FGM Female Genital Mutilation, what it is, what it is not, why you should care and what can you do about it.

This is probably something many of you don't want to know or let alone even think about.  For various reasons people will not discuss issues such as this.  The largest reason is society has a number of taboos when it comes to the topic of sexuality and things relating to sexuality.  This reason, like all reasons, any one can give about why people should not talk about topics like this are deeply flawed and far out weighed by the reasons to bring topics like this to light.  So I hope you will continue reading and find out what the facts are and what you can do to help combat against this torture of young women.

So what is Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)?  FGM is the complete or partial removal of the external female genitalia.  Some may claim that it is often no different then male circumcision.  The reality is much different.  Some argue that it is a cultural issue and no business of anyone else's to comment on another culture's practices.  But this argument ignores the fact that any time we identify a cultural practice as demonstrably harmful to an individual, group of people and/ or society as a whole we should make efforts to stop such practices.

  FGM falls under all 3 of those categories. It is clearly harmful to the individual.  Any procedure done against the will of an individual that is for non-medical reasons falls under this category.  Even if the girls are "talked into it" they are often to young to understand the ramifications of the decision and the pain, both short and long term, that they will have to endure.  The practice is demonstrably harmful to all women because its sole use is as a tool to oppress women.  To literally make sex unpleasurable for women and remind them that they are the property of men.  Finally it is demonstrable that it is harmful to society as a whole because we see time and time again that when women are oppressed in societies those societies do not do as well.  Societies where women are treated as equals have higher quality of living then those that do not.  The most successful way you can help a community flourish is to empower the women of those community and that includes giving them reproductive autonomy.

  Now to the specifics to demonstrate that this isn't just a form of "female circumcision".  The most minor version of FGM most closely resembles male circumcision.  Some apologists will claim this is the most common form but while the removal of the clitoral hood would be anatomically the same as a male circumcision, the reality is this rarely ever happens.  So Type 1 is normally the removal of the hood and the clitoris.  This is like saying that instead of a male having their foreskin removed they had not only the foreskin removed but at least the whole head of the penis.  Anatomically it it more like chopping off the entire penis.  And this is the most minor version of FGM performed.

  More severe versions of FGM removal of the labia minora, the "inner lips".  This is called type 2 FGM.  Type 2 can even include removal of the labia majora.  To shock you even further there are a total of 4 types each worse then the previous with varing amounts of damage being done in each level.  Type 3 includes actually sewing up the remaining vaginal orifice.

  There are other procedures done with FGM in various regions.  This includes cauterizing or even removal of tissue not by cutting but by abrasion.  Think of it like this.  A doctor says "We need to remove your hand." then whips out a large file and starts at the tips of your finger.

  While some procedures are done to babies, who won't remember the procedure, many are done to little girls around the age of 5.  Most procedures are, in fact, done to girls between the age of 7 and 10. Pretty much always these are done with absolutely no anesthetic.

  FGM has further complications and results in an extra 1-2% in  perinatal deaths.  Death rates from the actual procedure is recorded at 2.3%.  Compare this to the most overblown rates of death from males circumcision which is less then 0.009% or over 255 times less likely.  The more accepted numbers for deaths do to male circumcision is between  0 and 1 in 500,000 which means FGM is over 10,000 times more deadly.

Do you think this is just a problem of Muslims?  Nigeria has the highest rates of FGM and the occurrence in the Christian community is higher both in number and percentages.  Do you think it is only a problem in Africa?  A 2015  study estimates that over a half a million females in the USA are at risk of or have undergone FGM and that number is up from about 228,000 women in 2000.  It is illegal, thankfully, in the USA under 18 U.S. Code 116 - Female genital mutilation.  But this does not help girls when they go back to their parent's country of origin on holiday.  While it is illegal here the parents are not subject to prosecution if it is done overseas.  The Girls Protection Act of 2010 tried to address this issue and was cosponsored by 156 democrats and 21 republicans.  The republican controlled Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations blocked it from going to a vote.  I have no idea why they would prevent this bill from going to vote.  I can guess that the oppression of women is just part of most of their world view when you look at their voting records.

The problem needs to be brought to light.  Legislation needs to be enacted to protect those women in the USA from this practice.  More broadly we need to apply political and social pressure to stop this practice that at the end of the day serves no other purpose then to oppress women.  Something that in 1915 should not have been acceptable let alone 2015.  I encourage everyone to research this topic.  If you keep your head in the sand on the issue then that is your choice.  But as with all bad positions you hold it reflects on the type of person you are.  Yes I'm trying to guilt you into action because staying silent on issues like this is unacceptable in my opinion.

