Friday Fun!

Courtesy of Daily Kos, I bring two items. First, comedians give their views on recent events:

Second, take a break and provide your caption for this photo (you may play more than once):

– the chaplain

 

History Meme

Since I’ve already been tagged twice for this meme, I’d better get to it.

I actually have two favorite historical figures. Since Elizabeth I is too obvious a choice (albeit a fascinating character), I will focus on her predecessor, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Eleanor, who was born sometime around 1122, lived a long life and died in 1204.

Her many exploits and accomplishments include the following:

1. She was Queen consort of both King Louis VII of France and King Henry II of England. She married Henry (she was about 29, he was 18) shortly after her first marriage was annulled on grounds of consanguinity. Oddly, she was actually slightly more closely related to Henry than to Louis. Eleanor and Louis were not well-suited for each other temperamentally – he was no match for her in either personality or intelligence. She and Henry, in contrast, were well matched.

2. Her wedding gift to Louis, a rock crystal vase, is on display in the Louvre.

3. She accompanied Louis VII on his unsuccessful adventure in the Holy Land as a leader of the Second Crusade. She was accompanied by a court that included several ladies in waiting and more than 300 non-noble vassals.

4. She was the mother of two English kings: Richard I (the Lionhearted) and John. Richard was her favorite child and John was Henry’s favorite (She had a total of ten children, two with Louis and eight with Henry). She served as Queen Regent of Richard’s kingdom during his adventures in the Holy Land on the Third Crusade. Richard spent less than one year in England during his ten-year reign. Consequently, Eleanor was truly the ruler of the realm throughout his tenure. After Richard died and John ascended to the throne, the new king sent Eleanor (in her late 70s by this time) to France to find a bride for him.

5. Upon her estrangement from Henry, Eleanor assisted his sons in their attempts to overthrow their father and usurp his throne. This led to her eventual arrest and fifteen year imprisonment. She was released from prison upon Henry’s death in 1189.

6. Upon her retirement from public life, Eleanor took holy orders and lived as a nun at Fontrevault for the last three years of her life.

7. Eleanor’s native language was Poitevin (a regional French dialect), and she also spoke and wrote in Latin. She was well versed in music and literature and was an avid equestrian, hawker and hunter. She played a pivotal role in establishing the norms of “courtly love” that spread across Europe in the Middle Ages and kept a very literate, artistic court.

Additional note (but not #8 – after all, I can’t break the rules!): Eleanor and Henry’s relationship was memorialized in a 1996 stage play called The Lion in Winter. A film version starring Peter O’Toole and Katherine Hepburn appeared in 1968 and a second made-for-TV movie starring Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close was produced in 2003 (all had the same title). I’ve got to see those films, especially the one with Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor. I bet that’s a treat!

I am tagging the following people:

(((Billy))): the (parenthetical) atheist.
EnoNomi: maybe this will cure your burnout.
Lifeguard: this should be right up your alley.
Plonkee: I bet you’ll have something interesting to add.
JP: perhaps a change of pace?
Sacred Slut: this ought to be good!
Disgustipated, the Altoona Atheist: I’m looking forward to your take on this.

— the chaplain

 

Sunday Funnies #5: Googleoetry

The ceaselessly inventive Exterminator has created a new art form that he calls “googleoetry.” One composes a googleoem by assembling, in a more or less coherent fashion, search terms that people have used to arrive at one’s blog. Ordinary Girl and Chanson have recently contributed what I’m sure will be the first of many additions to a growing body of literature. This is my first attempt at this surprisingly difficult literary medium.

*******************************************************
Deacon Poem

Be an Apostate!
Is James Dobson an apostate?
Focus on the Family
Anti-John McCain.
Dobson McCain thumb nose,
Jesus for the non-religious apostate:
Apostate’s Chapel.

Organizations offering opportunities to
Be a Witness, Not a Judge!
What if Christians don’t witness?
How effective are church billboards?
Manipulation in the rawest form:
Military metaphor Bible,
Promise not to drink on confirmation.
Review misquoting Jesus -
Jesus statement on politics.

What’s so Bad about Religion?
Banned books elementary school war.
Why we need censorship in books:
Books with pictures of guns,
Tango Makes Three,
Books with pictures of gun injuries.
New Life Church Shootings.

Aphrodite’s Greatest Failure:
How sexuality is viewed across religions,
Catholic churches view on premarital
Religions who allow sexuality.
Most men are by nature perverted -
The result of secret sin.

Stages of grieving:
We are all going to die.

– the chaplain

 

Book Review: Private Guns, Public Health

Author: David Hemenway
Publisher: The University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 0-472-03162-7

Professor David Hemenway, of Harvard University, has spent much of his career studying public health policy. In Private Guns, Public Health, Hemenway examines many intersections between American gun policies and American public health issues. In the book’s preface, Hemenway states, “Public health is prohealth . . . . Public health is not anti-gun owner” (p. xii). His concern throughout the book is to balance the interests of gun-owning individuals with those of society.

