Tag: women’s rights

Italian Court Acquits Man of Groping Because He Only Did it for 10 Seconds or Less

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn News and Issues

My response to that is when’s noxious patriarchy going to end, especially when thrust upon us by a division of a federal government?

You can read the CNN story here and The Guardian story here.

According to the court, ten seconds is too fleeting to be a crime. What fresh hell is this? A friend of mine who commented on my Facebook post about this story noted that a punch in the nose takes less than ten seconds. Perhaps a ten-second rape would be absolved by the state. Or a bullet that reaches its target faster than that.

According to One Billion Rising, “1 in 3 women across the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. That’s ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS. Every February, we rise – in countries across the world – to show our local communities and the world what one billion looks like and shine a light on the rampant impunity and injustice that survivors most often face. We rise through dance to express joy and community and celebrate the fact that we have not been defeated by this violence. We rise to show we are determined to create a new kind of consciousness – one where violence will be resisted until it is unthinkable.”

When we let the “little crimes” get by as “okay,” we make the bigger crimes easier to ignore. And by ignoring those crimes–as the Italian court did–we further discount women and keep them forever living in a world where they’re considered second-class citizens.

Would the men on the Italian court be unconcerned if somebody groped their wives and daughters for “only” ten seconds? I think not.

–Malcolm

International Women’s Day Theme – #EachforEqual

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn issues4 Comments

International Women’s Day 2020 campaign theme is #EachforEqual
An equal world is an enabled world.
Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day.
We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women’s achievements.
Collectively, each one of us can help create a gender-equal world.
Let’s all be #EachforEqual.

I like the theme for the upcoming International Women’s Day on March 8.  I hope it will show men–as well as women who haven’t yet signed on to the idea of their equal worth–that we are not only fighting for equality and safety for women, but for a world that’s made better for everyone.

When Elizabeth Warren’s Presidential campaign ended, political commentators were asking, “How did the Democrats begin with such a diverse field of candidates and end up with two old white men as the frontrunners?”

I think we know the answer, but we pretend we don’t.

The status quo favors men while devaluing the majority gender: Women make up almost 51% of the U.S. population, yet they are underrepresented in the House and Senate and most industries.

This situation is 1950s mentality when we “celebrated” the so-called little woman who was good for sex, having children, cooking the meals, and cleaning up the house. Many of today’s clueless reporters–as we saw in the 2016 election with Hillary’s pantsuit coverage–were more concerned about what women wore than what women said.

Thirty years ago, I got into a heated debate with a female co-worker who was probably the smartest employee on the technical writing/testing staff about the fact she did what her husband told her to do because he was head of the household.

When I told her that “head of the household” BS was an out-of-date concept, she said her Christian religion also said the husband is head of the household. When she quoted Bible verses to prove it, I said that her examples all came from the Old Testament in the days when there was not yet a Christian religion. Nonetheless, I didn’t “win” the argument. (Last I heard, they were still happily married. I would have felt bad if I caused a divorce.)

I think of this discussion because I many (most?) men and women still believe that the man is not only in charge of the household, but the office, the Congress, and the country. They believe that 51% of our nation’s wisdom should be confined to the kitchen and laundry room.

As a white man, permit me to say that patriarchy is stupid. Look where it’s gotten us.

—Malcolm

 

 

L. E. Harvey’s novels focus on women’s strengths

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn authors13 Comments

L. E. Harvey, author of “Loving Her” (2009), a collection of short stories and “Unbreakable Hostage” (2010), a suspense/thriller, turns her attention in her latest novel “Imperfect” to the love and chaos of a relationship between life partners who are not only confronted with small-town prejudice against interracial gay couples, but are also coping with AIDS. As a sickly child, Carol Mathers received a blood transfusion in the early 1980s before blood donors were screened as they are now. When she is diagnosed with AIDS in her mid-30s, she fears she may have unknowingly infected Alexandria, her partner of twelve years. The e-book addition of “Imperfect” is available now from Vanilla Heart Publishing. The trade paperback is scheduled for a November release.

