Two From The Times

Two From The Times

Adult nonfiction
I've gotten kind of fond of the New York Times' In The Headlines
series. Each volume in it covers a fascinating and highly relevant
topic, presenting lots of different and sometimes surprising aspects
and voices. When I found two of these gems at the Orono Public
Library I snapped them up.
Computer technology seems to advance at the speed of light. It's
a matter of pride, particularly for the tech savvy, that there always
is so much we can accomplish. But sometimes I feel that this progress
is a car with no brakes and a very heavy foot on the gas. Should I do
this? lags far behind Can I do this? Progress coupled with the
anonymity the Internet gives can make for nasty, hurtful content.
Cyberbullying, a volume concerning a phenomenon that has jumped
into the headlines with the suicide of a number of relentlessly
bullied children and teens, makes for very interesting reading.
People can't even agree on its prevalence. Most contributers to the
book seem to find it widespread, but Emily Bazelon (Defining Bullying
Down) contends that much of what we consider cyberbullying is merely
normal teen drama.
There's exponentially more divergence on what can or should be
done on how to remedy the matter. Parents of traumatized children
press school officials to do something to restore school safety while
the principals and superintendents aren't sure there's anything they
can do where the alleged offense is often committed off school
property beyond school hours. What is the protocol for searching a
student's laptop or smart phone?
The chapter on cyberbullying and the law is a real eye opener.
The one on high-profile cases tells us that cyberbullies aren't always
children and teens behaving badly. In the parenting chapter moms and
dads get advice on what to do if their child is bully rather than
victim or bystander.
Most of us, child or adult, can become the target of Internet
harassment since anonymity allows people to do things they'd probably
never think of doing in the face-to-face world. Cyberbullying can
really help readers make sense of the whole mess.
If you've been keeping up with the news for the last few years,
you've probably heard or seen the word transgender on a fairly regular
basis. Who do you envision when you encounter the word? Someone born
into a body that does not correspond with the gender they identify
with? Someone refusing to conform to a strict gender binary? Someone
with a psychological problem? How does the word make you feel?
Optimistic? Angry? Frightened? Confused?
If you feel confused you are by far not the only one. If your
confusion is coupled with curiosity, you'll find Transgender Rights to
be an enlightening read. "Struggles in the Transgender Community"
gives some basics. Nobody really knows why some people experience
dissonance between anatomy and identity. Ways of dealing with this
dissonance are quite diverse. Since many people suffer in silence
there is not even a way to tell how large this community is.
Some people fear transgender individuals, even portraying them
as child molesters with a new way to gain access to innocent victims.
Actually, particularly in Trump's America, transgender people are in
much more danger from our transphobic society. First of all, there
are the brutal murders, particularly of transgender women of color.
Furthermore, despite reforms and trainings, police profile and harass
transgender women and mistreat them when they take them into custody.
Even those who pledge to serve and protect all of us can be part of
the problem for a vulnerable and demonized population.
It's not only adults who are victims of transphobia. One of the
most poignant chapters in the book concerns Gavin Grimm, the high
school transgender boy who only wanted "...to be a normal child and
use the restroom in piece.
On a purrrsonal note, Black Bear Exchange is now delivering. I am so
very happy.
As I write this I'm eating an apple. I'd taken apples for granted.
But this apple is so perfect.
I have all the ingredients to make my awesome lasagna for supper. If
I seem obsessed with food, I am. I bet I'm far from the only one.
I have started doing something you can do if you have a camera or
smartphone--taking pictures of everything good that happens like my
daffodils coming up and the box of food and Tobago claiming the empty
box. That way I can remind myself when I feel down that there are
positive things going on. I'm also taking daily pictures of my cross
stitch coronavirus craft to keep track of this project.
I want to social distance from tv news. I feel that it would be good
for my mental health. I'm trying to figure out how to convince my
partner that we don't really need to keep it on when we're eating.
(Jules)
My hooman brought in a box. She emptied it. Now it's mine, all mine.
It's raining out. There are no birdies. Where do birdies go when it
rains? (Tobago)
Tobago and Jules Hathaway


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