Stigma April 26 2011

[Paul Murphy]

Leslie Robin Neshama Kassal April 26 at 10:07am

 

Hi Paul! Thanks for this privilege.
~~Paul has asked me to talk about Stigma and the Obese:
I weep for those of us, obese, in a society that venerates thinness. In the best of all worlds, it would be clear that we ALL, no matter what size - would be honored and respected for WHO we are, and the richness of our kindness, our wisdom, our sense of lovingkindness, our willingness to heal the world.
That said, it seems (from where I sit), that many of the messages we get are internalized, and we often hate ourselves - but for the fact that we weigh more than society has said we ought to.
What a travesty! What a terrible message to give to all of us - to our beloved children, especially, that there is 'something wrong' with our Essential Selves, because of our size.
I do not have the answer. But I know that I hurt for myself, for all of us, targets of Obesity Stigma.
I grieve that my obesity is the result of years of binging and overeating. I grieve that I have hurt my body, and my soul, so much.
...I grieve that for my own journey, I have been locked for decades into massive overeating....I still have hope. We are not alone.
Perhaps, in the end, with our understanding of Fat Stigma, we will be able to spread a most wonder-full
message, a most wonder-full legacy: We Are Okay Just The Way We Are.......

Please find time to share.

[Paul Murphy]

Leslie Robin Neshama Kassal5:33pm Apr 28th

Re: Stigma

So much hurtfulness perpetrated by people who believe themselves to know what is best for other people. How this child has suffered at the hands of others. Thanks for this article.
Here in Baltimore, a woman, a transgender woman, was brutally attacked (in a McDonald's restaurant) this past week. She was attacked for "who she is" (my quotes).
How can we help the world? How can we share the Goodness of Being Who We Are, and not destroyed for being who we are?
I am a supporter of this brave and courageous 6 year old!
She is teaching the world many needed lessons of Life!

[Paul Murphy]

Stigma & The Charter of Rights and Freedoms April 8 2011

• Posted by Paul Murphy on April 17, 2011 at 7:03pm in Untitled Category (Change)
• View Discussions

·

 

Stigma (plural: stigmata) is a word that originally means a "sign", "point", or "branding mark"

. It may refer to: The Mark of Cain ·

Stigmata, bodily marks or wounds resembling the crucifixion wounds of Jesus ·

A badge of shame, a physical mark of infamy or disgrace ·

Social stigma, a severe social disapproval of personal characteristics or beliefs that are against cultural norms.

 

          
Charter of Rights and Freedoms 1982


“Give the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties” {The proceedings and addresses at the Freethinkers' Convention held at pg 396 } The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees many well established rights; however not all of the charter’s freedoms speak to every Canadian .Two well established rights are freedom of speech in section 2 b, and the freedom from discrimination found in section 15.These rights allow all Canadians to feel equal and able to express their thoughts at will. Despite having many legislative rights, our society continues to evolve and some Canadians find themselves without significant legislative protection from complex issues, such as bullying.
In Canada we are very fortunate to have a Charter of Rights and Freedoms .One of those fundamental rights addresses free speech. Free speech is a core principal that we can be very proud to have available for our society. Countries across the planet continue to oppress their citizens. This has lead to uprisings that have filled the news of late as people work towards obtaining fundamental, human rights we, as Canadians, are able to enjoy. The notion of free speech began in United Kingdom in 1689, and it was enacted for the parliamentary proceedings .It was later adopted by the French in 1789, which was during the French Revolution. As Canadians we can consider ourselves to be fortunate to have such a piece of legislation that guarantees our ability to exercise the right of free speech.
“A succession of English thinkers developed the idea of a right to freedom of expression, starting with John Milton (1608–74), then John Locke (1632–1704) and culminating in John Stuart Mill (1806–1873). Locke established the individual as the unit of value and the bearer of rights to life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness “{ wikapedia }

 

        Our Charter of Rights and Freedoms does have some very clear provisions for all Canadians. Discrimination is defined as “is the cognitive and sensory capacity or ability to see fine distinctions and perceive differences between objects, subjects, concepts and patterns, or possess exceptional development of the senses”. Used in this way to identify exceptional discernment since the 17th century, the term began to be used as an expression of derogatory racial prejudice in the 1830s from Thomas D. Rice's performances as "Jim Crow".{ wikapedia}.

