Blood Sport at "natural history" museum

An Open Letter to Fernbank Museum:

This morning when I did my weekly check of the Fernbank website to see what new and interesting programming that my family might enjoy, I was sorely disappointed to see that GLADIATORS is the latest theme at the museum.

I do not consider "armed combatants who entertained audiences in blood sport or other types of violence  violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals" as "natural history". Rather, I think it an exercise of especially poor judgement to use your platform to glorify warriors, violence, and death through your programming:

• Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum special exhibit
• A Saturday family Gladiator Day with "...live gladiator demos, Roman-themed crafts, ancient architectural activities and more"
• A Gladiator theme for the science-focused (???) Fernbank After Dark night ("Do you have what it takes to be a warrior? Earn the tile of “champion” as you learn more about the unique lives of warriors.")
• Gladiators: A Timeless Affair 2017 fundraising event

If you want to be realistic, the exhibit and events should include disturbing and inappropriate-for-family-programming images and realities of the maiming and killing of wild animals and people for sport. Hardly a topic to be highlighted at a museum of natural history in my opinion. 

Moreover, the timing could not be worse. Right now, protections for wild animals are being removed in favor of sport killing, and extreme fighting between people is being promoted as entertainment. We are also perpetrating seemingly endless wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and appear to be on the precipice of a new conflict with North Korea. Extensive programming about blood sport is the last thing we need to cool down heated rhetoric that every day brings us closer to a war, the likes of which we have never seen. 

As a peace activist, I will ensure that my family will not be attending any events or exhibits on this theme.

I would encourage your educational team to reflect more carefully on the messages and contributions to our community that your future programming provides, At a minimum, I would hope you would put together some type of exhibit even more strongly glorifying the PEACEMAKERS of this world. For it is they on whom our future is likely to depend.

Sincerely,

The Susan S. family 

(longstanding Fernbank Museum member)

Gender in the News #10 - One for the guys

Looks like men are beginning to feel the pain of fashion confusion as the boxers-briefs debate gets more complicated.

Umm Qais Pics

The partially excavated Roman ruins at Uum Qais in the northern tip of Jordan

Gender in the News #9

On the downside: Women bullying women at work ... and on the upside: A place for mommies at the Capitol

In as economic targets: Pharma targeting women ... and targets of violence: Why men abuse women

Ah, la difference: Men viewing women as objects and Women like funny men

The Extra Cost of Rape in Texas

CNN reports Texas AG defends practice of charging rape victims the $1200 to $1800 for a rape kit. Misogyny knows no bounds in the Lone Star State. Are burglary victims charged for fingerprinting kits? Are murder victims' estates charged for DNA and other forensics tests? Shame.

The Case for a Female Supreme Court Nominee

Here's a point for appointing a woman. But, GA Supreme Court Justice Leah Sears may not make the list due to her friend and neighbor. Plenty of others in consideration.

Luxor Pics

Luxor Temple (amazing in-town site)
Temple of Hatshepsut - the only female pharaoh! (I love the juxtaposition of the local and the tourist guy)
Colossi of Memnon - actually it's pharaoh Amenhotep III, but the Greeks named it after their Trojan hero (distance shot gives a bit of perspective on the size)

Gender in the News #8 - Women and the Law

Very impressive book review "Taking Inequality to Court" - can't wait to read the book!

Twitter sparks the next revolution?

UPDATED (from April 21st tweet): So, my instincts on "spontaneous revolutions" in E. Europe were not wrong... Moldova - the Twitter revolution that wasn't http://is.gd/tzTk

The NYT reports that 10,000 show up at protests in Moldova after the call to the streets went viral on Twitter and Facebook. Is it real or was it another seemingly spontaneous action that was really very well planned... remember the London subway spontaneous flash mob dance (aka a T-mobile commercial)? I'm guessing there's a back story in Chisinau too.

US military proselytising in Afghanistan

Swift response by US military to this story picked up by HuffPost- one that likely did not make news back home in Georgia. I suspect Obama heard an earful during this week's visit pf Pakistan's President Al Zardari and upcoming discussions with Afghanistan's Karzai on how to tackle Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Bad idea to feel the concept of jihad... especially one of Christianity vs. Islam!

Ending blogging hiatus - Middle East Media

Work travel and blogging don't mix well. Twitter's expectation of 140 characters seems much more manageable, so my social networking was mostly limited to tweeting while in the land of the Pharoahs (Egypt) and neighboring Jordan. Media there give many different perspectives: on TV, Al Jazeera English competes well the BBC and CNN International and for printed news, the Daily News Egypt and the Jordan Times provide local news in English. The big controversy in Egypt was the culling of all 300,000 pigs that are raised and eaten by its minority Christian population. Financial devastation takes a deadly turn as well. US politics regularly makes it in the news such as this analysis of US-Arab relations inAl-Ahram. On a lighter cultural note, hip-hop hits the streets of Helwan. Jordanians get ready for the Pope's visit and contemplate the significance of social networking.

