Are Arab Women Suffering As Much Oppression As We Think?

According to Queen Rania of Jordan, the issue is blown way out of proportion.

Admittedly, I was one to believe that there are more cons than pros to being a woman in the Middle East. Honor killings, forced marriages, etc. are pretty much all we ever hear about. As Rania points out, 1 out of 3 women are victims of violence throughout the world. Why is all the focus on Arabs? This is something I’d like to explore in depth. It is important, however, that I may end up coming to believe that the queen is sugar coating the issue. I’m more inclined at the moment to believe that she does have a point. I’ll wait to come to an informed conclusion once I hear from a broad spectrum of Arab women. She always appeared to me to be an independent woman who has nothing to cover up about her culture. We could possibly take her at her word.

For more videos, see QueenRania on YouTube

Is The Iraq War An Insult To The American Troops?

Phil Donahue seems to think so and I concur 100%. Below is a video courtesy of The Young Turks (TYT) where Donahue discusses his view:

I do think that an important point deserves mentioning. We can be against this futile war, but it is important not to bash the troops in the process. Remember, they are for the most part young kids who simply thought of the military as a way out of difficult circumstances. Even for those who felt called to do military service, respect is deserved. I didn’t make up the following quote, but it is fitting here:

“If you can’t stand behind our troops then stand in front of them.”

Freedom From Toxic Beliefs

College gals have much to be concerned about. Some were concerned about grades, others about which party they would attend. Still others were concerned about maintaining integrity in a party hearty environment. But I was also concerned about not wearing pants, dying my hair, or using make-up. That brings me to an article from AOL News about the “fashion sense” of polygamist wives. I’ve always wondered why they wore prairie dresses, the same hairstyle, and no make-up. They apparently dress so plainly to avoid competition. If all of the women look alike, there would be no reason for a man to favor one wife over the other. In turn, there would be no jealousy. I personally do not believe that rivalry would cease to exist due to how the women look, but it is the claim of the sect nonetheless. But you know something, their reasons for intentionally looking unattractive were quite different from what I experienced attending a strict pentecostal church.

When I first became a born-again christian, I was a part of a church which taught that pants were off limits for women. Deuteronomy 22:5 was the scripture in question:

5 A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this. (NIV–BibleGateway.com)

So there you have it. Because of someone’s interpretation of this passage, I once believed that I would go to hell if I wore pants. But it didn’t stop there. My former church also taught that women should not wear make-up or dye their hair. Christians from other denominations and “new Pentecostals” would try to get me to relax about certain issues. It wasn’t until much later that I saw the light.

So what was the straw that broke the camels back? Well, there was one young lady in the church who decided to wear her hair natural (”unstraightened”), another set of young ladies decided to wear braids. Alas, the pastor (who is black btw) declared that in order to be a Godly woman, you must straighten your hair and stay away from braids. In other words, you must appear more white. It was then that I found out that people were not allowed to wear afros in my denomination during the 70’s. After hearing such things, I said, “enough of this crap.” Eventually, I left that church and moved onto one a bit more sensible.

My wardrobe today consists mostly of pants. Many people tell me that my jeans can be a bit too form-fitting so I try not to go to extremes. I also wear my nails long with bold polish at times. As for make-up, I use it occasionally depending on where I’m going. Now for the all important hair. My hair in it’s natural state is similar to Scary Spice. If the mood strikes, I wear it as such but most of the time, it is blowed straight. As trivial as it may seem to some, I am no longer concerned with wearing braids and will likely get it done again soon. Since humidity is upon us here in NY, my hair gets a bit frizzy. In other words, the relaxer won’t hold up.

Will I go out with a plunging neckline or see through clothing? Absolutely not! But, I am no longer worried about my eternal soul because of what I’m wearing.

Obama And The Economy

Just about everyone I know is concerned about the economy. Some will even go as far as saying that the American middle class is disappearing (Just watch any and every episode of Lou Dobbs). As the days go by, I see the evidence of this. Everything is getting ridiculously expensive from the price of milk to gas. I would not be surprised if self-service regular gas hits $4 a gallon this summer. So what does Obama plan to do for the economy? Well, no one can work miracles but there should be a plan.

