Module 5

The two articles we read for Module 5 regarding the Minneapolis Pornography Ordinance gave interesting insight to the legislative process, particularly pertaining to feminist activism and changing public policy. It highlighted various factors that could contribute to or prevent the passage of legislation, in this case the vague definition the ordinance used for 'pornography,' and concern that the ordinance would have unintended and/or undesirable consequences. It also was a great example of how seemingly unrelated groups and and issues can be very much affected by actions and policies that do not directly pertain to them. This was demonstrated by Tim Campbell, the "gay activist who [...] argued that the ordinance was a significant threat to an important expression of sexuality for gay men." The unlikely alignment of the far 'left' and 'right' ends of the political spectrum on this issue was remarkable as well, despite the fact that each group arrived at its conviction through different arguments, and that the conservative population was much less vocal and visibly supportive of the ordinance than the liberal portion.

There are many elements that contribute to the state's maintenance of social inequality, the most prominent of which entail a group's privelege or dominance in society. To tie this in to pop culture, I came across an interesting analysis of the domestic abuse case involving Chris Brown and Rihanna. The author, critiquing a prosecutor's assessment of the situation, points out the acknowledgment that transgressors will receive a lighter sentence if they are young, a first-time offender, and affluent. In this case, celebrity came into play too. Of course, race is another determinant that could work for or against an individual. Despite the claim that Brown is being treated like any other defendant, evidence shows that "felony domestic violence sentences in L.A. quite often involve a minimum of three months in jail in addition to the fines, counseling and community service that offenders are expected to perform," whereas Brown received five years probation and 180 days of community service, as well as participation in a 52-week domestic violence class. The (soon-to-be-former) President of NOW, Kim Gandy, remarked that "I was very surprised that he will get no jail time. Paris Hilton got jail time for heaven's sake. This man beat Rihanna to a bloody pulp and he's not going to spend a day in jail." This comment helped to give me some perspective on the situation, and it seems a little outrageous that he's not getting a more serious sentence. As Gandy went on to say, "It really tells you about the way that judges look at violence against women."

http://jezebel.com/5301157/prosecutor-argues-she-would-have-let-rihannas-abuser-off-easier

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2009/06/exclusive-womens-groups-outraged-over-chris-brown-sentence