quote:Women's rights activists in Nepal have hailed a Supreme Court order to end discrimination against women during their menstrual cycle.
Good news for Nepalese women!
From: Zobooland | Registered: May 2005
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Mr. Magoo
guilty-pleasure
Babbler # 3469
posted 15 September 2005 06:36 PM
quote:The Supreme Court has ordered the government to declare the practice as evil
Sort of an odd way to put it. "Inappropriate"? "Outdated"? "Discriminatory"?
From: ø¤°`°¤ø,¸_¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸_¸,ø¤°°¤ø,¸_¸,ø¤°°¤ø, | Registered: Dec 2002
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brebis noire
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 7136
posted 15 September 2005 06:39 PM
Ever spend much time in a cow shed, Magoo? I have, but it was my job. It's not where I'd go to have lunch.
quote:Women in poor villages in much of western Nepal are forced to stay in dirty cow-sheds outside the home for four days during their monthly period.
They are often given unhygienic food and suffer verbal abuse.
posted 15 September 2005 06:44 PM
I tend to reserve the word "evil" for things like warlocks and demons, or sins.
I'm not suggesting that being banished to a cow shed is a good thing. I'm just saying the word "evil" is an odd choice for a government policy or a law.
From: ø¤°`°¤ø,¸_¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸_¸,ø¤°°¤ø,¸_¸,ø¤°°¤ø, | Registered: Dec 2002
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brebis noire
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 7136
posted 15 September 2005 06:47 PM
OK. Good on you for the semantics. But the word might pop into your head if 1. you were a woman 2. in Nepal 3. in a cow shed 4. during your fucking period.
posted 15 September 2005 09:05 PM
brebis noire...
From: goodbye... :-( | Registered: Dec 2003
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anne cameron
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 8045
posted 15 September 2005 09:41 PM
Thank you, Brebis Noir!
From: tahsis, british columbia | Registered: Jan 2005
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Américain Égalitaire
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 7911
posted 15 September 2005 11:33 PM
I believe my son would say someone just got "schooled." I hope you don't mind brebis noire, if I moved that to the babble HOF as my first submission to that distinguished record of snappy quotes?
From: Chardon, Ohio USA | Registered: Jan 2005
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Michelle
Moderator
Babbler # 560
posted 15 September 2005 11:44 PM
Actually, I understand where Magoo's coming from. I hate seeing words like "evil" used in public policy or legal type stuff. "Evil" has supernatural connotations to it, kind of like "sin" does.
It's a horrible practice. It's degrading, terrible, reprehensible. But "evil" just sounds too wrath-of-god for my liking when it comes to public policy.
In any case, whatever they call it, it's good for Nepalese women!
[ 15 September 2005: Message edited by: Michelle ]
From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001
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Américain Égalitaire
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 7911
posted 16 September 2005 12:05 AM
I guess we'll agree to disagree this time Michelle. I see big and little acts of evil on an almost everyday basis (if not personally, than in the news).
From: Chardon, Ohio USA | Registered: Jan 2005
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deBeauxOs
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 10099
posted 16 September 2005 12:13 AM
quote:The Supreme Court has ordered the government to declare the practice as evil.
Inaccurate translation, anyone? Or perhaps the Nepalese word used in the original judgement has several meanings, including evil in English.
BTW, the translation for evil in French is "mal" so someone not quite familiar with the various other uses of "mal", as in 'mal de tête', would think that describing a headache as evil is exagerated, non? But then, 'couper les cheveux en quatre', especially when still attached to one's 'tête', would certainly be evil.
From: missing in action | Registered: Aug 2005
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Ça me donne mal au coeur. (Yes, I have an evil stomach. Not to mention other evil organs that regularly and spontaneously emit blood and tissue cells - y'know, that stuff we're all made of.)
Like, was there ever a time when it was in the moment, or a Gold Standard practice to foster irrational fear and hatred of women? This is the kind of attitude that has set men back for centuries and is an example of what they have to overcome - throughout the world. The issue is bigger than simple public policy or law.
posted 16 September 2005 07:42 AM
Actually, that's a good point, brebis noire.
I suppose if a horrid practice comes from religious roots, as this one probably does, then perhaps countering the practice using religious terminology like "evil" IS called for.
From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001
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skdadl
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 478
posted 16 September 2005 07:47 AM
Que veut dire "couper les cheveux en quatre"?
From: gone | Registered: May 2001
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brebis noire
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 7136
posted 16 September 2005 07:51 AM
Splitting hairs.
From: Quebec | Registered: Oct 2004
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skdadl
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 478
posted 16 September 2005 07:52 AM
Ah. Never heard that one before. I was trying to visualize it, and coming up with some very odd images.
From: gone | Registered: May 2001
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Américain Égalitaire
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 7911
posted 16 September 2005 09:34 AM
My one-French-class French wasn't good enough so I ran that through the Google translator and to my surprise it came out exactly "to split hairs." Must be a fairly common saying because most of the time, the translation to English is somewhat garbled.
Although I can suppose the French believe the Google translator to be 'evil' in itself!
From: Chardon, Ohio USA | Registered: Jan 2005
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deBeauxOs
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 10099
posted 16 September 2005 11:02 AM
quote:posted by Américain Égalitaire: ... I ran that through the Google translator and to my surprise it came out exactly "to split hairs." ... most of the time, the translation to English is somewhat garbled. Although I can suppose the French believe the Google translator to be 'evil' in itself!
Babelfish, Google and other online translating devices do not corner the market on bad translations, believe me!! Most are done by human beings ... remember those very odd instructions that came with electronic products manufactured outre-mer (off-shore)?
From: missing in action | Registered: Aug 2005
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