Human Evolution - Cheap Sex and Homosexuality?

Dear friends,

Have you ever been asked the super dumb question, " Do you believe in evolution?". After all, if we hadn't evolved as a species, then one wouldn't be able to ask that question, because s/he would still be only grunting, as our earliest ancestors did.

Moreover, just as there is a biological mechanism/drive to make us eat for self-preservation, for reproduction we have a sexual drive for heterosexual sex (i.e., between the opposite sexes of our species). In other words, there cannot possibly be a "natural" gene or any kind of mechanism for homosexual sex, because that would have meant that we would have ceased to exist as a species long ago.

To be sure, at this point of the discourse there will be some reader who attacks me with a kind of moral terrorism by calling me "homophobic". However, my response to that is: that person is being "heterophobic" - afraid that s/he is really not a homosexual at all.

Finally, sex has been so cheapened in our advanced corporate capitalist political economy or process of social reproduction that far too many people are willing to relinquish their humanity, just as some folks do when they have sex with cows, horses, dogs, and chickens (called "zoo"), in order to have a cheap thrill, then argue that what they are doing is "natural".

One Love!

G. Djata Bumpus
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Boobs, Thongs, Footballers,and a Latina reporter

"After all, men at nude beaches are incredibly discreet about expressing their feelings towards any women who they see in such an environment, if they don’t want to get booted from the place."
Dear friends,

It's football season. If you remember, back in the fall of 2010, there were a number of articles, regarding the treatment of a Mexican female reporter and an incident that happened between her and some NFL football players in a locker room. At least for me, every single piece that I’d read had been totally distant from the real issue. That is: the main theses of these articles (how females dress around male athletes) are red herrings, and have absolutely nothing to do with the way that females either are or should be treated in male athletes’ locker rooms.

Now, I’m speaking from experience. You see, back in the late-Seventies, when female reporters were first allowed into men’s locker rooms, I was Joe Frazier's protégé, fighting out of Philadelphia. After fights, while I was cool and respectful with them, always putting on a robe whenever it was announced that a female reporter wanted to interview me, some of my boys would do stuff like, literally, stand naked and stroke themselves right in front of any female reporter, as she turned her head away, while, simultaneously, trying to write on a pad or hold up the microphone from a tape recorder to any of the aforementioned masturbators’ mouthes.

That was especially the case, if one of those vulgar fighters had other guys standing around to watch, including male reporters (all from different news agencies) who would stand there amused as much as the idiot athletes. In that situation, female reporters were, obviously, humiliated and embarrassed beyond belief.

Consequently, the real problem lies with the fact that Male Supremacy (euphemistically called “sexism”) frowns upon the whole idea of females in men’s locker rooms, except when they are serving the exact same purpose of being sex objects as, unfortunately, most women outside of locker rooms seem obliged to be.

Additionally, the cats who fought not to have women in the locker rooms, during those days, were the same guys who were vocally-outraged about affirmative action and abortion rights, as were my vulgar boxing buddies mentioned above who conspired, not so unwittingly, with the other sexists just mentioned to keep females “in their places”.

Worse yet, I find it interesting, and I’m absolutely certain, that none of my boxing buddies here-to-mentioned would have wanted either their wives or girlfriends to know about, much less see, their behavior with the disrespected female reporters/victims. Dig? Additionally, it’s pretty pathetic that even African American and Latino male athletes join(ed) with other cowards in this scumbag behavior, in order to find self-worth.

Moreover, I think that, perhaps, it’s instructive for us to keep the dialogue in the proper context of what is really at the bottom of this whole mess, and not trivialize it by pointing out nonsense about how someone either dresses or carries herself. After all, men at nude beaches are incredibly discreet about expressing their feelings towards any women who they see in such an environment, if they don’t want to get booted from the place.

Besides, in some Latin American countries, like Brazil, women can be seen, for example, in television laundry commercials, in full frontal nudity. I’ve seen it. Therefore, Puritanical views about a female’s attire - or lack of it, can be out of place, if not altogether uncalled for. Feel me?

At any rate, on the link below, Philadelphia Daily News columnist Solomon Jones, although he offers a slightly different “take”, shares, along with many of his colleagues, some thoughts in the practice of what I see as missing the whole point here about Ines Sainz’s situation. What do you think?

