Is this another way to attack Motherhood?

I am not sure how to take this latest research finding from Cornell University. So, it's best you read the article I linked to below on your own to form your own opinion.

But let me share a few thoughts. It appears that "motherhood" is taking another hit.  The research indicates that smart women are dropping out of their careers to be -- wait for it -- mothers, of all things.   It appears it is "motherhood" is detrimental to professional lives.   The authors and researchers say it's time to stop blaming other reasons women are not doing well in the field, and blame the true culprit -- their desires to be 'mothers'.

Okay, it makes sense -- if you want to 'leave' and have a family, you can't expect to climb the corporate ladder and reach the top from the nursery.  We get it.  But what's the point here?   Are you telling women to choose?  Clearly they're making their choices.    You certainly are not suggesting that the corporate world do anything to alter this.   So, what are you doing with this research?    Not much, except perhaps to ease your collective conscious that it's not bad hiring practices that cause women to fall behind in the business world.   Hope you feel better.

But there I'm not so sure, these guys are totally right.   Perhaps what they're saying is true when it comes to advanced scientific jobs -- but surely, if we studied other jobs -- would not men still be considered preferred for the very reasons that they won't go on 'maternity leave'?    Just thinking.  Here's the article.

Motherhood “Detrimental” to Women’s Scientific Careers, Study Concludes

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Oh, What a Mess, What a Mess in America's Judicial System. Explaining and dissecting the N.C. death-row racial bias bill.

It seems to me that one measure of a country's success is the degree with which its justice system works well, for the good of the country, the majority, and the wrongly accused. However, when I read  what is going on in some American states, I wonder how successful the U.S. is on this criteria. Let's take the recent example of North Carolina.

Let me see if I can summarize the situation and then comment on the implications:

1.  Back in 2009 the current Governor of North Carolina signed into law a bill that requires judges (I assume on appeal) to amend a "death sentence" if they believe that that lower court sentence was based on racial prejudice.  They must amend it to "life in prison without parole" in such cases of belief.

2.  Two weeks ago, a number of N.C. legislators put forward a bill that would repeal that law, arguing two things:  first, that it can and does clogg up the system with appeals, and second, that it has the impact of imposing an indefinite moratorium on legalized death penalties in the state.

3.  Just today (Wed. Dec. 14, 2011), the Governor vetoed the appealing bill and the 2009 anti-racial-bias bill stands.  It's formal name is the 2009 Racial Justice Act.

4.  The 2009 bill was designed to offset the belief or concerns that race impacted on who was sentenced to death in the state and who might not be.  And the defense lawyers can use simple statistics as an argument.  Almost all executions have been stopped in the last five years as a result.  Almost all of the 158 prisoners now on death-row have filed for reconsideration under this Act -- both black and White inmates claim their sentence was an act of racism.

5. But this theatrical circumstance has at least one more scene to go -- by law, when a Governor issues a veto in N.C., they have a certain number of days (this time by Jan. 8th) to recall the legislature so that they could, if they were able to, override the veto.  Fat chance as Republicans who support the repeal of the bill don't have the necessary majority to do so.

6.  Apparently most N.C. citizens support the death penalty and are not too happy with the Democratic Governor's solitary decision.

7.  On the other hand, there is 2010 study by two law professors at Michigan State University that found a defendant in North Carolina is 2.6 times more likely to be sentenced to death if at least one of the victims was white, according to article in the link below.  But again that's just statistics and no statement is made on the merits of those cases.


Now, let's try to think about some of the finer points of this situation:

A. Racism is indeed a sin that our world, and in particular, our Western society is saddled with.  And we should do all we can to minimize its negative impact on people and society.  However, this Act seems to assume that if the judge is white, he/she will go for the jugular rather than an alternative sentencing based on racial prejudice; if the victim is white, the white judge is even more likely to do so; and if the jury is predominantly white, the accused who is black has little chance.   And the death-row prisoner can simply use statistics to get the relief he/she wants.   That is, there is no safe-proof way of looking at a case and determining (in this appeal) that the lower court's process was or was not racist on the merits of the case -- but rather, through statistics, just assume it to be so.