Read more about FGM here World Health Organisation
Google "FGM charity" to find were you can go to help.   Here is one article that lists 16 various organisations trying to tackle this issue.

Injustice in Steubenville OH

  Back in August a 16 year old girl was slipped a date rape drug by at least 2 members of the Steubenville High School football team.  Upon finding out what happened she and her family went to file charges.  From then on it seems that Steubenville take care of their own no matter what.  After a quick investigation and trail the boys in question have been little more then slapped on the wrist officially and unofficially are still praised within the town.

  Members of Anonymous have since released a large amount of information into the Steubenville rape case, the handling and prosecution of the case and the level of corruption in the town and law enforcement community.  Found here 

  I'm not into conspiracies but when you look at the evidence presented it is obvious that so many people are involved in trying to cover this up that it can't be considered anything else.  From the Sheriff in charge to the prosecution office.  The very office that is supposed to fight for justice for the victim   Apparently their idea of justice is that the jocks should get free rain and it doesn't matter who the hurt or how much they hurt them.

  Video evidence taken by the "boys" charge show not only that they didn't have remorse but think it is funny they raped not only this girl but others as well.  At one point one of the kids asked another kid “What if that was your daughter?”  he then laughed and said "But it isn't".  Right there is a good indication of the attitude of some of these boys.  The fact that the boy referred to the rape victim as "it" and not "she" speaks volumes.  It gets worse his full reply was "But it isn't! If that was my daughter I wouldn't care!".

  It is interesting in this day in age with the level of technology we have around us.  Sadly even if law enforcement was on the side of the victim in this case I'm not sure how much of the "evidence" could be used.  The rape was bragged about not only on local web sites but there were twitter posts being made referencing the crime DURING the crime.  The criminals seem to love to brag about their crimes.  Most of us would think that is crazy.  To admit what happened. To laugh about it while being video taped. But they don't.  They feel safe because they are the stars of the town and so far their community have covered up for them.

  Sadly so far justice is failing in this case and I personally wouldn't be sad or upset if these "boys" started to disappear.  Don't get me wrong I'd rather them be properly charged, investigated and prosecuted.  But that didn't happen.  That isn't happening.  Good on Anonymous for getting the evidence they have.  The police seemed to have "inadvertently" destroyed evidence in the process of collecting it.  Very convenient that pictures, videos and other electronic evidence was mistakenly delete.  Makes me sick.  Sadly even if the boys get off scot-free I wonder how much this information that has been leaked will actually affect them.  I know their are people that not only don't care what these young men have done, but those that think it is their right and privilege to do what they have done.  So they'll probably thrive in their community as the sociopaths they are.

  More information can be read via the following links.
New York Times
International Business Times
Huffingtion Post
New York Daily News
FFS...Google it! 

GOP on women's health

Richard Mourdock, who is running for the U.S. Senate in Indiana, says that pregnacy resulting from rape is "Something God intended"

I wonder how he would feel if it was his wife or his daughter that was the one that was raped? Or like Scott DesJarlais, a Tennessee 'Pro-Life' congressman and doctor, that pressured his mistress into getting an abortion then thought it was a good idea to tape the conversation and have his wife listen to it as proof of his commitment to her. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/10/scott-desjarlais-abortion-pro-life_n_1953136.html

Don't get me wrong.  There are women that love the children have resulted from acts of rape.  But no woman should be required to endure the mental anguish that could be associated with being forced to carry that pregnacy to term if they do not choose too.

Regardless of your belief or disbelief in a god or gods pregnancy is a biological function.  That the rape can result in a new person but the thought that a god wants the rape victim to get pregnant is an absurd thought.   If you think that then you have to ask what this god's intention where 1 in 4 women have at least 1 miscarriage in their life time.  You have to ask yourself "If God intended a woman to get pregnant and has direct responsibility for the pregnancy then why did this same God allow the violent act of rape on the woman to occur?".  You know who is responsible for that pregnancy?  The rapist!  Just like if they give the woman an STD or AIDS.  That isn't 'God' intending the women to get a STD or AIDS.  Just like if the rapist kills his victim.  That isn't 'God' intending the woman to get killed.

To his credit Richard Mourdock does accept that there are situations where the woman's life is in danger and that she should be allowed to have an abortion to save her life.

This is unlike Republican Congressman Joe Walsh of Illinois who said this just last week that there is never a situation where a pregnancy has to be aborted to save the life of the mother.  Apparently Joe doesn't know what a ectopic pregnancy is and that almost 2% of all pregnacies are ectopic and that it is the leading cause of meternal morality within the first trimester and this is in the USA.