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20100918_Solomon_Jones__Half-dressed_women_and_naked_men.html Read full post

A Father's Message to Male Urban Youth – Raising your daughter(s) in a “non-sexual” way (originally posted 9/26/09)

“Recent news about actress Mackenzie Phillips’ “consensual” sexual relationship with her now deceased father..,”

Hey baby brothers,

Recent news about actress Mackenzie Phillips’ “consensual” sexual relationship with her now deceased father, John Phillips, a legendary singer of North American folk music during, mostly, the 1960s, has brought the issue of incest out into the open, in the same way that a pre-teen child porn “star” named Brooke Shields did in the Hollywood production “Pretty Baby”, back in 1977 (when child pornography was still legal), with her portrayal of a 12 years-old prostitute that included fully frontal and rear view nudity as well as sexual scenes and dialogue which revealed the ubiquitous existence of the child pornography market. Both of these abuses (incest and child pornography) are largely the result of Male Supremacy (euphemistically-called “sexism”). However, there is something dubious going on here as well, since Brooke Shields was, allegedly, being exploited, by her mother – not her father.

Also, there is both the story and trial of R&B singer R. Kelly who had sex with a pair of females that included a mother and her 13 years-old daughter (which, aside from Kelly, was, obviously, about drugs/money/cheap pleasure for the mother too).

First of all, young fellows, your child is not your property. Moreover, as opposed to a son, for the female child it can be extra detrimental to both her mental and physical well-being, if the father sees her as his property, because he may very well use his daughter as a surrogate wife whenever he is not getting along well with the latter. Even worse, as his “property”, like a dog or a cat, he may then treat his female offspring anyway that he chooses, feeling justified in doing so. Besides, except for spending money on their clothes, because clothes for girls are often more expensive than they are for boys, generally-speaking, I followed the belief, “Whatever I do with my son, I do with my daughters. Whatever I don’t do with my son, I don’t do with my daughters.”

In any case, I grew up, during the 1950s and 1960s, in a household that consisted of a single mother who had six sons – no daughters. Nevertheless, as a little boy, I would hear stories about brothers doing what I considered sexual things with their sisters. It sounded strange to me, since my brothers and I never desired, much less experienced, any kind of sexual contact with each other. In fact, as the child of a highly religious “West Indian” woman, to this day, I really cannot recall ever wanting or having to see a single one of my brothers nude, nor they me (and our ages now range from 52 to 62 years-old). Therefore, the very thought of incest is incredibly strange to me.

Still, I must recall an incident that happened, in 1985, soon after the birth of my second daughter (who is the youngest of my three children). At the time, my then young family was still living in Philly.

At any rate, I was invited by a female Jewish friend (who was a local college professor) to the bas mitzvah for her 13 years-old daughter. After the events of the afternoon at my friend’s synagogue, about a dozen of us (mostly her relatives) ended up at the home of my here-to-mentioned friend’s brother.

Everyone was gathered in the living room. I sat in a chair across from her brother, a middle-aged man, as he sat with his legs stretched out on his couch, while his teenage daughter sat on the opposite end of the same couch with her feet and legs relaxed on top of her father’s lap. Meanwhile, as he was the host and doing much of the talking, I sat there cringing for the next couple of hours of the visit as this “father” carefully and constantly massaged his daughter’s bare feet, while, simultaneously, running his fingers through her toes the entire time. Again, this was a young woman of maybe 18 years, not an infant or toddler. No one else was saying anything about it, so I just figured that it was a cultural thing and, perhaps, customary for Jewish men to caress their daughters in such a way, regardless of their ages.

Still, it was making me sick. Moreover, I told myself that neither my oldest daughter who was four years-old at the time, nor my youngest who had been born only two months earlier would ever experience such a, perhaps seemingly, innocent-to- some, “violation” when she reaches the age of the aforementioned teenager.

By the way, after that afternoon/early evening, I never saw either the brother again or his daughter. And, as far as my friend, unfortunately, events lead us to disconnect, soon after that day, mostly due to our different directions involving family and life. So I have no idea about what ever happened to her then teenage niece, as far as how the young woman’s life went as an older adult. Yet, I am sure that her relationships with men must have been made quite difficult.

Of course, before little girls become teens, the problems start for them with many of their own fathers. I cannot imagine that it is intended by these Dads. Still, at least for me, I never ever held either one of my daughters even on my lap, after she was around two years-old or so, because I did not want them to think that it was okay for them to sit on a male’s lap, until they were mature enough to relate to a male in an erotic way. Strangely enough, until he was at the age where he was ready for high school, I did not stop kissing my son (the oldest) on the side of his mouth when bidding him farewell for a trip or something. However, I deliberately stopped kissing each of my daughters altogether before either was even in the first grade. I always thought of that man on the couch.

Too often when couples break up, men who have developed far too intimate relationships with their daughter(s) find themselves, perhaps unwittingly, like John Phillips, engaging in unthinkable behavior with their daughters that should only be done with one’s wife or mate. There are plenty of boys and men in this world who can be intimate with your daughter(s). Leave that to those fellows. All you need to be is their father – the man who protects, provides for, and guides them. Your intimacy with your daughter(s) should only be intellectual (i.e., within the context of sharing ideas). It should never be either emotional or physical.

