This month's issue contains:
The News
- House GOP proposes ending special girls education program
- Women harassed at golf country club
- Male anger over anti-rape ad
- Woman named editor of the AMA Journal
- Teen gets 7 year sentence for rape
- Forbidden words and free speech
Special Features:
Campaign 2000
Featured Statistics
The news
House GOP proposes ending special girls education program, 20 Oct. 1999, The Washington Post
House Republicans proposed ending a 25-year-old program aimed at promoting girl's education in elementary and high schools, arguing that the effort has outlived its usefulness. The measure was passed under the Women's Educational Equity Act (WEEA) and provided teaching materials and projects for the stated purpose of eliminating gender bias. The Republicans (e.g. Rep Marge Roukema, R-N.J.) argue that such efforts are no longer needed, and point out that boys need as much help as girls in school today. Many Democrats and groups such as the American Association of University Women argue that discrimination still exists and teachers need to be reminded of the importance of encouraging girls in school.
Rep. Patsy Mink (D-Hawaii) states that the measure is necessary, "just to balance the scales." Senator James Jeffords (R-Vt.) plans to try and reinstate the women's equity act in the Senate bill. The ACLU, Girl Scouts, and other groups have formed a coalition of 55 members and drafted a letter to save the program with the language, "ensure girls succeed in school." The Independent Women's Action Project, an opposing group, has sent a letter in support of dropping the measure, arguing that it allows gender equity experts "to search for discrimination or problems that may not actually exist," and that boys lag behind girls in many subjects in school such as reading.
Editor's perspective: women represent 56% of the college enrollment today, although they are only 49% of the population in this age group. Gender equity in college was achieved in 1980 when the enrollment was 50% female, five years after the WEEA was passed into law. The gap has steadily widened and continues to grow even wider today.
Women harassed at golf country club, 5 Oct 1999, The Washington Post
A Montgomery County examiner issued a report concluding that Manor Country Club in Rockville Maryland has tolerated "severe and pervasive harassment of women" over the last 20 years. The report was prompted by a 1993 complaint by a Betty Flaa, a female member. The examiner recommended that the club pay Ms. Flaa $1000 in damages and $120,500 for legal fees since filing her complaint. Representatives for the club state that it is a private country club and "doesn't want a hostile environment for men or women, and will do everything reasonable to make sure it doesn't occur."
Flaa complained that women were subjected to hostile remarks and an offensive painting of a nude woman in the lounge, which has recently been removed. The painting in question was painted in 1954 by cartoonist and club member Gib Crockett to commemorate rebuilding the clubhouse after a fire. The club representative argued that the painting depicts the backside of a nude, and states, "That picture is not vulgar, it's not pornographic."
The County examiner also notes that several other women have been subjected to derogatory comments, particularly in the Club Room. One woman charged that a male member said, "Let's get the [expletive] out of here... They can have the whole place to themselves," as she entered the club. Another woman charged that men "glared at them" while they were playing golf.
Editor's perspective: It should be noted that no allegations of sex-for-golf, groping, or physical abuse were made. This case is based solely on a handful of rude remarks by individuals, most of which were in a bar. Allegations of discrimination were also made, but the County examiner dismissed these. Not meaning to enlarge the debate, but there are paintings of nudes in the National Gallery of Art here in Washington too.
Another country club in Montgomery County relinquished its state "open space" tax break in 1989, thus permitting it to maintain an exclusively male membership.
Male anger over anti-rape ad, 4 Oct. 1999 and 12 Oct. 1999, The Washington Post
A South African organization complained to pubic officials when a television ad was run suggesting that about half of South Africa's men are rapists, and the other half condone rape. The ad reads, "Hi, I'm Charlize Theron [popular actress]. People often ask me what men are like in South Africa. Well, consider that more women are raped in South Africa than any other country in the world. That one out of three women will be raped in their lifetime in South Africa. And perhaps worst of all, that the rest of the men in South Africa seem to think that rape isn't their problem. It's not that easy to say what the men in South Africa are like. Because there seem to be so few of them out there." A judge banned the ad pending appeal. Peter Vundla charged, "That [this ad] is not supported by evidence and is discriminatory, even sexist." South African feminists claim that South Africa has one of the world's highest rape rates and sharply criticized the decision to ban the ad. The ad has sparked intense debate on editorial pages, talk shows, and barroom conversations throughout the country. The rape crisis center that produced the ad is appealing the ban.
Woman named editor of the AMA Journal, 9 Oct. 1999, The Washington Post
Catherine D. De Angelis was named the new editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association after George Lundberg was fired in January. De Angelis said offered no editorial guidelines, stating, "editorial freedom is essential." She went on to say that she might focus more on issues linked to women's and children's health, along with substance abuse. Her predecessor, Lundberg, was dismissed after publishing a survey of college students' sexual attitudes that coincided with President Clinton's impeachment trial. The AMA Executive Vice President, E. Ratcliffe Anderson stated this action inappropriately injected the organization into a political debate.
