How You Ended The War

• Sign up for the newsletter at FactCheck.org.
• Sign up for The Progress Report from the Center for American Progress Action Fund.
• Watch the video (or read the transcript) of Abu Ghraib whistleblower Samuel Provance speaking out on torture and cover-up, and then write a letter to your local newspaper.
• Watch the Wage Peace: The Cost of War video at the American Friends Service Committee site, and then do any of the related actions listed there.
• Check out WAND’s (Women’s Action for New Directions) listening guide to the State of the Union Address, listen to the President make the speech on Monday, then contact Congress with your thoughts and questions.
• Tell George Bush the REAL State of the Union (Democratic Congressonal Campaign Committee / Care2 Petition).
• Urge your Senators not to pass wiretapping legislation that violates our rights as expressed in the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, or that gives blanket retroactive immunity to the telecom companies who helped the Bush Administration commit violations of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Credo/Working Assets).
• Say No to the Homeland Security Department’s attempt to corrupt the 1994 Violence Against Women Act (Care2 Petition).
• Tell Your Representative to stop the Bush Administration from rushing through the sale of oil and gas drilling leases in Alaska’s prime polar bear habitat before it makes a final decision about protecting these imperiled bears under the Endangered Species Act.
• Send a message (before Feb. 8th) to the Bureau of Land Management to protest the Bush administration’s plan to sharply increase oil and gas development and off-road vehicle use over a full 11 million acres in Utah. This fragile land of ethereal red rock, rivers, and canyons (which I love), belongs to all of us and deserves protection, not exploitation (The Wilderness Society).
• The Fish & Wildlife Service has made it easier to kill wolves in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Rockies region — even while they remain protected under the Endangered Species Act. Tell Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne that this rule change is unacceptable (Defenders of Wildlife).

A storm of debate followed – on freedom of speech, the right to open sexual discussion, and the obligations and limits of social morality.

Seemingly in response (although I’m not sure how they would know that), someone launched an anonymous web site (truthbible.net ) that said the holy book “made one tremble” because of its violent and sexual (including rape and incest) content.

By noon Wednesday, Hong Kong’s Television and Entertainment Licensing authority (TELA) had received more than 800 complaints about the Bible. TELA now has to decide whether the Bible violates Hong Kong’s obscene and indecent articles laws.

If they decide that it does, then the bible could be sold only in a sealed wrapper, with a statutory warning notice. You’d have to be over 18 to buy it.

Ok, generalization time: Here in sanctimonious America it is common for people simply not to read the bible (really read, as you would read another book). Those who notice little issues tend, for whatever reasons, to keep critical thoughts to themselves. Many people on all sides feel ignore the parts that might make them at all uncomfortable, or that contradict one another, or that aren’t really comparable from one book to another. Many people don’t realize how much violence and censorship was involved in the selection and canonization of the scattered texts called the Bible, or that ideas about “inspiration” came along rather late.

“I think the Good Book is missing some pages….” – from “Icicle,” Under the Pink, Tori Amos

There are plenty of odd bits in these texts. Ancient peoples lived a bit closer to life’s edges than we do, and their cultures and perspectives varied. Ever wonder about how things looked from the Canaanites’ point of view? Or why God would order someone to impregnate his brother’s wife? Where did Cain’s wife come from? And what was that whole thing about grabbing “thigh” to make a vow?

I won’t list more examples here. Hey, it’s a PG-rated blog, and some of these are too… tooo… toooo…. unreflective of American “family values.”

But I’ll link ‘em! Here are a couple of lists – I’m pretty sure that at least one example may startle you.

• The Dark Bible
• Bad News Bible

Books are better. Reputable biblical scholarship is best, but some of the others are interesting too:

• The Destructive Power of Religion: Violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Condensed and Updated Edition (Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality)
• The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible’s Texts of Hate to Reveal the God of Love
• The x-rated book: Sex and obscenity in the Bible
• All the Obscenities of the Bible
• Is the Bible indictable?: Being an enquiry whether the Bible comes within the ruling of the late lord chief justice as to obscene literature
• Encyclopedia of Religion and War (Religion and Society (Routledge))
• When Religion Becomes Evil: Five Warning Signs
• Is Religion Killing Us? Violence in the Bible And the Quran
• The Unholy in Holy Scripture: The Dark Side of the Bible
• Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence (Comparative Studies in Religion and Society)
• Violence and the Sacred
• Texts of Terror: Literary-Feminist Readings of Biblical Narratives (Overtures to Biblical Theology)

“It ain’t the parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it’s the parts that I do understand.” – Mark Twain

Yes, she made a political turn into more conservative terrain. I’m not sure that everyone was so angry about it as the article would suggest. There is a wide spectrum of opinion about issues like abortion, gender relations, marriage, work life, and so on – even on the left. It seemed to me that the situation was a little more complicated.