Finally, let your daughter(s) feel safe when she/they think of you. Let her/them feel safe, whenever she is/they are with you. Let her/them feel safe to say anything that is on her/their mind(s) to you. - free from any physical or emotional dominance, or sexual vulgarity by you. Again, please let your daughter(s) experience touching, kissing, and other forms of intimacy somewhere else. Besides, intimacy and sex are not necessarily related to one another. As well, there are, literally, billion of boys and men from whom females have to choose for intimate contact as they grow up. Your female offspring (or male ones, for that matter), should have no reason to be either emotionally or physically intimate with you. For that, they just do not need you. Moreover, as her/their father, and for the sake of your daughter(s), you must find a way, through your own personality, life experiences, and beliefs to never allow yourself to be that “intimate” person. PERIOD!!!

Until next time. Peace.

G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

A Real Solution for Teenage Pregnancy (newly-edited version of original post of 3/13/10)

“It starts with the dolls” - Dr. Namandje N. Bumpus
Dear friends,

Lately, there’s been a lot of talk, regarding 90 teenage girls who are currently pregnant, at one particular high school in Memphis, Tennessee. Yet, at least to me, the whole approach of psychologists and sociologists to both sex education and teenage pregnancy won’t bring about a solution. Worse yet, the aforementioned so-called social scientists analyze people as if we are talking insects; that is, they act as if we are the same creatures, regardless of our social interactions and experiences. And so, they constantly come up with alleged methodologies for distinguishing “patterns” of behavior. Amazingly, these here-to-mentioned “social scientists” claim their “theories” to be so succinct that they must be the envy of physical scientists.

“It starts with the dolls”, one of my two daughters, Dr. Namandje Bumpus, a professor and research scientist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, insists. She says that girls are socialized to fail at being fully human the moment that they are given dolls. In other words, parents and others set them up, albeit unwittingly.

In, especially, post-agricultural societies, there are far too many roles for females to play outside of a nursery. Male Supremacy (the euphemistic term for “sexism”) sees this dilemma differently, of course, particularly since it (Male Supremacy) is responsible for the turn of events that creates teenage pregnancy in this advanced civilization, in the first place.

Of course, human oppression and exploitation themselves in human civilization, specifically, started many millennia ago, with Male Supremacy, as males began taking advantage of females due to their monthly periodicity and child-bearing capabilities. As sexist values would have it, these female strengths just mentioned became deemed as weaknesses. Even worse, through time, females themselves began to accept their “roles” as the “weaker” – or lesser - sex as “natural“.

In time, males started mistreating each other, with the excuse that the latter were like females. Hence, the pejorative expression in modern times when a male is displeased with another male is, “Ah man, you’re acting like a bitch.”

Nevertheless, at a very young age, girls need to know that males will impregnate anybody who gives them the opportunity. Here’s a short, but true, story that I’ve told young girls, for roughly a few decades. It goes like this:

Around 1981, I was walking with my then six years-old son, Kwame, on the always busy Market Street in Center City (i.e., downtown), Philadelphia.

As we crossed a street continuing down Market, we noticed a “deformed”, 20-something African American woman laying on a gurney who made moaning sounds as she begged passers-by to put money in a bucket that was on the ground in front of her. All four of her limbs (i.e., arms and legs) were only about six inches-long each. Standing next to her was a fellow about 30 years-old, not a bad-looking guy, slightly above average height, holding a baby.

Now, I must mention that this particular woman was featured about every five years or so in the famous African American weekly called Jet magazine. Nevertheless, in spite of her deformity, the magazine always showed her relative independence which included living on her own as a “single” mother. For instance, they would show pictures of her changing her baby’s diapers or writing down notes with her feet, or using a pencil or pen.

As a matter of fact, while I would get used to seeing her in Center City for a number of years after that day, that was the first time that I had ever seen her in person (i.e., outside of Jet magazine).

At any rate, as I kept walking with my small son, he said, excitedly, “Look Daddy. That woman doesn’t have any arms or legs!” I responded, “She doesn’t have any integrity either, Kwame.” A European American woman who was walking directly behind us laughed out loud in apparent agreement with my assertion.
You see, I was upset with the woman on the gurney, because the begging didn’t seem necessary. But I was even more upset with the pathetic guy standing with her who may have been the father of her child. (And she had another child, apparently by a different man who I saw accompanying her, a year or so after that).

The moral of the story is: Guys will have sex with anyone, so young girls, especially adolescents, don’t need to worry about “getting’ a man”. Please tell that tale to young girls who you know.

