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September 2006 Volume 3 Issue 9

  Feature Article:

WOMEN AND SEX ROLES

Elka Svensson Bjork, M.D., Ph.D is a surgeon and researcher who also contracts with The VonFrederick Group

Most contemporary feminist critics maintain that sex roles ought to be abolished. Their argument is that sex roles restrict freedom and opportunity, and if they were abolished, individual freedom would be enhanced and opportunities made more equal. On this view, the interest of males as well as females would be served by such change. I agree that much of what are called sex roles should be changed. But I consider this argument for their abolition to be inadequate because it neither tells us why women in particular are disadvantaged by sex roles, nor does it give a correct account of what is wrong with sex roles. I have argued that the problem is not that sex roles restrict freedom; rather the problem is that sex roles reinforce the sexual division of labor (SDL) that functions in most existing societies to subordinate women.

The concept of “role” is used quite widely – and very loosely – in contemporary social science. The more specific concept of a “sex role” is equally widespread: every college student who has taken an introductory sociology or psychology class can discuss roles and sex roles. Some have argued that these concepts are hopelessly inexact and foster confused thinking about the way society actually functions. I do not wish to enter into that debate here. Instead, I hope to show that theorists who criticize current sex roles base their criticism on the wrong grounds. They do not understand what is really wrong with sex roles.

By focusing on sex roles, one can lose sight of the main problem: subordination. Even if women freely chose their sex roles, these roles will still be wrong whenever they subordinate women to men. I believe that sex roles and subordination are in principle independent; only under certain social conditions are sex roles pernicious. Whether or not sex roles are pernicious depends on how they affect the total structure of society. When sex roles are used to effect the subordination of women, to prevent women from having an equal share in the distribution of social resources, they should be changed. On the restricts-freedom view of sex roles, sex roles are intrinsically wrong: because sex roles restrict the freedom of individuals to do certain things, they are wrong. Any role that restrict one’s freedom is wrong.

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Wallace & Ahmadinejad: Another Munich

George A. Torres, MBA, Law Enforcement Specialist

I would like to say that Mike Wallace’s recent “Bootlicking Tour” in Iran is just a consequence of senility. But that would be too kind. The real cause of Mike Wallace’s verbal Lewinsky at the feet of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was influenced less by his 88 years and more by his life long suffering from liberalism and media elitism. 

In a radio interview Wallace did with Sean Hannity he illustrated it was all about him. Wallace revealed his narcissistic elitism in his slow “Buckley” drawl and holier-than-though tone. With his slow exaggerated pronunciations he conveyed that “he” was the intellectual and the audience would not recognize his greatness unless he slowly and carefully elucidated it. Oblivious to his foolishness, he demonstrated “the king has no clothes”. 

Wallace hawked a benevolent Ahmadinejad like some sideshow promoter hawks a freak show. He asserted Ahmadinejad is a “reasonable man and not anti-Jewish, just anti-Zionist state... Is sincere in his hopes for peaceful coexistence between Iran and the West… and is troubled by his comparisons to Hitler.” Wallace could not sing enough praises for Ahmadinejad and said he “marveled at his civil engineering degree, intellect and savvy.” The purest example of Wallace’s delusions was when he proclaimed “his discussions was sincere and not for propaganda purposes.” 

Let’s analyze this demonstration of liberal chimera and compare actual comments Ahmadinejad has made. He is “reasonable and not anti-Jewish”. Ahmadinejad has questioned the accuracy of the holocaust and has declared Israel should be "wiped off the map". This is reasonable and pro-Jewish?

Ahmadinejad is sincere in his hopes for peaceful coexistence between Iran and the West. Really? Ahmadinejad stated objective of Islam is to defeat America. He boasted, “the Imam gave him the presidency for a single task: provoking a ‘clash of civilizations’ in which Iran would lead the Muslim world against the ‘infidel’ West, led by the US, and defeats it in a slow but prolonged contest.” He claimed, “… Hundreds of millions of Muslim "ghazis" (holy raiders) are keen to become martyrs while the infidel youths, loving life and fearing death, hate to fight. The US, the only infidel power still capable of fighting, is hated by most other nations. Iran's current strategy, therefore, is to wait Bush out. And that, by ‘divine coincidence’, corresponds to the time Iran needs to develop its nuclear arsenal, thus matching the only advantage that the infidel enjoys.” This does not sound like someone who wants a peaceful existence to me. Ahmadinejad is troubled by his comparisons to Hitler. Yet, he advocates for world domination by Islam as Hitler advocated world dominance by Nazis. 

