Civil rights are those rights which we create through the application of the law. They are distinct from "human rights" which many assume to be common to all people, everywhere. In the United States, the constitution guarantees equal protection under the law (under the 14th amendment). This was necessary because prior to the 14th amendment, individual rights were only protected from violation by the federal government (but not state governments). The individual states had wide latitude in how draconian or arbitrary their laws were, and the application of state law could discriminate against citizens for the most capricious of reasons. The 14th amendment's "equal protection clause" was meant to correct that, and provide due process (and many other rights) to all citizens, regardless of the state they lived in.

Via Marc A. Article here. Excerpt:

'The University of Maryland is under fire for denying activists from the Clothesline Project, a campus rape-awareness event, permission to publicly name alleged rapists. The university cites the danger of lawsuits from those named, and that's certainly a reasonable fear. Yet the university should also oppose naming alleged rapists because it could defame and harm innocent men.

A significant percentage of allegations of sexual assault are false. According to a study conducted by former Purdue sociologist Eugene J. Kanin and published in Archives of Sexual Behavior, in more than 40 percent of the cases reviewed, the complainants eventually admitted that no rape had occurred. Mr. Kanin also studied rape allegations in two large Midwestern universities and found that 50 percent of the allegations were recanted by the accuser.'

Sorry to keep bringing this story up on the board (this will be the last), but it appears there will be no consequences for a woman who left her baby in a hospital restroom. She will probably get the baby back by the end of the year. Notice how much sympathy is in some of the comments to this story. Many of those who commented mentioned how they felt when they were pregnant and 18. They seemed to be strangely implying that they understand this woman's actions (??). Article here.

tac0965
"Don't get married, don't put your girlfriends name on any of your property, and hide your assets!"

According to the latest debate on Fox News some corporations are now forcing men to take female hormone pills because -- according to them -- it makes men "less aggressive." The war against men is still going full steam and behind the wheel are women and men whom would rather argue with, and impugn other men, than expose women's double standards and lies.

You can watch the debate here.

This week-end I will be opening up a new CafePress shop, Feminist Farm Online Store, devoted to "... lampooning feminism and exposing feminism's long history of misconceptions, absurdities, distortions, half-truths and outright lies."

The store's headline reads: "The best way to drive out the devil . . . is to jeer and flout her, for she cannot bear scorn." And that's what we plan to do: make fun of feminism, with humorous and (hopefully) pointed illustrations that mock and scorn feminism.

Although the shop will open with only four items, I've hired artists from as far away as India, and have about a dozen additional illustrations now on the drawing board that should be ready for the store in 1 or 2 weeks.

Please check it out! http://www.cafepress.com/feministfarm

Feedback and suggestions are always welcome!

Article here. Excerpt:

"In 2008, Democrats are assembling behind a front-runner, Hillary Rodham Clinton, with singular problems among white males. Polls show her support among this group is approaching the record lows scored by Democrats during the peak of Ronald Reagan’s popularity in the 1980s. Some recent hypothetical matchups — which are highly fluid at this stage of a contest — showed Clinton winning roughly a third of white males in a race against Republican Rudy Giuliani."

---

Also from anthony, an interesting contrast: Clinton's team says women will carry win.

Article here. Excerpt:

"Nowhere is female privilege more evident than within the star-chamber like confines of the "Sexual Harassment Industry." In this arena, feminist lobbyists have erected a charnel house to exterminate the expression of random, unscripted male behavior in the workplace. It has even created a ludicrous female right not to be offended…by anything said or done in their proximity. This right can be brandished upon men who accidentally forget to don their automaton costumes before punching the clock."

Article here. Excerpt:

'A jury has convicted a woman of swinging her 4-week-old son at her boyfriend during a fight and fracturing the infant's skull.

Chytoria Graham, 28, fell into the fetal position when the judge told her she faced a five-year mandatory minimum prison sentence after she was convicted Wednesday of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, simple assault and child endangerment.

"Oh my God," Graham cried. "Oh my God, Oh my God. No, no, no."'