By the way, over the years, not a single one of the many young girls with whom I’ve shared that story has ever gotten pregnant as a teen, when I’ve run into them in their early to middle Twenties.

Of course, there are other inspiring stories, and being given some direction in life helps a great deal. Nonetheless, in a genuinely safe, loving environment, at home and in school, where, from birth, young people are encouraged, motivated, and inspired to excel, while parents, guardians, and other elders in the community, along with their school teachers, guide the aforementioned youngsters so that they learn how to show care and concern for, try to understand, and feel responsible towards other people - and “things” like their school work and house chores, such youngsters will have a better chance of either recognizing or not recognizing those traits just mentioned in others. That will help them in choosing happy, healthy friendships and other non-familial relationships.

By the way, my other daughter, Tia, is more than halfway through an MD/PhD program at another major medical school. Also, both she and her sister excelled at several sports and forms of art when they were growing up, prior to college. Children need experiences with success at home and in school. Please remember that success in sports and arts, for example, brings confidence. Moreover, confidence nourishes the soil from which self-esteem grows.

Consequently, whether female or male, all young people need to experience success at something other than dressing dolls – whether Barbie or GI Joe. If they get into the habit of that, then they will stay away from people and activities that contradict the notion of having a successful experience. Dig?

So, in this day and age, should females feel obligated to have kids? Additionally, is a female’s worth diminished because she’s not a mother? If your answer to the aforementioned inquiry is in the affirmative, then I must ask: is the value in that logic based upon the same lame ticket that Male Supremacy aka sexism sells. Worse yet, is it right?

Still, at least to me, our biggest problem is not the economy, global warming, or even nuclear war, much less teenage pregnancy or childhood obesity. Rather, it’s violence against females. Let’s keep it real!
By the way, while I have added a few comments here, a woman commented on the original piece that was posted on March 13th of 2010. It’s pretty powerful, what she had to say. Check it out!

Finally, please stop giving dolls to little girls. Buy them build-it-yourself models, chemistry sets, and mechanical gadgets instead. Help them discover all of the wonderful powers inside of them, like both physical and mental energy, memory, focus, and much more. Most importantly, as the great Khalil Gibran taught us, please pass on to both your daughters and sons, “You can’t control what other people think of you...Only you can control what you think of you.”

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
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Was Jill Scott "Dickmatized"?

"After all, it's not like it takes a rocket scientist to have a sexual experience, good or bad."

Dear friends,

On the link below, I read a brief piece on Facebook or somewhere yesterday, and thought to myself, "What can this possibly mean?" Dickmatized? After all, it's not like it takes a rocket scientist to have a sexual experience, good or bad. Right?

At any rate, the brief article seems to reveal Jill's maturing as someone who wants to be fully human (that is, continuously evolving) as opposed to either being "stuck"as an object or, having no meaningful way to look at life, identifying one's self by something as precarious, if not frivolous, as the human sexual appetite.

Love is the weapon of the strong,
G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.s2smagazine.com/stories/2011/07/jill-scott-admits-being-dickmatized
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Weinergate?...What's Next?

"The great Wilheim Reich insisted, 'The pleasure of living and the pleasure of the orgasm are identical. Extreme orgasm anxiety forms the basis of the general fear of life.'"

Dear friends,

The great Wilheim Reich insisted, "The pleasure of living and the pleasure of the orgasm are identical. Extreme orgasm anxiety forms the basis of the general fear of life." In a culture where people are starving from a lack of positive emotional energy from their very relatives, much less the rest of society, is it possible that the voyeuristic tales from the mainstream media are borderline pornographic, with no other substance?

Even worse, American sexuality is very confusing. There is now, in fact, a whole group of people who estrange themselves from the rest of society - and humanity - by defining themselves by something as precarious, if not frivolous, as the human sexual appetite. Should these folks instead join their fellows in overcoming the alienation from which all of us suffer as humans in the modern world? Moreover, regarding Anthony Weiner and his playmates, why is there any surprise that the useless government- and corporate-controlled mainstream media has made this exaggerated tale of visual, literary, and audio masturbation a news item?

Additionally, in a society that, through racist arrogance, compares the centuries-old struggle of African Americans to people who deny the precariousness of the human sexual appetite, as mentioned above, and declare an "identity", as it were, that is based upon unsubstantiated claims about with whom they are having sex, what meaningful way to look at life should we expect from our youth?

It seems, at least to me, that people in this society are so used to conforming, that is, not "making waves", as well as having a "go along to get along" attitude/mentality, that they've never really taken any chances that require them to confront their inadequacies and insecurities. For that reason, something as inconsequential as someone else's activities involving consensual sex seems exciting. How sad.

