I am downstairs this afternoon, reading the paperback copy of Barack Obama's The Audacity of Hope and watching old music videos (2-9 years old) on the Canadian version of MTV. Each song makes me think about where I was in my life when these songs were a hit on the airwaves.
A Backstreet Boys song comes on. It reminds me of when I first moved to Florida, meeting the boys that would eventually be my boyfriends (and then my ex-boyfriends) and being all naive and hopeful that this love would last forever. A Justin Timberlake song comes on and it reminds me of how heartbroken I was when these relationships ended.
And then a Rihanna video--'Umbrella.' It used to remind me of a trip to the Grand Canyon with my lovely godchildren and my dear friend, Tirzah, right before I started law school. Now, unhappily, it reminds me of domestic violence and the way it is underscored by society. Today, Chris Brown, Rihanna's boyfriend (I am going to be upfront and say my Perez Hilton days are far behind me--I learned about their relationship from the news) plead not guilty of biting, hitting, kicking and generally beating up Rihanna after a Grammy party last year. Pleading not guilty is quite bold, especially when you are not explicitly denying you did it. (I, like Rihanna's father, thought if he is not guilty, then who did it?)
It makes me very sad to think that beating up a woman (especially so viciously) is so very commonplace that Chris Brown could mount a case to say 'not guilty.' Being a law student, I tried to think of the plausible defenses Mr. Brown's attorneys could put together and all I could come up with (assuming he will agree he was the one who inflicted injury to Rihanna) is some version of "the bitch deserved it."* She read his text messages, she was jealous, she didn't let him hang with his friend enough, she picked a fight. I will be happily surprised if the defense does not amount to some version of this. But I am not holding my breath.
It makes me so sad that women and men are constantly given the message that females are 'less than' and deserve to be 'disciplined' for owning emotions such as jealousy and fear. I hope my pre-teen goddaughters, when they listen to the 'Umbrella' song, do not take away the idea that getting severely beaten is the price you pay for loving someone. I hope they will grow up in a world where they are empowered to be human beings with real human emotions, including jealousy, and that their feelings are not worthy of contempt.
Watching this beautiful nineteen-year-old girl dance in her leather short shorts again made me aware of the lose-lose situation beauty provides for women. On the one hand, beauty gets you noticed and fills you up with positive attention. On the other hand, your body is a woman's body and thus is fetishized and made into a man's fantasy. I myself used to think my beauty and body made me special and immune to men's disgust. But I slowly learned that was not the case. I could either be a sex object or an object of disgust, but I could not be sexy and enticing and still own the same ground as the men that surrounded me.
If I can influence the girls growing up around me at all--and I am not naive enough anymore to think I will--I would want them to know that their bodies, their beauty, their intellect, all of these things belong to them and they can use them however they please. Their bodies are not objects but living, breathing subjects and there is so much world they can explore. If they felt battered by the system around them (as one very dear friend as recently confessed she is experiencing) I would invite them to stand under my 'umbrella' of compassion and empathy until they are strong enough to walk tall again.
* My first year of Criminal Law brought me the surprising information that there IS such a defense as 'the bitch deserved it.' It is framed in the idea of killing in the heat of passion. Mitigating factors are the fact the woman left you, has 'shacked up' with someone else and is no longer receptive to your pleas for reuniting.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Campus in the Springtime, Granville Island & Stanley Park
Last week, to study for a closed book (read: memorization only) exam, I printed off my notes for Civil Procedure and pasted them all on flashcards. That way, I could study outdoors, walking around campus. I had my iphone with me and took photos of some of the scenery. Here are some flowering plants:
This is a surprise statue I came across for the first time when wandering around the music department.
I also came across this longhouse recreation. It is the aboriginal studies department and built to look like the real longhouses that the Salish native Canadians used to live in.
Monster and I have taken a lot of trips to Granville Island lately. We love it there: the farmer's markets, the crafts, the breads, the restaurants, the water, the bridges, the flowers.
The Tuesday before my last two exams, we went cycling through Stanley Park.
This is a surprise statue I came across for the first time when wandering around the music department.
I also came across this longhouse recreation. It is the aboriginal studies department and built to look like the real longhouses that the Salish native Canadians used to live in.
Monster and I have taken a lot of trips to Granville Island lately. We love it there: the farmer's markets, the crafts, the breads, the restaurants, the water, the bridges, the flowers.
The Tuesday before my last two exams, we went cycling through Stanley Park.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Goodbye Second Year!
