Question: do married people observing the modern dating scene feel like they caught the last chopper out of ‘Nam?
Answer: Obviously, yes.
Anyone who found their significant other in a time before dating apps ruled the internet and swiping left and right became a national pastime is bound to feel a sense of deep relief. 
Yes, the dating pool has grown into a vast dating ocean, allowing individuals to narrow down their choices on a granular level. But with this change comes a slew of new problems, including shifting cultural values, a deepening political divide, and what seems like a whole lot more predators and psychopaths lurking in our midst.
It’s enough to make even the most optimistic person consider a life of intentional solitude.
And the stats back it up:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">47% of Americans say dating is harder today than ever before​.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">63% of men under 30 are single—double the rate of women​.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">75% of young adults say finding a committed partner is nearly impossible​.</li>
</ul>
It happened for a myriad of reasons. Once upon a time, a man was expected to pursue a woman (except for the Sadie Hawkins dance) and then the pair would explore a partnership if they both liked and were attracted to each other. 
These days, singles practically need a pre-date screening form before anything resembling a date can occur. This vetting process might include questions on topics that people from ten years ago couldn’t begin to understand: 
✅ Polyamory
✅ Digital consent
✅ Ethical non-monogamy
✅ Situationships
✅ OnlyFans
✅ Soft launches
✅ Ghosting
While keeping clear about your intentions and not treating dating like a marketplace might help with some of this, one solution is a lot of fun.
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This expansion pack is designed to help you cut through the noise and discover the truth about modern dating. With 125+ new cards covering the toughest relationship questions, you’ll finally get the real answers and narrow down the field to people who are worth your while. 
Some sample questions include:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Are interfaith marriages doomed to fail?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Are “fur babies” replacing real children?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Is it okay to date multiple people at once if you’re not exclusive?</li>
</ul>
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Modern dating is a mess — but you can navigate it better when you know what people actually believe. Instead of opting out, take a chance on love and figure out how to best navigate the challenges of dating in this strange new era.
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Romantic dinner

Modern Dating Is A Dumpster Fire

Daily Wire Shop

Dating

Relationships

Valentine's Day

For those with a special someone, today is Valentine’s Day. For all the single ladies, it is Galentine’s Day. But what is it for the bachelors? To my knowledge, men do not band together en masse on February 14th to mix up fruity pink cocktails, watch chick flicks, and build solidarity in their singleness. In fact, bromances appear to be in decline, as 15% of men say they <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/07/american-men-suffer-a-friendship-recession/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have zero close friends</a>. 
The male friendship recession is just one manifestation of the boy crisis, a crisis worth reflecting on especially today, the day of big romance. The boy crisis is widespread, impacting boys and men academically, economically, physically, and spiritually. On average, the IQs of boys are declining. The <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/leading-causes-of-death-in-men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second leading cause of death</a> for American men under 45 is suicide. Largely due to drug abuse and physical and mental problems, only 25% of men ages 17-24 <a href="https://amarkfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/DOD-QMA-2020-Brief-PUBLIC.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">qualified for military service in 2020</a>. As the wages of those with a high school degree decline, some men are willingly checking out of the workforce altogether, so much so that male workforce engagement now matches the level it was during the Great Depression. All this adds up to millions of young men who have been left without purpose.
While our education system and the shift from a manufacturing to a global knowledge economy have done their fair share of damage, according to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Crisis-Boys-Struggling-About/dp/1942952716" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Boy Crisis: Why Our Boys are Struggling and What We Can Do About It</a>, (Farrell &amp; Gray, 2018) the ultimate driver behind the boy crisis is dad deprivation. Approximately 40% of children are born out of wedlock; because of this and high divorce rates, <a href="https://www.deseret.com/2023/6/15/23758334/fathers-day-brad-wilcox-fatherhood-in-america" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as Brad Wilcox</a>, director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, states, “only about half of children will spend the duration of their childhood with both of their biological parents.” Moms and dads contribute in unique and essential ways to the raising of children, but boys especially need the modeled manifestation of what it means to be a good man, and their first model is their fathers. 
Single parents, who have sometimes been unwillingly left behind by divorce, make valorous sacrifices for their children, and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2008.00533.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nonresidential fathers are doing a better job of staying involved</a>. But the practical realities of fatherhood apart from marriage are often challenging. For example, according to The Boy Crisis, “when unmarried couples live together when their child is born, by the child’s third birthday, 40 percent of those children will have no regular contact with their dad for the next two years—between ages three and five.” For this reason, if we want to get serious about addressing the boy crisis, we need to get serious about marriage. Understanding the purpose of marriage will help us fortify it.
Many now believe that romance is the cornerstone of marriage. Once it dissipates, the couple should part ways so that each individual can find that lovin’ feeling again. More frequently than in the past, couples are divorcing for <a href="https://www.city-journal.org/article/the-two-parent-advantage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">less serious reasons</a>. The dissolution of &#8220;low conflict&#8221; relationships is <a href="https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol36/3/36-3.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">particularly detrimental for children</a>, as they can experience more stress and more of a feeling of loss following separation. 
Much of our culture reinforces such attitudes towards relationships. The radical autonomy of expressive individualism permeates our moral imagination. Expressive individualism, “involves growing and changing as a person, paying attention to your feelings, and expressing your needs.” As Andrew Cherlin, a sociology and public policy professor at Johns Hopkins University, explains in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Go-Round-State-Marriage-Family-America/dp/0307386384/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1707922637&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Marriage-Go-Round: The State of Marriage and the Family in America Today</a>, under such conditions, “marriages are harder to keep together, because what matters is not merely the things they jointly produce—well-adjusted children, nice homes—but also each person’s own happiness.” And by happiness we mean pleasure and psychological self-actualization, not human flourishing grounded in virtue and obligation.
In truth, admirable marriages are replete with work and adventure. Their purpose is to provide a stable and loving environment for the rearing and education of children and to form the character of each spouse. Marriage is often not easy or comfortable. As human beings, we grow attached to our favorite vices, and letting them go can be painful. But it is also freeing. Ideally in marriage, rather than prioritizing his or her own emotional satisfaction, through choice and circumstance, each spouse sacrifices for the sake of that mysterious third entity: the marriage.  
Our culture largely no longer promotes this understanding. Those Galentine’s Day favorites (excluding the incomparable work of ethicist Jane Austen) often don’t depict what it is that really matters when looking for a spouse. Indeed, it is no accident that many chick flicks end at the altar, perhaps because marriage occasionally falls short of being camera-ready. This is not to say that all romantic films are bad. Part of the reason they appeal to us is because they affirm how important relationships are for long-term happiness. The choice of a spouse is the decision of a lifetime.
Yet numerous singles today have been left confused about how to choose well. Many children of divorce grow up lacking a model of a solid marriage. As adults, such children <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0736-9735.21.3.353">can have a negative view of marriage</a>, struggle to work through conflict in a healthy manner, and are unsure what characteristics to prioritize in a partner. <a href="https://www.heritage.org/marriage-and-family/commentary/the-culture-online-dating-encourages-hook-ups-not-marriage">Online dating makes this worse</a>. After being bombarded with profiles, users end up thinking that they should be able to find someone who embodies all the features they dream they desire.
We need to shift our cultural conversation around marriage, to move away from pure romance toward the deep, abiding, and sacrificial love that husbands and wives offer each other and their children. Doing so will help end the dad deprivation that is the main driver of today’s boy crisis. And then, perhaps, our boys, too, will have valentines.
* * *
Brenda M. Hafera is the Assistant Director and Senior Policy Analyst at The Heritage Foundation&#8217;s Simon Center for American Studies.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Picture of young man surprising woman with flowers

