Open Thread July 9, 2023

Yesterday, the radio opera was “Il Proscrotti” by Saverio Mercadante, an opera I had never heard of. Don’t look so astonished – there are plenty of operas i have not heard of, just as there are plenty of plays and books I have never heard of. I doubt anyone could be aware of everything that exists in even the smallest category. In this case, the reason is that it was written and premiered in 1842, enjoyed one performance, and was not performed again until 2022 (and that is the version we heard a live recording of today.) It’s set in Scotland during the Protectorate (Cromwell’s regime), and is one of those tales where a husband is presumed dead, and his wife decides, or is encouraged, or is forced, to remarry, and then he shows up. Culture is full of them. In this case, it’s complicated by the original husband being a royalist whereas the replacement is a puritan. (I really do not get why Christian talibans through the ages – and there have been many – want people to have no food or heathcare or fun. The Romans were smarter – they knew that “Bread and circuses” were key to keeping the populace compliant.) Mercadante I have heard of – He wrote a number of operas, including a version of “Francesca da Rimini.” Rachmaninoff wrote one too, although the Zandonai one is much more popular.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Huff Post – Top Oklahoma School Official Says Teachers Can Talk About Race Massacre — If They’re Careful About The Race Part
Quote – Teaching kids about the Tulsa Race Massacre is completely fine, according to Oklahoma school Superintendent Ryan Walters. Teachers just need to make sure no one is “made to feel bad” about it…. “I would never tell a kid that because of your race, because of the color of your skin, or your gender or anything like that, you are less of a person or are inherently racist. That doesn’t mean you don’t judge the actions of individuals,” Walters said. “Oh, you can. Absolutely, historically, you should. ‘This was right. This was wrong. They did this for this reason.’ But to say it was inherent in that because of their skin is where I say that is critical race theory. You’re saying that race defines a person.”
Click through for the rest, if you can stand to. You cannot make this stuff up.

The 19th – House Republicans are baking abortion restrictions into spending bills — and avoiding public votes
Quote – The policies backed by House Republicans are wide-ranging. One provision would ban the Department of Defense from covering paid leave or travel costs for service members and their families who need to seek fertility treatments or abortions outside where they are stationed – a measure that disproportionately impacts Black people, who are overrepresented in the military. Another provision would reverse a decision by the Food and Drug Administration that allowed pharmacies to distribute mifepristone — one of the drugs used in medication abortions — via telehealth and allowed certain pharmacies to dispense the pill to patients with a prescription.
Click through for the story. The subtitle of the piece is “Democratic leaders say they will act as a “firewall” on reproductive rights even during looming negotiations to fund the government.” Sowe can continue to breathe.

Food For Thought