laws that go ignored in many other locations. Crimes like jay-walking, or having picnics in parks an hour or two after the park has officially closed. While I would hate to criticize any individual police officers, I think the police department has made a serious oversight by not patrolling this trail. Just last year a man attacked and attempted to rape a woman on that trail, using a "chemical-soaked" cloth to try to knock her unconscious.
I'm all for community patrols of that trail, and for people organizing group runs - almost immediately following news of this attack, a facebook group sprang up with those very goals in mind. This attack reminds everyone who lives in a city that they think of as crime-free or low-crime, that disturbing things happen. But as we take precautions to prevent future attacks, let's remember what really caused this problem: a violent individual with no respect for another person's life made a sickening decision. The victim did nothing wrong by deciding to go for a jog at 3:30pm.
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