I went to graduate school at Emory, but I never worked with Dr. Fox-Genovese, so my comments are based more on second-hand accounts from other students and faculty than on my own experiences (more’s the pity). Still, I got a very strong impression of her.

One of my best friends in the Emory community has worked for years on women’s issues. She is what I think of a real activist, not an armchair activist like myself. She doesn’t agree with Betsey on many of these issues, but she admires her a great deal and considers her a real friend. Their ongoing conversation on these issues has been valuable – and enjoyable! – for both of them.

Why is Professor Fox-Genovese so admired and respected? Certainly not because of some kind of dripping piety or even solely because of her take on what are very controversial issues. To imply that she was worshiped as some sort of a mommy-figure by orphan-like pits of need misrepresents the reality. She didn’t treat her students as children, but as younger peers. It makes a difference to be treated with respect. She stood up for and supported her students, even if they didn’t agree with her on specific issues. Unlike some others, she didn’t make a secret list of students to be rewarded or punished depending on whether or not they would become clones of herself. She didn’t infantilize anyone – she challenged and supported them. She respected individual curiosity and talent, and teaching was everything to her. She was an educator, in the best sense of the word.

She has a solid reputation as a scholar. No-one could fail to observe her intelligence and her passion, her willingness to engage in conversation and argument. I find it unusual and interesting that she had a willingness to reassess what she found important and worthy of analysis. Not everyone has that courage, flexibility and sense of integrity.

She continued to make every effort to come in and teach, despite her increasing frailty. She had great stories to tell. By all accounts, she had an amazing relationship with her husband. She had flair. She had grace.

I’m sorry that I didn’t get to know her better. I suspect we might have found some common ground somewhere.

Rest in peace, Professor Elizabeth Fox-Genovese.

Links:

• On the Square, Joseph Bottom, First Things
• Lioness, Wilfred McClay, Touchstone Magazine
• Interview with Eugene Genovese and Elizabeth Fox-Genovese in The American Enterprise
• Fox-Genovese, Dept. of History, Emory University
• Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, R.I.P. by Charlotte Hays – Independent Women’s Forum
• Grant Her Rest at Feminine Genius

Here are a few actions that I did today to get you started. The top one is very time-sensitive in the US since the vote is tomorrow (Friday).

Ok, on with the armchair activism…

1. Don’t Bundle Minimum Wage Increase with Huge Tax Giveaway for the Rich

Call your Senators now (800-459-1887) and ask them to oppose H.R. 5970. The vote is soon so there’s no time to email! H.R. 5970 is bad because:

1. It will raid our treasury of billions of dollars to help 8,000 rich families get richer.
2. It will hurt millions of hard-working families and low-income workers who cannot afford to trade a few dollars increase in their paychecks if the tradeoff is cuts and reductions for federal programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, veterans programs, children’s health, senior services and unemployment insurance, which will leave them with fewer resources after the increase.
3. It will hurt millions of workers in food service and other jobs where they rely on tips. Women, young and old, single and married, make up 70% of the “tipped” workers, and in seven states where they are guaranteed a minimum wage, the minimum will be frozen and they will see no raise.

Our message to Senators: “If you, like the bipartisan majority in both houses of Congress, care about increasing the minimum wage, which has been frozen for almost a decade, then vote against H.R. 5970 and insist that it have a free standing vote and not be tied to the estate tax giveaway.”

(NOW – National Organization for Women)

2-A. H.Con.Res. 450 – Ceasefire and Multi-Party Negotiations

The Lebanon-Israel war needs addressing by the US – and not by sending more bombs! I would remind Israel of the “eye for eye” tradition, which was an ancient limiting function with regard to vengence. As an American, I am de facto in a weak position for moralizing these days, so I would only point to the religious tradition. I would remind all peoples of the book that compassion, care, and justice toward one’s neighbor are fundamental.

