Salem-News.com Culture articles Page 13

MALE CIRCUMCISION: Nordic Ombudspersons Will Seek a Ban on Non-Therapeutic Male Circumcision

Circumcision without a medical indication on a person unable to provide informed consent conflicts with basic principles of medical ethics...

(OSLO) - The medical communities of several European nations are taking a stand against male circumcision.

At a meeting held 30 September 2013 in Oslo, the children's ombudspersons from the five Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland), and the children's spokesperson from Greenland, in addition to representatives of associations of Nordic paediatricians and pediatric surgeons, have agreed to work with their respective national governments to achieve a ban on non-therapeutic circumcision of underage boys.

Electoral Injustice- Minorities Waiting for Reformation

Pakistan United Christian Movement rejects the proposed electoral system for the Non-Muslims in upcoming the local government elections...

(ISLAMABAD) - Check out the biggest leftist hypocrisy in Pakistan, remarkably highlighted by Albert David Chairman Pakistan United Christian Movement.

In political terms the local governments are known as the nursery of politics where new entrants to politics get trained, gain experience and take bigger strides to play their role at the National level. However It appears that by introducing two different electoral systems for Non-Muslims in the upcoming local government elections they are being made victims of yet another political injustice.

An Evening at the Diefenbaker Awards...
Celebrating Canadian Humor

The world's humor is perhaps the highest product of our civilization... the mingled heritage of tears and laughter that is our lot on earth. -Stephen Leacock

(DAYTONA BEACH, FL) - Just a year ago, when Clint Eastwood starred at the Republican convention by mouthing obscenities to an empty chair, one Democratic observer commented "That's what you get when you cut Medicare to old geezers."

My reaction was more cosmopolitan: It suddenly dawned on me: "I don't care what they say, Canadian humor is not as bad as I thought."

The Storm Brewers - Notes on Florida`s Hurricane Industry

The Republican platform promises to do better. I don’t think they have done so bad. Everybody’s broke but them. - Will Rogers

(DAYTONA BEACH, FL) - Conventional wisdom has it that Florida is a Red State, an enclave of old geezers who are entrenched conservatives, as right-wing as Todd Bertuzzi of the Detroit Red Wings.

More significantly, it is contended, Florida is a dysfunctional constituency because of the demographics, and ergo the residual geriatric dementia. Ballots are spoiled in the unaccustomed pressure of poll-going, coupled with the ancient urge to vote for the remembered party of Bob Taft, Spiro Agnew and the two beloved birds in the family Bush.

Children First

This article is not a condonation or justification of any form of discrimination or persecution against people with various sexual orientations or disorders...

(LONDON) - For whatever reason, I often find myself engaged in writing about taboo topics which very few are willing to touch, and expressing “politically incorrect” views, which no one is willing to even ponder about, this article is just one of those.

One of the main reasons that pushed me to speed up and write this article, besides its core subject, the welfare of children, is my observation of some huge efforts which have been exerted to make the issue of “sexual orientation” an integral part of the Palestinian struggle for Liberation!

Between Barbarity and Exclusion, Circumcision: the Worst of Racism and the Greatest Crime Against Humanity

(Sexual mutilation, an unconscious ultra-racism masked behind religion, tradition, culture and folklore)

(PARIS) - Whereas most cultures respect the human body, a minority (20% of humanity), destroys the specific organs of autosexuality (the foreskin, and sometimes the clitoris).

The frequent use of the same term to designate both mutilations shows that circumcision and excision have the same end. However, the horrible havocs of excision are only the tip of the iceberg of sexual mutilation.

Study: Salem is Among Nation`s Most Generous Cities

All data was obtained from the Corporation for National & Community Service and the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

(SALEM) - Salem was recently ranked the #11 most generous city in the nation, according to a study on volunteerism and charitable giving by consumer finance site NerdWallet. Thought you might be interested in sharing this good news with your readers and congratulating your community. Some of Salem's impressive numbers include:

37.3% of residents volunteer
38.2 average hours volunteered
5.1% of average income donated

Dangerous Exceptionalism

Anyone who’s been following the fate of whistleblowers Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden has surely become frightfully aware of how deceptive the NSA (National Security Agency) has been spying on people, companies and governments around the world.

(MANAMA, Bahrain) - Paul Schied, commenting in the Harvard Political Review writes, "American Exceptionalism argues that the United States is the best at everything. This isn’t true. Therefore, American Exceptionalism is bunk"

Many Americans express pride in American exceptionalism; but much of that is nothing to be proud of. We’re ignorant and indifferent, deceived and deceptive, warmongers and empire builders.

What Vladimir Putin Got Wrong About American `Exceptionalism`

American exceptionalism, Mr. Putin may eventually come to understand, lies in the fact that our ancestors came from every corner of the world---with every race, ethnicity, religion and language represented.Our free society---this great mixing together---has produced unprecedented creativity and ingenuity.

(WASHINGTON DC) - In his much discussed Op-Ed piece in THE NEW YORK TIMES, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a lot to say about the concept of American "exceptionalism."

He wrote that, "It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional. We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord's blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal."

Small Talk Can Mean a Big Deal

My conclusion as an explorer of human relations is that "small talk" often reaps big positive results.

(SALEM) - When much, much younger, I mistakenly thought that intelligence was what made me worthwhile as a person. My brain was viewed as my most important functioning organ, and so those feeble attempts to spout "knowledge" drove the engine.

I can recall how at age 8 or 9 my father would march me in front of other adults as a show-and-tell showcase he could glorify about.