Santa Claus is Santa Claus

So there was an article in Slate (a web magazine) about the need for Santa Claus to not be white all the time,

Which prompted a segment on Fox News where the show's host declared it a fact that Santa Claus is white,

Which prompted a day or two of media flurry.

Look.

Santa Claus is recognized by the red suit, white beard, and white hair. When I was a kid, the Santa Claus in the shopping center by my grandparents' house was black. Because my grandparents lived in a predominately black neighborhood. Different neighborhoods have Santas of different ethnicities.

It's kind of like Elvis.

Wait, what?

Yes, Elvis was undeniably white. But did you know Bruno Mars was an Elvis impersonator as a tyke?

Bruno Mars is not white. But with the hair and the costume and the attitude – he became Elvis. Despite being what? Three years old?

Because

With a fierce pompadour, an appropriate number of sequins, bell bottoms and a good amount of swagger,

You'll see Elvis. Regardless of skin color.

Just like Santa Claus.

The Jesus Sign

The man holding the sign was standing on the corner, in earnest, but not unpleasant, conversation with another man. It was a busy thoroughfare, a four lane intersection not far from a freeway entrance.

He was to my left. I could barely stop staring.

Trust Jesus. Forgiveness is Wonderful.

Wow.

No condemning the world to hell. Instead, an expression of a loving truth. It was like a rare bird.

The most Christ-like Jesus sign I had ever seen.

On Paula Deen. Again. (Sigh)

I know. Egypt. Zimmerman. DOMA. And all I can talk about is Paula Deen. Again.

Warning: I spell out the N-word.

I had no idea Paula Deen had so many endorsement deals. I still haven't seen the video, so I hope these folks aren't dumping her for something she said 20 years ago. Because it was 20 years ago.

However

Paula.

Did you really say nigger, when discussing a 19th century plantation-themed wedding?

Were you . . ?

Perhaps. . .?

Maybe you had finished reading a portion of Huckleberry Finn, and Nigger Jim just slipped out?

But what's getting my goat is this new bit of legal maneuvering. Might not be your intention, but now it looks like you have a problem with a white person standing up for non-white people.

That's no bueno, Paula. No Bueno.

I am reminded of third party sexual harassment claims. What am I talking about? You don't have to be a victim of sexual harassment to make a claim to the EEOC. You can be a witness, a bystander in the room.

EEOC. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Enforcers of anti-discrimination laws.

I'm obviously not a lawyer, and have only read at most 4 articles about your case,

An un-informed non-expert. Where else would you find me but on the internet?

but why couldn't that third-party sexual harassment logic apply here?

The next car on this train of thought is about how violently arguing parents affect the kids who see their fights, but this post is too long already.

On Paula Deen

This is based on the first article I read about Paula Deen (I've since read two others). I haven't seen any of the YouTube videos. Mine is arguably a rather uninformed perspective.

Paula. Honey. You do you realize some of your fans are/were Black? Others may have not been fans, but they respected you. There were those who were inspired by you. You, as a single mom, did all of that? Well, then, maybe so could I. Nobody talks when eating my cooking.

Did you really want black employees to dress as slaves when catering a wedding? Was it an antebellum theme? Gone with the Wind and you needed Mammy, Prissy, Pork, and Big Sam? Mistake indeed.

Now. Those comments were made as part of an explanation of the present work environment at one of your restaurants. The concern, of course, is whether those distant past comments reflect a current state of heart.

Please don't go on Oprah to prove you're not a closet racist.

The way you address the situation at the restaurant is the proof most people are looking for.

Baffling Behavior

WARNING! A bit of coarse language here. And a trigger-y subject for some.

In 2009, a student at Richmond High was gang raped after a school dance, on school premises. The total number of assailants is unknown – they ran like roaches when the police arrived – but two have pled guilty and are testifying at the joint trial of two others.

According to one person's testimony, the victim was unconscious when one of the group tried to put his penis in her mouth for copulation. Naturally, he was unsuccessful. So he started beating her head.

Ooo, look, she's unconscious. She has no control over her muscles. I think she should give me a blow job.

Ah, man. That's not working. Maybe if I beat her she'll re-gain consciousness so I can get what I want.

Yeah. I couldn't find a logical explanation either.

No, "They were drunk," is not an explanation. Please.

You know drunkenness is not an excuse. You know that racist rant was not a new thought birthed from a hefeweizen froth. You know it was in the back recesses of the mind all along. And that friend of the ethnicity in question? They're the exceptions to the rules in the rant.

In other words

Somewhere in their minds, the idea of tearing the clothes off of someone who could barely sit upright is palatable.

Why is that?

* * * * *

When the story of the Richmond High gang rape first broke, it really shook me.

That first week, as I read the newspaper and glimpsed the TV news, it got worse. Maybe I missed something, but I only heard one male voice denounce the incident. He was one of the responding officers, and had tears in his eyes when he spoke.

Why weren't more men saying anything? Why was there silence in the face of such atrocity? The apparent lack of male response made me feel unsafe.

The next week there was a report of a group of men meeting in a park to pray and stand in solidarity with the victim. I felt a little better.

A few weeks later, the newspaper had a story about a preacher who referenced the incident in a sermon. He focused on the alcohol use.