I wrote my last exam today (the worst exam I have ever taken in the history of law school--it was twelve pages long and I only had 2 hours and fifteen minutes to do the whole thing. As I left I kept remembering things I SHOULD HAVE written but didn't. Law exams are their own special kind of hell.) Anyway, I walked home afterwards and met Monster.
We left for downtown to celebrate the end of the school year. First, we went to Granville Island for lunch (where I had two raspberry/lime marguaritas), then took the little ferry bus across the water to the downtown area. After shopping, we headed back to Broadway and bought some home decor and then...I had the most delicious hot dog eva! I hardly ever eat hot dogs because conceptually they are gross. Not to mention how unhealthy they are, loaded with sodium and gawd knows what else. But this hot dog stand was calling me. I knew from walking by it numerous times in the past that it had this special horseradish stone ground mustard. And the hot dog was just incredible. Delicious! I sat on a bench facing traffic and just munched away. I cannot believe I got so much pleasure from a street vendor hot dog.
That is the beauty of law school. Just like prison, once you are released, everything tastes better.
We left for downtown to celebrate the end of the school year. First, we went to Granville Island for lunch (where I had two raspberry/lime marguaritas), then took the little ferry bus across the water to the downtown area. After shopping, we headed back to Broadway and bought some home decor and then...I had the most delicious hot dog eva! I hardly ever eat hot dogs because conceptually they are gross. Not to mention how unhealthy they are, loaded with sodium and gawd knows what else. But this hot dog stand was calling me. I knew from walking by it numerous times in the past that it had this special horseradish stone ground mustard. And the hot dog was just incredible. Delicious! I sat on a bench facing traffic and just munched away. I cannot believe I got so much pleasure from a street vendor hot dog.
That is the beauty of law school. Just like prison, once you are released, everything tastes better.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Another Reason I am Glad I moved out of Florida
Since arriving in Vancouver, I have yet to encounter a set of 'truck nuts' dangling before me at a stop light. And I am all the richer for it. So you can imagine my horror to see this newly proposed Florida license plate:
I have such a complicated reaction to this license plate. On the one hand, I understand that access to one's religion is a fundamental right. On the other, I am soooo uncomfortable with a state produced license plate bearing a religious symbol. The separation of church and state in the United States keeps dwindling and dwindling and when do citizens say enough is enough? Why do tax dollars go to support Christian themed projects? I already have enough issues with crisis pregnancy centers which operate as health centers even though no one is legally required to have any type of medical training whatsoever. The leaching between religion and state business has been intense in recent decades and this is just another example of how many religious messages are intertwined in the public sphere.
I have such a complicated reaction to this license plate. On the one hand, I understand that access to one's religion is a fundamental right. On the other, I am soooo uncomfortable with a state produced license plate bearing a religious symbol. The separation of church and state in the United States keeps dwindling and dwindling and when do citizens say enough is enough? Why do tax dollars go to support Christian themed projects? I already have enough issues with crisis pregnancy centers which operate as health centers even though no one is legally required to have any type of medical training whatsoever. The leaching between religion and state business has been intense in recent decades and this is just another example of how many religious messages are intertwined in the public sphere.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Given Up on Studying
How can anyone study when the world is so beautiful outside your door? When everyday, more and more of your classmates facebook status display some form of 'whoop, I'm done' and you still have one more exam to write?
In fairness to myself, I did devote most of the day to my exam. But in all honesty, I am not sure how much of this actually entered my brain. I am really and truly planning to wing it. And the worst part is, wingin' it doesn't scare me anymore. Where is my sense of discipline? My sense of shame at not doing well on an exam? My forbodding that if I don't do well on this exam, it will impede my chances of getting a job next year?
Where are they? Used up on last semester. Hopefully when I wake up tomorrow, the fact I have a two and a half hour exam the NEXT DAY will be enough to induce proper exam prep. Fingers crossed!
If you don't hear from me before then, on Tuesday at noon I will be emptying my locker, officially done with second year law and off to a celebratory lunch with my husband and then some shopping.
Two years down, one to go!
In fairness to myself, I did devote most of the day to my exam. But in all honesty, I am not sure how much of this actually entered my brain. I am really and truly planning to wing it. And the worst part is, wingin' it doesn't scare me anymore. Where is my sense of discipline? My sense of shame at not doing well on an exam? My forbodding that if I don't do well on this exam, it will impede my chances of getting a job next year?
Where are they? Used up on last semester. Hopefully when I wake up tomorrow, the fact I have a two and a half hour exam the NEXT DAY will be enough to induce proper exam prep. Fingers crossed!