I say this, because for all of the plans that are announced for the future, regarding both "economic development" and "education reform", we never see programs that are specifically designed for young people, much less the actual involvement of the aforesaid young people, that will include them in the process of building for our nation's future. Is their future going to be one of sorting through what should be the destiny of people who either tattle-tale or are "squealed on" about their sexual lives, or will it have more to do with solving the problems of our nation - and world?

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
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Kobe Bryant's mumblings bring protest - a double standard?

“The recent frenzy caused by the pitiful, opinion-making, US government- and corporate-controlled mainstream media, when an African American celebrity called a referee out of his name…”

Dear friends,

The recent frenzy caused by the pitiful, opinion-making, US government- and corporate-controlled mainstream media, when an African American celebrity called a referee out of his name, as said media try to compete with the far more informative worldwide Internet, to me, is actually another case of the unclothed emperor attempting to cover himself up.

Bryant’s mumblings were offensive to a certain body of citizens. The powers-that-be of the NBA fined the young man $100.000. For all of the recording cowards like Chris Rock and African American hip-hoppers who are allowed by record companies to glamorize the use of the word “nigger”, I wonder what would have happened to him, if Kobe Bryant had called the ref a “cracker”? Did someone say “double standard”?

Nevertheless, while a proposition cannot possibly be proof of itself, this is the basis upon which many, if not most, of those who identify themselves as “gay” operate. “I’m just gay; that’s all to it.”, they say. Moreover, theirs is a bogus claim that they make about having such a staunch “sexual identity” as it relates to something as precarious, if not frivolous, as the human sexual appetite. And it is better study for a psychologist than sociologist.

Let’s face it. As the great Freud insisted, and I agree with him, our “identity” is an “emotional tie”. That first identity, of course, develops with our original nurse (mother). Additionally, this “identity”, as it were, is obviously an acknowledgement of one’s humanity. So, at least to me, the real question about “homosexuality” and “identity” then becomes: At what point does a person both alienate and disconnect himself or herself from the rest of humanity, by demanding to be recognized as gay?

To be sure, the “market” is responsible for this turn of events. You see, capitalism has been so attractive, because it is the only political economy, or process of social reproduction, that has afforded total political freedom to its participants, as workers. That means that a person can "flip a bird" at the boss, and walk away, being "free" to find another opportunity for employment. This was certainly not the case in either slave or feudalistic societies. So-called socialist (actually state capitalist) countries do not allow that kind of freedom either, since almost everyone works for the State and must work where he or she is assigned, more or less.

In any case, the downside of the total political freedom of capitalism is: The "market” controls all economic and, therefore, social relationships, based upon the notion of "supply and demand", whether for the human commodity - labor, or non-human ones (commodities). Most importantly, the chief rewards that motivate people to thrive in the market are power and sexual greed.

Unfortunately, since, the end of World War 1 or so, the "market" has taken control of what we see as culture, with possession as the strongest desire. As a result, the definition of culture, which historically, has referred to all of the actions by a specific population group, has become anything that the market determines it to be. Consequently, the notion of a “gay" culture (weddings, nightclubs, exclusive recreational venues, magazines and newspapers and ads sold by them, books and book stores, fashions, gay this-gay that, and so forth), is, totally, a market construct.

Invading other countries (military/industrial complex) and locking up citizens and immigrants (prison/industrial complex) is not enough. The market is greedy! Greed, to be sure, is always short-sighted, from the cheating spouse to BP’s oil spill in the Gulf or the Exxon/Mobil oil spill on the Niger Delta of West Africa.

Moreover, culture has no meaning once taken out of the context of a reproductive process. A people who cannot reproduce themselves as a people will cease to exist as a people and become part of something else. This is not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself. For example, the culture that held Africans in slavery, in this society, could no longer reproduce itself in that form and had to change, because of the well-deserved hostility and resistance it engendered.

Still, African American people have an actual cultural and historical experience. As well, the claim to being African American has both historical and social criteria that make a person an African American. So-called "gay" people do not enjoy such an identity. Therefore, perhaps, it may be instructive for someone to come up with criteria that define just what makes a person "gay". Besides, considering what has just been said, is there any reason why one should wonder that it is extremely inconsiderate and insulting to many African Americans when so-called “gays” compare their plight to ours?

Worse yet, it should be no surprise that one of the real dilemmas of a society that is socially-stratified such as ours, lies in the fact that a person can be a member of an oppressor group and an oppressed group, at the same time. This was adequately proven, with the Clarence Thomas - Anita Hill debacle. Except for African American women, but not limited to them, particularly women who call themselves "white", are oppressed as women, but, also, serve as oppressors, as part of the artificial "majority" group that calls itself "white". Therefore, for example, the attempt by these same women to form an artificial "minority" group, by calling themselves "lesbians", is disingenuous, at best.