Young Men Searching For Purpose On Valentine’s Day

Boys

divorce

fatherhood

Fathers

Gen Z

Marriage

Readers Pass

Women

A January issue of New York Magazine featured a rather unusual <a href="https://nymag.com/press/2024/01/on-the-cover-of-new-york-a-practical-guide-to-polyamory.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cover story</a> called “A Practical Guide to Polyamory.” The cats on the cover were creepy enough. The concept being pitched was even worse.
The piece was an ode to an alternative lifestyle which the media is trying to paint as the hip new thing. All over the internet, including in big-name <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/13/books/molly-roden-winter-more-book-open-marriage.html#:~:text=100%20Notable%20Books-,How%20a%20Polyamorous%20Mom%20Had%20'a%20Big%20Sexual%20Adventure'%20and,with%20work%20and%20child%20care." target="_blank" rel="noopener">legacy</a> <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/01/18/lifestyle/6-signs-you-should-introduce-polyamory-to-your-relationship/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publications</a>, there’s been a <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1747967378074288265" target="_blank" rel="noopener">push</a> to normalize concepts such as “ethical non-monogamy” and “throuples.” To hear these outlets tell it, a traditional male-female couple is, like, totally uncool, dude.
At <a href="https://www.jeremysrazors.com/collections/valentines-day-2024?utm_campaign=vday24&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dw-site&amp;utm_content=na_polyamorous" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeremy’s Razors</a>, we’re not buying into any of it. Despite what the media wants you to think, it’s almost Valentine’s Day and that means a celebration of love as it was meant to be. One man, one woman, and one perfect gift on a day to celebrate that affection.
Right now, men are probably shopping for the perfect gift to show their wives or girlfriends that they’re not considering joining the polyamorous community. The single best way to convey that point without saying a word is to treat your significant other to an exclusive <a href="https://www.jeremysrazors.com/collections/valentines-day-2024?utm_campaign=vday24&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dw-site&amp;utm_content=na_polyamorous" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Valentine’s Day bundle</a> that’s firmly rooted in reality. When it comes from Jeremy’s Razors, she’ll never have to wonder if that box of chocolates is really just a ploy to start a conversation about adding a third person to your union.
<a href="https://www.jeremysrazors.com/collections/valentines-day-2024?utm_campaign=vday24&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dw-site&amp;utm_content=na_polyamorous" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CHECK OUT JEREMY&#8217;S VALENTINE&#8217;S DAY EXCLUSIVE BUNDLES </a>
Ladies, this concept goes both ways. The manliest men are only interested in committing to one woman forever, and these heroes of the world deserve a superior shave along with a few chocolate bars to celebrate their commitment to traditional values.
Money talks. Besides boycotting Left-leaning publications that promote subversive lifestyles, conservatives can take a stand against insanity by committing to purchasing products made by companies that know the difference between a man and a woman, and that furthermore think marriage means a partnership consisting of one of each.
There was a time in the not-so-distant past when declaring someone was your one true love would have been the mainstream opinion.
Marriages were made up of one XY chromosome man and one XX chromosome woman who together, God-willing, helped propagate the species with a bunch of adorable little offspring. The rationality of this coupling of man and woman was never disputed. However, the war on reality has now extended to this very foundation of society. Destroy monogamous relationships and you destroy the nuclear family. Once that goes, civilization crumbles.
You may have whiskers, but you’re not a cat. Real men are meant to devote themselves to one woman and build a life with her and only her. Jeremy’s isn’t afraid to say that. This is one reason why we’re here: to remind all of you that there are still companies that will take a stand against degeneracy.
Fighting back against the culture war often feels like trying to bail out a sinking ship using nothing but a spoon. But the part they’ll never tell you is that a lot of us have spoons, and if enough of us band together, those little spoonfuls of sanity can add up to making a difference.
It all starts with the decision to support companies that promote the values you want to see in the world. And this Valentine’s Day, you won’t find any creepy cats or “ethically” cheating spouses at <a href="https://www.jeremysrazors.com/collections/valentines-day-2024?utm_campaign=vday24&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dw-site&amp;utm_content=na_polyamorous" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeremy’s Razors</a>.

