fioregraves's Blogs

• CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION

  by fioregraves December 20, 2011
  CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION When sexual orientation becomes an excuse     In a recent revelation by the mass media, a decision by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada in July 2009 made a South Korean man the first from his country to be awarded asylum to escape military conscription; the basis for which—his sex...
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• GAY MARRIAGE

  by fioregraves February 28, 2009
  GAY MARRIAGE   A summary of the issues confronting the debate in the U.S.     The topic of marriage is one I find terribly   bland, and gay marriage is no exception. In terms of the law, civil unions for same-sex couples can — I say “can,” as this depends on the territory of jurisdi...

• RE-CONCEPTUALIZING AMERICA'S HISTORICAL BURDENS

  by fioregraves February 24, 2009
  RE-CONCEPTUALIZING AMERICA'S HISTORICAL BURDENS A look at the U.S. slavery reparations debate in today's America   In November 2005, the University of Kentucky held a debate regarding financial reparations for slavery in the U.S. To my dismay, the event turned out to be hardly anything aside from a ridiculous exchange of irrele...

• SECRET TEARS – PART I/II

  by fioregraves February 24, 2009
  SECRET TEARS – PART I/II An analysis of transgendered identity in 'Boys Don't Cry'     In observing the psychological phenomenon termed Gender Identity Disorder (GID), the identification of GID as an illness or disease must be questioned: Can GID alone truly be considered a “mental disorder?”  ...

• THE 'WRONG' IN COPYRIGHT

  by fioregraves January 10, 2009
  THE 'WRONG' IN COPYRIGHT     For decades, the protection of copyright and related rights has been executed in the form of a global movement led by an industry of competitive partners with disharmonious interests. In a desperate campaign to strengthen the argumentative base of the provider in its ongoing battle against the c...

• THE OTHER SIDE OF PARADISE

  by fioregraves July 28, 2008
  THE OTHER SIDE OF PARADISE An encounter with society on the island of Bali     It is said that the Balinese, among other Indonesians, are famous for their smiles. On the local level, as in many other societies, the gesture commonly expresses cordiality, pleasure, amusement, and camaraderie. Yet, the majority of tourists...

• 'WHO' OR 'WHAT'?

  by fioregraves June 10, 2008
  'WHO' OR 'WHAT' A closer look at 'identity'     It is an inevitable stage of every human's existence to ask the fundamental question: “Who am I?” For many, the search for this “identity” is one that aims to achieve a realization and/or acceptance of oneself. However, the idea of the “Self&r...

• THE ILLUSION OF JAPANESE IDENTITY

  by fioregraves June 4, 2008
  There is a prevalent genre of conservative (dare I say, fascist) literature in Japan that poses an extreme danger to insight about the human race: that is, Nihonjinron（日本人論）, or “discourses on the Japanese.” The major problem lies in its aim to support ideas of non-existent phenomena about &ld...

• CRISIS IN MYANMAR

  by fioregraves May 8, 2008
  CRISIS IN MYANMAR The state of disaster in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis It always seems absurd to state the obvious. Yet, as long as there are those who cannot recognize the blatant facts before them, it feels only proper to go ahead and do it, anyway. The massive Cyclone Nargis just days ago resulted in an estimated 22,500 deaths and 41,000...

• 'SWIFTER, HIGHER, STRONGER'

  by fioregraves April 14, 2008
  'SWIFTER, HIGHER, STRONGER' China's rise to power and the global response The recent chaos associated with the People's Republic of China's hosting of the 2008 Olympic Games is merely the sequel to a series of such examples in history. For over half a century, politics have infused what is supposedly intended to be a non-political,...

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