B. Although the amended sentence would be "life without parole" -- we all know how that can be changed over time including pardons.  It would be better if the act read, "life sentence without the possibility of parole".

C. Many of us believe that justice delayed is justice denied.  But that works both ways -- both for the accused that is innocent and the accused that is guilty.  Denying the execution of the sentence a criminal has been given is justice denied for his/her victims and society.

D.  And then of course there is the fact that the provision for an over-ride is rendered useless when the opposition to the governor does not have the votes.  A flaw in the system in my opinion.  And add to that this sole governor is acting contrary to the majority of her constituents.  Another flaw.

E.  For my money, we, especially Christians, are obliged to take a much higher approach.  We need to arrive at the "more correct" answer to this dilemma (for there is no possible human answer that is perfectly correct, moral, etc.) by using a paired-comparison decision-tree of priorities by which we can assess pairs of competing variables and determining which has the 'higher' value to society as a whole and allowing the winners to float to the top until we arrive at our agreed to decision.  And always each consideration should be, at least for Christians, also assessed in light of what the Bible may say about it.  Variables in this case include: justice, delays, system clogging, death-sentences, racism, criminal penalties, and so on.

What then are we to make of all this?  Racism is caused by sin.  Sin screws everything up.  There is no right or wrong in the eyes of sinners.  Each man and woman does/thinks/demands whatever seems right in their own minds.  (Proverbs 12:15, 14:12, and 21:2.)   There are no absolutes to help them.  And the sinkhole of society gets deeper and deeper.   I don't believe in evolution, but if this keeps up someone will need to explain to me how it is that man today is evolving to be more like a four-footed animal in his behavior.

-- For Epistoli, I'm Ken Godevenos, and I invite to express a different point of view in the comment section below.  Here's the link to the original article. . . . 

The Associated Press: NC governor vetoes death-row racial bias bill

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Picking On Jewish Gender Discrimination Practices.

This is a most interesting story.  Here we are again in New York City.  The public bus company has franchised a bus route and buses to a private company to provide services to a Jewish Orthodox neighborhood.  So far, so good.  The problem arises when women riding the bus are asked to give up their seats and move to the back of the bus, especially when male Orthodox Jews board to ride it.  The public company says they're in violation of the agreement and have no authority to discriminate.

I would agree.  The Hasidic group is wrong in this case.  If they want to discriminate, let it be on totally private buses, not those franchised from the city.  Although, personally I would not be discriminating under those circumstances either -- just for the record.   But then thinking like that might go contrary to their "religious beliefs" and I'd be in deep trouble with my religious authorities.

Does all this sound familiar?  What are we doing about all the religious practices that go against our societal mores but are so-called requirements under the Islamic beliefs?   Not much.  For those we turn a blind eye and deaf ear because it would be un-Obama-American these days to go against anything the Muslims want.  If they were Jews, well that's another story.   Do you get my point here?  I hope so.

NY may close gender-seg... JPost - Jewish World - Jewish Features


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Christiane Amanpour -- A Liberal Reporter Shows Her Colors Pretending She Has None and Loses.

Okay, I'm no soothsayer but about a year ago, I decided that one of my favorite reporters was indeed a liberal stooge. I went ahead and predicted she will ruin her own credibility. Finally, another blogger in The Washington Post agrees. But Jennifer Rubin says it much better and with greater authority. Take a look and stop listening or watching Christine Amanpour -- her travels have impacted her ability to present anything fairly and without a hidden agenda in my opinion -- unless of course you're looking for an excellent example of bias reporting when it pretends not to be. At least, I'm telling my readers I'm bias towards the right.

Christiane Amanpour: Her latest inanity - Right Turn - The Washington Post

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CNN Hosts Getting Some of Their Own Right Back. Well Done.

You can always tell when a CNN host or two gets frustrated -- they just terminate an interview. It happened again recently. Those of you who are fans of CNN just take a look at this one and try to watch the 'other' network once in a while.

Intel analyst to CNN host: “You’re just carrying water for Mr. Obama” � Hot Air

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