Julie Burchill has written a nasty, transphobic screed in Comment is Free in today's Observer.
The piece can be found here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/13/julie-burchill-suzanne-moore-transsexuals WARNING: Sick bag recommended.
Background: Suzanne Moore -- who is a personal friend of Burchill -- made a thoughtless remark that society's ideal shape for a woman's body is that of a Brazilian transsexual. When it was pointed out to her that this was insensitive and why, instead of apologising and moving on like an adult, Moore doubled down.
Today, Burchill uses her position of privilege to vomit a piece of cliché-ridden bile not so much in support of her friend, but simply against trans women. Her thesis being that we are somehow inferior to "natural-born women". Sorry, but with friends using phrases like "dicks in chicks' clothing" and "bed-wetters in bad wigs", who needs enemies?
I was more accepted as a woman by a bunch of builders shouting "Show us your tits, love!" from the safety of their scaffolding, than by this Julie Burchill.
I will be complaining to the authorities about this. (Read how to complain here -- thanks to the F word UK) The article is quite evidently illegal hate speech. It would also be nice to see a court order that any advertising revenues earned from printing this filth be forfeit.
Because I refuse to accept that 45/46 is a failure
Sunday, 13 January 2013
Saturday, 12 January 2013
Casualties of Prohibition
Six people are in hospital, and one remains in a critical condition after taking what was supposed to be the drug 2CB (but could have been anything -- they bought it over the Internet -- Julie.) in Jesmond, Tyne and Wear: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-20997459
Make no mistake, these people are casualties of prohibition. By which I mean that their situation is attributable to the illegality of 2CB. This whole situation would never have happened, if recreational drugs were legal.
They did not know what they were taking, or how much, because it was illegal. Which is a recipe for an overdose. It's no more illegal to sell mislabelled or adulterated drugs than properly-labelled, clean drugs, so there is absolutely no incentive for quality control. And people who are having a bad experience with illegal drugs tend to hold off from involving the authorities for as long as possible, for fear of incriminating themselves and their friends and family; sometimes, they leave it too late.
A chocolate bar will have an ingredients list and a nutritional breakdown, showing how much fat and sugar it contains. If there is a likelihood that it may contain trace amounts of allergens, this also will be displayed on the packaging. Someone needing hospital treatment for a severe allergic reaction to a trace of hazelnut in a chocolate bar is not going to be given the third degree about where they bought the chocolate, and threatened with a prison sentence if they do not inform on the shopkeeper who sold it to them.
Prohibition kills. It really is that simple.
Make no mistake, these people are casualties of prohibition. By which I mean that their situation is attributable to the illegality of 2CB. This whole situation would never have happened, if recreational drugs were legal.
They did not know what they were taking, or how much, because it was illegal. Which is a recipe for an overdose. It's no more illegal to sell mislabelled or adulterated drugs than properly-labelled, clean drugs, so there is absolutely no incentive for quality control. And people who are having a bad experience with illegal drugs tend to hold off from involving the authorities for as long as possible, for fear of incriminating themselves and their friends and family; sometimes, they leave it too late.
A chocolate bar will have an ingredients list and a nutritional breakdown, showing how much fat and sugar it contains. If there is a likelihood that it may contain trace amounts of allergens, this also will be displayed on the packaging. Someone needing hospital treatment for a severe allergic reaction to a trace of hazelnut in a chocolate bar is not going to be given the third degree about where they bought the chocolate, and threatened with a prison sentence if they do not inform on the shopkeeper who sold it to them.
Prohibition kills. It really is that simple.
Wednesday, 9 January 2013
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