Teen gets 7 year sentence for rape, 7 Oct. 1999, The Washington Post
A 17-year old Maryland boy was sentenced to seven years in prison for the rape of a fellow student in a High School restroom. Henry Downs was tried as an adult. The incident was said to have occurred after school when both Downs and the girl remained for other activities. Downs maintained that the girl consented to sex. Henry Downs' mother says that they plan to file an appeal.
In a similar story (20 Oct 1999, The Washington Post), an 11-year-old St. Paul boy had pleaded guilty to participating in the gang rape of an 8-year old girl. The charge was second-degree criminal sexual conduct. Charges are pending for two other boys of similar age.
An 11-year old boy will stand trial in Colorado on charges of sexually molesting his 5-year-old sister. The boy holds dual citizenship in Switzerland and the U.S. The case has become publicized in both countries. The Swiss authorities have complained that the U.S. legal system has treated the boy with severity disproportionate the charges. - 20 Oct 1999, The Washington Post
Forbidden words and free speech, 25 Sep. 1999, The Washington Post
From an opinion piece by Nat Hentoff: The California Supreme Court ruled 4 to 3 to place a prior restraint on speech, including a list of specifically forbidden words in the case of Aguilar vs. Avis Rent A Car. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) specifically supported the decision. Latino employees charged employment discrimination in the form of persistent racial epithets and insults by a supervisor. In effect, the court ruling makes the use of certain offensive words illegal, even if used outside the presence of employees that might be offended. A lower court judge is still drafting the list of forbidden words.
Civil rights lawyer, Cliff Palefsky states, "it will be almost impossible to clearly define the kind of prohibited speech that will give adequate constitutional notice to the person you're trying to restrain." In common English, anything you say that could be construed as offensive to someone, can later become an illegal act. You are expected simply to know what might be offensive and avoid it. You may have already broken the law as defined by this court ruling and didn't know it. Hentoff makes the ironic point that the ACLU, once an outspoken defender of free speech, was solidly behind this ruling.
In another ironic twist, the married to a Latina, and is a soccer coach of a team that includes supervisor charged with offensive speech against Latino employees is, himself, many of his accusers.
Campaign 2000
The EZine Gazette seeks to report the stands that politicians take on gender issues, particularly in the upcoming Presidential election. In a past issue (Vol. 5) we reported the position that Bill Bradley has taken on Title IX: generally supportive but in opposition to the detrimental effect it has had on men's sports in college.
Elizabeth Dole, 17 Oct. 1999, The Washington Post
Former Republican Presidential candidate Elizabeth Dole spoke to a capacity crowd of 300 at Cornell College, Iowa, on Oct 15. The Washington Post reports that she had been leaning toward the left on abortion and other issues, but is now embracing traditional conservative positions on issues such as immigration, and defense. The post failed, however, to cite an example where she took a clear position on abortion. A college feminist in the audience was disappointed that Dole did not address any women's issues, "She didn't talk about domestic abuse, sexual assault, abortion." Dole did provide some insight into her worldview when she pondered whether "the substitution of regulation for responsibility is a sort of Puritanism for people who have forgotten about character."
Dole dropped out of the Presidential race on Oct 20, unable to compete with the fund raising of her opponents.
Featured Statistics
Marriage
The number of happily married couples is on a steep decline. A Rutgers University study found that 54% of couples were "very happy" in their first marriage in 1973. That fraction dropped to 38% in 1996.
A less subjective statistic, the U.S. Census also shows that the marriage rate is dropping. It is down 16% from 1980 to 1995. 69% of marriages were first marriages of both the bride and groom in 1970. This dropped to only 54% by 1988.
Another study found that Christian interfaith couples -- i.e. couples of different denominations -- had the lowest divorce rate of only 6%. The average divorce rate in the U.S. is approximately 50% of the marriage rate according to the U.S. Census.
Not to be ignored, but married men out-live and out-earn unmarried men. Steven Nock bases this conclusion on his recent statistical analysis. There is no evidence that staying in a bad marriage is going to increase your longevity.
Adoption
Not unrelated, unwed mothers are opting not to give up their children for adoption. 20% of unwed white mothers put their children up for adoption in 1973. That fraction has dropped to only 2% today.
Send us your stories
The E-Zine Gazette is compiling a list of stories that document double standards in the American justice system. We plan to compile these stories into a concise and open-minded analysis to help illustrate the problem, and to provide you with the information you need to understand it.
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