Malcolm: Welcome to the Round Table, Lauren. In Unbreakable Hostage, released earlier this year, your protagonist, a PhD candidate in algebra, is kidnapped by one of her classmates and ends up using algebra-related messages to get word to the outside world. How difficult was it to shift gears from the life of a hostage to the world of a young couple who meet in Imperfect, fall in love and decide to share their lives together?

Lauren: Thanks so much for having me, Malcolm! I’m thrilled to be here! There was actually no real transition for me. The intensity of Unbreakable Hostage mirrors the intensity an interracial lesbian couple would face in a not-so-gay-friendly environment. Granted the situations are different, but on an emotional level, they’re actually quite similar. Fear is fear, hatred is hatred and love is love, no matter what situation you’re in.

Malcolm: To what extent is the tone of your daily life affected by the joys, sorrows and challenges of the fictional characters you’re writing about? That is, did you feel tense while writing about the kidnapping and angry and sad while writing about Carol and Alexandria?

Lauren: Very much so. I’m a very emotional person as it is, and I get swept up into my characters’ emotional states as well. To boot, I typically play music that’s reflective of what I’m writing, so I am very much engrossed and enveloped in their lives and emotional states. My books can easily sway my emotions! LOL. I’m sure that can’t be easy on my family! 🙂

Malcolm: What do you hope your will take away from reading Imperfect?

Lauren: My hope is that this book really causes people to stop and think. I want them to throw out any stereotypes or judgments they may have had after reading Imperfect. Perhaps it’s a lofty goal, but I really want my readers to walk away from this book seeing us all as human beings, hopefully diminishing some prejudicial thoughts/assumptions.

Malcolm: To what extent does your women’s rights and gay rights activism shape the plots and themes in your fiction?

Lauren: I think it shapes my books tremendously. If you look, I have very strong heroines. Not that the male characters are weak, mind you, but the women definitely take the spotlight! Whether intentional or subconscious, my three current titles all have themes regarding the strength and capabilities of women, equality for all people, etc. I guess I have a hard time separating my various passions & work!

Malcolm: I haven’t met many authors who also work as “pin-up girls.” How did you get started in that business? Are you finding any good story material in your modeling experiences?

Lauren: LOL. I kind of accidentally fell into modeling. I’m only 5’1″ and don’t look “model-ish” at all! 🙂 But for some reason, people like taking my picture! It’s fun, so I won’t stop ’em! 🙂 As far as pinup work goes, I just happen to be naturally inclined to make those silly, over-the-top cheesecake pinup facial expressions, so it all just kind of worked itself out. 🙂 You know, I haven’t thought to look at my modeling work for inspiration, but now that you said that, I’m going to start thinking about that! 🙂

Malcolm: Your website is promising a sequel to Imperfect. What can you tell us about that without giving away too many spoilers?

Lauren: Well, what I can tell you that is that Impeccable, the sequel to Imperfect, lives up to its name. I hate to sound like an ego maniac, but I am just so proud of this book! I really think it’s going to touch people’s hearts. You will have the same cast of characters, but you get to know them on a much deeper level. You’ll learn things about them that you never could have imagined. It gives you a more clear and defined understanding of the entire story and all of the players involved. Impeccable is very cerebral and also very emotional. If you liked Imperfect, you’ll love Impeccable! 😉

Malcolm: When you’re not writing and not modeling, do you find time to relax and smell the roses?

Lauren: Do I find the time to relax and smell the roses? LOL. Ummm…I am a self-admitted workaholic. Actually, working with my partner on our house or her sculptures is very relaxing for me. Doing anything with my family is really the best down time I can ask for. Whether it’s sanding wood or making dinner with our little one, family time is my down time. So, I do stop and smell the roses, in my own unconventional kind of way.

Malcolm: I’ve enjoyed our conversation, Lauren. I must tell you that after your powerful ending for Imperfect, I’ll be waiting to read Impeccable as soon as it’s hot off the press.

You can also find Lauren’s work in Vanilla Heart’s With Arms Wide Open anthology of poems and prose celebrating living and loving. You can read excerpts from “Loving Her,” “Unbreakable Hostage,” and “Imperfect” on fReado. Lauren’s books are also available to coalition troops serving overseas via Operation E-Book Drop.

To keep up with Lauren and her work, visit her blog “The writings and ramblings of a Philadelphian.”

—Malcolm