In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Guns; death] A thirteen-year-old boy was shot and killed Friday in Gary, Indiana, by a neighbor who became enraged that the boy laughed at him. The man and his girlfriend were tearing through the neighborhood demanding to know who'd burglarized their home, and the teenager laughed, and so the man shot him nine times. What the everloving fuck is wrong with people?

[CN: Guns; death] A second victim of Jaylen Fryberg has died: 14-year-old Gia Soriano was shot in the head by her classmate, and has succumbed to her injuries. Zoe Galasso, who died at the scene, was dating Fryberg's cousin, Andrew Fryberg, who was also shot. Jaylen reportedly targeted Zoe and Andrew because he had a crush on Zoe and was jealous that she was dating his cousin. And still we are not having a serious conversation about violent male entitlement. Or gun access.

[CN: Misogynist terrorism; abduction; sexual violence] Human Rights Watch has issued a report, "Those Terrible Weeks in Their Camp," on the abductions of hundreds of women and girls in Nigeria by Boko Haram, which includes details of their horrific treatment and recommendations for the Nigerian government and police, Boko Haram, the international community, and the International Criminal Court moving forward.

[CN: War on agency] "All four of Tennessee's major papers have spoken out to oppose Amendment 1, a dangerous anti-abortion measure that will be decided by voters this fall." GOOD.

[CN: Appropriation; racism; fat hatred] Halloween is definitely in full swing: Here, a "fat woman" is suggested as a DIY Halloween costume representing "a woman who has it all": "Whether 'having it all' means not having to choose between a cupcake or a cookie — why choose when you can have both? — or not having to choose between having a child and getting that well-deserved promotion, you can taylor this costume to represent whatever the term means to you." The fuck. And here, Howa details being interviewed by police after talking to nursing students who "dressed up in hazmat tonight for their Halloween party. Ebola Nurses, they said. ...One of our student leaders calmly addressed the two young women and explained to them how offensive their costumes were. ...We left them and after half an hour we were approached by a police officer. A police officer (Officer H.) came into the center to talk to us. He informed us that the student Nurses called the police because we 'posed as a threat' to them." Good grief.

[CN: Class warfare] "7 things the middle class can't afford anymore." Yep.

[CN: Images at link may be NSFW.] I love these paintings of naked women of all ages by artist Aleah Chapin. Naturally, she's getting a shit-ton of pushback, basically for the deeply transgressive action of publicly displaying real naked female bodies doing things other than posing as sex objects.

[CN: Guns; death] This is a real headline: "Tired, Tense: Pistorius Survives First Night of Five-Year Jail Term." (A sentence his defense team is appealing.) I really don't give a fuck if Oscar Pistorius is not enjoying jail, y'all.

[CN: Animal abuse] The ASPCA, in conjunction with the US Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina and the FBI, has rescued dozens of dogs from a dogfighting ring. Those poor dogs. They're in good hands now, at least.

And finally! Here is a really nice story about young football players being exceptionally decent human beings to each other. KIDS THESE DAYS!