Rejoice! You have finally encountered a sane, intelligent, principled writer who speaks and writes nothing but the bald-faced truth about the current state of the world. I first encountered her work in the 1970′s; her ground-breaking “Women and Madness” literally changed my way of thinking (It’s humiliating now to look back on the things I use to believe about women and their “place” before I encountered that book), and was the reason that, more than 20 years later, I began asking her to appear on my now-defunct NPR program, “At the Opera,” to talk about the “place” of characters like Lucia, Elektra, Brunhilde and other female inhabitants of the world’s greatest art form. I’m happy to know that she will be writing about cultural, as well as political “doings” (and, of course, I’m happy that she mentioned my name in her column about Luica; I can use the publicity), but I’m even happier to know that, with her debut this week on PajamasMedia.com, readers will be able to learn the unvarnished truth about the continuing abuse of women — here and abroad — the NEW “New Order” that, once again, seeks the complete annialation of the Jewish state and its people, and — in general — the continuing problems faced by those of us who would like nothing better than to live in peace and security with ALL people, providing they would allow us to do the same. Yes, Dr. Chesler and I are friends of some years standing, and that’s exactly why I am writing this little post; I know, from experience, that her work contains 100% truth, with nothing added nor subtracted. You can love it or hate it, but this is what it IS.

So — what, then, is your position on the topic? You mention routine and ritual female genital amputation as one among several examples of notable issues — where then, as one who identifies herself as a believer in “universal human rights”, do you stand on providing the same protection of the fundamental human right to genital integrity to little boys as is currently provided, throughout much of the western world at the national level of legislation, to little girls?

Hopefully, you’ll actually at least acknowledge just the mere existence of the question — in sad contrast, alas, to Dr. Helen’s behavior on the subject.

I would add that she possesses no fear when it comes to confronting the dreaded “Patriarchy”, America bashers, anti-Zionist academicians, (including Israeli ones) Holocaust deniers of all stripes, the “Orientalism” of the late Prof. Edward Said and his minions of Stalinized Palestinian apologists, among others. (Now, now, please calm down, Prof. Norman Finkelstein. What in the world makes you think I’m referring to you?). Purveyors of the Big Lies, BEWARE !! You have been put on notice. You now face a most formidable challenger and truth teller in the form of Dr. Phyllis Chesler.

Let the free expression and exchange of ideas begin, unfettered by censorship and libelous rhetoric.