Wallace’s marveling at Ahmadinejad’s civil engineering degree, intellect and savvy seemed to be an attempt to detract from his malevolence. This admiration of evil despots is common among liberals. Compare Neville Chamberlain’s admiration for Hitler with his Munich Non-Aggression Pact in 1938, pronouncing Hitler was a reasonable man, wanted peace and could be trusted. Liberal journalists made complimentary comments about Stalin describing him as intelligent, cordial and polite. Compare the bootlicking by a bungling Jimmy Carter writing groveling letters of admiration to the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini after the Iranian hostage crisis or Carter groveling with admiration at the feet of Fidel Castro. Another example is Madame Albright and the Clinton State Department swooning in admiration over Kim Jong-Il.

On Meet the Press (08/27/06) liberal journalist Al Hunt implied Ahmadinejad’s lack of concern with the U.S. by dismissing the suggestion that he was paying attention to the U.S. elections. Hunt must not have been paying attention to Wallace’s interview when Ahmadinejad discussed Bush’s low approval ratings and U.S. domestic issues.

Liberals continue to demonstrate they are completely irrational when it comes to dealing with the perils that face our country in a very dangerous world. Throughout modern history their failures to accurately assess the dangerous and evil character of our enemies has resulted in the needless loss of millions of lives. Yet, liberals claim victory or success after each of their failures because of their good intentions and efforts. Given the consistent failures of liberals in national security, are these the people we should trust with our future?

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The military has been writing and fine tuning NBC procedures since WW1 and there is no way anybody is going to condense them into such a small space.
My goal is to give you the basic necessary knowledge on what is going on in the world (the players) and on what to do if tomorrow, God forbid, some suicidal American-hater psychopath blows up a dirty bomb or sprays some lethal chemicals or biological agents in the business center of a city like, let say, Sacramento, CA. 

Actually California is a bad choice. 

Under former Gov Davis, the Homeland Security business became the beef of a guy and a couple of secretaries in some dark corner of the Capitol (does somebody remember his name or what his office ever achieved?). The active part of our protection was and is still in the hands of the FBI, National Guard, retired senior officer turned consultants and other emergency services or agencies. They are still working next to each other without any inter-operability, common procedures, real inter-agency communications, reality adapted training, controls or time and money to share their skills. I detected a will to do something…that is the only thing positive since 9/11: a realization of the extent of the problem and a will to fix it. 

Don’t worry, things have not changed yet….the new Governor did not post any new Homeland Security jobs on his website and actually people are being laid off… let us just hope for our own selfish sakes that the bad guys are going to keep on targeting the East coast…or that they believe San Fran or L.A are the capital city of California… (I apologize if it all sounds selfish but at the end, isn’t it all about me?).
I see you laughing in the back…..How is your State faring?

Anyway, here it goes. 

The Players: 
Biological and Chemicals:
33 countries did not sign the 1993 Paris agreements (150 did sign it). 

Among the 33 countries one might notice the following countries: Syria, Libya, Iraq, North Korea, Taiwan, Egypt, Sudan, Somalia, Serbia, Jordan and Angola. It is five times more expensive to destroy Chem-Bio weapons than to make them: poor countries will need financial help. Not long ago, Universities across the world could legally purchase germs for research purposes. That is how Iraq got Anthrax and Small Pox from US and French labs. Bio-chemical technology transfer was never really forbidden nor monitored. Germany provided Saddam Hussein with the necessary mad scientist's tools prior to the first Gulf War. Chemical weapons are considered the nuclear weapon of the poor. A pesticide-insecticide manufacturing capability can cheaply and easily lead to weapons grade product development. 