If you don't hear from me before then, on Tuesday at noon I will be emptying my locker, officially done with second year law and off to a celebratory lunch with my husband and then some shopping.
Two years down, one to go!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Sweet Things My Husband Does
Monster is not known for his overtly romantic gestures. He rarely brings me flowers and he never writes me love letters or dedicates songs to me. But he does a thousand little things that mean just as much.
For example, the night before I write an exam, he always takes the initiative to wear a nose strip to bed so he won't snore. It's so sweet to see him come in with his nose strip. So very thoughtful of him. He goes to bed at the same time as me so he won't wake me up.
And then, he gets up with me at 6 AM the next morning and takes me to Starbucks for breaktfast. After breakfast, he kisses me and wishes me good luck on my exam. He does this every time. Every time, I head off to my exams knowing that we are in this together and he totally has my back. I will take that over flowers any day.
For example, the night before I write an exam, he always takes the initiative to wear a nose strip to bed so he won't snore. It's so sweet to see him come in with his nose strip. So very thoughtful of him. He goes to bed at the same time as me so he won't wake me up.
And then, he gets up with me at 6 AM the next morning and takes me to Starbucks for breaktfast. After breakfast, he kisses me and wishes me good luck on my exam. He does this every time. Every time, I head off to my exams knowing that we are in this together and he totally has my back. I will take that over flowers any day.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Should the definition of 'reproductive health' include abortion?
In this clip, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is asked by a Republican if she supports contreception services in the aid packages the U.S. sends out overseas. Her answer is honest, direct and full of conviction. While at the same time, diplomatic as hell, especially after the the congressman addresses her as 'the disinguished gentleman.' WTF??! (I checked, and no, you don't have to address a female cabinet secretary as 'gentleman.' You can call her 'madam secretary.')
[Transcript below the video.]
Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ): —my question: Is the Obama administration seeking, in any way, to weaken or overturn pro-life laws and policies in African and Latin-American countries, either directly or through multi-lateral organizations, including and especially the United Nations, African Union, or the OAS, or by way of funding NGOs like Planned Parenthood; and, secondly, and so we can have total transparency—you know, you know, as a former lawmaker, we always have definition pages when we write legislation; definitions do matter—does the United States' definition of the term "reproductive health," or "reproductive services," or "reproductive rights," include abortion? I yield to the distinguished gentleman.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: Congressman, I deeply respect your passionate concern and views, which you have championed and advocated for over the course of your public career. We obviously have a profound disagreement.
When I think about the suffering that I have seen of women around the world—I've been in hospitals in Brazil where half the women were enthusiastically and joyfully greeting new babies and the other half were fighting for their lives against botched abortions. I've been in African countries where 12- and 13-year-old girls are bearing children. I have been in Asian countries where the denial of family planning consigns women to lives of oppression and hardship. So we have a very fundamental disagreement.
And it is my strongly held view that you are entitled to advocate, and everyone who agrees with you should be free to do so anywhere in the world, and so are we.
[camera cuts to Smith looking grim as fuck and totes pwned!!!1!]
We happen to think that family planning is an important part of women's health—and reproductive health includes access to abortion, that I believe should be safe, legal, and rare. I spent a lot of my time trying to bring down the rate of abortions, and it has been my experience that good family planning and good medical care brings down the rate of abortion. Keeping women and men in ignorance and denied the access to services actually increases the rate of abortion.
During my time as First Lady, I helped to create the Campaign Against Teenage Pregnancy, and while we were working to provide good information, access to contraception, and decision-making that would enable young women to protect themselves and say no, the rate of teen pregnancy went down. I'm sad to report that, after an administration of 8 years that undid so much of the good work, the rate of teenage pregnancy is going up.
So, we disagree. And we are now an administration that will protect the rights of women, including their rights to reproductive healthcare.
[applause from within the room]
[Transcript below the video.]
Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ): —my question: Is the Obama administration seeking, in any way, to weaken or overturn pro-life laws and policies in African and Latin-American countries, either directly or through multi-lateral organizations, including and especially the United Nations, African Union, or the OAS, or by way of funding NGOs like Planned Parenthood; and, secondly, and so we can have total transparency—you know, you know, as a former lawmaker, we always have definition pages when we write legislation; definitions do matter—does the United States' definition of the term "reproductive health," or "reproductive services," or "reproductive rights," include abortion? I yield to the distinguished gentleman.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: Congressman, I deeply respect your passionate concern and views, which you have championed and advocated for over the course of your public career. We obviously have a profound disagreement.