(View from Umm Qais in northern tip of Jordan)

Somali Piracy Back Story?

So maybe there's a bit more to the story of the US flagship being seized off the coast of Somalia? The news said it had a shipment for USAID and the WFP (World Food Program). Would we really send a warship for that? Or is the military protecting the oil that's passing by the coast, the fish that is being taken, or the toxic waste that is reportedly being dumped there?

Gender in the News #7

More evidence that men have a biological clock too! This should cause some angst among the ranks of aging dads-to-be. It'll be interesting to see how they can take the turnabout in criticism that for so long has been exclusively for older women. And, maybe now they won't be able to flaunt their extra years of singledom as a male-only option. Do cougars really have smarter kids?

Gender in the News #6

Lots of motherhood issues in the news. Makes one ponder some of those sex vs. gender issues and what it means to be a woman. How does society reward or punish women for the possibility of conceiving (e.g., menstruating), for having lots of children or not (Quiverfull), for breastfeeding or using formula?

And, on fatherhood, the assumption that child custody should go to the mother even after death devastates David Goldman (though high-level help may be on the way).

Iraqi Women's Ministry to Rely on Volunteers?

This seems like a classic good news bad news story: The good news is that the Minister of Women's Affairs will return to work, having withdrawn her very principled resignation based on the failure of the government to provide the necessary resources to meet the mandate of the office. So, you assume that the problem has been resolved? Yes and no. Yes the resources have been found. But, the bad news is that rather than the government committing national resources and prioritizing women's issues (yes, more than half of their constituency!), the resources are in the form of foreign aid organization pledges and 50 IRAQI WOMEN VOLUNTEERS. Isn't enough that women are volunteering in their community each and every day to solve the community problems.... now they have to volunteer at the Women's Ministry?!

Gender in the News #5

Change is on its way! Great news on Obama setting up the government mechanisms necessary to promote and monitor gender equality in the US. Only 29 years after President Carter signed CEDAW (the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) and nearly 14 years after Beijing, we may actually be ready to move forward on women's rights as human rights.

On the domestic front, President Obama creates a Council on Women and Girls that will work throughout the executive branch. This is precisely the requisite gender machinery that the rest of the world has in place, including the many developing countries where I conduct gender assessments.

And internationally, the President names an ambassador-at-large for international women's issues. Melanie Verveer, a Clintonista of Vital Voices fame.

Why should we care? SF experience makes the case for the US to finally ratify CEDAW. Of all the nations in the world, the US is the only industrialized nation not to ratify CEDAW. And the company we keep in this failure? Iran, Nauru, Palau, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan and Tonga.

Other gender news of note:

Muslim women in the US are already trying to promote more gender equality in their communities. Trying to shatter the "Glass Minaret."

Change continues with the FDA approving the next generation of the female condom. I was skeptical when I first heard about it, but in the field - especially in many heavily HIV-affected countries in Africa - the female condom has been welcomed as a way for women to better control the risk of STDs/STIs when they cannot always control the decision to have sex.

Obama Making the Grade?

MSNBC asks its viewers to grade Obama's first 50 days in office in their Live Vote. Not exactly a representative sample, since the latest was 58% for an "F" with 84,338 votes. Go ahead and let your voice be counted... VOTE!

Broken Hearts and Bicycle Parts

Sopo Bikes had their annual fundraiser, Broken Hearts and Bicycle Parts this weekend. The main event is an evening scavenger hunt bicycle ride around the city. Didn't ride this year - still working on fixing up a bike. Check out the Memorial Tatoo checkpoint and see if you find a familiar face:)! And, before friends and family start freaking out: no, I didn't get a tat (although they were pretty cute).

Celebrating International Women's Day

Happy International Women's Day! More background info here. This year's theme is "women and men united to end violence against women and girls." I enjoyed my first time hosting a radio show - it was a one-hour segment on Repression and Violence Against Women as part of WRFG's 6-hour IWD celebration. The guests were Moya Bailey, Glory Kilanko and America Gruner. Great conversation though quite a depressing topic.... as seen in some recent articles on women's issues:

• UN chief urges: End violence against women

• Worldwide downturn 'to hit women'
  

• What would a real life Barbie look like?
  

• Aid Group Says Rape Growing Problem Around Globe
  

On Twittering, Blogging, Google and Facebook

Yes, I must confess I tweet. Joined the Twitter craze after SoCon 09 and having fun with it so far. And it's catching on in the mainstream too - even politicians at Obama's national address were twittering. Maybe it's at the tipping point.?

But there can be downsides to all this new media stuff. Having problems concentrating on a long article of news or analysis... or anything more than a 140-character tweet? Maybe Google's Making Us Stupid!

Don't forget Facebook, the leader of the pack in social marketing. Here's a look at a few features some find annoying.

And what about blogging. Are bloggers really just parasites? Maybe that's a compliment.