Nuclear: The proliferation starts with the proliferation of the vectors and missile technology.

Ballistic missiles: 

Intercontinental missiles: 

USA, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Byelorussia, Great Britain, France, China, Israel, and Saudi Arabia.

Cruise missiles:

Own some: USA, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Byelorussia

Want them: Iran, India, Egypt, North & South Korea

Recently declared nuclear powers (2002):

India

Nuclear plants from Canada

Produces Plutonium (400 lbs of Plutonium produced, enough for 2 dozen bombs)

Missile range: 2500 kms 

Pakistan

Nuclear plants from China

Missile technology to China

Produces Plutonium (enough for a dozen bombs)

Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Algeria, and Syria are trying to get access to nuclear weapons.
Libya officially ceased its quest.

Non declared nuclear powers:

Israel: Missile range: 1450 kms, 200 kilotons 

Iran: Nuclear plant from India, technology from China and Pakistan, fuel from Argentina and missiles from North Korea.

North Korea: Plants from Russia. Technology from Pakistan. Produces Plutonium and exports missiles and related technology. 

Algeria: Plants from China and fuel and technology from Iraq.

Syria: Tried to get a plant from China. Gets technology and cooperation from India and missiles from North Korea and China.

Japan: Imported Plutonium. 

Note: whatever is smuggled out or sold from the Republics of the former USSR is not officially known but can be guessed. Proliferation can be human ("brains") or technological (missiles and related technology). Fuel and weapons are also in high demand. American corporations helped China resume its rocket programs and nuclear secrets allegedly "leaked" to China from the Livermore labs.
The Danger:
Vocabulary: 

- Ground zero: Location where the device exploded or the agents were released. Ground zero is never a desirable place to live, even in California where real estate is still booming!
- Downwind danger area: Area toward which the wind is blowing, carrying contaminated particulates or dangerous chemicals or biological agents.
- Immediate alert zone: Usually a 15km/10miles circle one draws on a map around ground zero as soon as the alert/news has been broadcasted.
- Persistent: Liquid or greasy chemicals that keep potency for a long time. Avoid going back home if home was close to ground zero or downwind.

- Non-persistent: Highly volatile agents that quickly lose potency. Speed of degradation varies depending on weather conditions. Heat and wind will accelerate dilution. Cold air, cold ground, humidity, clouds, etc. will slow the degradation process. Going back home is an alternative. Send your lawyer, the ACLU or your mother-in-law first! Having a little bird or rodent in a cage can be an efficient detector too if you are in good terms with your mother-in-law.

- KYBGB: Kiss your butt goodbye!
- TTP: Time to panic!!!

Facts of life, facts for death: 

- Dirty bomb: Traditional explosive device “stuffed” with radioactive waste that is literally vaporized in the ambient air when detonated. Radioactive particulates create localized and extensive fallout depending on weather. A simple filter made of wet clothes or a basic mask with paper filter topped with goggles protects from ingestion of particulates. Filtering medium must be changed often to prevent radioactive material building so close to the head and throat. Leaving the area ASAP upwind (facing the wind, against the wind) is necessary. Above about 150 rads/h contamination, the victim is heading for troubles. Around 800, victim is dead. Brushing clothes, a simple shower cleans you up. 

- Chemical weapons: Fun and cheap weapons that mess up your nerves, or your blood, or burn you inside out or just irritate your eyes and lungs. Most of the time they kill quickly but some take their time. Gas or liquid, persistent or not. Always ugly effects and symptoms. Gas masks with carbon filters help… do not touch anything because a single drop of liquid agent absorbed by the skin can kill you. Flour or starch can treat suspicious droplets: spray and brush. Never stay downwind of burning contaminated items. Always undress with your back to the wind (do you pee facing the wind?).

- Biological agent: Fun and cheap, they remind us how fragile a living thing we are. Contact, inhalation, ingestion are the most common means of transmission. Snow ball effect. Only basic prophylaxis can help protect you until medical help available. 
- Food, drinks: Only eat and drink canned things that cannot be contaminated by fallout or direct or exposure to agents. 
- Always monitor the news to be kept informed and act accordingly using common sense and your best judgment.