After all, one need only recall 1974 and the desegregation of Boston Public Schools, as we watched our televisions, in both horror and anger, at scores of "white" women, daily, uninterrupted, as police stood watching, throwing rocks and other objects at buses carrying the brand new incoming African American children who were being transported to, especially, South Boston neighborhood schools. Additionally, from working in and living around Northampton, Massachusetts, a so-called lesbian stronghold, my own personal experience is that both the venomous vibes and actions of lesbian racists permeate the atmosphere here so thickly that one can cut said air with a knife.

Finally, in a healthy and sane society, people will not alienate themselves from the rest of us by calling themselves “gay”. (After all, imagine the mental health trauma that must be experienced, if one is incapable of making love with someone of the opposite sex.) Instead, folks will think of their communities first and help us all - and everything around us - proliferate with love and prosperity. As a result, males and females alike will engage themselves in nature’s symmetry of heterosexual bonding, as birds and bees do.

One Love,
G. Djata Bumpus
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GOP redefines Rape

As far too many women know, bruises and broken bones do not define rape - a lack of consent does...

From MoveOn.org:
Hi, I just heard about a horrible GOP bill that could redefine rape andset women's rights back by decades.Here's the deal: Right now, federal dollars can't be used for abortionexcept in cases of rape, incest, or when the woman's life is in danger.But the bill, introduced by Republican congressman Chris Smith, wouldnarrow that use to "cases of 'forcible' rape but not statutory or coerced rape."

As far too many women know, bruises and broken bones do not define rape -a lack of consent does. This bill is scary - so I signed a petitiontelling Congress to stand up and oppose the bill. Can you join me at the link below?http://pol.moveon.org/smithbill/?r_by=-18379133-m3upK3x&rc=mailto Thanks.References Visible links. http://pol.moveon.org/smithbill/?r_by=-18379133-m3upK3x&rc=mailto
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More about us needing sexual liberation – not “gay” liberation

“…does having females cover up their breasts when sunbathing, specifically designate them as sexual objects who are born and bred to satisfy the sexual greed of males, at the whim of the latter?”

Dear friends,

Recently, I read a piece by a very dear friend of mine who wrote about semi-nude sunbathing and the outcry that it causes among some folks. Additionally, she questioned whether or not the practice of females publicly showing their breasts is a good idea at this time, especially considering the fact that , as she put it, “In France, where the practice has been commonplace, more women reportedly are covering up, citing concerns about skin cancer and unwanted attention. There was talk a few years back about banning semi-nude sunbathing in Australia, but it didn't get far..”

Well, I must admit, first of all, that I was disappointed that she never drew a connection between those who either castigate females about showing their breasts in public, ignoring the latter’s own feelings of getting whatever kind of relief, as well as those that rebuke females who breastfeed in public. By the way, both types of breast-revealing females just mentioned are victims in our sexually-repressive society. They are NOT perpetrators of either immoral or naive behavior!

Yet, if people in any particular culture (civilization) do not recognize their sexuality within the context of the relatedness of those sexual feelings towards, especially, those of the opposite sex, then can they even enjoy their sexuality in a mentally- and physically-healthy way?

And what does that say about male/female relationships in such an environment? Can that culture survive very long?

In any case, as would be expected, there were brief remarks made about breast size, regarding both females and males. After all, in this market-driven, possession-oriented society of ours, people confuse self-pride with self-esteem. The former is a silly mask that people wear in order to trick people into thinking that they’re someone other than who they really are, whereas self-esteem develops from folks recognizing their inner powers, then revealing those strength capabilities to the world, because, each of the abovementioned folks, as individuals, knows what it’s like to be alone and accomplish goals on his or her own. Dig?

Therefore, for example, wearing expensive suits, a guy like Donald Trump rides around in limousines like a “big man”. But his gestures are only those of self-pride. As a matter of fact, he hides the real “him”, along with his often questionable business dealings, especially from his various wives and the authorities, because he prefers that people not know the real Donald Trump. Consequently, he has low self-esteem, particularly since his ascendance to wealth was bequeathed to him by his father, He didn’t earn it.

Likewise, women who get their breasts enlarged feel no better about themselves than they did prior to their operations. Consequently, just as the late Michael Jackson never tired of facial surgery, in spite of his great showmanship, popularity, and wealth, he was also a person who suffered from low self-esteem. He didn’t feel very good about himself.

