The American Spectator

The Progressive

Condign and refreshingly speedy justice in the Nutmeg State, as reported by the crybaby Progressive:

Balayla Ahmad, a Muslim college student, reported sexual harassment at the University of Bridgeport and ended up getting reported to the FBI for terrorism, reports Think Progress. Her alleged harasser decided to falsely accuse Ahmad of terrorism after learning of her report. Two FBI agents visited Ahmad at home. According to a lawsuit filed by Ahmad, the university expelled her rather than fully investigate her allegations.
(March 2012)

The Daily Orange

Miss Krystie Yandoli, “a senior women and gender studies and English and textual studies major” at Syracuse University, launches her bark upon troubled waters at the outset of a life headed for rage and grief:

Occupy Valentine’s Day originated on Tumblr courtesy of Samhita Mukhopadhyay, executive editor of Feministing.com and author of “Outdated: Why Dating is Ruining Your Love Life.” The Tumblr blog serves as a space for individuals to express their disdain with all the clichés and problematic ways in which Valentine’s Day is celebrated in our culture….

I’ve never been a big fan of Valentine’s Day, regardless of my relationship status—not because I don’t like candy and not because I don’t believe in love. My real problem is the commoditization of love that benefits from capitalist gains and the perpetuation of traditional and limiting gender norms.

After spending countless years in search of alternative ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day, I owe Mukhopadhyay a debt of gratitude for spearheading an Occupy Valentine’s Day movement.
(February 7, 2012)

TheNation.com

And here is the scholarly ordinance developed by Miss Samhita Mukhopadhyay from which Miss Yandoli launched her assault on Valentine’s Day and so much else. Heteronormativity, indeed:

This Valentine’s Day, enthusiasts are expected to spend approximately $17.6 billion on romance-related goods—jewelry, cards, flowers and chocolates—a ten-year high, according to the National Retail Federation. That’s not even the whole picture, when you include all the other things that go along with the “perfect” romantic experience: heart shaped doohickeys, sexy lingerie, bikini waxes, fancy dinners, candle lit romantic massages for two, romantic getaways, puppies and couples counseling. Clearly, the economics of love is serious business.

But despite evidence of how much love costs these days and cultural norms that are evolving away from traditional gender roles in romantic relationships, the commercialization of Valentine’s Day continues to communicate traditional and conventional fantasies about gender and love. It’s what theorists call heteronormativity: the structures and norms that privilege heterosexual monogamy, while simultaneously stigmatizing behavior that deviates from this model. How is it that heteronormativity still has such a stronghold on the public imagination, despite the fact that more and more people are choosing to delay or forgo marriage or despite the fact in more and more states across the country, marriage is no longer limited to people who are straight? How has it still intact [sic] after the Kim Kardashian marital disaster saga, or the notorious marital flameouts between Kevin Federline and Britney Spears or Katy Perry and Russell Brand? How has it weathered scandal after scandal in which the most ardent supporters of “marriage between a man and a woman” are unable to stay faithful?
(February 13, 2012)