              "The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law."[6][ wikapedia] The Charter has many fundamental protective rights that speak to race,age,ethnic origin,color,sex, and mental ,or physical related issues. This is something we, as a society can be very proud to have a available to all citizens. We find ourselves in discussion over same sex marriages, and the abortion debate continues to represent a concern for many.

 

        As the society continues to evolve and grow we continue to discover complex issues that are not being addressed within the Charter. Individuals and groups may find issues that could undermine and challenge the scope of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms without specific examples of the groups laid out. Our very large and complex world continues to get smaller, because of the internet, social media tools and resources that are readily available. Individuals are networking and sharing new ideas because of social media channels, and they are bypassing structured media outlets. In order to address complex issues such as stigma, the discussion must take place; often, the first step toward addressing an issue is the conversation. Together, we can inspire real social change and include all citizens under the umbrella of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

 

           While the Charter of Rights and Freedoms have many meaningful tools and resources, the act can leave many unprotected due to the unclarity within the Charter. Exceptional groups of individuals might find themselves unprotected within the language of our charter. Our society continues to evolve and new issues continue to be reviewed and discovered. Furthermore, attitudes towards these people may require further discussion and research. Bill 168 was implemented as of June 15, 2010, and it adds to the overall health and safety to all of Ontarians. Individuals can find themselves alone and unsupported, which can lead to adopting a sense of frustration that continues to fester. It does not have to be this way.

 

 

Please see and share.

[Paul Murphy]

Leslie Robin wrote:
"Hi Paul.  I loved this quote:
 
"In the scenery of spring
there is nothing superior
nothing inferior;
flowering branches
are by nature
some short
some long."
 
Zen Proverb"

[Paul Murphy]

   This was a response sent to me over the article called Big Fat Lazy Kids.

 

 

You make some very good points,bullying shouldn’t be allowed,and the media weight loss industry is terrible.Good job pointing this out.However,it also sounds like you are advocating that children being obese should have no negativity about it,and this isn’t the case.While no child should suffer,and they are not to blame for their condition,it is their parents.TV and food industries are bad,but I know poor families who don’t feed their children junk and who are not obese.By taking away responsibility,saying the government/media etc is to blame,you take away the incentive for parents (and children themselves) to do anything about it,they can just blame it on an external factor and carry on.Leading to health problems and worse employment opportunities.It is not OK for a child to be obese.Programs set up to advocate fitness for them are good.Media will always be corrupt,parents decide the level of activity and food and should be intelligent enough to raise healthy children who won’t HAVE to suffer from bullying.

 

 

[Paul Murphy]

Leslie Robin Neshama Kassal May 18 at 3:04pm Report

Hi Paul. This morning you mentioned that you will be talking to students soon, in Grade 12, I believe you said. And might I wish to send a message along?
"My name is Leslie Kassal, and I live in Baltimore, Maryland, in the US. I had the good fortune of meeting your Guest Speaker over the Internet, and now, through him, if I may, I would like to send you all a greeting, and a few thoughts. What I have found important in life is to Find Your Voice. Many times, we all know this, we are judged by how our bodies look, by our ethnicity, our color, the way we dress, who our parents are, etc......What I want you to know is that you are ALL good people, and you ALL have a right to be here, and a purpose for being here. I hope that the teachers around you, the adults all around you are affirming and supportive. Everyone needs this, and what is wonderful is that when you are affirmed and when you are supported, you feel so good, that you want to pass it along to everyone else you meet. If there are people who are mean to you, or who wish to tear you down, or denigrate you, you must talk about it. If someone is bullying you, tell someone. If you are not feeling good about something in your life, talk about it to people you trust. I am now 60 years young, :) and my beginning years, my childhood, was clouded by depression and by a sense that I was no good - that I did not matter. I have had many years of help to overcome that despair that covered me. But, you know what? I have learned the JOY of being who I am! I AM WHO I AM! And that is so good a feeling. I need you to know how LIFE-GIVING that is. BE WHO YOU ARE. CHERISH WHO YOU ARE. I can't think of a better gift to those around you, to the world, to your families and your friends, than to be YOU.
Onward! And,
G-d Bless You.
Your Friend,
Leslie