So…would everyone please just stop it? (It’s worth a try)

Congressman Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, has introduced a resolution that calls on President Bush to appeal to all sides for a cessation of hostilities in the Israeli-Lebanon conflict and to commit the United States to multi-party negotiations. The resolution initially had 20 co-sponsors. 14 new members have singed on as cosponsors.

Write to your member today to tell them that as their constituent, you demand that they seek a peaceful resolution to the current crisis. Ask them to sign on to H.Con.Res.450 today!
If your representative has already signed on, thank them for doing so.

(Progressive Democrats of America)

2-B. H.Con Res. 450 – Another Way to Contact on Lebanon/Israel

The United States bears a special moral responsibility in this crisis as the only nation that can bring an end to the violence and relieve the humanitarian catastrophe. The current policy of delay only leads to more unnecessary civilian deaths in both Lebanon and Israel. Ongoing conflict in Lebanon is also likely to have great consequences for the region, the world and the safety of our nation and its allies. Congress needs to step forward and call for an immediate cessation of hostilities by passing H.C.R. 450.

Click here to send a message in support of an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon:

(Act for Change / Working Assets)

3. Emergency Contraception Plan B – Freedom for Family Planning AND a Drastically Reduced Abortion Rate

Religious and political extremists are shamelessly claiming to represent all religion and even all “moral values.” We know there is nothing moral about depriving women of reproductive health care and contraception. There is nothing moral about denying women the right to make private, family decisions, according to their own faith and conscience.

If the Food and Drug Administration would finally approve the emergency contraceptive Plan B for pharmacy sales, nearly half of of U.S. unintended pregnancies could be prevented. Many politicians talk about prevention–here’s a practical way to do something about it!

For almost three years, the FDA has pandered to right- wing interest groups and delayed pharmacy sales of Plan B. Many medical organizations and the Food and Drug Administration’s own panel of experts have concluded that the drug is safer than aspirin for over-the-counter use.

The pro-choice religious community thinks our government can do better. Tell the FDA: Using birth control is the responsible and moral thing to do. Children deserve to be born to families prepared for parenthood.

Don’t let extremists take away our rights and freedoms!

(Religious coalition for Reproductive Choice)

4. Urge Congress to support the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act

It may not seem a big thing compared to these others…. but Americans owe a large debt to horses. I’m not a vegetarian, but everyone has their limits.

Horses are Friends, not Food. (Nod to “Finding Nemo”)

Last year, more than 90,000 horses were butchered to be served on dinner plates in Europe and Asia. Tens of thousands more of America’s horses were exported from the U.S. and slaughtered in other countries. The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act would prohibit the transport, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of any horse to be slaughtered for human consumption.

Sign this petition now and urge your representatives to support the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/159614943?ltl=1154645692

(Care2 – Make a Difference)

Visit the blog.

Don’t need no ad machine
Telling me what I need
Don’t need no Madison Avenue War
Don’t need no more boxes I can see

Covered in flags but I can’t see them on TV

Don’t need no more lies
Don’t need no more lies
Don’t need no more lies

Click on the track title for the lyrics in ticker formet at the official website, or here for the whole list.

• 1) After The Garden
• 2) Living With War
• 3) The Restless Consumer
• 4) Shock And Awe
• 5) Families
• 6) Flags of Freedom
• 7) Let’s Impeach The President
• Lookin’ For A Leader
• 9) Roger And Out
• 10) America The Beautiful

“Let’s Impeach The President”

Let’s impeach the President for lying
And misleading our country into war
Abusing all the power that we gave him
And shipping all our money out the door

Who’s the man who hired all the criminals
The White House shadows who hide behind closed doors
They bend the facts to fit with their new stories
Of why we have to send our men to war

Let’s impeach the President for spying
On citizens inside their own homes
Breaking every law in the country
By tapping our computers and telephones

What if Al Qaeda blew up the levees
Would New Orleans have been safer that way
Sheltered by our government’s protection
Or was someone just not home that day?

(Bush clips)
Flip – Flop
Flip – Flop
Flip – Flop
Flip – Flop

Let’s impeach the president for hijacking
Our religion and using it to get elected
Dividing our country into colors
And still leaving black people neglected

Thank god he’s cracking down on steroids
Since he sold his old baseball team
There’s lots of people looking at big trouble
But of course our president is clean.

Thank God

I’ve added him to the “Salute” category of links. Thanks Neil.