So here it is…

You are getting up, commuting, hiking, worshipping Buddha, organizing a food run for the bums of San Francisco or whatever you do with your life when suddenly, news flash, a dirty bomb or some chemical-biological agent has been released around J and 8 street downtown Sac.

Options: 
- You live at J & 8: 
You are dead or have been badly contaminated; it is TTP or time to KYBGB. Sorry, you will be missed.
- You live somewhere else: 
Just grab a map, check the scale and draw a 10 mile diameter circle around the suspected ground zero. 

* If you are or live in that circle, TTP! No time to pack; just get out upwind (toward the wind). Remember that you might have been contaminated already and might contaminate people that were in “safe” areas…it is your call…don’t be selfish and limit all contacts to the ER of the medical center you should be heading for.

* If you are outside the area, DON’T PANIC. Check the wind and try to figure out how fast it is and figure out when contaminated wind could reach your area (if wind at 7mph and one lives 7 miles away, contaminated air could reach the area within an hour!). Check the weather: is it hot and sunny on top of the wind or cloudy, cold and rainy? Remember that the weather will impact the longevity or dispersion of the agents. Pack up kids, wife and parrot, your emergency kit, all the canned food and water, clothes, batteries, portable radio, camping gear…the whole preparedness kit for disaster! 

You are still alive and come, it is time to go back to the map. Now draw a 1.5 mile diameter circle around ground zero. Draw a 35 mile line showing the wind direction starting 1.5 miles from the other side of the circle you just drew and, 30 degrees on top and below that “wind” lines and starting at its beginning, draw 2 more lines that are going to show you the “unsafe” area. 

Drive out of the downwind danger area accordingly, using common sense, and monitor the news for weather changes and information in order to figure out the next step.

Are you confused yet? You should not be: you are alive and safe….you made it!

Here it is, a picture being better than thousands of words…
I hope I helped….

Practice, have fun, and have a good life…

.

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Just recently, a very close friend from my boyhood, adolescence, and euphonious days called to tell me that his brother was killed in an abandoned house in our country. He was nefariously shot in the head. This friend of mine, knowing that I am a criminologist, was searching for answers to this driveling criminal behavior, as any distraught person would in such a circumstance. This killing was poignant for me, not only because I know the victim and his family extremely well. It was the abandoned house in which Robert “Scotch” Osborne was murdered: I was born in that house. 

In the United States as in my homeland, there is a distinct fear of being murdered, robbed, assaulted, or raped. According to a report of the National Research Council Committee on Law and Justice (the research arm of the National Academy of Sciences), violence has left the people of the world in fear of their safety and their lives, causing them to resort to locking themselves in at night and to altering their lifestyle significantly. 

Research suggests that fear of crime varies according to where people live. For example, people have greater fears of crime in some countries than in others, or in some cities than in others, or in specific neighborhoods within the cities. Fear is affected by where people live within housing projects and the nature of social interaction correlates with the degree of fear. Research has confirmed what most people think would be obvious: fear is greater at night than during the day. 

Many people believe it necessary to change their lifestyle because of their fear of crime. In recent years, after several international and domestic terrorist incidents, large numbers of Americans and people worldwide are living more cautiously. Fear of crime has affected economies. For example, in the 1990s when tourists were targeted in Florida, foreign news media and travel agents warned people about traveling to that state. Tourism declined and the state mounted a massive effort to regain its popularity as America’s number one tourist destination. This can happen to any country or state. 

This fear of crime has changed our lives in many other ways. We must have exact change for buses and small bills for taxi drivers. We cannot take liquids on flights. We need a background investigation on the people we date. We must lock our doors, bar our windows, and install burglar alarms, thus paying a high price for security. Many people refuse to go out alone at night. Elderly people have suffered or even died from heat strokes in their homes and apartments because they would not leave their homes during hot weather for fear of being burglarized or attacked. We fear that on Halloween our children might be given candy or other treats that have been laced with poison or have razor blades hidden inside. We worry about being burglarized and murdered in our homes while we sleep. We fear that our children may be kidnapped right out of their bedrooms.

