Jarred Harris

Jarred Harris

53p

130 comments posted · 2 followers · following 7

11 years ago @ The New Civil Rights M... - UPDATE: 11-Year-Old Na... · 0 replies · +4 points

This is a great story. However, I'm bothered by one part of the article:

He never called a name. Never used a swear word. Never made a threat. He never even raised his voice. He made those responsible for the Twitter insults seem like the ones who were un-American. Sebastien De La Cruz is a shining example of why this country truly is “the home of the brave.”

Okay, I certainly agree that his response was incredible and well-measured. However, if it had not been so well measured and it had instead been heated, so what? The kid was fucking attacked. He would've had every right to not only be angry, but express that anger strongly.

Whether it was intentional or not, that paragraph in the article smacks too much of "good little racial minority person for responding the way we think you should" for my taste.

12 years ago @ The New Civil Rights M... - GLAAD Asks 'Where Are ... · 1 reply · +1 points

As I said, you're talking about organizations who don't use facts and prefer to make their own shit up. There's no reason to believe they will actually do any fact checking to respond to this particular statement.

And to be honest, this:

the only thing this can accomplish is making...the organizations they're targeting seem more level-headed in comparison.

leaves me wondering just how much you know about the groups being targeted. We're talking about groups that parrot and create fake "scientific" research on a daily basis and still try to sell LGBT* people as sexual predators. I doubt anything would make them seem level-headed, let alone something as comparatively innocuous as this one statement by GLAAD.

From a completely outside perspective on this issue

Just how "outside" is your perspective, then? Is it so far outside that you're trying to speak on organizations you actually know very little about?

12 years ago @ The New Civil Rights M... - NCAA: Penn State Fined... · 0 replies · +8 points

Here's a crazy idea, why don't you blame the real villains here. If the university staff had done the right thing in the first place and sought to stop Sandusky, help his victims, and prevent him from creating more victims, the NCAA would have had no reason to step in.

I'm sorry that many "innocent students" are being penalized by not being allowed to participate in games that they can live without. But I'm far more sorry that several boys were sexually violated and that the powers that be actively sought to further their violation by covering it up.

I know where my priorities are. Where are yours?

14 years ago @ mister jebs blog - Not exactly an atheist... · 2 replies · +1 points

Do you know if she plans on having the chemo? If she does, I hope she gets more than one extra year out of it.

It's a shame her son-in-law won't let her keep her dog. She needs that companionship now more than ever. Some people can be cruel, in my opinion.

14 years ago @ The Wild Hunt - Quick Notes: Harlan Mu... · 1 reply · +1 points

Okay, here's a quote from the article about the Harlan murder:

He lied to police when he talked to them on Jan. 6 in a desperate attempt to hide the crime, said defense attorney Kathleen Kyle with the Snohomish County Public Defender’s Association. That is not evidence that he planned the slaying, she said.

Um, since when has lying to police and hiding a crime ever meant the person didn't plan the crime? I thought criminals planned to cover their tracks as a rule. I've certainly never seen an embezzler come clean the moment the police approach them.

14 years ago @ The Wild Hunt - Quick Notes: Harlan Mu... · 0 replies · +1 points

Those are good question. Personally, if a mere roommate tried telling me I couldn't talk to other men are snooped through my stuff (checking text messages on someone else's phone?!?!?!), they would not be my roommate for long. Hell, I'm not sure I'd take kindly to those sorts of things even if I was in a relationship with the guy. The fact that Harlan did put up with such stuff makes me wonder if the situation might be even worse that one might first think. But that's just me.

14 years ago @ The Wild Hunt - An Ethics Statement: H... · 2 replies · +1 points

Jason,

First let me say that I think this is a good idea and that it's a good thing for Pagan groups to have an official statement denouncing sexual abuse. And where it is feasible (i.e. for those groups that have a structure to do so), enforcement of such a policy and removal of those who abuse it is important.

However, I think it's important to note that this is, in my opinion at least, only a partial solution to the problem. This does nothing to police those individuals who work outside of groups capable of creating/signing on to and enforcing such a policy. This is why I think it's equally important to educate the greater Pagan community -- and particularly newcomers -- about their rights and ability towards self-determination in protecting themselves from predators. I think it's important to remind people that even with the best policies, individuals need to be aware of their own situations and take note of situations that they find suspect.

14 years ago @ The Wild Hunt - Quick Note: Public Pra... · 0 replies · +3 points

Yeah, I'll second that "huh"?

14 years ago @ The Wild Hunt - Wiccan Arrested on Chi... · 0 replies · +4 points

I challenge you all, every Pagan every Wiccan, to be so open that you ignore warning signs and obvious social or mental problems that indicate a problem.

Am I correct in assuming that you made a type here, and meant to challenge us not to be so open that we ignore warning signs? Because the way it's currently written, this sentence completely contradicts the rest of your message.

A message I totally agree with, by the way.

14 years ago @ The Wild Hunt - Wiccan Arrested on Chi... · 1 reply · +5 points

Yes, yes, and YES!

One of my biggest concerns about all the talk about the sexual abuse scandals in the RCC is that too many people seem to act like this sort of thing ONLY happens in the RCC and not with religious leaders of other traditions and faiths. It seems to me that some people think that such a thing could never happen within the Pagan communities, a belief that is based in naivety and possibly hubris. And as this story shows, it's a belief that can have disastrous consequences.

Leaders of any faith, nay leaders of any kind (not just religious), hold a certain amount of power, and people are inclined to trust them. And eventually, some less scrupulous person is bound to take advantage of and violate that trust and their responsibilities as a leader. It is up to us to be aware of this and make sure that our chosen leaders are and remain deserving of that trust.

Kudos to those within the Correllian Tradition who responded promptly and appropriately to these allegations. May we all learn from their example in this situation.