Day: August 25, 2003

Driving While Male and Minority

The Boston Globe published an extensive look at speeding tickets written in Massachusetts and came to a rather unsurprising conclusion — if you want to speed in that state (and likely most other states) it pays to be a young white woman.

Examining 166,000 tickets and warnings from every police department in Massachusetts over a two month period, the Globe found that tickets were biased against men and minorities.

For example, considering drivers pulled over for going 45 mph in a 30 mph zone. According to the Globe’s analysis, the odds of getting a ticket in such a situation are,

  • 28 percent for white women
  • 34 percent for white men
  • 44 percent for minority women
  • 52 percent for minority men

The Globe did note one important exception to this — Massachusetts State Police. In the Globe’s analysis, there was almost no disparity involved in race, sex, or age in the issuing of tickets.

The advantage that women had, not surprisingly, declined with age. For elderly women, for example, the percentage who received tickets was roughly the same as the percentage of elderly men who received tickets for speeding.

Source:

Race, sex, and age drive ticketing. Bill Dedman, Boston Globe, July 20, 2003.

Conviction in False Rape Case Yields 9 Month Sentence

Jacqueline Barkely, 38, had hired a lawyer to help her bring a lawsuit against a woman whom she accused of sexual misconduct.

That accusation was false. When Barkley’s lawyer, Steven Anderson, 45, spurned his client’s cards and letters professing her love, she then made false allegations that Anderson had raped her on the floor of the lawyer’s office.

Barkley went so far as to send text messages to one of Anderson’s legal partners that appeared to be from Anderson and contained a “confession” to the rape.

Barkley was found guilty of wasting police time and breach of the peace, but only received a 9 month jail sentence for her lies. That’s a relatively light sentence for charges that could have ruined Anderson’s career and left him facing legal proceedings if the charges had been believed.

Source:

Woman in false rape claim gets 9 months. Ausian Cramb, Daily Telegraph (UK), August 2, 2003.

Gambian President Puts Breaks on Polygamy . . . Sort Of

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh announced he was putting limits on widespread polygamy in his country — for the next three years, men will be allowed to have no more than three wives.

According to a BBC report Jammeh’s proclamation, however, the prohibition may not have much real effect,

“Pleas allow the young men to get married took” Mr. Jammeh [said] . . .

But the seriousness in his voice did not match the reaction of his audience who burst into laughter at his announcement.

The population is predominantly Muslim with more than 90% following Islam — and most Gambians are strict in their religious practices.

The BBC reporter suggests that the three wife limit is widely viewed as a measure designed to curry favor with the United States.

While other countries throughout the world have seen a fall in fertility over the past three decades, Gambia maintains extremely high fertility rates in part because of polygamy. Its TFR is 6.0, and in some parts of the country the male fertility rate is above 12.

Human rights groups also oppose polygamy, arguing that it generally exploits women and often leaves marriages in serious financial difficulties.

Sources:

Gambian freeze on polygamy. Demba Jawo, The BBC, July 22, 2003.

Modern methods of family planning and reproductive health services in The Gambia. Swiss Tropical Institute.

Kuwaiti Minister Suggests Expanded Rights for Women Close

Kuwait’s minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah was quoted by Arabic News.Com in June as saying that he believes the next session of that country’s parliament will approve legislation guaranteeing political rights to women.

In July, Kuwait’s parliamentary elections resulted in a parliament that is likely to be much more supportive of the current government, which has wanted legislation seeking political equality for women for several years now.

In 1999 Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah issued a decree declaring political equality for women, but that decree has been opposed by parliament which has prevented it from entering into Kuwaiti law.

Sources:

Kuwait’s FM voices support for women issues. ArabicNews.Com, June 16, 2003.

Kuwaiti parliament postpones voting on women’s political rights decree. ArabicNews.Com, November 18, 1999.

On Kuwait’s women’s rights for participating in the elections. ArabicNews.Com, July 8, 2003.