Some of these fears are realistic; others are not. People are more likely to die from natural causes than from violent crime, but people do not always respond in terms of probabilities. Research suggests that women and the elderly have the greatest fear of violent crime, however, they are less likely than young people, or even men in general, to become victims (FBI, 2005). Compared with men, women take far more precautions to protect themselves. Women and the elderly are more likely to avoid being on the streets at night and, when on the streets, will use “street savvy,” meaning the use of tactics intended to reduce risks when exposed to danger. They are less likely to go to a public place alone at night. 

Scholars argue that fear of crime should be analyzed more carefully in terms of the environment and the cues that might create this fear. One attempt was made by two scholars who analyzed fear spots, defined as “those specific places or areas where individuals feel fear of being victimized but where crime may not be frequent, or where the police may not have recorded any criminal incidents either during the day or night” (Fisher and Naser, 2004). The results suggested that fear may be greater when people have little chance of escaping, when there are places for potential offenders to hide and wait for their prospective victims, when there is a perceived lack of help, and when they feel abandoned by government and other officials.

A fear of crime may have contributed to the widespread ownership of guns and other weapons in neighborhoods and cities. A fear of crime can also lead to anarchy and upheavals. A need to protect one's family can lead to vigilantism and outlawless-ness. Anarchy and a proliferation of weapons cannot be good for any country, society, or community. The government alone cannot alleviate this fear. Individuals, on their own cannot alleviate this fear. It will take the entire country, government, society, community, and parenting, and the knowledge that justice will be swift, certain and severe, to bring a semblance of order; only then, will we be able to allay our fear of crime.

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Did You Know? Michelle Glisan Blevins       

• That Nigeria is Africa’s most populated country and it has around 250 ethnic groups

• That the Niger River is the third largest river in Africa

• That Nigerians make a wine from the juice of palm trees and a beer from plantains

• That there are over 300 languages spoken in Nigeria

The Nigerian flag consists of three equal vertical bands of color- green, white, green. The design was chosen out of some 3,000 entries in 1959 and was formally adopted when Nigeria gained its independence from Britain on October 1, 1960. The colors symbolize: green, agriculture; and white, peace and unity. The Nigerian flag is also said to represent the land of Nigeria being crossed by the Niger River.

WOLE SOYINKA

Akinwande Oluwole Soyinka

1934-

Born July 14th, 1934 in Abeokuta, Nigeria and educated in Nigeria and England in English literature, Soyinka has become a writer, lecturer, teacher, poet, politician, actor and playwright. Though he chose to write his works in English to reach a larger audience, he also adapted many European writings and plays for African audiences. It is said his writings blend “African with European cultural traditions, the high seriousness of modernist elite literature, and the topicality of African popular theater." Politically outspoken, he has been arrested twice for voicing his political convictions, one arrest lead to a 22 month imprisonment. In 1986 Soyinka received the Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the first African writer so honored. 

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HOW TO SURVIVE WHEN LOST IN THE DESERT

1.  Do not panic, especially if people know where you are and when you are scheduled to return.
     If you have a vehicle, stay with it – do not wander!
2.  If you are on foot, try to backtrack by retracing your steps.
     Always move downstream or down country. Travel along ridges instead of in washes or valleys, where it is harde for you to see and for rescuers to see you.

3.  If you have completely lost your bearings, try to get to a high vista and look around.
IF you are not absolutely sure you can follow your tracks or prints, stay put.

4.   Build smoky fires during daylight hours (tires work well) but keep a bright fire burning at night. 
If fuel is limited, keep a small kindling-fire burning and have fuel ready to burn if you spot a person or vehicle.

5.   If a car or plane is passing, or if you see other people off in the distance, try to signal them with one of the       following methods:
In a clearing, you can use newspaper or aluminum foil weighed down with rocks to make a large triangle; this is the international distress symbol.
• A large I indicates to rescuers that someone is injured. 
• An X means you are unable to proceed. 
• An F indicates you need food and water.
• Three shots from a gun is another recognized distress signal.