In the book’s opening chapter, entitled Guns and American Society, Hemenway cites several studies which indicate that, even though crime rates in the USA, overall, are similar to crime rates in other high-income countries, American rates of lethal violence, most of which is perpetrated with guns, are much higher. He also notes that approximately 25% of American adults own firearms, and American “gun culture” continues to be fueled by popular Revolutionary War Minuteman and rugged Old West Cowboy images.

In the second chapter, Hemenway describes a public health approach to the issue of gun violence. In addition to changing the public perception of what levels of gun injuries are acceptable (which has happened with such products as toys and automobiles), Hemenway seeks to emphasize injury prevention rather than faultfinding and punishment after injuries and crimes occur.

In the third chapter, Gun-Related Injury and Death, Hemenway examines accidental injuries, suicides and homicides and argues that several measures, including childproofing guns, personalizing guns so that only authorized persons can fire them and requiring trigger locks would go a long way toward reducing or preventing injuries without imposing in any way upon gun ownership privileges.

In the fourth chapter, Self-Defense Use of Guns, Hemenway reports that the efficacy of gun use for self-defense is still in question, since available evidence suggests that guns are rarely used for this purpose.

In the fifth chapter, Location, Hemenway notes that the presence of guns in the homes greatly increases the risk of injury or death by gunfire. Much of this risk is associated with the fact that many gun owners do not store guns and ammunition safely. Moreover, the presence of guns in homes increases the likelihood of successful suicide attempts. Hemenway also discusses the use of guns in school violence and links those events to their larger community contexts. He concludes this chapter by noting that gun-carrying permits have mixed consequences. Available evidence indicates that, while the presence of guns in public places occasionally deters violence, the presence of firearms may also be a factor in escalating violence. For example, some criminals have revealed in interviews that they carry firearms in the event that they may have to defend themselves against armed victims.

In the sixth chapter, Demography, Hemenway notes that adolescents and young adults face the highest risk of injury or death or injury by gunfire. Women and African Americans are also more susceptible to gun violence than other populations.

In chapter seven, Supply, Hemenway discusses the manufacture and distribution of firearms in the United States. He points out that, like all manufacturers, gun makers are primarily interested in profit rather than safety. Therefore, they emphasize measures that require additional responsibility from consumers and resist measures that require modifications in gun design and production. Hemenway also argues that gun distribution processes in the USA are problematic. Gun sales between private individuals, and at gun shows, flea markets, etc., are not regulated to the same degree as gun sales via licensed dealers. These are venues through which criminals, youth and the mentally unstable procure guns all too easily.

In the book’s final three chapters, Hemenway discusses American gun policy background, lessons and actions. He argues that the current prevalent understanding of the Second Amendment is mistaken. He points to a substantial body of legal precedent to make the case that this amendment is not about individual rights to gun ownership at all. Rather, this amendment addresses the rights of states to defend themselves against an aggressive federal government. He also argues that most Americans favor “reasonable” regulation of gun ownership and do not desire to ban gun ownership. With regard to lessons learned, Hemenway posits that society would benefit greatly by shifting its focus away from punitive gun laws toward practices that will prevent gun injuries. In his view, a public health perspective does not seek to prohibit guns ownership, it simply seeks to reduce and minimize society’s burden for that privilege. He concludes by recommending some broad policy actions, such as better education and enforcement of safe storage practices, more stringent regulation, licensing and manufacturing requirements and better surveillance of firearm practices and policies so that futile practices may be discarded and good practices enhanced.

The newer paperback edition of this book includes an afterword in which Hemenway provides updated evidence from recent studies to support his claims. The book also includes a helpful appendix that describes the strengths and shortcomings of methods employed in most gun policy studies and an extensive bibliography. The appendix listing famous civilians shot in the United States struck this reviewer as a trite, somewhat sensationalist, item to include in a work that generally achieves a high scholastic standard.

Overall, Private Guns, Public Health is clearly written, albeit dense with academic material. Hemenway occasionally uses anecdotal evidence in his arguments, but, by and large, he relies on a large body of statistical and scholarly analyses, presented in a fairly erudite tone. This is not light reading matter. Nevertheless, readers interested in policy studies, public health issues or the American “gun control” debate will benefit from reading this book.

 

White Male Voters Are Being Left Behind!

You may recall that, just a few days ago, the deacon and I asked whether sexism is playing a role in this primary season (and, implicitly, in the pending election). One commenter on that thread also mentioned the role that racism could play in the latter stages of the primary and the eventual election. Jack Cafferty played both the race and gender cards this evening. He posted this item on his blog and reiterated it on the air:

Reader comments on his blog are very interesting. After you go over there and check it out, come back here and share your thoughts.

– the chaplain