The Rape Of Morality

There is a movement afoot to subvert a woman's control of her own body. For the longest time, it was held in abeyance, but now the movement has reached one of the pinnacles of power in Washington, D.C.: the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Representative John Boehner, heir to that title through the power of fear-mongering and President-bashing, coupled with Tea Party fomentation and ranting, along with the abdication of backbone by the Democratic Party, now stands at the forefront of the effort to strip women, not just of choice of what to do with their bodies, but even what constitutes violation of their bodies. One of his acolytes, Representative Chris Smith on New Jersey (who, sadly, is this author's representative), is introducing a bill that, amongst other things, redefine what constitutes rape, to include only cases of overt force.

So much for the party that claims to have the best interests of America at heart.

Ok, Guys, Here's The Deal

Men are pretty good at having uninformed, uneducated, nonsensical positions on things, based solely on their "experience" and "knowledge." They are more than willing to tell others what to do, especially where the repercussions of their "advice" do not fall on their heads. So here's the deal, my brethren:

• You get to tell a woman what to do with her body, when she gets to tell you what to do with yours.
• You get to complain about pregnancy, when you get pregnant
• You get to form an opinion about rape when someone drugs you and you find yourself waking up naked in a hotel room, being violated
• You get to talk about abortion after you get pregnant because your partner didn't use protection, or forced themselves on you, or you get raped, and are faced with the choice of raising a child you did not want or expect

I know what you're thinking: how is that fair? I have a brain, I can think about these things, they seem to be pretty obvious to me.

That's male privilege talking.

Affirmation

Too often, it seems, so many of us focus on the things we aren't: pretty, successful, slim, confident, popular, erudite, bold. We hold ourselves up to amorphous and unattainable standards, and use these as a stick to flagellate ourselves, as if that will somehow spur us to attain greatness. We do not live for ourselves, but live for how we believe others see us, always wondering how to alter ourselves to match the expectations of a larger society that treats people like a fungible commodity. This yolk upon our soul drags us down, makes us believe that our worth is measured in pennies, not as the priceless thing it is. We willingly buy into this, assuming that this is how it is meant to be or just how it is.

This, of course, is nonsense.

Greater Humanity

If it can be said that there is an overriding issue that drives the confluence of current events, from elections, to massacres, to revolutions, to the news we see on television or read on the Internet every day, it is that individuals or small groups feel the need to enforce their point of view on the rest of us. Terrorists wish to punish us for our perceived transgression of their beliefs. Politicians seek the glory of their party, by viciously attacking the other party while papering over their own faults. A lone gunman decides, for whatever reason, to alter political discourse by attempting to murder a Congresswoman and her staff. Hate mongers spew their bigotry on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Wall Street brokers push stocks to their limit, based on projection, rumor, and guesswork. The people of a nation tire of a corrupt government, and through off the yolk of their oppressors.

All these events, all these happenings, are united through that single thread: they are brought about because one group sets itself against another. The broader scope of humanity is never brought into play.

Embrace

Embrace hate... that it may turn into love.

Embrace hopelessness... and will it into the light.

Embrace anger... and fill it with joy.

Embrace intolerance... and share the peace of humanity.

Embrace bigotry... and erase the differences between us.

Embrace poverty... and make everyone richer.

Embrace the dying... that they might live in you heart.

Embrace war... that we might no longer fight.

Embrace... for where there is no love, there can be no change.

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In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spiritual leader of the American drive toward the betterment of society.