Jeremy’s Razors

Forget Polyamorous Cats: At Jeremy’s Razors, Valentine’s Day Means One Man And One Woman

Forget Polyamorous Cats: At Jeremy's Razors, Valentine's Day Means One Man And One Woman

Jeremy's Chocolate

Jeremy's Razors

Americans are expected to shell out roughly $25.9 billion on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/valentines-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Valentine’s Day</a>, marking one of the highest spending years on record despite <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inflationary</a> pressures and the looming possibility of a <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/recession" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recession</a>, according to a <a href="https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/consumers-plan-increase-valentines-day-spending-nearly-26-billion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> from the National Retail Federation.
The average lovebird will spend $192.80 on their significant others, marking a 10% increase from $175.41 last year and the second-highest figure since the group began tracking spending on the holiday nearly two decades ago. Roughly $14 of the $17 rise in spending per consumer will be used for pets, friends, co-workers, and teachers rather than significant others.
“Valentine’s Day is a special occasion to shop for the people we care most about,” National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay remarked. “This year, as consumers embrace spending on friends and loved ones, retailers are ready to help customers celebrate Valentine’s Day with memorable gifts at affordable prices.”
Virtual shopping is the most popular mechanism for obtaining gifts, according to the trade association, with 35% of respondents indicating that they will use online stores. Roughly 32% of respondents plan to “give a gift of experience,” marking an increase from 26% last year. Men were especially more willing to offer an experience-driven gift.
The findings occur as inflation remains elevated relative to recent years, but somewhat mitigated in comparison to record highs last summer. Price levels declined slightly last month amid a decrease in energy prices: year-over-year inflation fell from 7.1% in November to 6.5% in December, marking the largest overall decline in nearly three years even as food and shelter prices continue to increase, according to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-tide-has-turned-inflation-sees-largest-drop-since-2020-lockdowns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Retail and food services sales reached $677.1 billion in December, adjusted for holiday and seasonal variations, according to an advance <a href="https://www.census.gov/retail/marts/www/marts_current.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimate</a> from the Census Bureau. The metric nominally increased 6% relative to levels recorded one year earlier; the reading, which was not adjusted for price levels, was therefore eclipsed by inflation.
Data from the National Retail Federation also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rise-in-holiday-spending-to-be-outpaced-by-inflation-forecast-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicated</a> that Americans spent record amounts during Christmas and the winter holidays, even as many American households <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/some-consumers-financed-holiday-spending-with-record-amounts-of-debt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made</a> their expenditures using record amounts of debt. The average amount of obligations among those who spent beyond their means rose to $1,549, marking a 24% increase from the previous year, according to a <a href="https://www.lendingtree.com/credit-cards/study/holiday-debt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> from LendingTree. The percentage of debtors who expect to take five months or more to pay off their debt rose from 28% to 37%.
The global economy has experienced lackluster performance even after lockdowns and public health mandates ended across the world. Most analysts believe this year will <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/big-short-investor-who-foresaw-2008-recession-lays-out-predictions-for-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">see a recession</a> in the United States, a reality that would follow one of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stocks-had-their-worst-year-since-2008-after-biden-boasted-about-their-performance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worst stock market</a> performances in modern history last year, while some are more optimistic. Bank of America Chief Investment Strategist Michael Hartnett said in a <a href="https://business.bofa.com/en-us/content/year-ahead-2023/investment-market-outlook-forecasts.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> that a recession will occur in the first half of the year before markets attain a “much more solid footing,” while an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/economists-predict-whether-2023-will-see-a-recession" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outlook</a> from Goldman Sachs Chief Economist Jan Hatzius noted analysts at the company believe “there are strong reasons to expect positive growth in coming quarters.”

Valentines Day aisle, heart shaped gift boxes of Chocolates, Target, Queens, New York

Americans Will Spend Nearly $26 Billion On Valentine’s Day Despite Inflation And Recessionary Risk: Estimate

Americans Will Spend Nearly $26 Billion On Valentine's Day

Economy

Inflation

Recession

U.S.

Speaking at the sentencing trial of the shooter who massacred 14 students and three teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine’s Day in 2018, the father of a 14-year-old girl who was murdered gave unforgettably heartbreaking testimony in his victim impact statement.
Dr. Ilan Alhadeff spoke of his beloved oldest child Alyssa as the member of the audience wept.
“I wanted to tell this jury what happened to my family and this community,” he began. “I want to tell you what happened to my Alyssa.”
“On February 14, 2018, my fourteen-year-old daughter was right where she was supposed to be: in her high school English class. Four years later, she’s supposed to have been in her second year of college. Soon, she’d go on to be a professional soccer player; she’d get her law degree, and maybe become one of the most successful business negotiation lawyers the world would see,” he said.
“She was supposed to get married,&#8221; he continued, breaking down in tears. “I was going to have my father-daughter dance. She would have had a beautiful family, four kids, live in a gorgeous house, a beach house on the side. All those plans came to an end with Alyssa’s murder.”
He spoke of how his beloved daughter’s death affected their family: “Alyssa’s murder impacted so many people in so many ways; after Alyssa’s death, my father was never the same. He passed away a year later. My elderly mother lost her granddaughter and struggles to find happiness in her life. Then there’s my father-in-law, who always said Alyssa could do no wrong. They had a very special bond, one that you love to see between grandparents and grandchildren.”
“But this was broken only by Alyssa’s murder,” he said. “My mother-in-law, she also had a special bond with Alyssa. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t get emotional and go to tears when talking about Alyssa.”
“Alyssa was the captain of her soccer team and the center of all her friends,” he recalled. “She lifted them up; she helped them study; she was the shoulder to cry on and she was the ear to listen. No matter what her friends needed, she was there for them.”
Distraught, he said, “Most of all, she had this infectious laugh that now I only get to watch on TikTok videos.”
Pulling himself together again, he continued, “Then there are Alyssa’s brothers: one was too young to comprehend but asks to go to the cemetery to see his sister from time to time. This is not normal. For the older one, I feel like Alyssa was his best friend. He looked up to her in so many ways. The night of the tragedy he stayed up the whole night night calling me every hour asking me if we had found her yet, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him on the phone that his sister was murdered, so I had to wait until we got home and had to share this tragic news to him. It broke my heart to say this to him.”
“About a year or so later, he asked if he could switch rooms so he could be closer to her,” he recalled. “He holds back his sadness and anger about losing his sister but recently at the gravesite, he gave a speech and just came to tears. This is not normal for young boys growing up. They should not know of such sorrow, such loss, and tragedy.”
He then turned to his wife: “My wife, the mother of our children, lost her first-born daughter. She gives talks about how it was like someone ripping her heart and stabbing it. She fights every single day to keep Alyssa’s name alive, whether it’s with our foundation, with the school board, with the girls’ soccer club, she wears bracelets with Alyssa’s name on it. She occasionally sprays Alyssa’s perfume just to try and smell her. She even sleeps with Alyssa’s blankets.”
He finally spoke about himself: “Then there was me. My first-born daughter. My shining star, daddy’s girl, was taken from me. I get to watch my friends, my neighbors, colleagues spend time enjoying their daughters, enjoying all the normal milestones, taking in the normal joys and I only get to watch videos or go to the cemetery to see my daughter.”
“It was four years ago to everyone but to me it was yesterday,” he said emotionally.
In a heartbreaking statement, he said, “Alyssa will always be 14. And I will always be at that point in life with her.”
“All I know is that a piece of my heart was not just cut out, but it was ripped out of my damn chest. For four years I’ve watched so many struggle while the only option I’ve had is to keep it together for my family. Inside I burned like a damn inferno; it took me so long to feel empathy again . &#8230; Unfortunately I have to live my life with anger now and make it fuel my existence,” he admitted.
He concluded, “Missing our daughter every single day. No parent is supposed to have this grief. Without our daughter Alyssa, our lives have been changed forever.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Parkland school shooting testimony: Dr. Ilan Marc Alhadeff reads victim impact statement" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_WtZxzLxsVw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Confessed Gunman Nikolas Cruz On Trial For Parkland, Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas Mass School Shooting