Considering all of this mentioned above, how can we expect for females to appreciate who they are, if they are raised in a civilization that judges them (and we men too), according to how well they’re/we’re able to trick others into thinking that we are someone other than who we really are?
Moreover, does having females cover up their breasts when sunbathing, specifically designate them as sexual objects who are born and bred to satisfy the sexual greed of males, at the whim of the latter? And, if so, does that serve the purpose of not just maintaining, but proliferating Male Supremacy?

Nevertheless, in essence, people who call themselves “homosexual” deny the various aspects of power relations and discriminating tastes, much less sexual urges, that lead individuals to engage themselves in sexual relations from Jump Street. Moreover, and unfortunately, what passes off today as the “Gay Rights Movement” doesn’t address the direction that we need to take, as species beings, so that males and females can live as people who equally respect and trust each other, so that we can extend our existence as a species as far as possible into the future.

Finally, in a country where dialogue of any kind is, generally, unwelcome (and in some cases, at least, quasi-illegal), the specter of violence against females is clouded by the unwillingness of even female journalists and politicians to dare raise issues that will lead to the liberation of us all. Some “democracy”. Eh?

Still, imagine if millions of women in our country decide to show their breasts in public? What other freedoms would then be on the horizon?
To be sure, such inquiry may then stimulate the thought, “Perhaps, human beings really can appreciate freedom (liberation).”, as opposed to the way that things are now, where most people are more comfortable when they take no personal responsibility for ending their social bondage, and, instead, become anonymous, that is go un-noticed, by joining a herd (i.e., group or crowd) and running from it (freedom)?

“Dare to struggle, dare to win” - Frederick Douglass

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/features/20100629_Jenice_Armstrong__Taking_off_the_top_at_Asbury_Park_.html

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Bumpus on Tiger Woods' "apology"

"...the whole Tiger Woods “infidelity” story, is, as usual, a mass expression of personal inadequacy..."

Dear friends,

Panic fear is an old term used by certain psychologists to describe sudden frantic behavior by an individual who, for whatever reason(s), has ceased to feel emotional ties with any particular group, of whatever size, to which s/he has been connected, and is only concerned about his or her own well-being. This happens with soldiers who desert their units during war, parents who abandon their families, or people who stampede out of a movie theater or an amusement park, due to a perceived danger.

Tiger Woods experienced such a moment, a few months back, when he ran out of his house and jumped into his car, leaving begind his wife and children, along with his mother and mother-in-law.

Initially, that moment of panic led to him crashing his “hog”. However, the insatiable greed of the government- and corporate-controlled media turned the unfortunate, private incident into a “story”.

Yet, this whole mess regarding Tiger Woods’ “sex-capades” , at least to me, is a laugh a minute. After all, how is his behavior different than most men around the world who can afford to be that way? Besides, the same people pointing fingers are doing the same thing as Woods has been doing, no matter how many married women, naively, believe that their husbands are somehow different.

And what about Woods’ choice of women? In fact, perhaps, even more importantly, what about his father’s choice of women? Really.

Also, did Tiger think of doing all of this on his own, or does his behavior reflect the typical kind of cultural value judgments of someone who is part of a sexist, racist, possession-oriented, market-driven society where all economic/social relations are based upon power and sexual greed?

Moreover, American citizens swear that they have their own ideas, when, in reality, most folks are simply parroting what has been super-imposed on their minds by the various cultural institutions of education, religion, and information.

Worse yet, it is essential to the rulers of any civilization to make sure that citizens’ ideas are fairly homogenous. This, of course, helps keep down protest (and, in the US, a Homeland Security Act and The Patriot Act serve to guarantee the legitimacy of those wielding power just mentioned).

Ultimately, all of this adds up to the group (or herd) mind versus the mind of the individual. On the link below is an interesting piece by Sandy Banks of the Los Angeles Times that, at least to me, reveals how the whole Tiger Woods “infidelity” story, is, as usual, a mass expression of personal inadequacy, as folks try to come to grips with the realization that they understand so little about that to which they claim, as well as, why they must constantly attempt to assuage their consciences by finding humor in their own here-to-mentioned inadequacies.

Finally, I distinctly remember hearing, back in 2009, that soon after the inauguration of Barack Obama, Tiger Woods, for the first time, identified himself as “African American”. To be sure, such a claim was troublesome to many of the people who call themselves “white”. Even worse, the son of an African American, he is being said to only be ¼ African American. Huh? Additionally, his mother, a Southeast Asian woman, from whom he has inherited half of his bloodline, apparently, from what I’ve witnessed over the years, has no great love for African Americans, as Tiger’s father Earl obviously didn’t either. Still, Tiger’s alleged disclaiming of the idiotic moniker “Caublanasian”, and, therefore, his partial “whiteness”, was too much for the pathetic females who claim to have bedded with him, and many of his fans, as well as his corporate sponsors. Nonetheless, no matter what he calls himself, one thing is for sure: Tiger Woods now knows what it’s like to be a Black man. Eh?