I get if you are pro-life but know the facts.  Know that if you say life starts at conception and that a ball of 16 cells = a person that you their for think that "the pill" is murder.  The pill has multiple levels of prevention.  First it attempts to prevent ovulation from actually occuring. But this, like all birth control, isn't 100% effective.  The pill also thickens the musus around the cervix making it more difficult for the sperm to get into the uterus.  But again this is also not 100% effective.  Finally the pill affects the lining of the uters making it difficult for an egg to attach to the wall.  This is subtle and some people don't get it. Some do but don't want you to get it because it may sway your feelings on the legislation they are trying to ram down your throat.  This last line of defence means that a fertilised egg will get flushed out with the woman's normal menstril cycle.  I.E. conception happened.  That ball of cells just has a much harder time becoming viable.

So when politicians try to say that abortion is never allowed and that life begins at conception that the most popular birth control method becomes illegal.  That means a larger number of women would be force with a life threatening condition when their ectopic pregnacy causes massive internal hemoraging and they where not allowed treatment that could save their life.

The half baked ideas from the GOP are crazy.  What is even more crazy is they expect us to believe their intentions and motivations.

Pat Robertson "jokes" about beating a non subservient wife.

This is ridiculous.  In today's age there are still people that think wives should be subservient to the husband in a house hold. Here Pat Robertson keep saying things like "He can't let her get away with this stuff", "I don't think we condone wife beating these days, but somethings got to be done to make her."

This is what the husband has wrote in

"My wife has become a real problem.  She has no respect for me as the head of the house.  She insults me and she even went as far as stretching her hand to beat me.  I've lost my self confidence. Her words hurt so much and she refuses to talk through our problems.  Please tell me what I can do. - Michael"


Now I don't condone abuse from either side.  The woman in question apparently is psychologically abusive to her husband.  But isn't her husband psychologically abusive to her if he demands respect as "the head of the house."?  Respect is earned not claimed and just because a bunch of stories, written and modified over a few hundred years and which are at least 2,000 years old, says shit like.
Ephesians 5:22 "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord."
Corinthians 7:4 "The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife."
Note that here it isn't strict submission but a partnership but both ways this is bad to think your partner can demand sex when ever they want regardless of your feelings.
One Timothy 2:12 "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence."

Does not mean we should keep this 2,000+ year old "morality"

In an age where the GOP don't want women to have equal pay where all but 1 republican senators blocked the the bill from going forward and the one outlier didn't vote.  In an age where the GOP thinks that an employer should be able to deny a woman reproductive health care.  You can see how the GOP not only wants wives to be submissive to their husbands but they want women to be subservient to men.

The woman talking to Pat Robertson suggested counselling for the couple but he did little more then nod in agreement before going back to ranting how the woman must be mentally ill and suggesting that the husband move to Saudi Arabia.

There are plenty of good religious people but it is idiots like Pat Robertson and those that follow him blindly that make religious people look like cave men.  If you are religious get out from under a big tent if you are under it and voice your opinion.  Show that most religious people are not bigots and backwards.  Show that a husband and wife are an equal partnership not this crazy ass relationship that many vocal religious nut jobs want.

I can't believe the $#I~ that come out of Mitt Romney's mouth

We all know Romney has a problem with connecting with the average American.  His awkward lines like

• Talking to the members of the chambers of commerce - I like being able to fire people who provide services to me. - Jan 2012
• Trying to pander to middle Americans - I'm not concerned about the very poor. - Jan 2012
• Trying to pander to a group of unemployed in florida -I should tell my story. I'm also unemployed. -  June 2011
• When asked about tying his dog to the roof of his car and not stopping to let the dog go to the toilet -PETA is not happy that my dog likes fresh air. -   2007
• Trying to show how he's an average guy that likes motor sport - I have some great friends that are NASCAR team owners. - Feb 27, 2012
• Talking to some supporters from a local bakery - I'm not sure about these cookies. They don't look like you made them. No, no. They came from the local 7/11 bakery, or whatever. - April 17, 2012
• Talking to supporters in Michigan - I love this state. The trees are just the right height. -  Feb 2012
• At a speech in Harrisburg - he [Obama] spent too much time at Harvard, perhaps, or maybe just not enough time actually working in the real world - April 2012 

note: that Romney was at Harvard longer and got 2 degrees while he was there, Obama paid his way through Harvard like most American's using student loans and worked as a community organiser for an organisation with a annual budget of $400,000 a year for 13 staff and the projects they ran.  

