Theory, Ideology, Praxis

Originally Posted Thursday, September 4, 2014

Pictures of dead men.  This is the present I got from the boy I used to photograph when he was young.  He is fourteen now and just back from the Minnesota State Fair.  He said that these postcards look like the pictures I make.  Clever boy, if gruesome. 

Yes, we used to publish photographs of the corpses of bad guys in this country.  Good guys, too, I guess.  I believe their were photos of Lincoln prepared to be interred. 

There used to be both public and private hangings.  Those by the KKK were invitation only. 

We never used the guillotine, though. 

We are no strangers to pictures of brutality, though they have given way to video games for the most part. 

Yesterday I asked if there was a difference between theory and ideology.  Today, I read a partial answer to that question.  It came from an article at CNN online about ISIS's expansionism dreams.  I have much trouble with religion, especially where it involves education.  From an interview with a disenchanted ISIS warrior on education:

"Philosophy is prohibited -- they canceled it as a kind of blasphemy," he said. "Many subjects have been canceled, like music and even sometimes sports. All of them have been canceled from the school curriculum."

Of course.  

At U.C. Berkeley, entering freshmen are treated to a film about sex consent education.  

One handout on "gauging consent" offers examples of signs that you should stop, such as "you or your partner are too intoxicated to gauge or give consent" or "you hope your partner will say nothing and go with the flow."

Signs you should pause and talk might be that "you feel like you are getting mixed signals" or "you are not sure what the other person wants."

Another handout provides students with suggested ways to ask for consent: "Does this feel good?" "Would you like me to...?" "Do you want to keep going?"

I like that they are teaching kids to talk during sex.  I think it is important.  You can never ask enough question, I think, especially if things are to turn really weird (though what's weird?).  Truly, it is important that your partner SCREAMS his or her consent. . . begs, actually.  I'm not sure if the sex ed film goes that far, but perhaps I'll put up a few YouTube tutorials for the kids.  

See the difference between theory and ideology?  It might take you a few moments of reflection, but give it a go.  You can do it.