Diversion: Fuck Yes Jimmy Carter

At its most repugnant, the belief that women must be subjugated to the wishes of men excuses slavery, violence, forced prostitution, genital mutilation and national laws that omit rape as a crime. But it also costs many millions of girls and women control over their own bodies and lives, and continues to deny them fair access to education, health, employment and influence within their own communities.

- US President Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States. Losing my religion for equality. July 15, 2010.

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I've made a concerted effort not to get too political or religious or personal on here mostly because everything I write is open to interpretation by strangers. Among them are sure to exist people that feel emboldened by the anonymity conveniently provided by the internet, that think by tossing cuss words and terrible grammar at me I'll somehow be swayed to change my mind and "come to Jesus," as it were. But, in spite of my hesitation to post items that give away my political leanings, I had to share this opinion piece written by President Jimmy Carter for The Age about the role of Religion on the inequality of women.

President Carter makes a good point, that he "no longer needs to worry about winning votes or avoiding controversy," which allows him to fight for causes in which he truly believes. For as much as I love being American and as grateful as I am for the freedoms I enjoy as a citizen, but more notably as a woman in this country, I have my criticisms of the government which I won't put into detail mostly because I don't feel like it, it's hard to write down and because it's really nunyabiznazz. Also because the CIA will probably somehow find my blog by doing a cross reference between "criticisms" and "government" and I'll be put on some watch list for the rest of my life. I am not trying to be sent to Guantanamo. I love America. U-S-A! All that shit.

I will say that President Carter's observation that he can now - for lack of a better phrase - do whatever the hell he pleases and that he does so in a sincere effort to bring about positive change makes him fucking awesome.

I know, from personal experience spending 20 years in the Bible Belt of America that separating oneself from a religious body comes with a heavy risk of criticism, especially if you are a political leader. Often, not being religious "enough" - or, Christian, enough - warrants the same criticism. President Carter's boldness might very well be the beginning of his political suicide, but I admire him for bravely separating himself from not only a religious body, but from a political platform as well.

Well done, Mr. President.