Well, since Kira wants to join in, why shouldn't I? This one looks
like one I can answer.

Hi. I'm Doria Maranek-Kindala, head of Law Enforcement here on Thra.
OK, the Thra in John's head. Whatever. Anyway, best analogy would be
to think of me as "Chief of Police."

On Oct 24, 2008, at 12:19 PM, theem_from wrote:

> Gelflings never killed one another the way we do.

Really? You didn't know Jolen. For that, you should be eternally
grateful.

You're right for the most part, though. As a law enforcer, the worst
violence I usually have to deal with is barroom brawls. Yes, we have
those. Like Humans, some Gelfling like their drink (myself included,
to be honest) and a drunk Gelfling can be just as stupid as a Human.
In particular, Gelfinina (one of the two Gelfling races of which I am a
member) tend to be aggressive when drunk.

> "If we do meet up with some other sentient species what are they gonna
> think the first time they see a teenaged mother throwing her newborn
> baby into a dumpster..

OK, this one I have trouble grasping. Jolen was sterile. I never
thought I'd be a mother, and I always felt sorrow at that. If I was
pregnant, I can't even wrap my mind around the idea that I wouldn't
want the baby.

Is it just me, or do Humans have a tendency to think of things as
"disposable?"

> And how are we gonna explain it to the intergalactic council that our
> ambassador was only late because his breakfast was a little cold so he
> had to spend the next half hour punching his wife around the kitchen..

Disturbingly familiar to me. I didn't cook Jolen's meals, but he found
plenty of other excuses to beat me when he felt like venting some
frustration.

> And wait until they learn that it just happens to be a local custom
> here on Earth that in the third world women get their clitoris
> forcibly removed so they will have no sexual desire to cheat on their
> man when they get older..

I've heard of this. This is the only act of violence that, as far as I
know, there's no record of anything like it even in our past. This is
probably at least in part to a slight difference in the structure of
our genitalia. Our clitoris isn't as exposed and is actually just
inside the upper vaginal opening. It would be hard to cut off even if
we wanted to.

Which reminds me of something else I don't get. What's the purpose of
circumcision, anyway? It seems to me that fold of skin must be there
for a reason. Of course, for that matter, I don't really get this idea
of piercing, either. Not even ears. I can't even imagine that,
actually, since Gelfling female ears are very sensitive to the touch,
so much so that we consider them an erogenous zone. Touching my ears
would be very much the same as grabbing my breast or buttocks. My fist
would be traveling rapidly to your chin instantly.

Going back to the cutting off the clitoris thing, forgive me but it
seems that Humans have a seriously skewed view of sexuality. Kira and
I have had many discussions about Human hang-ups about sex. We just
don't get it, to be honest.

Doria Maranek-Kindala
Iradahn - Law Enforcement
Kingdom of Rindaar