‘Alyssa Will Always Be 14’: Father Of Parkland Victim Gives Unforgettably Heartbreaking Speech At Trial Of Shooter

Father Of Parkland Victim Gives Unforgettably Heartbreaking Speech At Trial Of Shooter

Florida

Parkland Shooting

Rapper Cardi B generated some controversy online when she asserted that men should pay more than women on Valentine&#8217;s Day.
Last Thursday, the &#8220;WAP&#8221; singer exclaimed that even though men deserve gifts on the special day, they should spend more money on gifts for their significant other.
&#8220;Yes ! Men do deserve to get gift as well for Valentine&#8217;s Day, but the gift have to be less expensive then the girls gift,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/iamcardib/status/1359952838898585600" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">she tweeted</a>. &#8220;Soo if he buys you flowers you buy him grass.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Yes ! Men do deserve to get gift as well for Valentine’s Day,but the gift have to be less expensive then the girls gift . Soo if he buys you flowers you buy him grass.
&mdash; Cardi B (@iamcardib) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamcardib/status/1359952838898585600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As reported by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/cardi-b-valentines-day-debate-men-spend-more-women">Fox News</a>, Twitter users either criticized Cardi B for perpetuating classic gender stereotypes or for suggesting how much money people should spend from the comforts of her wealthy position as a celebrity. The following day, she boasted about the many gifts her husband Offset has lavished on her.
&#8220;Ok so due to my Vday tweet men came on my twitter roasting me sayin &#8216;but you bought your man a lambo&#8217; but remember&#8230;I got 550K ring on my left hand, 400k ring on my right, Thousands of dollars In Birkins, soo much jewelry, a lambo truck and rollsRoyce truck ..so we even in gifts,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/iamcardib/status/1360303092797902851" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">she wrote</a>.
&#8220;So if ya don’t like the flowers &amp; grass comparisons let me give ya one that make men happy.If you buy her thousand dollars Louboutin heels she should buy you a ps5 that’s around 550$ .It’s fair &#8230;now if you think your gift should cost more then ur girl gift you are just a b***h.&#8221; she <a href="https://twitter.com/iamcardib/status/1360304111669841920" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">added</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
So if ya don’t like the flowers &amp; grass comparisons let me give ya one that make men happy.If you buy her thousand dollars Louboutin heels she should buy you a ps5 that’s around 550$ .It’s fair &#8230;now if you think your gift should cost more then ur girl gift you are just a bitch <a href="https://t.co/hiUcxS1rUD">https://t.co/hiUcxS1rUD</a>
&mdash; Cardi B (@iamcardib) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamcardib/status/1360304111669841920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As The Daily Wire reported in December, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/taxpayer-subsidized-npr-names-raunchy-wap-best-song-of-2020">National Public Radio</a> (NPR) named Cardi B’s “WAP” the best song of 2020 prior to the New Year and chastised its critics as moral crusaders.
“Cardi B dropped exactly one song this year, but after ‘WAP,’ any more might have been overkill. Raunchy, fun and infinitely quotable, she joins Megan Thee Stallion for a shameless ode to, well, wet-ass p****, that flies in the face of those who might suggest these women’s sexuality is a shortcoming,” wrote Briana Younger. “At every turn, the two dare listeners to look away with a perfect storm of irresistible qualities: the familiar, through a prominent sample of Frank Ski’s Baltimore club classic ‘Whores in This House,’ the taboo in subject and attitude, the spectacle of unity between two of music’s brightest talents.”
“Meg is a more traditional stylist, whose voice oozes unassailable confidence, while Cardi is all theatrics and humor, effortlessly selling every last line, no matter how ridiculous (or anatomically incorrect) — a synergy that refracts the best qualities of one through the prism of the other,” she continued. “Together, they are magic.”
Younger then targeted the song’s critics, referring to them as “zealots and moral grandstanders.”
“To no one’s surprise, a pair of women honoring their own ladyparts and the pleasures they dish out and expect returned in spades drew the ire of the insecure, of zealots and moral grandstanders,” she wrote. “The backlash, however inseparable from the song’s cultural narrative, only bolsters the argument for its politics of pleasure. At its core, ‘WAP’ is Cardi and Meg’s assertion that their expression, both artistic and sexual, belongs to them and them alone.”
“Such a filthy bit of joy may be born of entertainment, but it persists as necessity — fake prudishness be damned,” she concluded.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cardi-b-wont-let-her-two-year-old-daughter-listen-to-wap">Cardi B Won’t Let Her Two-Year-Old Daughter Listen To WAP</a>