Now Mitt Romney comes out with this. No one has ever asked to see my birth certificate!

Well who cares.  Obama was born in Hawaii.  Has legitimate short and long form birth certificate authenticated by officials in the state of Hawaii.  Just because nut bag conspiracy idiots within the GOP keep lying and claiming that Obama isn't a real citizen of the United States of American, even when shown the evidence to the contrary.  One would hope that Mitt Romney would try to distance himself from those nut jobs.  But instead he's kept those nut jobs close.  Accepting untold amounts of money from them and now he's jump squarely in bed with them spouting the same shit as they do.  

The hypocrisy here is amazing.  No one has asked Mitt for his birth certificate but will he release his tax returns for the last 10 years?  Nope!  Mind you this is a tradition his father started back in 1968.   The only 2 years of tax returns he did release showed that he paid taxes at rate of less then 15%.  That he used banks in the Cayman islands and Switzerland to shield income from taxes to not only the USA but other countries like Italy.  Don't get me wrong.  To date nothing he's done appears to be illegal.  He's just manipulated the system which is geared to making it easy for rich people to pay very little in taxes.

The official tax policy that the republicans want to push through is even worse.  Mitt Romney would end up paying less then 1% in taxes.  The GOP wants to push through 5 trillion dollars...that is $5,000,000,000,000.00 in tax cuts that are exclusively for the top 2% of American's.  The GOP currently won't extend tax cuts that would benefit all Americans until they get further tax cuts to those Americans that earn over $250,000.00 a year.  Get this straight.  ALL Americans would benefit by the tax cuts Obama wants to push through because it covers all income up to $250,000.00.  But this isn't good enough for the GOP.  They want more tax breaks that only benefit people that earn more then $250,000.00 a year.  

Where do you think the GOP's tax cuts for the top 2% would come from?  Who's going to pay for it?  This is something they don't like you to know.  It comes from killing Medicare.  Independent economists predict that Medicare collapse within 4 years if Romney was elected and implemented his tax plan.  Taxes to low and middle income Americans would got up.  Finally services like police, fire and education would be cut back so that the rich can get richer.

What the President really says from his own mouth.

More stupidity from the GOP

More stupidity from Texas conservatives.  From page 12 of the Texas GOP's own platform document, section about eduction.

Knowledge-Based Education – We oppose the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) (values clarification), critical thinking skills and similar programs that are simply a relabeling of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) (mastery learning) which focus on behaviour modification and have the purpose of challenging the student’s fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority.

So basically the GOP oppose any education that might change what some ones parents want them to believe.
Stuff like :

• Evolution If the parents don't believe it then the kids shouldn't be taught about, not only, the evidence that makes the modern theory of evolution a "scientific theory", but what makes evolution "a fact".   Further more don't teach the kids what those 2 terms actually mean and not what creationist try to distort those terms to mean. Because if they do get taught that then it will be harder for the parents to answer everything with "God did it!"
• Climate change Controversial for many that think that releasing carbon, that was captured over billions of years, in less then 2 centuries is some how not a problem for the entire ecosystem of our Earth.  That's ok because many of those people don't believe the Earth has been around more then 6,000 years and some of those still deny the Earth orbits the sun and it isn't flat.
• Interracial marriage. Still a hot button issue it seems.  46% of Mississippi Republicans think it should be illegal. This is pretty bad you might think but then say, with your critical thinking skills, that about 54% are in support of it.  But unless you want to stay ignorant you have to know that only 40% support it and that 14% are undecided or wouldn't respond.  Are you a racial bigot?  Do you think that if your kids see that a white can love and marry a non white and live very happy that the world will come to an end?
• Equal rights Parents that don't like gay, lesbians, bisexual, or as Santorum labels them "pansexuals", and trans-gender? Don't let the kids discuss if and why they should have equal rights!  Hell, forget sexual preferences and identification.  What about just straight gender? The GOP think that new laws that stop employers  from paying women less then men for the same exact job shouldn't be passed.  Not only that, they are trying, and succeeding, in repealing existing legislation that guarantees equal pay.  Same goes for pay differences based on racial differences.

The GOP have already hit history books.  Removing the word "Slavery" and replacing it with "Atlantic triangular trade" because they believe it puts "America" in a bad light.  Some how they believe it is better to pretend that slavery was a bad thing.  Probably makes it easier for them to justify other bigoted views.

If you are a conservative fine...but if you think that keeping children ignorant of the truth to keep them in line is a good thing then your a fuck tart!.