When I think about the suffering that I have seen of women around the world—I've been in hospitals in Brazil where half the women were enthusiastically and joyfully greeting new babies and the other half were fighting for their lives against botched abortions. I've been in African countries where 12- and 13-year-old girls are bearing children. I have been in Asian countries where the denial of family planning consigns women to lives of oppression and hardship. So we have a very fundamental disagreement.
And it is my strongly held view that you are entitled to advocate, and everyone who agrees with you should be free to do so anywhere in the world, and so are we.
[camera cuts to Smith looking grim as fuck and totes pwned!!!1!]
We happen to think that family planning is an important part of women's health—and reproductive health includes access to abortion, that I believe should be safe, legal, and rare. I spent a lot of my time trying to bring down the rate of abortions, and it has been my experience that good family planning and good medical care brings down the rate of abortion. Keeping women and men in ignorance and denied the access to services actually increases the rate of abortion.
During my time as First Lady, I helped to create the Campaign Against Teenage Pregnancy, and while we were working to provide good information, access to contraception, and decision-making that would enable young women to protect themselves and say no, the rate of teen pregnancy went down. I'm sad to report that, after an administration of 8 years that undid so much of the good work, the rate of teenage pregnancy is going up.
So, we disagree. And we are now an administration that will protect the rights of women, including their rights to reproductive healthcare.
[applause from within the room]
Thursday, April 23, 2009
I know I said I wouldn't post on the Miss USA debacle anymore...
...but this video is just too awesome to resist. First of all, it's a videoblog by a guy who gets it about sexist bullshit values. And there is nothing that melts my heart quicker than a guy who *gets* that women are told to be beautiful, thin, smart-but-not-too-smart, poised (and did I mention beautiful) to keep women from feeling valued in society as, you know, people.
So, I love that about this dude. And also? I love the cat jumping on his (couch? bed?) couch at about the middle point of the video. Guys who are sweet to animals generally are sweet to vunerable people, as well, so double-points for him. Small caveat: I have no idea who this guy is. None. But he kindda reminds me of Richard (guyliner) from Lost and that is cool, too.
P.S.: one of my term papers was on 'heteronormative normanclature' and how it affects the pornography debate (yes, we get to write really interesting papers in law school to make up for the fact that first year was so intellectually unstimulating.)
So, I love that about this dude. And also? I love the cat jumping on his (couch? bed?) couch at about the middle point of the video. Guys who are sweet to animals generally are sweet to vunerable people, as well, so double-points for him. Small caveat: I have no idea who this guy is. None. But he kindda reminds me of Richard (guyliner) from Lost and that is cool, too.
P.S.: one of my term papers was on 'heteronormative normanclature' and how it affects the pornography debate (yes, we get to write really interesting papers in law school to make up for the fact that first year was so intellectually unstimulating.)
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Why do we need women on the court?
After moving to Canada, I was thrilled to learn that there are four women on the Supreme Court of Canada, including the Chief Justice (who used to be a professor at my law school!) Coming directly from the U.S., I was disturbed that Chief Justice Roberts assended to the Court after Justice Sandra Day O'Connor retired. This means there is only one women left on the Supreme Court of the United States. And she has cancer.
One of the classes I took last term was 'Women and the Law.' It was fascinating to go back over legal decisions in Canada over the past fifty years and see how very hard the white, male judges tried to keep women 'in their place.' They were denied the ability to go to college because it was found 'unseemly' and out of the natural scheme of things for women to gain an education. When women finally did obtain educational equality, the debate shifted to how much remuneration women should get from working on their husband's farms after divorce. After numerous decisions from men were they determined working on a farm and keeping house was just 'what any woman would do' it took a woman judge to make a determination which gave women fair division of property after marriage.
It took a woman judge to declare a seventeen year old mother attending a job interview was not consenting to sex just because she was not a virgin. (The lower court had decided that because the woman was dressed in shorts for this summer job at the mall interview, she was looking for sex even though she said 'no' and pushed the forty-something male rapist away multiple times.)
The following verdict that just came this week serves as an example as to why we need women on the court: to remind the men that women are people, too. People who, when we are thirteen years old feel very embarrassed and protective over our budding little bodies and don't want to be stripped searched in front of three nurses, shaking out our bras and our underwear, exposing ourselves because of the fear of aspirin.