Million Dollar Bowl

Cardi B Sparks Controversy: Men Should Pay More Than Women On Valentine’s Day

Cardi B

A version of this article was published in February 2020.
Like St. Patrick&#8217;s Day or Mardi Gras, 21st-century society has largely forgotten the religious origins of St. Valentine&#8217;s Day. While some may blame that on the overabundance of shameless commercialism, that&#8217;s only half the story. Truth be told, we know little about the revered Saint from whom we derive today&#8217;s festivities — a man whose ethos rivals that of St. Nicholas.
Who exactly was this St. Valentine? How did he become synonymous with romantic love? Is there, in fact, a man behind the myth?
Though historians have dismissed much of what&#8217;s been said of St. Valentine as little more than embellished hagiography, we do know some undisputed facts about the man, namely, that he existed under the reign of Emperor Claudius II and was martyred for practicing the faith around the year 269 AD. In fact, so little historical evidence exists on the details of Valentine&#8217;s life that historians now debate whether his legends pertain to two different Saints or one St. Valentine, who would have then called by his Latin name, &#8220;Valentinus.&#8221;
So unreliable are the accounts of St. Valentine that, in 1969, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church">Catholic Church</a> removed his name from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Roman_Calendar">General Roman Calendar</a>, opting to leave his liturgical celebration to local calendars. Nevertheless, archeologists and historians do agree that the man existed. His bones can even be visited at Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin; the Catholic Church still considers him a Saint
All that aside, the most popular interpretation of St. Valentine&#8217;s life, given the time and culture in which he existed, is quite topical. Though typically associated with courtly, romantic love, St. Valentine could almost be considered a defender of biblical marriage in a time of sexual confusion. Father Frank O&#8217;Gara of Whitefriars Street Church <a href="http://www1.cbn.com/st-valentine-real-story">described him as a priest</a> who gave his life in defense of holy matrimony.
&#8220;He was a Roman Priest at a time when there was an emperor called Claudius who persecuted the church at that particular time,&#8221; Father O&#8217;Gara explained to CBN. &#8220;He also had an edict that prohibited the marriage of young people. This was based on the hypothesis that unmarried soldiers fought better than married soldiers because married soldiers might be afraid of what might happen to them or their wives or families if they died.&#8221;
&#8220;I think we must bear in mind that it was a very permissive society in which Valentine lived,&#8221; continued Father O&#8217;Gara. &#8220;Polygamy would have been much more popular than just one woman and one man living together. And yet some of them seemed to be attracted to the Christian faith. But obviously, the church thought that marriage was very sacred between one man and one woman for their life and that it was to be encouraged. And so it immediately presented the problem to the Christian church of what to do about this.&#8221;
&#8220;The idea of encouraging them to marry within the Christian church was what Valentine was about. And he secretly married them because of the edict,&#8221; he added.
When Emperor Claudius caught Valentine violating the edict, legend says that the saint was imprisoned and tortured as punishment. Some legends have been attributed to him during his time in prison, according to Father O&#8217;Gara.
&#8220;One of the men who was to judge him in line with the Roman law at the time was a man called Asterius, whose daughter was blind,&#8221; said the priest. &#8220;He was supposed to have prayed with and healed the young girl with such astonishing effect that Asterius himself became Christian as a result.&#8221;
St. Valentine suffered a violent martyrdom in the year 269 A.D. when he was allegedly sentenced to a three-part execution by way of beating, stoning, and decapitation. Legend has it that his last words were in a note to Asterius&#8217; daughter – &#8220;From your Valentine.&#8221;
Whether or not such stories about St. Valentine are indeed true or just embellished hagiography is beside the point, according to Father O&#8217;Gara, because St. Valentine symbolizes a principle that all Christians should live by. &#8220;What Valentine means to me as a priest is that there comes a time where you have to lay your life upon the line for what you believe,&#8221; he exclaimed. &#8220;And with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do that — even to the point of death.&#8221;
Though February 14 is St. Valentine&#8217;s feast day, the holiday known as &#8220;Valentine&#8217;s Day&#8221; and its celebration of courtly, romantic love actually comes from Geoffrey Chaucer&#8217;s poem &#8220;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parlement_of_Foules">Parlement of Foules</a>,&#8221; which associated the day with the pairing of birds in mid-February.
Love is in the air, indeed.

To My Valentine Postcard with Two Cupids

Who Was St. Valentine? Separating The Man From The Myth.