I enjoy people that have different views then mine.  Tell me about your opinions and why you have them. But if you can't think for yourself then its a waste to even talk to you.  Again you can think what you like but you have to be able to justify why you think the way you do in the light of all the information not just a narrow band of cherry picked information by others that want you to remain ignorant. At the end of the day I might call you a bigot because you think "whites" are better then other races or women should know their place and not think for themselves but at least I won't call you a ignorant bigot.

Many years ago in a office conversation we where talking about religion.  At the time Josh, my son, was religious.  A few of the guys in the office couldn't understand how I could let him be like that if I wasn't religious myself.  My answer was simple.  "Josh isn't me, he doesn't have to believe what I believe.  He is his own person and he make his own decisions based on what he knows."  My job isn't to make Josh believe what I believe.  My job, as a father, is to expose Josh to as much of the world as I can and talk to him about things and let him make up his own mind.  Some times that involves pointing out faulty logic and sometimes he points out faulty logic of mine.  I'm proud that my son can have different views then me.  I'm even more proud that he can show me that what I believe is wrong and why.  Something he wouldn't be able to do if he didn't have critical thinking skills and something he wouldn't be able to do if I could never admit that my beliefs could be wrong.

Is "Rape" just a left wing tactic?

  Honestly there are some "conservative" values that I have to seriously call into question.  Lately one of values that is at the top of my list is how "rape" is being discussed by the right wing.  Between arguments that we shouldn't have to spend money on programs related to sexual assault in the military to trying to redefine what "rape" really means in some cases.

Places like fox news will have you believe that it is inevitable that women will be violently raped if they are in the military. I was in the Marines for 6 years and I'm disgusted that fox news can make it seem like its only because of "feminists" that we have this problem. If there is a rise in the amount of violent rapes in the military then that is an issue that needs to be dealt with not by hiding women away but dealing with the occurrences that do happen and putting in measures so that it is understood that this isn't acceptable behaviour ever and it will be dealt with accordingly.  This isn't some "liberal agenda" to "destroy America"...unless you believe America = ignorance.

  The GOP is also pushing for a change in terminology about rape to stop some women from having a unwanted pregnancy terminated that resulted from a sexual assault to just those that involved actual force.  If the GOP has its way if a woman is drugged, raped and becomes pregnant from that rape then they should just deal with it.  To boot the GOP's position on birth control methods like the morning after pill would be removed as an option  too.  If your 12-13 year old daughter is groomed by a sexual predator and becomes pregnant the GOP also believes that situation isn't good enough to warrant the term rape.  If you have a mentally retarded female family member that doesn't have the cognitive reasoning power to understand what is happening and is sexually assaulted and becomes pregnant then that to isn't good enough for them.

  The GOP wants to twist the definition of rape to push their ideology on everyone else.  You can be assured that they wouldn't stop there either.  "Pro-Life" groups already indicate there is zero tolerance for ending a pregnancy.  Even in the case where the mother's life is at risk.  Rick Perry position now is that there is no acceptable reason for terminating a pregnancy and that includes when the mother's life is at risk.^[1]

  Combine this with the GOP's support for limiting women's access to birth control, not abortions, not the morning after pill but just normal contraceptive services is a testament to how the GOP want women in their place.  Just last week the republicans blocked any females from testifying in a house hearing on the topic of contraception access for women.^[2]

  This is the conservative party of 2012.  A party that wants to have control over your, your wife's, your sisters', your daughters', your best friends' access to basic women's health care.  No control is the wrong word.  They don't want them to have access to those services. According to them abstinence-only education is the only option and looking at the history on how that works you have to be mentally deficient if that is what you put forward.  Texas has shown us, with the highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation, how well that works. ^[3]

  The GOP's view on women's reproductive health isn't even pre 1960.  They are shooting for a return to the dark ages where rape is first looked at as a problem of the woman not a problem we have to deal within our society. Is this the "conservative America" you want to live in? I'm not asking you to vote for Obama here. I'm asking you to think about some basic "core values" the "right" is trying to ram down America's throat. If you are a republican speak up an let your politicians know that if they continually make women's rights into removal of women's rights that you won't be supporting them, unless you think that women in the military should just expect to be rape more often. Is that what you really think?

[1]  http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/rick-perry-changes-opinion-on-abortion-15244664
[2] http://publicola.com/2012/02/16/women-silenced-at-us-house-hearing-on-contraception-access/ 
[3] http://www.care2.com/causes/wisconsin-gop-pushes-abstinence-only-bill.html