If more women were on the court, we could perhaps persuade the rest of the justices that forcing a child to a strip search (an event which lead to her eventually dropping out of school altogether) is a bigger deal than, say, changing clothes for gym class. For one thing, speaking as someone who did change their clothes in such a way, the process is done quickly so as not to attract any attention. Secondly, if an adult were to watch me as I changed--and then went so far as to force me to shake out my bra and underwear--I would be mortified. Mortified!
Women need more representation because we need to remind men that we are real humans too, not sex objects, not romantic interests for our fathers. Women are people. If that message permeates the social and political landscape before I die, I will be one happy human being.
One of the classes I took last term was 'Women and the Law.' It was fascinating to go back over legal decisions in Canada over the past fifty years and see how very hard the white, male judges tried to keep women 'in their place.' They were denied the ability to go to college because it was found 'unseemly' and out of the natural scheme of things for women to gain an education. When women finally did obtain educational equality, the debate shifted to how much remuneration women should get from working on their husband's farms after divorce. After numerous decisions from men were they determined working on a farm and keeping house was just 'what any woman would do' it took a woman judge to make a determination which gave women fair division of property after marriage.
It took a woman judge to declare a seventeen year old mother attending a job interview was not consenting to sex just because she was not a virgin. (The lower court had decided that because the woman was dressed in shorts for this summer job at the mall interview, she was looking for sex even though she said 'no' and pushed the forty-something male rapist away multiple times.)
The following verdict that just came this week serves as an example as to why we need women on the court: to remind the men that women are people, too. People who, when we are thirteen years old feel very embarrassed and protective over our budding little bodies and don't want to be stripped searched in front of three nurses, shaking out our bras and our underwear, exposing ourselves because of the fear of aspirin.
If more women were on the court, we could perhaps persuade the rest of the justices that forcing a child to a strip search (an event which lead to her eventually dropping out of school altogether) is a bigger deal than, say, changing clothes for gym class. For one thing, speaking as someone who did change their clothes in such a way, the process is done quickly so as not to attract any attention. Secondly, if an adult were to watch me as I changed--and then went so far as to force me to shake out my bra and underwear--I would be mortified. Mortified!
Women need more representation because we need to remind men that we are real humans too, not sex objects, not romantic interests for our fathers. Women are people. If that message permeates the social and political landscape before I die, I will be one happy human being.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Litigating in Slices
So, yesterday I wrote a post about an incident at the Miss USA pageant and specifically one contestant, Miss California. This morning I find out that the questioner in--ahem--question, Perez Hilton, called Miss California a dumb bitch. And now I am really sorry I ever weighed in on this.
My Civil Procedure professor last term constantly stressed the importance of combining issues in court. Less issues equals less time and expense all around and results in a net reduction of judicial costs all around. That is the best analogy I can come up with to explain why I feel I shouldn't have commented on a slice of Americana. Instead of commenting on this little incident, maybe I should save my outrage against those with more power to oppress the disinfranchised. Like, say, Rush Limbaugh or Rick Santorem (when he was still around) or Sarah Palin (when she was still around.)
By calling Miss California a bigot, I was refering to her attitudes on gay marriage. I was not in any way implying she is stupid, dumb or that all women are dumb. But Perez Hilton was. So that is that. I should have saved my resources and blogged about something a bit less demeaning all around.
My Civil Procedure professor last term constantly stressed the importance of combining issues in court. Less issues equals less time and expense all around and results in a net reduction of judicial costs all around. That is the best analogy I can come up with to explain why I feel I shouldn't have commented on a slice of Americana. Instead of commenting on this little incident, maybe I should save my outrage against those with more power to oppress the disinfranchised. Like, say, Rush Limbaugh or Rick Santorem (when he was still around) or Sarah Palin (when she was still around.)
By calling Miss California a bigot, I was refering to her attitudes on gay marriage. I was not in any way implying she is stupid, dumb or that all women are dumb. But Perez Hilton was. So that is that. I should have saved my resources and blogged about something a bit less demeaning all around.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Miss California--Bigot
Last night was--apparently--the Miss USA pageant. I say 'apparently' because I am not a huge fan of a yearly competition which judges women on their appearance. Unless, of course, there was a 'Mr. USA' pageant of the same caliber and cred. I am all about the equality, people.
Anyway, Miss USA is asked about marriage equality from one of my 'favorite' people, Perez Hilton (there is a lot to unpack in this post but I won't get to Perez here.) Her answer, first of all, was false. There is not a choice to marry same-sex or straight. If you listen the the intro of Mr. "Hilton's" question, he prefaced it by saying that only four states (of fifty) allow same-sex marriage, so where is this 'choice' coming from, Missy? Seconly, just because you were raised to believe something doesn't mean it's not worth reflecting on again as an adult.