Catholicism

A North Carolina sheriff’s office is asking jilted lovers to turn in their exes with outstanding warrants as part of a “Valentine’s Day Weekend Special.”
The Nash County Sheriff’s Office announced the “special” on its Facebook page last Thursday, asking residents who know someone with an outstanding warrant to turn them in:
<blockquote>Did you know?
The Nash County Sheriff’s Office is now offering a Valentine’s Day Weekend Special!
Do you have an ex-Valentine and know they have outstanding warrants? Give us a call (252) 459-4121 with their location and we’ll take care of the rest.
This Valentine’s Day Weekend Special starts off with a set of limited-edition platinum bracelets, free transportation with a chauffeur, a one-night minimum stay in our luxurious [5-star] accommodations, and this special is capped off with a special Valentine’s dinner.
We know this special is so incredible that you may be tempted to provide additional referrals. We don&#8217;t blame you, this special is too sweet to pass up. Operators are standing by!</blockquote>
The NCSO included a photo of some handcuffs next to three red roses on what appears to be a white satin sheet along with the post.
As the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/02/12/sheriffs-ask-people-to-turn-in-wanted-exes-for-valentines-day/">reported</a>, the post attracted some mixed comments. Many enjoyed the post, writing comments such as, “Not only does our county police force provide us with great service, they also keep us entertained. Thank you, NCSO!,” and, “Did you mention a new outfit too.”
Others, however, were not amused, with one person writing, “Who came up with this crap? Talk about tone death[sic]? Not surprised tho.”
The humorous post is reminiscent of a similar ruse from law enforcement agencies around the country. As KTVU <a href="https://www.ktvu.com/news/police-across-the-country-offer-to-test-drugs-for-coronavirus-but-not-everyone-finds-it-funny">reported</a> last year, police departments in various cities and counties posted “warnings” that illegal drugs might be contaminated with the coronavirus and that people should bring them to police in order to be tested. The St. Francis County Sheriff’s Office in Arkansas, for example, posted: &#8220;WARNING: If you have recently purchased meth locally, it may be contaminated with the coronavirus. Please take it to the sheriff&#8217;s office or police department and they will test it for free.&#8221;
KTVU reported similar posts from police departments in Florida, Texas, and Wisconsin.
While most found the posts amusing, as with the NCSO offer, some criticized the police departments for allegedly joking about those with addiction or diminishing a pandemic.
The Merrill Police Department in Wisconsin followed up their post.
&#8220;Just to give you some history, we have actually experienced people report their illegal drugs being stolen, being ripped off in a drug deal, being sold a look-a-like illegal substance, etc. We have even experienced drunk drivers coming to pick up arrested drunk drivers as their &#8216;sober responsible party,'&#8221; police said in the follow-up. &#8220;So this attempt, although a long shot, still had some possibility behind it.&#8221;
&#8220;We will take those easy grabs at removing poison from our community whenever we can. That is our role which we un-apologetically must fulfill,&#8221; they added.

Bride in hand cuffs

Sheriff Asking Jilted Lovers To Turn In Exes Who Have Outstanding Warrants This Valentine’s Day

Police

On a special Valentine&#8217;s Day edition of &#8220;The Andrew Klavan Show,&#8221; bestselling author Andrew Klavan discusses a Salon article asking whether or not having Donald Trump in the White House is ruining Americans&#8217; sex lives. Transcript and video below.
I have to start with this from Salon.com, which may not be the most important news of the day, but it&#8217;s certainly my favorite article anywhere, possibly for the year. I know it&#8217;s only February, but still. You have to understand when you listen, this is what liberals &#8212; by whom I mean like everybody kind of left of center &#8212; this is what they listen to all day long. They laugh at it too, a lot of them laugh at it too, but I think it actually informs their worldview. You cannot listen to this stuff all the time without it getting into your head. So it&#8217;s an article for Valentine&#8217;s Day from Salon.com. It&#8217;s called &#8220;Has Trump Wrecked Our Sex Life? &#8212; Post-Trump sex disorder is real says sex therapist.&#8221; And my favorite subhead, maybe ever: &#8220;Big mean sexy daddy, Salon turns to Dr. Susan block for answers to questions you didn&#8217;t want to ask.&#8221;
Here&#8217;s the Q&amp;A &#8211; &#8220;How has the age of Trump impacted the American people&#8217;s collective mental health and also their intimate lives?&#8221; So you&#8217;re listening to a woman who is selling this vision, this amoral, inhuman vision of sexuality, that&#8217;s their expert at Salon.com, and she says:
<blockquote>
Dr. Block: It&#8217;s had a big impact, for some people Trump&#8217;s campaign and presidency has created a type of post-Trump sex disorder. Trump has created feelings of fear, loathing and nausea, people just don&#8217;t want to have sex because Donald Trump is president.
</blockquote>
I haven&#8217;t noticed this, but maybe I&#8217;m just missing something.
<blockquote>
Dr. Block: This would mainly be seen with women who are just appalled at how creepy Trump is.
</blockquote>
Maybe they shouldn&#8217;t have sex with Donald Trump.
<div class="embed video fluid-video"><iframe loading="lazy" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mI9nnaRN038?start=251" width="560"></iframe></div>

 
<blockquote>
Dr. Block: He takes what is often a positive male attribute of confidence and pushes it way over the line into rape-like and rape-entitled kind of arrogance&#8230;Donald Trump is a turn-off for many people, but for some people, they are turned on and titillated by Donald Trump. They are not suffering from post-Trump sexual disorder, sex does not always turn us on the way we think it ought to. A lot of people are attracted to bad boys, I emphasize people because it is both men and women who are aroused and attracted to and titillated by Donald Trump&#8230; There&#8217;s definitely a homoerotic attraction for Trump being experienced by his usually very homophobic male supporters.
</blockquote>
I wonder why when people say these things nobody ever says to them: &#8220;Could you present your evidence, please? How many people have you interviewed, what surveys have you looked, at what survey or what studies have you done?&#8221;
<blockquote>
Dr. Block: Both men and women really do find Trump to be an appealing bad boy and evil daddy who&#8217;s really hot. Evil is fascinating, as you said previously, Donald Trump is a cult leader and Charles Manson-like figure.
</blockquote>
Anyway, I lead with this because I think it&#8217;s important, when you look at the news, that this is what is actually inside these people&#8217;s head, this is real. I know that a lot of them are laughing it off. But first of all, it tells you about how much the left identifies with the government. That you would let what the President of the United States is like affect your sex life, assuming you have a partner and you&#8217;re not going to the cathouse on HBO, you know that you would let Donald Trump make you say something like &#8220;honey not tonight, I have a president night, it&#8217;s just too mean for me to make love to you, I&#8217;m sorry I can&#8217;t do it
The point is, when you&#8217;re watching or listening to the news, these are the people you&#8217;re listening to.&#8203;
<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/show/andrew-klavan-show&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1550327033161000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFUmcsaMyUAf7wr0rdwsu7SMHNIRg" href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/show/andrew-klavan-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Watch more of &#8220;The Andrew Klavan Show&#8221; here</a>.
<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-andrew-klavan-show/id1045171376?mt%3D2&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1550327033161000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGObRycFwGUy7VUCz3-HWPa6b8v2Q" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-andrew-klavan-show/id1045171376?mt=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Listen to more of &#8220;The Andrew Klavan Show&#8221; on iTunes here.</a>