Why is she so upset? A man would have gotten at least 20 years minimum for the same thing. Oh well, good riddance.

Article here. Excerpt:

"CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) -- The former Duke University men's lacrosse coach who resigned last year amid allegations that three of his players raped a stripper has sued the university."

"Mike Pressler's lawsuit apparently stems from a financial settlement the school reached earlier this year with him.."

In the spirit of covering activism topics, I recently came across this list of 198 nonviolent forms of protest activism authored by Gene Sharp. It's something worth distributing to fellow activists to help inspire ideas for activism projects.

The entire first chapter of comedian Bill Cosby's new book is on-line:

In "Come on People, On the Path From Victims to Victors" Cosby condemns the epidemic of fatherlessness in the black community and in the nation at large that has devastating consequences:

"A house without a father is a challenge. A neighborhood without fathers is a catastrophe, and that’s just about what we have today. ... Why is the problem so grave? A mother can usually teach a daughter how to be a woman. But as much as mothers love their sons, they have difficulty showing a son how to be a man.... We can’t speak honestly of black culture in America unless and until we honestly address the issue of the estrangement of fathers and their children."

There's humor as well, with Cosby taking on the gansta rap culture that too often celebrates the street as real education -

"You can’t land a plane in Rome saying, “Whassup?” to the control tower. You can’t be a doctor telling your nurse, “Dat tumor be nasty.”

Via Marc A. Article here. Excerpt:

'His divorce did nothing to put him off the fairer sex and he has a long-term partner.

So why is he co-authoring a book called That Bitch (Protect Yourself Against Women With Malicious Intent), a title guaranteed to get a knee-jerk, hackles-rising response in the most placid-natured members of the gender?

"It is a provocative title," he concedes. "We can't use it in America. They can't deal with the directness. It is going to be called Venus: The Dark Side. But the book is aimed at guys and as everybody says guys don't do subtlety we thought we are not going to pussy foot around here.
...
The book is a survival guide for men (and women) on how to protect themselves against a (Roy is at pains to stress) small group of vindictive, violent or self-serving women who use and abuse partners, colleagues and even children.'

Via Marc A. Article here. Excerpt:

' Apart from the longer overall hours put in by men than women, Warren Farrell, author of ``Why Men Earn More: The Startling Truth Behind the Pay Gap - and What Women Can Do About It,'' said male workers are more likely to be open toward factors that lead to higher pay.

Relocating or traveling extensively for work, taking on more hazardous assignments, working in the hard sciences, taking jobs requiring greater financial risk and working in unpleasant environments are some of the conditions Farrell mentions in his book.'

The Blogger's Choice Award will be awarded on November 10th. Vote today!

Whether or not you agree with Angry Harry's approach, he raises important MRA issues. AngryHarry is a front-runner for Best Political Blog.

Vote for Angry Harry here.

Of course, the cadres of women studies majors and government-sponsored feminist organizations have started ticking away at their keyboards, organizing to artificially inflate the numbers for Feministing.com. But the grassroots movement of equality-seeking men and women are making their voices heard: You'll also find Feministing nominated for Worst Blog of All time, and Most Obnoxious Blogger.

This is a horrendous story, but a positive outcome in that (for once) she isn't seen as the victim and needing help.

The mum was angry because the boy's father hadn't turned up to see him on this particular day - so she boils a kettle, calls him into the kitchen then pours it over the boy, scolding him over 20% of his body.

Excerpt:
'The judge at Cardiff Crown Court told the 36-year-old, who cannot be named, that she had "failed her first and greatest responsibility as a parent". Judge Phillip Richards added the mother had become "the danger" to her son.

The victim had told the court that he was still full of rage over his mother's actions and wanted to make her pay.

He said he did not tell anybody about the incident until the autumn of 2004, because she had told him she would kill herself if he did.'

Like I said, unbelievable she would do it to her own son but so positive that she's facing serious jail time and (at least in this article) nobody is rushing to defend her and make her out to be the victim.