4th Anniversary

Between 30,000 and 40,000 people took to the streets to mark the 4th Anniversary of the Iraq War. I'll never forget the beginning--my final spring break had just begun and I was screaming at the television in an overcrowded bar watching the bombs drop. From that moment on, I've joined thousands of others to protest this gross violation of governance any chance we got. But, like a lot of them, I've gotten a little f*ing tired of screaming and feeling like no one is listening. So it was a relief to know that people turned out for this weekend's protests (despite the grey, chilly weather in the Northeast). While I heard that the DC protests lacked some energy and the numbers in New York were fewer than normal, it's reassuring to know that civic duty pervades even our most defeated feelings and that at some point, this shit MUST end. Photo via of nickcalyx.

What does $9 billion a month get you?

Well, a war in Iraq silly! Check out the whole chart via NYTimes. I would like to note, for the record, that I just read Nicholson Baker's short novel Checkpoint.

International Women's Day!

In the spirit and celebration of women's work and lives (cause if we don't do it, who will?), I wish you all a very happy International Women's Day.

Green does not mean go for sex offenders

Legislators in Cincinnati are pushing to pass a law that would require convicted sex offenders to put flourescent green license plates on their cars. The bi-partisan effort wouldn't target all sex offenders, though. The revised bill would focus on convicted sex offenders who used violence or preyed on minors and would exclude other offenses like public exposure or consensual sex between an adult and a teenager. The call to more clearly identify sex offenders comes at a time when the failure to rehabilitate them is becoming all too clear. Most recently, a three-part series in the NYTimes outlined the serious failings of privately-run Florida and Pennsylvania sex offender centers. A former employee, Josh Stiles . . . described the facility as “basically a free-for-all prison.” Two men took their shirts off, rubbed each other’s backs and held hands, while others disappeared together into dormitory rooms. Some of the sex offenders appeared to be drunk from homemade “buck” liquor secretly brewed and sold here. So what does it mean to "rehabilitate" sex offenders when we don't adequately staff or fund their rehabilitation centers? Is it then fair that after serving their time, they become community pariahs? I understand the idea behind flourescent green license plates: put the power in those at risk, not in those who've committed the crime. But how will this ever lead to a sex offender's full rehabilitation? If they're always identified by a past they're trying to escape, how can we ever expect them to change?

Remember the (Red) Campaign?

Remember when we thought making all things red was going to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS? Ahhh....the days of yore. Seems like all the hype of the (Red) Campaign--Bono's little buying-based social service program--has cost more than it's paid off. The collective marketing outlay by Gap, Apple and Motorola for the Red campaign has been enormous, with some estimates as high as $100 million. ... So you'd expect the money raised to be, well, big, right? Maybe $50 million, or even $100 million. Try again: The tally raised worldwide is $18 million. Wow. And I really thought that my new tank top would stop disease, poverty and violence. So much for consumption saving the world. Hey I know! Why don't we all BUY LESS CRAP!