tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14874528.post1725531764586596144..comments2024-03-27T13:32:06.780-02:30Comments on The Other Side of Eighty: Stephen LewisWisewebwomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15281689872840844191noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14874528.post-80315338990827418432008-11-25T00:23:00.000-03:302008-11-25T00:23:00.000-03:30Tessa:I agree that the false god of money wrapped ...Tessa:<BR/>I agree that the false god of money wrapped in many flags of dishonesty has driven countries to a frenzy of killing the innocents and condoning every atrocity and barbarity.<BR/>We need to floodlight such behaviour for what it is.<BR/>XO<BR/>WWWWisewebwomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15281689872840844191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14874528.post-19299735706300823142008-11-24T20:40:00.000-03:302008-11-24T20:40:00.000-03:30I posted the same excerpt on my blog (nutsandmutto...I posted the same excerpt on my blog (nutsandmutton dot com) on November 11th. I so admire and respect Stephen Lewis and this lecture raised him even further in my regard. <BR/><BR/>It would be nice to think that, as you say, protest and outcry will cause action to be taken. What about Darfur, then? And Zimbabwe? Unless they're sitting on oil, the world doesn't care. In fact, with Darfur, the West is turning a blind eye, because the Janjaweed militia are terrorising the people off oil-rich land, which is good for oil explorers.<BR/><BR/>We live in a sick world.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14874528.post-42897431709547237072008-11-14T11:56:00.000-03:302008-11-14T11:56:00.000-03:30Rhea:Yes, the more protesting and outcry against t...Rhea:<BR/>Yes, the more protesting and outcry against these atrocities the more we will be heard and action taken.<BR/>XO<BR/>WWWWisewebwomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15281689872840844191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14874528.post-26725264771729031852008-11-14T10:50:00.000-03:302008-11-14T10:50:00.000-03:30Thank you, thank you for publishing this. I spent ...Thank you, thank you for publishing this. I spent many years doing volunteer work on sexual violence against women. The devastation is absolutely unacceptable and must end. I have hopes that having Joe Biden (sponsor of the federal viol. against women act) will put a powerful voice in the spotlight. Let's write to him.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14874528.post-62260552892122376752008-11-13T12:44:00.000-03:302008-11-13T12:44:00.000-03:30It happens everywhere to our sisters, Irene, in va...It happens everywhere to our sisters, Irene, in varying degrees, but violence towards women happens everywhere, no country or neighbourhood or community is exempt.<BR/>We can only do what we can do, whether writing letters, marching, protesting, donating to good causes (like the Stephen Lewis Foundation).<BR/>Every little bit done is another teaspoon to stop the inequality, the lack of protection and respect towards women and girls everywhere.<BR/>Sometimes I despair too. In the past, I counselled battered women.<BR/>XO<BR/>WWWWisewebwomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15281689872840844191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14874528.post-88450149639505176922008-11-13T03:14:00.000-03:302008-11-13T03:14:00.000-03:30This is too sad and incomprehensible for me, Mary....This is too sad and incomprehensible for me, Mary. My mind can no grasp these sort of crimes. They are too huge and alien to my world, which is so safe and sound, I assume. <BR/><BR/>I can not comprehend that, as I write this, these sorts of things are happening right now, and yet they are and I somehow have to accept the fact that it is so. <BR/><BR/>I want to turn away from so much horror and say, "I can't handle this." and I know that is true too, but somebody has to. <BR/><BR/>It is a very bitter pill I have to swallow and to know this about my fellow human beings. Even here, this could happen. I have great sadness and great pain.Irenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05043376053971475659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14874528.post-27657310541091003932008-11-12T22:59:00.000-03:302008-11-12T22:59:00.000-03:30T:I will be most curious to see his chart, he is a...T:<BR/>I will be most curious to see his chart, he is an amazing man. And yes, the more that read of this, the more attention it will get and maybe our governments will start some action.<BR/>I had the good fortune to meet with him and his good wife (Michele Landsberg, feminist journalist) a few years ago at a dinner commemorating the massacre of the female engineering students in Montreal. There is something magical about him, the capacity for undivided attention to whomever he is speaking (much like Bill Clinton who has that gift also) and a natural humility.<BR/>One of my brothers met him in Africa and has been shouting about him from the rooftops ever since.