Happy New Year, I think; I thought we'd made it to 2013, but somewhere along the way I must have lost a few hundred or even a few thousand years.  What else could explain the recent homophobic attack against a teenaged girl in a secular democracy this week?  On Sunday, a 17 year old Israeli girl was taunted by a group of young men for the way she was dressed.  She was also accused of being a lesbian, and then stoned.  She received injuries to her face in the attack.  Sadly, one of her first responses was to assure people that she was not dressed "provocatively".  It is disheartening that she felt she had to assure people that she was not to blame for the attack against her - as though there is ever a reason for such a barbaric, vicious attack.  However, it is understandable in light of the fact that it has -unfortunately -become commonplace for Israeli women to be attacked and stoned if boys or men feel that they are not dressed "modestly" enough.  ("Immodest dress" is a subjective term; it can cover anything from wearing tight fitting clothes, denim fabric, pants, red, yellow or other bright colors, or even not wearing thick enough woolen tights - even in the summer heat.)  

Why, in 2013, are people still resorting to barbaric behavior against women and gay people?  This kind of behavior is especially appalling in a first world nation that considers itself a democracy, not a theocracy.  In democratic, first world countries, haven't we progressed to the point yet where we realize that there are differences between people?  Even if we don't agree with them or don't like them, I had hoped most of us in the civilized world were above resorting to stoning people for those differences.

The story can be read at the following link:

http://www.timesofisrael.com/teenage-lesbian-reportedly-stoned-by-yeshiva-students/

In the meantime, wake me up when the modern world finally arrives.