KLAVAN: The Left Is Worried That Trump Wrecked Your Sex Life

Andrew Klavan

Conservatism

Donald Trump

Sexism

You might think that restaurant owners look forward to Valentine&#8217;s Day like Hershey&#8217;s looks forward to Halloween. You would have thought wrong. According to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/02/13/restaurants-actually-hate-valentines-day-saying-it-limits-cash-and-regulars/?utm_source=twitter_sitebuttons&amp;utm_medium=site%20buttons&amp;utm_campaign=site%20buttons">New York Post</a>, restaurateurs actually dread the day upon which the West celebrates courtly love in the name of St. Valentine.
&#8220;Add <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/food-drink/food/restaurants" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">restaurateurs</a> to the list of curmudgeons who don&#8217;t love Valentine&#8217;s Day,&#8221; says <a href="https://nypost.com/author/lisa-fickenscher/">Lisa Fickenscher</a>. &#8220;Anxious lovebirds scrambling to book a table this week might guess that fancy eateries are gaga over Feb. 14. But many proprietors say it&#8217;s actually a once-a-year headache they&#8217;d just as soon skip.&#8221;
Sure, couples often indulge in elevated food on Valentine&#8217;s Day, often shelling out an extra $50 for that special bottle of cabernet or that over-priced chocolate souffle, but as a whole, the day leaves more to be desired from a business standpoint.
&#8220;It clears out the highly profitable regulars at the bar, who quaff more drinks,&#8221; the report continued. &#8220;Likewise, the tables-for-two-only night limits the size of the tab that comes with bigger groups and corporate events.&#8221;
Nick Valenti, chief executive of Patina Restaurant Group, which owns 70 eateries, including The Sea Grill and Rock Center Cafe, said that Valentine&#8217;s Day offers only the appearance of success. &#8220;Our restaurants are absolutely full because every table is taken,&#8221; he told the Post. &#8220;But not every table is maximized because you have tables for four being occupied by two people.&#8221;
Couples also linger at the tables long after having paid their bill. Typically, a couple will spend 75 to 90 minutes in a restaurant, but on Valentine&#8217;s Day, they can spend upwards of 120 minutes at the table. Burak Karacam, owner of two Pera Mediterranean Brasserie eateries in Manhattan, said that Valentine&#8217;s Day is just not great for business.
&#8220;It cannot be said that Valentine&#8217;s Day is great for business or tipped staff,&#8221; Karacam told <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/02/13/restaurants-actually-hate-valentines-day-saying-it-limits-cash-and-regulars/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Post</a>.
This business trouble helps explain why restaurants typically offer prix fixe menus that can run upwards of $265 per person, such as Tavern on the Green&#8217;s menu this year. None of that, however, helps the fact that couples celebrating Valentine&#8217;s Day don&#8217;t often behave like lovebirds while dining out. In fact, sometimes tensions can be quite hostile.
&#8220;Another dirty V-Day secret: Couples aren&#8217;t always quietly canoodling,&#8221; says the article. &#8220;Instead, the pressures of the holiday can lead to tension &#8212; and even fights worthy of a Hollywood script, according to restaurant personnel.&#8221;
One such horrible example occurred at a Lebanese restaurant in Manhattan where a couple decided to get divorced on that very night.
While restaurants may not exactly be in love with Valentine&#8217;s Day, economists agree the day generates tremendous revenue as a whole. According to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/charlesrtaylor/2019/02/13/reaching-women-and-men-on-valentines-day-the-role-of-brand-advocates/?utm_source=twitter_video&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=forbes#3f8e815e39bd">Forbes</a>, Americans will spend upwards of $20.7 billion on Valentine&#8217;s Day this year.
&#8220;According to the National Retail Federation, <a data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/fewer-consumers-celebrating-valentines-day-those-who-do-are-spending" href="https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/fewer-consumers-celebrating-valentines-day-those-who-do-are-spending" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. consumers will spend $20.7 billion on Valentine&#8217;s Day</a> in 2019,&#8221; reports Forbes. &#8220;In terms of overall individual transactions, <a data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.thebalance.com/happy-valentine-s-day-retailers-feeling-the-love-3306043" href="https://www.thebalance.com/happy-valentine-s-day-retailers-feeling-the-love-3306043" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">candy and greeting cards rank one and two</a>.&#8221;
The report continued: &#8220;However, in terms of overall dollar value of the purchases, jewelry and flowers lead the way. In these two leading categories, an increasing percentage of purchases are being made over the internet. A recent survey by Bankrate.com suggests some interesting demographic difference in Valentine&#8217;s Day purchases. Younger millennials spend more than their older millennial counterparts, couples who are together longer spend less than those together for a shorter period, and as one would expect, men spend more than women.&#8221;

