#5SmartReads - February 22, 2023

Hitha on redefining masculinity, advancements in racial justice, and the latest from Russia and Turkey & Syria

February 22, 2023

While this was an expected announcement (especially after President Biden’s visit to Kyiv yesterday), it’s still relatively shocking, given how far the we’ve come since our Thirteen Days stalemate during the Cold War and how close we came to nuclear war.

If I’m being honest, it feels like we’re back there again. But I also know that most of the action here is happening behind the scenes, and it’ll be decades until these records are declassified, if they ever are.

In short - while this was entirely expected and more of a symbolic withdrawal (inspections were suspended in 2020, and Russia refused to resume them in August 2022), it signals a change in Russia’s strategy in their invasion of Ukraine.

And just because you won’t hear about closed door negotiations between our State Department and their Foreign Ministry, nor about covert operations conducted by our CIA and their SVR, doesn’t mean they still aren’t happening.

But if you’d like some book and show recommendations on US-Russia diplomacy or covert operations, here are some of my favorites:

I’ve linked all of these on LTK - just “heart” any of the items if you want to be alerted when they go on sale!

Why do we do this? Why do we try to put people in boxes that are based in our own comfort or assumptions in the world, instead of taking a beat and sitting with our feelings after seeing images or reading an interview, and questioning our own world view?

On one hand, these covers and feature images from British Vogue and Ebony tell a powerful story. The British Vogue cover celebrates Black love and Black excellence. More importantly, it celebrates Rihanna being loved and cherished the way she proclaimed she would be in her Oprah interview 10 years ago:

Jonathan Majors is a brilliant actor who’s about to take over our screens, as the villians in both Creed 3 and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. His Ebony cover was an ode to DonQuihote Doflamingo, the villan from the anime series One Piece.

He’s also a consummate gentleman, per his delightful interview with The Cut.

Frankly, I find these covers to be a powerful statement of what it means to be a modern man, given how they shatter the tired old definition of masculinity that their critics uphold as the only virtue for men.

Whitney’s words on this topic are far more eloquent and impactful than my rantings, so please give this very smart piece a read (and a share!). And follow her on Instagram if you’re not already

content warning - physical assault and abuse

Light can be transformative in changing how you see something. While we think about this in terms of lamps, candles, or light fixtures, it’s also advancing how we collect evidence of domestic violence and physical abuse.

“Katherine Scafide, an associate professor at George Mason University, worked as a forensic nurse for eight years. During that time, she noticed something about survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence with black or brown skin: it was hard to see their injuries.

Those medical records often become evidence for criminal investigators.

"Bruises tell us a lot about what has happened to a particular patient who's experienced violence and unfortunately if I can't see the bruise clearly it really limits my ability of what to document and what to report in the medical record," Scafide said.

Scafide and her team at GMU found that blue or purple light is as much as five times better at detecting bruises on those patients.”

While the utilization of blue or purple light is not standardized yet, Scafide is working developing guidelines to use these lights as a standard for forensic nurses. This guidance is anticipated by forensic nurses and justice leaders, respectively.

It’s also a reminder that just because something has been the standard (white light, DNA evidence) doesn’t mean it is absolute and the only option. Advancements like these are how we move towards a more just society (though how this evidence is used by other members in the community, especially law enforcement, needs to be considered and fact-based guidance built around that as well).

This is probably all I have in common with Tunde Oyeneyin, whose arms program is one I come back to every few months on the Peloton app.

The parasocial relationships people have with Peloton instructors is a fascinating one (as Anne Helen Petersen wrote about), and I do find myself caring about my favorite instructors enough to follow them on social media, to buy and read their books, and to actively seek out their advice in the interviews they give.

Tunde is one of my favorites, not only because she destroys me (in the best way), but also for how relatable she is. This interview is equally inspiring as it is relatable (who else struggles to drink enough water or finish their to-do list every day?), and I’ll leave you with her overall approach to wellness (which I’ve definitely embraced this year):

“Allow your wellness practice to meet you wherever you are. If it feels like you aren’t making progress toward a goal, you might give up and stop trying. Rather than compare yourself to what you were yesterday, last week, or last year, or where you hope to be tomorrow, try to be OK with where you are right now.

There will be setbacks, and your progress won’t be linear. It can be frustrating, but if you’re gracious enough with yourself to acknowledge that there are ups and downs with fitness, it makes for a much more peaceful life.”

Just two weeks after the first massive earthquake, Turkey and Syria were jolted by a second 6.4 magnitude one, with aftershocks felt in neighboring countries.

Rebuilding will take a significant amount of time. But the mental trauma of the residents in the area will take even longer to heal:

“Dr. Tahsin Cinar, an anesthesiologist using vacation time to help provide medical care in Hatay as a representative of the Turkish Medical Association, said earthquake survivors need serious help with their mental health.

“They feel so alone, so deserted and very anxious. Even a small tremor leads to a big anxious reaction,” he said.

Cinar and other volunteers initially provided emergency care for people with physical injuries. Now, they are seeing more signs of psychological trauma, depression and the stress that comes with a lack of safe housing, winter weather and a pause in education.

“There is nearly nothing to create social well-being,” he said.”

Karam Foundation is a charity that’s been supporting Syrian refugees for over 10 years, and has been on the ground deploying aid the moment the earthquake hit. If you can, please consider donating directly on their site so they get the funds immediately (if you donate via Instagram or Facebook, it takes 30 days for the platform to issue the donation).

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