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The Regulation of Shame [1]
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Date: 2023-01-25
No cookies for me
For many of us, an early encounter with cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs and being ashamed of one’s decisions have helped form us. From the moment one averted a gaze from a parent with chocolate dripping from one’s lips, shame has regulated our behavior when denying taking a cookie from the jar. One of my favorite scenes from the movie Animal House is college freshman “Pinto” [Tom Hulce] having an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other while in bed with an underage drunken teenager. It seems the Republican party is treating America like a drunken teen and having drinks with the devil after the deed.
The Missouri legislature prohibited women from baring their arms in the state house. The GOP learned nothing, obviously, from the shame of criticizing the former First Lady, Michelle Obama, for daring to show her sleeveless arms. GOP rep. Jim Banks suggested that pregnant women be prohibited from interstate travel on the Pat Miller radio show.
“Our work as a pro-life movement is far from over,” Miller said. “If a young lady can hop in a car in Fort Wayne and in an hour and a half she can be in a place in Michigan, or in just under three hours she can cross the line into Illinois, and achieve what she was (un)able to do with abortion clinics here in Indiana, the fight is far from over,” said host Pat Miller.
Without shame, Banks responded,
“That’s exactly right. I’m for federal legislation; I’m for stronger laws at the state level, whatever we can do, to save lives, to protect babies. That’s what this fight is all about.”
I am unsure how Miller or Banks propose that women be rooted out at six weeks of pregnancy since it may not be visible. Will they or a parent or guardian be required to take or administer a pregnancy test when they stop for gas? Will Joe, at the pay window, have an F-B-I(s) most pregnant list?
The governor of Florida, without shame and full-throated, stated black history has no value. [AP African American studies course] “is inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value,” said Ron DeSantis. The authors of the AP AA course are distinguished educators and scholars, and includes topics on intersectionality and activism, Black queer studies, “Movements for Black Lives,” “Black Feminist Literary Thought,” reparations, and “Black Study and the Black Struggle in the 21st Century.” As learned as he may be, DeSantis’ black experience is well below the qualifications to decide on the subject. His narrow-mindedness and pontification on the subject prove his lack of knowledge. As a black man, I would not dare to prohibit the teaching of the holocaust because it may offend Germans or Japanese internment, even if FDR fans are uncomfortable.
If people like DeSantis would recognize that strength lies in acknowledging a wrong, that cookie may taste sweeter next time. Like most of us, America has had to lower its eyes occasionally because indecency was regulated by shame.
Continue to Vote for Change
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