Under an Obama administration, millions of workers will receive some type of tax relief. This would take the form of what he calls the “Making Work Pay” credit of up to $500 for individuals and (up to) $1000 for families. I personally would welcome any type of relief since we are practically slaughtered via taxes (I wish that I could show you all my paychecks as evidence).

Obama plans to raise the minimum wage to such a level that working families will be able to provide basic, day to day needs. I’m wondering if certain parts of the country such as the NY metro area or LA would have to have higher minimum wages than others. This is important to consider since the cost of living varies depending on where you live.

Obama is a strong supporter of unions. As a union member myself, I can attest that workers need advocates who will not pander to employers. Obama cosponsored the bipartisan Employee Free Choice Act which guarantees workers their right to organize. If elected, he will fight for it to pass and sign it into law. Not only does he support worker’s right to organize, but he believes in protecting our right to strike if we need to.

In addition to the above, he wants to crack down on predatory credit card practices. It is my humble opinion that this should begin with not allowing credit card companies to canvas college campuses. Students generally have to deal with astronomical college tuition and other fees, credit cards only add to the migraine.

Overall, Obama has a pretty good vision for the economy. For more information about his economic plans (and there is much more), visit BarackObama.com. Until next time, ciao.

The Myth Of The Angry Black Woman?

I’m sure you’ve heard it before, black women have major attitudes. Given the climate that we live in, it would seem as such. But it really isn’t attitude at all; at least not in the negative sense.

What does one expect will be produced within us when we live in a racist society? If we do not assert ourselves, others will walk all over us. Honestly, I don’t think that assertiveness should be limited to black women. Women of all races, and even some men, need to stand up for themselves. Of course there are those who go beyond assertiveness. I will admit that I can be fiery at times. Never violent, but I don’t have a problem with verbal confrontations. This has nothing to do with a supposed innate racial characteristic, but just a reaction to what is going on around me. So black women aren’t angry, we generally don’t tolerate disrespect. No one should.

Video Courtesy of Abyantbirds

Barack Obama And His Plans For Our Country…

Just in case you haven’t noticed, I support Barack Obama for president. Why? It has nothing to do with his being “black like me.” Okay, let’s not get into the technicalities of him being a mixed race man and me being a full-blooded black woman. But really though, his race has nothing to do with it. After all, I didn’t even consider voting for Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson during their presidential bids. What first attracted me to Obama’s candidacy was the consistency in his views against the war in Iraq. As a member of a military family, including an Iraq war vet who survived two tours, his stance against the war was and is critical. Yet, his keen insight to the futile nature of this war is not his only strength. So what exactly does Obama stand for? I’ll begin with education.

As far as Obama is concerned, No Child Left Behind is an utter failure. He does not feel the need to abandon it, but reform it. Under his plan, failing schools would receive support rather than chastisement. Note, that does not mean schools will be free from responsibilities. He also plans to push legislation that will fund intervention programs to alleviate the dropout crisis.

I especially like the sound of his Zero to Five plan which would establish Early Learning Challenge Grants to states in an effort to implement voluntary universal pre-school. It’s no secret that birth to the age of five are crucial years for child development. Why not create programs to nurture them during that stage?

I currently teach at a high school with a gang problem. Providing teens with activities during after school hours could lead to an alternative to gang involvement for many. So I am pleased that Obama plans to increase funding for after school programs even if it can only be for approximately one million more children at this time. Hey, we need to set realistic goals.

And why not reward teachers for the hard work we do? That’s right, reward us for our success in the classroom. Yes, that reward would be to increase teacher salaries. My critique would be that there is a potential downfall as it relates to this measurement. How will we define success? The only thing that a teacher can truly be successful with in a classroom is managing student behavior, not necessarily getting them to succeed academically. As an educator, I have seen over and over again that academic success is achieved through the hard work of students, not teachers. That is why in any given classroom, you will find both top notch and low performing students. All credit for academic success goes to the kids.