For instance, I was raised with a wide array of beliefs that I have since discarded as not based on solid fact. You have the opportunity to do that when you become an adult. It's called 'deductive reasoning.' Being a bigot because you were raised to be one is not a valid excuse. It just makes the rest of us think badly about your family and that is probably not the result you were looking for, Miss California.
Lesson: just because you are a bigot really and truly in your heart doesn't mean its okay to say it aloud. And if you do, free speech and all, the rest of us have the free speech to call you on it.
My Sister Has a Blog
It is brand new and has updates of the lil' Squishy. You can find it right here. She is just starting the next chapter after law school (called 'articling' here in Canada, it is taken from the U.K. tradition of appreticeship.) In Canada, we have combined the 3 year law degree invention of the U.S.(after obtaining a four year undergraduate degree) with a 10 month articling position intention of the U.K. to combine into the most intensive law degree ever created in the world.
It is a lot of work.
It is a lot of work.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Feminist Award
Yesterday, I found out I am a co-recipient of this award: here.
It's is such a honour to be chosen alongside the very women who inspired me to become an active feminist in law school.
It's is such a honour to be chosen alongside the very women who inspired me to become an active feminist in law school.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
The Daily Squishy
This really is turning into the DAILY Squishee. Here is a picture of her in my mother's dress (her mother saved it in 1949 for mom's kids. All six of us girls wore it and then it was saved again. Now the Squish-Squish wears the hell out of it!)
Monday, April 13, 2009
The Daily Squishy
6.5 months.
My Squishee moved away for her mom's work, so the pix taken over the next few months won't be taken by me but stolen from my sister's facebook page.
Happy Birthday to Me!
The crappy thing about being born in April (besides tax day) is exam season begins right around my birthday. Luckily, this year I am far enough ahead in my studies to take a night off. My husband brought me to 'Bridges' a gorgeous restaurant on the water of Granville Island, between the two main bridges linking to downtown. We had a delicious dinner and a great time together. Txs for making the night so special, Babe.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Awesomeness!
I am on a blog-posting roll today. It was our last day of class before exams and I have taken the afternoon off studying b/c I am feeling a bit sick and I cannot.be.sick.for.exams. It's, like, a Cardinal rule or something.
Anyway, this week Iowa's legislature past a gay marriage amendment (yay! happydance!) The govenor is trying to reverse it. He asked another senior member of the state legisature to co-sponsor the legislation and this is what that guy said:
Anyway, this week Iowa's legislature past a gay marriage amendment (yay! happydance!) The govenor is trying to reverse it. He asked another senior member of the state legisature to co-sponsor the legislation and this is what that guy said:
Cry Freedom
After I wrote the last post, a song popped into my head. It is a song I haven't thought of for years, but when I first moved to Tampa for school and was working crazy hours at the airport until 2 AM and then getting up early for class everyday, I used to listen to a Dave Matthew's ablum. I would pop it in while driving from school to work or from work to home late at night. This song, about South Africa, was very special to me because of my own connection with that beautiful land. The lyrics were so hopeful and the music so soft and simple. Just perfect.
"Let this flag burn to dust/And a new a fair design be raised."
This idea is very much the heart of my advocacy on behalf of women. That feminism will help lower the flag of so much suffering and human oppression and replace it with something more equalitarian, where more people are free to be human.
Cry Freedom--Dave Matthews
How can I turn away
Brother/sister go dancing
Through my head
Human as to human
The future is no place
To place your better days
Cry freedom, cry
From a crowd 10,000 wide
Hope laid upon hope
That this crowd will not subside
Let this flag burn to dust
And a new a fair design be raised
While we wait head in hands,
Hands in prayer
And fall into a dreamless sleep again
And we wave our hands
Hands and feet are all alike
But gold between divide us
Hands and feet are all alike
But fear between divide us
All slip away
There was a window and by it stood
A mirror in which
He could see himself
He thought of something
Something he had never had but
Hoped would come along
Cry freedom, cry
From deep inside
Where we are all confined
While we wave hands in fire
Wave our hands
Hands and feet are all alike
But gold between divide us
Hands and feet are all alike
But fear between divide us,
Slip away
In this room stood a little child
And in this room this little child
She would remain
Until someone might decide
To dance this little child
Across this hall
Into a cold, dark, space
Where she might never trace her
Way across this crooked mile
Across this crooked page
Cry freedom, cry
From deep inside where
We are all confined
Till we wave our hands
How can I turn away
Brother/sister go dancing
Through my head
Human as to human
The future is no place
To place your better days
Hands and feet are all alike but gold between divide us hands and feet are all alike but fear between divide us hands and feet are all alike hear what I say hear what I say oh, so be it
How can I turn away brother/sister go dancing through my head human as to human the future is no place to place your better days
"Let this flag burn to dust/And a new a fair design be raised."
