The stoning

Last week on CNN.com I watched a homemade video of a seventeen-year-old girl being beaten and stoned to death in Iraq. I'm sure many of you have either seen that video or at least heard about it. I have no words to describe how watching that video made me feel; how anytime something like that is offered up on some news site I always watch because there's no way humanity could ever be as depraved as the reporters are claiming.

I'm always wrong.

I've heard lots of people say that they wish news sites wouldn't post such horrifying videos because it's tasteless or uncouth. You're godamn right it's tasteless and uncouth. And they should post every single video they ever come across. That's the only way that people will believe that these practices are normal and accepted in many parts of the world. I don't care who you are or what "God" you claim to worship, it is NEVER OKAY to beat and/or stone a person to death. Never.

Find the video. Watch it. See if your opinions aren't changed even just a tiny bit. What can we do about it? I have no idea. Should we invade every country that does these things? I don't know. I have no answers about that. But what I do know is that if you can make a difference in just one person's life, you have done something good for the world and humanity.

Becky emailed me a link to Joss Whedon's site today wherein he discusses the stoning. Of course, he says it better than I ever could have hoped to.

While you're out it, check out an organization Joss strongly supports called Equality Now. You won't regret it.