Restaurant Owners Actually Hate Valentine’s Day: Not Great For Business

New York Post

A version of this article was published in February 2018.
Like St. Patrick&#8217;s Day or Mardi Gras, 21st-century man has largely forgotten the religious origins of St. Valentine&#8217;s Day. Some may lay the blame for that at the feet of shameless commercialism, but that&#8217;s only half the story. Truth be told, we know little about the revered Saint from whom we derive today&#8217;s festivities &#8212; a man whose ethos rivals that of St. Nicholas.
Who exactly was this St. Valentine? How did he become synonymous with romantic love? Is there, in fact, a man behind the myth?
Though historians have dismissed much of what&#8217;s been said of St. Valentine as hagiography, here&#8217;s what we do know about the man: he existed under the reign of Emperor Claudius II and was martyred for practicing the faith around the year 269 AD. So little historical evidence exists on the details of his life that historians debate whether stories about him pertain to two different Saints or one St. Valentine, then called by his Latin name &#8220;Valentinus.&#8221;
The accounts of St. Valentine are so unreliable that, in 1969, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church">Catholic Church</a> removed his name from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Roman_Calendar">General Roman Calendar</a>, leaving his liturgical celebration to local calendars. Nevertheless, archeologists and historians do agree that the man existed and the Catholic Church still considers him a Saint. His bones can even be visited at Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin.
All that aside, the most popular interpretation of St. Valentine&#8217;s life, given the time and culture in which he existed, is quite timely. Though typically associated with courtly, romantic love, St. Valentine could almost be considered a defender of biblical marriage in a time of sexual confusion. Father Frank O&#8217;Gara of Whitefriars Street Church <a href="http://www1.cbn.com/st-valentine-real-story">described him as a priest</a> who gave his life in defense of holy matrimony.
&#8220;He was a Roman priest at a time when there was an emperor called Claudius who persecuted the church at that particular time,&#8221; Father O&#8217;Gara explained to CBN. &#8220;He also had an edict that prohibited the marriage of young people. This was based on the hypothesis that unmarried soldiers fought better than married soldiers because married soldiers might be afraid of what might happen to them or their wives or families if they died.&#8221;
&#8220;I think we must bear in mind that it was a very permissive society in which Valentine lived,&#8221; says Father O&#8217;Gara. &#8220;Polygamy would have been much more popular than just one woman and one man living together. And yet some of them seemed to be attracted to the Christian faith. But obviously, the church thought that marriage was very sacred between one man and one woman for their life and that it was to be encouraged. And so it immediately presented the problem to the Christian church of what to do about this.&#8221;
&#8220;The idea of encouraging them to marry within the Christian church was what Valentine was about. And he secretly married them because of the edict.&#8221;
Time eventually ran out for Valentine when Emperor Claudius caught him violating the edict. For punishment, the Saint was imprisoned and tortured. Father O&#8217;Gara described some of the legends attributed to Valentine while in prison.
&#8220;One of the men who was to judge him in line with the Roman law at the time was a man called Asterius, whose daughter was blind,&#8221; said Father O&#8217;Gara. &#8220;He was supposed to have prayed with and healed the young girl with such astonishing effect that Asterius himself became Christian as a result.&#8221;
St. Valentine suffered a violent martyrdom in the year 269 A.D. when he was allegedly sentenced to a three-part execution by way of beating, stoning, and decapitation. Legend has it that his last words were in a note to Asterius&#8217; daughter &#8211; &#8220;From your Valentine.&#8221;
Whether or not such stories about St. Valentine are indeed true or just embellished hagiography is beside the point, according to Father O&#8217;Gara. In the end, St. Valentine symbolizes a principle that all Christians should live by. &#8220;What Valentine means to me as a priest is that there comes a time where you have to lay your life upon the line for what you believe,&#8221; said the priest. &#8220;And with the power of the Holy Spirit we can do that &#8212; even to the point of death.&#8221;
Though February 14 is St. Valentine&#8217;s feast day, the holiday known as &#8220;Valentine&#8217;s Day&#8221; and its celebration of courtly, romantic love actually comes from Geoffrey Chaucer&#8217;s poem &#8220;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parlement_of_Foules">Parlement of Foules</a>,&#8221; which associated the day with the pairing of birds in mid-February. Love is in the air, indeed.

St. Valentine: Separating The Man From The Myth

Christianity

Religion

Traditional Marriage

I’m going to put this up front, just in case someone decides to misreport what I write: No, the University of New Orleans is not banning Valentine’s Day cards over fears of sexual harassment.
The university’s speech code, however, could include Valentine’s Day cards as evidence of sexual harassment if someone reports they received a “suggestive” card from someone they do not like.
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education each month highlights the speech code of one university. In February, the organization is <a href="https://www.thefire.org/february-speech-code-of-the-month-university-of-new-orleans/">highlighting UNO</a> because its broadly worded sexual harassment policy includes and list of examples that include “[s]ending suggestive or obscene letters, notes, or invitations.” Such things may be found on Valentine’s Day cards, and given this country’s current moral panic over sexual assault and sexual harassment, a simple card could leave some lovestruck Lothario – or even a decent guy who misread some signals – on the wrong side of a campus kangaroo court.
<blockquote>[T]he “Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation” policy at the University of New Orleans says examples of sexual harassment include “[s]ending suggestive or obscene letters, notes, or invitations,” among other types of conduct. The policy’s list of examples fails to note that individual examples are only punishable when they actually meet the legal standard for peer hostile environment harassment in the educational setting, as set forth by the Supreme Court. As a result, those examples look like they’re prohibited when standing alone, creating a chilling effect on protected expression.</blockquote>
FIRE’s Laura Beltz writes that many colleges and universities write their speech and sexual misconduct policies this way, “providing a definition of harassment (to varying levels of success at tracking that Supreme Court’s harassment standard), but then listing out a multitude of examples that include speech that wouldn’t meet that standard when standing alone.”
Beltz notes that its helpful for schools like UNO to provide examples of what could be considered sexual harassment, but writes that policies must make clear that each example is not “banned across the board and punishable on its own.”
As an example, Beltz points to the University of North Florida, which notes in its policies that individual examples of misconduct could be punishable on its own if severe and pervasive enough, but typically must be part of a larger pattern that meets the school’s definition of harassment.
Good advice for students this Valentine’s Day: Be careful what you write on cards or notes or letters, as what may seem innocuous to one person may seem harmful to another.
The card could be used to punish a student for sexual harassment, even if the card was not intended as such. Being in a committed relationship doesn’t make this any less of a problem, as cards can be saved for future accusations.
We’re living through a moral panic where all it takes is an accusation for someone to be considered a victim. There are many people out there who are socially awkward and may be misreading signals from a potential partner. Be very careful this Valentine’s Day.

University of New Orleans’ Speech Code Could Throw Cold Water On Valentine’s Day Cards

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