6. To avoid heat prostration, rest frequently.
Deserts in the United States can reach temperatures upwards of 120 degrees during the day, and shade can be scarce. In the summer, sit at least twelve inches above the ground on a stool or a branch (ground temperatures can be thirty degrees hotter than the surrounding air temperature).

When walking during daylight hours:
• Walk slowly to conserve energy and rest at least ten minutes every hour.
• Drink water; don’t ration it.
• Avoid talking and smoking.
• Breathe through your nose, not your mouth.
• Avoid alcohol, which dehydrates.
• Avoid eating if there is not a sufficient amount of water readily available; digestion consumes water. 
• Stay in the shade and wear clothing, including a shirt, hat, and sunglasses. Clothing helps ration sweat by slowing evaporation and prolonging cooling.
• Travel in the evening, at night, or early in the day.
• In cold weather, wear layers of clothing, and make sure you and your clothes are dry.
• Watch for signs of hypothermia, which include intense shivering, muscle tensing, fatigue, poor coordination, stumbling, and blueness of the lips and fingernails. If you see these signs, get dry clothing on immediately and light a fire if possible. If not, huddle close to companions for warmth.

7. Try to find water, The best places to look are:
• The base of rock cliffs.
• In the gravel wash from mountain valleys, especially after a recent rain.
• The outside edge of a sharp bend in a dry streambed. Look for wet sand, then dig down three to six feet to find seeping water.
• Near green vegetation Tree clusters and other shrubbery, such as cottonwood, sycamore, or willow trees, may indicate the presence of water.
• Animal paths and flocks of birds. Following them ma lead you to water.

8. Find cactus fruit and flowers.
Split open the base of cactus stalks and chew on the pith, but don’t swallow it, Carry chunks of pith to alleviate thirst while walking. Other desert plants are inedible and will make you sick.

HOW TO PREPARE
When planning a trip to a desert area that is sparsely populated, always inform someone of your destination, the duration of the trip, and its intended route. Leaving without alerting anyone and getting lost means no one will be looking for you.
If traveling by car, make sure your vehicle is in good condition, and make sure you have:
• A sound battery
• Good hoses (squeeze them: they should be firm, not soft and mushy)
• A spare tire with the proper inflation
• Spare fan belts
• Tools
• Reserve gasoline and oil
• Water (five gallons for a vehicle)

HOW TO DRIVE SAFELY
Keep and eye on the sky. Flash floods can occur in wash any time thunderheads are in sight, even though it may not be raining where you are. If you get caught in a dust storm while driving, get off the road immediately. Turn off your driving lights and turn on your emergency flashers. Back into the wind to reduce windshield pitting by sand particles. Before driving through washes and sandy areas, test the footing. One minute on foot may save hours of hard work and prevent a punctured oil pan.
If your vehicle breaks down, stay near it; your emergency supplies are there. Raise the hood and trunk lid to denote “help needed.” A vehicle can be seen for miles, but a person is very difficult to find. 
• Leave a disabled vehicle only if you are positive of the route to help.
• If stalled or lost, set signal fires. Set smoky fires in the daytime, bright ones for the night. Three fires in a triangle denotes “help needed.”
• If you find a road, stay on it.

WHAT TO BRING WHEN TRAVELING BY FOOT
• Water (one gallon per person per day is adequate; two or more gallons is smarter and safer)
• A map that shows the nearest populated areas
• Waterproof matches
• A cigarette lighter or flint and steel
• A survival guide
• Strong sunscreen, a hat, warm clothes, and blankets
• A pocket knife
• A metal signaling mirror
• Iodine tablets
• A small pencil and writing materials
• A whistle (three blasts denotes “help needed”)
• A canteen cup
• Aluminum foil
• A compass
• A first aid kit

HOW TO AVOID GETTING LOST
• When hiking, periodically look back in the direction from where you have come. Taking a mental picture of what it will look like when you return helps in case you become lost.
• Stay on established trails if possible and mark the trail route with blazes on trees and brush, or by making ducques (pronounced “ducks”), which are piles of three rocks stacked on top of one another. 

(Piven and Borgenicht)

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