I sighed. The pastor missed the point. Yes, alcohol was a factor – the will to fight our impulses diminishes when drunk. But it does not explain the impulse itself. And the problem is the impulse. What other species rapes for the sake of raping?

Tartin' it Up

I like M.A.C. I like how they don't use the word "nude" to describe a color. I like that their sales people are helpful to cosmetics illiterates like me. Their ad campaigns can be stunning in their artistry.

Or they can be tarted up versions of American iconography.

This image bothers me. Why does Veronica look like a vampire about to strike? And the cherry in Archie's mouth? It's the opposite of sexy. M.A.C. was likely going for edgy, but the result feels like an affront to the images on the products being sold.

Alright. So you're selling the sex appeal of a product based on the wholesome image of characters from Archie's comics.

What if the ladies wear styles that play off each other? Veronica could wear a (too low cut for me) red V-neck top; Betty could wear its white crew neck equivalent. Or Betty could wear a white one shoulder something to Veronica's strapless something else. They're different sides of the same coin, right? Both sexy, both appealing, both fawning over Archie.

Meanwhile, Archie could sport a red and white bow tie, the combination of the ladies' signature colors. And instead of a cherry, a Don Juan smile. Because smiles are sexy.

I know. Not edgy enough. Even if Veronica and Betty wore S&M vinyl bustiers. But at least when you walk through the mall, you wouldn't have to explain to the children that Veronica is not trying to bite Archie.

I hope.

S.H.E.S.

I was shocked but not surprised.

That children would be targeted for murder we have seen in wars, heard in stories of war. That someone would think to harm a 6-year old is not new.

But the wholesale slaughter? On American soil? That was unthinkable. And because it has happened, we will not be shocked if it happens again.

I was impressed that the age of the students, the classrooms which were hit, was not revealed for a full 24 hours. The media is not normally so tight lipped; I credit law enforcement for keeping it quiet.

It was my only question that day, when I finally had the courage to click on the online story. My only question, when I turned away from a [televised] news conference, eyes welling, unable to breathe.

The answer came in the newspaper and I continued my vehement avoidance of cable news channels.

When there is talk of gun control, why are there loud protestations of They're going to take our guns away? Where does this fear come from? Is there a historical precedent of which I'm unaware?

Banning specific types of weapons will not prevent another S.H.E.S. Or Aurora. Or Oikos. Or Virginia Tech. Or Columbine. Or 101 California. Or someone going postal. A determined potential Arkham inmate as the patience to legally gather all that is needed for atrocious chaos.

Another tragedy of these events is that the focus is never on the real issues regarding gun violence. There are children and adults killed by gunfire every day. Instead of focusing on how to prevent another massacre, we should be focusing on how to reduce the existing violence.

The NRA, from what I can ascertain, has been a hindrance to such efforts.

When these things happen, I often wonder how the NRA felt about the Black Panthers' assertion of the right to bear arms to protect their communities. A Google search shows the NRA was pro-gun control at that time. What changed, NRA? What changed?

At first, I didn't like the NRA president's proposal of armed guards at schools. I imagined men in black with matching body armor, carrying rifles. A reminder that this place is dangerous. A visual cue for heightened awareness. I don't want children to have to live in that state.

Then again, the idea of a plains clothes officer or two who know the kids, give presentations, and genuinely care about the study body is the heart of community policing, isn't it?

But, I imagine, the NRA would prefer no types of weapons or ammo be banned. So the bullets that can pierce military grade body armor could be in the hands of potential assailants. Thus the guards would need to carry weapons of equal or greater capacity. An arms race for who has the biggest/best gun could ensue.

It is not enough for the guard to be armed. The guard must be trained – and have continued training – to react in stressful situations. Their response must be second nature, in light of the increased adrenaline that would be flowing through their veins.

This is my concern with teachers who are getting gun training and who plan to bring firearms into the classroom. Without that constant training (for the sake of argument, think boot camp + army reserve), their response in high stress situations may do more harm than good.

Last year, a Kansas Republican said, "that illegal immigrants should be shot 'like feral hogs'".

Even the kids brought by their parents, sir or madam? Would you pop off first graders while they played at recess? Would you have shot Elian Gonzalez on his way to school?

Maybe, obviously, this person meant adults. Men who had come to work in the meat packing plants (but not the men who hired them).

That's our culture, you see. Violence is the answer for so many ills.

But cultures can change.

Insuring The Pill

Should religious institutions (including schools, hospitals, and food pantries run by religious institutions) include The Pill in their health insurance coverage for employees? Should private enterprises owned by religious individuals do the same? Should religious-minded pharmacists fill prescriptions for The Pill?

Yes.

Because The Pill is not prescribed solely for birth control.

There are women who have such severe menstrual cramps they can barely get out of bed.

For such women, The Pill may be prescribed to ease symptoms. Nor is severe cramping the only non-birth control reason for a prescription. Endometriosis, where uterine cells grow outside of the uterine wall, comes to mind.

Why should a woman be denied coverage for a medical treatment that will enable her to be more productive?

Would you really stand by while your daughter or sister or wife lay curled in a ball, tears streaming, in too much pain to whimper? Would you really make it more difficult for her to get relief?