Seriously, guys. I just can't with these people. I know we're supposed to be calm, and collected, and engage in serious debate, but I just...no wonder people go rage-y on the news and in comment boards.
Last night, Texas went all to shit and it's no surprise, considering the progress of things in Ohio and Wisconsin of late. People yelled, and tampons were confiscated, and shitty people gloated, and I went to bed early because I Just. Cannot. Anymore.
People love to employ the trope of the "angry feminist." And sometimes, we feminists make it easy, because we are angry. GUYS, WE ARE SO ANGRY I CANNOT EVEN TELL YOU. We are angry because no matter what progress is made, hatred, devaluation, exploitation, and belittling of women is still everywhere. Even in America. It's in workplaces, and doctor's offices, and government chambers, and homes, and schools. It's in the act of walking down the street near my home in San Francisco at 7 pm when it is still light out and being called a "cunt" because I won't smile at the drunken homeless man on the corner who makes a lewd comment. And last night, it was in the actions of the Texas state senate, which not only passed a bill that will (if enacted) severely restrict TX women's access to safe and legal abortions, but also refused to entertain amendments that would otherwise help women and families (sex education improvements, funding to update clinics, exceptions to the bill for women's health). If you care about or even remotely like women and the quality of their health care, you do not pass this bill and you certainly don't reject all amendments out of hand that would improve women's lives. So yeah, we're angry. When people are detested and held down because of their skin color or ethnic background or which set of reproductive organs they possess, they tend to get fucking angry.
I get that people don't like abortion and vehemently oppose it. I get it! You know what? I don't like abortion either! It sucks! It's a traumatic process, and is usually being performed because of less-than-ideal (unwanted pregnancy due to BC failure or lack of BC, no financial or other resources to birth or raise a child) or outright tragic (serious birth defect, result of rape or incest, mother going to die) circumstances. However, if human history, medical science, and common fucking sense are any indication, its existence is critical to the overall health of the female population. If you are not a woman choosing to get one, it is also (according to the Supreme Court and, you know, personal autonomy) none of your fucking business.
So why do so many conservative lawmakers make it their business? Do they really think our idea of a fun Saturday is to head to the abortion clinic with our gal pals with the theme to Sex and the City playing on our iPods? Do they think we all have those cards like you use at Panera: "Get nine abortions and your tenth is free?!" I know they don't care about kids, because once they're born many extreme conservatives would rather let them die of a preventable illness than pay a bit more in taxes to get them affordable health care. I know they don't care about life because they refuse to support reasonable gun control laws and love executing incarcerated criminals. So my conclusion is that, if they're men, they really just hate us. If they're women, they really just hate themselves.
So what do I, a woman with a brain, do in the face of such hatred? I give up on tolerance and calmness of manner. I just don't care anymore; I can't care and be measured, because it is damned exhausting. I don't respect your views, and I don't respect you. You hate me because of mine, and also (mainly) because I have a vagina. So why the fuck should I turn the other cheek? What the hell: I hate you too. If you are anti-choice, go fuck yourself. Or die. Whatever works. Because I. Just. Can't. Anymore. You. Guys.
seriously, this world is legitimately f*cked. i feel like america is going to hell in a handbasket and i have no idea why these conservative groups are gaining so much ground!
ReplyDeleteThe real people controlling all of this are the people with serious money who foster hatred and intolerance so that the average person who is angry and doesn't know why can decide it because women are getting abortions or gay people are getting married or black people are walking on their street. They and their money are helping to elect these crazies to office.
ReplyDeleteTea partiers and others like them don't realize they are voting for people who want this country to go back to the days before the federal government taxed their extreme wealth, which was also before people had a living wage, when children were in the workplace, when nobody except the wealthy could afford medical care, when the hours a person worked was dictated by the owners. These same wealthy people want to get rid of SS and Medicare so that there is nothing for the elderly poor and middle class. But, how can these people hold on to their wealth if they destroy the middle class which provides their profits? I guess they have plenty and don't think they need worry about that. You know what? Anger is good--it can fuel a change. So, stay angry.