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-banks20-2010feb20,0,5293316.column

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Tiger Woods and the "sex scandal"

"Of course, that comes after the prime directive: Never have an affair with anyone who would enjoy seeing themselves on the cover of “In Touch” magazine." - Gail Collins

Dear friends,

The brouhaha about Tiger Woods' alleged mistresses is, at least to me, a laugh a minute. "Let's keep it real!", if you'll pardon the jargon. Many, if not most, of the women who are coming forward are lucky if they were even a one-night stand, probably. But rich people draw parasites faster than corpses in a swamp.

Hence, much of what is passed off as relevant "news" in this market-driven, possession-oriented culture has more to do with how pathetic American journalism is, for the most part (although, occasionally, something informative and inspiring does slip through). Nonetheless, while Tiger Woods learned to master the game of golf, he, apparently, has never learned much about social relationships. As a matter of fact, personally, I cannot recall hearing Tiger talk about anything other than golf anyway.

Yet, really, about what is this stupid story? More than ever, the US government- and corporate-controlled media are exposing themselves for what they are - i.e., opinion-makers. After all, the techniques that they use to disseminate information, as scholar and social critic Noam Chomsky has insisted for decades, are: Selection of topics, Distribution of concerns, Emphasis of issues, Filtering of information, and Bounding of debate. This enables media agencies to: Determine, Control, Shape, Select, and Restrict information and ideas that "Serve the interests of dominant, elite groups". (see Manufacturing Consent by Chomsky)

Finally, the average American citizen swears that s/he thinks, feels, and consciously acts as an individual. However, as many of us are aware, most of what the former think, feel, and do are based upon images and ideas that are superimposed on the minds of the population through coercive cultural institutions, of which media are no small part.

At any rate, on the link below is a quite appropriate piece from Gail Collins of the New York Times that, in case you missed it, may be of interest to you.

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/10/opinion/10collins.html?_r=1
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Sandy Banks on Gang Rape and Violence

"The rape -- and the troubling indifference by student witnesses -- are the product of long-simmering immorality, indulgence and insensitivity."








Dear friends,

The issue of violence against women continues with no mention of the pandemic level of both physical and mental health ills, in both our society and the world at large, that allow this form of violence, the world's most serious problem, to proliferate.

Meanwhile, with all of the talk about violence, it is not uncommon to hear a young girl say, "I like my man with a little thug in him." Is that mentality not a violent one? Of course, that type of nonsense comes from the so-called "hip-hop" music genre (which should not be confused with "rap").

About what is all of this really? For example, one person was quoted as saying, ""We live in a world where too many people try to do whatever they can get away with". But there's something much more pernicious going on here. It is: Because the "market" controls what and how people get whatever it is that they either need or want, then all economic/social relations are based upon power and greed, especially sexual. Greed, of course, is "short-sighted", in as much as greedy people are only concerned with "now" - not the future.

Moreover, there is no sense of "community" anywhere in this country. And so, "economic" violence can be seen when we have a government that spends most of its assets on "bailouts" for big banks and big companies, while millions of citizens go without opportinoties for work, housing, or health care.

In any case, on the link below, one of North America's premier journalists, Sandy Banks of the Los Angeles Times, helps us keep things in perspective, regarding how we analyze horrific incidents like gang rape.

Cheers!.

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-banks7-2009nov07,0,427613.column
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Jen Armstrong on Incest and MacKenzie Phillips

Dear friends,

The main taboos that are most necessary for any civilization to exist are murder and incest. "Thou shall not kill" may remind one of the first of the Ten Commandments; however, without such a prohibition a killer would soon realize that someone could commit the same offense against him or her until there are no people left.

The next precept, whether for purely moral or medical reasons regarding either the psychological harm to victims or the genealogical problems for the offspeing of such an affair is incest.

Moreover, the sad part is: considering all of the murder during wars and punishment by governments, much less for domestic violence, robbery, and revenge, the prohibition against murder, especially in the United States, is ineffective to put it mildly. Worse yet, since the consequences for committing murder make, at least, some people think twice about doing it ,but does not deter either many individuals or governments, then the less punitive sanctions for the crime of incest must make that offense occur far more frequently than murder. Additionally, a great deal of the incest has to do with sexism, since – like rape - it seems to happen to exponentially more females than males.

At any rate, on the link below, award-winning journalist Jenice Armstrong of the Philadelphia Daily News provides us with some information that may inspire victims to address this unconscionable behavior here-to- mentioned.

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/features/20090924_Jenice_Armstrong__Too_much_tell-all.html
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