Quickies

Skepchick Quickies 10.22

I know today is October 22, but I just wanted to draw attention to the fact that yesterday, October 21, Paul Kurtz passed away. In a description from the American Atheists’ Facebook page, he was ” […] the father of modern secular humanism, the founder of the Center for Inquiry, of the Council for Secular Humanism and many other important organizations, author of many key books, a highly honored philosopher and professor emeritus at the University of Buffalo, the creator of Free Inquiry, a good friend and great man […] .”

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Mary

Mary Brock works as an Immunology scientist by day and takes care of a pink-loving princess child by night. She likes cloudy days, crafting, cooking, and Fall weather in New England.

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8 Comments

  1. Several years ago, we visited friends who had a two year old girl. While their older boy was the quiet, shy type, the girl was not. She would crawl all over me and we would tickle and tackle each other and giggle away the entire time we were visiting.
    It didn’t occur to me that there was anything odd about that (I mean really, it’s a little kid. They’re *supposed to be* giggling all the time, aren’t they?), until we came for another visit several months later.
    As soon as the little girl saw us coming up the walk, she started running around the inside of her house smacking into walls and what not.
    After we came into the house, I commented to the mother that it much be tough for her with the third child (a newborn suckling as we talked) given how rambunctious the daughter was.
    The mother said, “Well, no … she’s only like this when you come to visit.”
    “Oh.”
    “I guess you’re the only one who’s ever played with her like that, so she got excited as soon as we told her you’re coming.”
    “Oh.”
    I was just playing with a little kid the way she wanted to be played with. It didn’t occur to me that I was striking a blow against the patriarchy.

  2. One of the things I love best about the Quickies is that I surf from one interesting article to another until I end up on some page that just strikes such a cord I have to share with my droogs – and realize I can’t quite remember how I got to that page in the first place. Internet Joy.

  3. Mary,

    I hope Yekaterina Samutsevich wins at the European Court of Human Rights. It definitely was a violation of their free speech right for her and the other Pussy Riot band members to be arrested like that for their performance. No matter how much someone is a offended that’s no reason to lock someone up.

  4. I hope Malala Yousafzai recovers soon. Its nice to know that there’s a site dedicated to how she’s doing.

  5. The gender socialization article is wonderful, and as such attracted a horde of MRAs to the comments. Same wooden-headed (sorry, Danny) arguments as always.

    As to jumping off roofs, my friends’ daughter, when she was about 4, used to scale the (fairly low) garage roof and jump off it. She only jumped off the back because that way her mom couldn’t see her. She wasn’t worried about getting into trouble, she was worried that her mom would worry and get upset if she witnessed the jumping, and she was trying to spare her from the distress. Kids pick up these messages very easily and at a very young age, even if they sometimes misinterpret them.

    “No rough-housing with girls” turns into “It’s okay to bully boys” or “Girls are fragile little flowers” or “Girls are from a different planet and must be treated differently from boys”. The real message should be “mock violence should never go beyond the limits of consent of either party; recognize the cues that you are going too far and stop.” This message doesn’t depend on the gender of either person.

  6. Rather insightful article on roughhousing and gender roles. Never thought of that kind of thing.
    I can imagine it being part of healthy developement, though. Good way to get energy out.

    Fun stuff on what religons believe what. Some I knew already, as I was raised catholic.

    Incidently, on that article, I also found this:

    http://www.alternet.org/election-2012/mitt-romneys-heartless-advice-woman-whose-pregnancy-might-have-killed-her?paging=off

    Long article, and now that I think of it, it may have been posted here before. But I can’t recall (ironic, isn’t it?).
    Some of it does mention stuff about Romney that many here might already know or have figured out.

    Back to religions, a silly question and a bit off-topic: anyone have any insight into methodists?
    I don’t hear much about them, aside from my favorite actress.

  7. Just out of curiosity, Did anyone here try answer all the questions in that “The 20 Weirdest Religious Beliefs” Alternet Article, and see if they knew which religion each of the beliefs went with?

    1. I gave it a try, and was right on some.

      Some of the answers I didn’t even think of. Need to brush up on what sects are out there.

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