This idea is very much the heart of my advocacy on behalf of women. That feminism will help lower the flag of so much suffering and human oppression and replace it with something more equalitarian, where more people are free to be human.
Cry Freedom--Dave Matthews
How can I turn away
Brother/sister go dancing
Through my head
Human as to human
The future is no place
To place your better days
Cry freedom, cry
From a crowd 10,000 wide
Hope laid upon hope
That this crowd will not subside
Let this flag burn to dust
And a new a fair design be raised
While we wait head in hands,
Hands in prayer
And fall into a dreamless sleep again
And we wave our hands
Hands and feet are all alike
But gold between divide us
Hands and feet are all alike
But fear between divide us
All slip away
There was a window and by it stood
A mirror in which
He could see himself
He thought of something
Something he had never had but
Hoped would come along
Cry freedom, cry
From deep inside
Where we are all confined
While we wave hands in fire
Wave our hands
Hands and feet are all alike
But gold between divide us
Hands and feet are all alike
But fear between divide us,
Slip away
In this room stood a little child
And in this room this little child
She would remain
Until someone might decide
To dance this little child
Across this hall
Into a cold, dark, space
Where she might never trace her
Way across this crooked mile
Across this crooked page
Cry freedom, cry
From deep inside where
We are all confined
Till we wave our hands
How can I turn away
Brother/sister go dancing
Through my head
Human as to human
The future is no place
To place your better days
Hands and feet are all alike but gold between divide us hands and feet are all alike but fear between divide us hands and feet are all alike hear what I say hear what I say oh, so be it
How can I turn away brother/sister go dancing through my head human as to human the future is no place to place your better days
Phyllis Schlafly Knows What's Wrong with Society...Dem Wimminz.
Phyllis Schlafly is an 84 year old anti-feminist who just wrote an article for Time magazine blaming all of marriage failings (ok, not all, just 95% on feminism, %5 on gay people.) Here is a quote from the article:
"The feminist movement is not about success for women. It is about treating women as victims and about telling women that you can’t succeed because society is unfair to you, and I think that’s a very unfortunate idea to put in the minds of young women because I believe women can do whatever they want. Feminists don’t honor successful women."
Um, what? Honestly, what? As a feminist, I am nothing but THRILLED to find strong successful women I can look up to. They are called 'mentors.' And treating women like victims...I don't know what she is getting out here. If she is describing the fact feminists look at domestic violence, lack of child support, unequal pay for women and say, the sexualization of women's bodies and the rape culture and say "There is some bulls**t going on here." then yeah. The definition of victim is someone upon whom wrong has been enacted. That definetely fits. But is that the end? Does she think feminist say, "women are victims and so just lay there passively and take it?!" Hell to the no.
As a feminist, I have donated my time to domestic violence shelters, getting women legal support (divorces, child support, custody orders). I have counselled my clients to be strong, keep going, go back to school, look to the future. Because, while they and I are victims of a patriarchal system which sees us as less, we do not see ourselves as less. We see ourselves as just as entitled to happiness, success, good will and love as the next person (read: man).
As a feminist, I have written articles in the local paper denouncing sexism against national politicians, even those whose views differ drastically from mine. Did I write, "women politicians are victims of system which sees them first as sex objects and second as people" and then advise these politicians to give up and go home? No, that would be you, Phyllis. I advised a change in the system and how we see woman and proposed we celebrate women's ability to lead just as much as we celebrate a man's.
As a feminist, I have volunteered as a legal researcher for a non-profit bringing test cases to the Supreme Court, resulting in more equal division of assets for women at the breakdown of a marriage. In my legal research, I did not advocate that women whose husbands hid assets from them during the course of the marriage learn to live with less. I advocated an equal division, based on contributions throughout the marriage.