<BR/>XO<BR/>WWWWisewebwomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15281689872840844191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14874528.post-73984772904467287672008-11-12T22:53:00.000-03:302008-11-12T22:53:00.000-03:30RJA:Thanks for the link, the more that read about ...RJA:<BR/>Thanks for the link, the more that read about this, the more outraged we will all get and do something about forcing our governments into condemning and ceasing these assaults. Just tonight I heard Mr. Lewis being interviewed and he says the case against Zimbabwe is getting better every day with the victims opening up as they feel more safe doing so.<BR/>The subjugation of women is so ingrained in religions, ethnicities and politics that it is an enormous sea-change to even begin to have equality.<BR/>It is like the old saying, if women were in charge even half of the time they would never send their sons off to war to kill other mothers' sons. <BR/>And perhaps their sons would be gentler and kinder as a result.<BR/>This discussion could take pages, RJA..... ;^)<BR/>XO<BR/>WWWWisewebwomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15281689872840844191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14874528.post-9975529605730938252008-11-12T22:44:00.000-03:302008-11-12T22:44:00.000-03:30Nick:Oh yes I agree, and you brought to mind for m...Nick:<BR/>Oh yes I agree, and you brought to mind for me the appalling sexual abuse and rape of female soldiers by their male counterparts in the U.S. army and other armies (I've no doubt).<BR/>XO<BR/>WWWWisewebwomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15281689872840844191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14874528.post-80400741351443435822008-11-12T15:20:00.000-03:302008-11-12T15:20:00.000-03:30Thanks for introducing me to this good man, WWW! ...Thanks for introducing me to this good man, WWW! <BR/><BR/>I've looked in Wikipedia for his birth date and find it was his birthday yesterday, 11/11.<BR/><BR/>I'll "do" his astrology in a blog in a day or two and link to your post. It's something everyone should read, and if I link to astrology it'll get picked up by a slightly different group.Twilighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14138621610593773784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14874528.post-65373469663881565272008-11-12T14:48:00.000-03:302008-11-12T14:48:00.000-03:30I was part way through writing a piece on African ...I was part way through writing a piece on African madmen when I read this post. I've used part of Lewis's speech in the article and linked to you for the rest. Africa has been the physical manifestation of all our shame for too long.<BR/>As for the male abuse of the female, I agree with Nick that it's time for men to develop some respect for women. Everywhere, the female is used as a scapegoat for the male insecurity complex. (If anyone has any doubt how insecure the human male is, just observe his behavior over the last few millennia).<BR/>The sad part is that in the West, instead of women being themselves and championing their right to be so, many are trying to become more like men. All that achieves is to make the male insecurity complex even worse.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14874528.post-71657602693149110602008-11-12T14:04:00.000-03:302008-11-12T14:04:00.000-03:30Not just poverty. It increases in war situations t...Not just poverty. It increases in war situations too. Conquering armies always think rape and female humiliation is part of the deal. Fundamentalist religions also urge the subjection of women and all that goes with it. There are so many factors at work, it's incredibly hard to get a grip on them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14874528.post-80398621207118967692008-11-12T11:06:00.000-03:302008-11-12T11:06:00.000-03:30It is completely systemic, Nick and rooted in pove...It is completely systemic, Nick and rooted in poverty. The most successful solution is in educating the disadvantaged women so that they can gain some self-esteem and then inculcate that into their sons. The Aga Khan is one of the world's strongest proponents of this and has put his money where his mouth is.<BR/>It is very uncomfortable for a lot of people to read this post but in my mind it deserves a full floodlighting. We can't continue to live as if these horrific abuses do not exist.<BR/>XO<BR/>WWWWisewebwomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15281689872840844191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14874528.post-903768656414167402008-11-12T06:10:00.000-03:302008-11-12T06:10:00.000-03:30The level of violence still being perpetrated agai...The level of violence still being perpetrated against innocent women in every part of the world (including the so-called civilised nations) is truly shocking. The only way it can stop is for men themselves to have a complete change of heart and attitude and learn to respect the other sex and treat them like human beings. Unhappily this possibility still seems to belong to cloud-cuckoo land.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com