This is only a snippet of Obama’s plan for education in America. So what part of his plan shall I blog about next? The economy? Defense? Healthcare? Stay tuned…

Barack Obama ‘08.

Attacks On Barack Obama Are Getting More And More Desperate Everyday

The whole Jeremiah Wright Fiasco is getting tired. Just leave it alone and get on with the campaign already. I’m quite sure my “friends” over at The Young Turks would give me a whole hearty Amen on that note!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nFpK-_A4Ws&hl=en]

Ahh! To Be Black, Female, And A Rabbi

There are black women in sports, entertainment, politics, and religion. I bet the first religion that popped into your mind was Christianity. Can you believe that a black woman is actually studying to be a rabbi? I was a bit surprised when I read the article about rabbinical student, Tamar Manassah. She apparently grew up Jewish since her mother “reverted from Catholicism to Judaism.” Whatever the case, I was intrigued by this story. While I personally would not join the Jewish faith, I am fascinated with people who step outside of the box and go where few of their type have ever gone before. I am especially encouraged by women who take positions of leadership within religion. BTW, was it a woman who wrote the book of Esther?

Should I Be Black First And A Woman Second? Or A Woman First And Black Second?

I’ve been visiting quite a lot of blogs lately. Aside from blogs concerning the atheism/theism debate, I’ve discovered a new angst. That being the good ole man vs. woman debate. This would be formally known as feminist vs. maculinists. I’d have to say it is a debate that I have not and cannot take seriously since men and women need each other no matter how much the opposite sex claims we do not. But there is another side to this coin. Could it have anything to do with race? Perhaps it does. Being black, I never felt any type of concern over gender issues. I’ve always loved being female and never faced any type of discrimination due to my genitalia. In fact, I always figured that when people looked at me, they’d see black skin first and sex second. But as I moved out into the world and lived a little, I learned the surprising truth. It appears that people see both which means I cannot escape my womanhood even if I wanted to…and I don’t. Why would I make such a statement about escaping womanhood even though I love being a woman? It’s a bit complicated.

I cannot deny that I am left with a sense of empowerment when racists react to my color. Just imagine being a woman who has felt powerless for most of her life, she encounters racists (racist men in particular) who are actually afraid of her. My very presence strikes fear in their racist egos. To me, that is a powerful feeling. BUT, sexism leaves me with a feeling of powerlessness that is hard to describe. When I am the victim of some type of sexual harassment, I feel as though I am reduced to a lower level. In other words, I don’t matter since I’m just a piece of meat on earth for some man’s sexual gratification. So in a sense, racial hatred=power for me, sexism= strips me of power.

A Jewish friend of mine spoke of her experiences traveling to the Middle East. I asked her about the possible anti-Semitism she may have faced. She said, “it’s the anti-female treatment that bothers me much more so than the anti-Semitism.” I could not understand what she meant then, but now it is all clear to me. Who knows? Maybe she came to the same conclusion that I have, hatred directed at us because of our race/culture doesn’t lead to vulnerability like sexism does. But does that mean I should embrace feminism? No. But that’s for another post. So perhaps I cannot be black first or a woman first. I am simply a black woman all at the same time. And you know something? I ‘m cool with that since I love being who I am. To be continued…

Ciao for now,

LorMarie

The Troop Surge: Benefit or Wishful Thinking?

I still remember when it was announced that there would be a surge in troop levels in order to squash the violence in Iraq. One cannot deny that for a time after the surge, violence decreased. But was progress due to the surge? Many would answer absolutely not. The sudden calm, if we can call it that, was likely due to other factors. An article titled, Sizing Up Petraeus on Iraq, attributes the “success” to cease fires established by Muqtada Al-Sadr. The decrease in violence could also be attributed to the fact that Sunnis no longer reside in many Shiite areas where they were often targeted. So was Petraeus giving credit where it wasn’t due? Perhaps. Even if the decrease was a result of the surge, that would not prove much. After all, we are talking about the United States military. We have possibly the most effective military in the world. Wherever we go, success will likely follow…the futile nature of this war does not change that.

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