What bothers me the most about this s**t is that it isn't even based on a real critique of feminism. I can criticize feminism: that it has focused on advancing the rights of middle-class white women over minorities, that is it blind to its own privelege when it comes to how minority women see the world. My kind of feminist, third wave feminism, is an improvement on the old model. It is more about the intersection of gendered oppression with other issues: family life, the environment, sexuality, local, national and international politics, the police state. It is about EVERYTHING and everyone.
It is even about men: creating a society which allows men to grow up free of the oppression of the macho man stereotype, so a man can pursue whatever profession, sport, artistry or life event that bests suits him without ridicule.
So, Ms. Schlafly, if you are going to criticize our efforts, please take the time to make an actual real criticism. Accusing feminist (activists who advance safety, health and human rights) of not caring about women is just...beyond belief stupid.
Please try harder. Ktxbye.
"The feminist movement is not about success for women. It is about treating women as victims and about telling women that you can’t succeed because society is unfair to you, and I think that’s a very unfortunate idea to put in the minds of young women because I believe women can do whatever they want. Feminists don’t honor successful women."
As a feminist, I have donated my time to domestic violence shelters, getting women legal support (divorces, child support, custody orders). I have counselled my clients to be strong, keep going, go back to school, look to the future. Because, while they and I are victims of a patriarchal system which sees us as less, we do not see ourselves as less. We see ourselves as just as entitled to happiness, success, good will and love as the next person (read: man).
As a feminist, I have written articles in the local paper denouncing sexism against national politicians, even those whose views differ drastically from mine. Did I write, "women politicians are victims of system which sees them first as sex objects and second as people" and then advise these politicians to give up and go home? No, that would be you, Phyllis. I advised a change in the system and how we see woman and proposed we celebrate women's ability to lead just as much as we celebrate a man's.
As a feminist, I have volunteered as a legal researcher for a non-profit bringing test cases to the Supreme Court, resulting in more equal division of assets for women at the breakdown of a marriage. In my legal research, I did not advocate that women whose husbands hid assets from them during the course of the marriage learn to live with less. I advocated an equal division, based on contributions throughout the marriage.
What bothers me the most about this s**t is that it isn't even based on a real critique of feminism. I can criticize feminism: that it has focused on advancing the rights of middle-class white women over minorities, that is it blind to its own privelege when it comes to how minority women see the world. My kind of feminist, third wave feminism, is an improvement on the old model. It is more about the intersection of gendered oppression with other issues: family life, the environment, sexuality, local, national and international politics, the police state. It is about EVERYTHING and everyone.
It is even about men: creating a society which allows men to grow up free of the oppression of the macho man stereotype, so a man can pursue whatever profession, sport, artistry or life event that bests suits him without ridicule.
So, Ms. Schlafly, if you are going to criticize our efforts, please take the time to make an actual real criticism. Accusing feminist (activists who advance safety, health and human rights) of not caring about women is just...beyond belief stupid.
Please try harder. Ktxbye.
Friday, April 03, 2009
On Being a Stupid Woman
Watching President Obama's trip to Europe with the first lady this week has been so complicated for me. On the one hand, I am so very pleased that the United States has representation that relies on mutual respect and dignity rather than telling the rest of the world to go f**k itself on overseas visits, winking at the queen and groping Angela Murkle.
On the other hand, I have been disheartened to see how much attention Michelle Obama's outfits get from the press. The woman has an undergraduate degree from Princeton, a law degree from Harvard and spent her career working in intellectual property law and hospital administration. She is so far beyond what I could ever HOPE to do with my career, and yet its all about her pearls, her flats, her sweater belts and outfits. Why can't women EVER move out of the shadows of sexual objection and be considered a real person?
It makes me sad. I want to hope that I will be able to touch people's lives with my ability to navigate the legal system for them. I hope that I will be considered an advocate, a humanitarian, a person who joined the global initiative to eradicate poverty, prejudice and inequality. But, I wonder, while I'm making my arguments in court, will people will be checking out my outfit?
On the other hand, I have been disheartened to see how much attention Michelle Obama's outfits get from the press. The woman has an undergraduate degree from Princeton, a law degree from Harvard and spent her career working in intellectual property law and hospital administration. She is so far beyond what I could ever HOPE to do with my career, and yet its all about her pearls, her flats, her sweater belts and outfits. Why can't women EVER move out of the shadows of sexual objection and be considered a real person?
It makes me sad. I want to hope that I will be able to touch people's lives with my ability to navigate the legal system for them. I hope that I will be considered an advocate, a humanitarian, a person who joined the global initiative to eradicate poverty, prejudice and inequality. But, I wonder, while I'm making my arguments in court, will people will be checking out my outfit?
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