The reason that abortion rights are disappearing is NOT that judges are primarily male. Blaming The Patriarchy or misogyny is a losing political position.
So are extreme Progressive positions about gender and identity, which most people care far less about than mainstream issues like abortion.
People have sex for many different reasons. The more obvious reasons are pleasure and closeness (and for a few people, conceiving). The covert reasons (which a person may or may not be aware of) include feeling attractive; feeling powerful; feeling normal; wanting something in return; and getting revenge on a third party.
This is all pretty standard stuff.
But for many people these days, sex seems to be about something else entirely—not so much about sex as an activity, but as an idea. An identity. A statement of self, of tribe, of belonging. Maybe as a focus of civil rights activism.
No-Nut November promotes male abstinence from masturbation, sex and ejaculation. About a million young men are involved in this practice.
While it sounds like a bizarre joke (and indeed, was the theme of five very funny episodes of Seinfeld), it’s seriously important for several reasons:
Hundreds of publishing professionals demand that Penguin Random House terminate its contract to publish Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s new book—because she voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Preventing the publication of Justice Barratt’s book because of one of her votes is a bigger danger to America than any of her votes.
And I say that while believing that Barratt is a dangerous religious fanatic.
If you are outraged about the attempted assassination of Salman Rushdie, consider these two facts:
~ Across the world, many Muslims consider Rushdie’s words to be violence. Therefore they say actual violence against him is justified.
~ These days, many Americans also say that words are violence. They therefore want some voices silenced or denied a public forum.
If you’ve ever used birth control, or if you cherish Roe v Wade, you are in debt to Bill Baird. Today is his 90th birthday.
Do you remember when it was illegal to send condoms through the U.S. mail? Do you remember when all forms of contraception were illegal for unmarried people?
Baird personally changed this.
And paid a huge personal price—including imprisonment 8 different times.