seriously?

“She does appeal to me,” Ms. Gates said. “You would feel she has the same values as you. Having a child with Down syndrome, and being the governor, and she calls herself a hockey mom. I was impressed. She’s very pretty and seems very smart. I hope it works out.”'
--NY Times, 30 August 2008

"She's very pretty and seems very smart."

Are you kidding me?!

sarah palin continued...

from a NY Times editorial:

"Pat Buchanan, the conservative commentator and former presidential candidate, however, captured a few of the themes coalescing today as the news began to settle in: “She’s probably the most dynamic young conservative in the country,” he said. (And F.Y.I., he also noted that Ms. Palin had held a fund-raiser for him in the 1990’s.) But while Mr. Buchanan gushed on MSNBC this morning and this afternoon that “this girl” or “this gal” was “beloved by the base,” he also called it “the biggest political gamble” in recent history."

"this girl"

"this gal"

"beloved"

so, ms. palin, do you like being referred to in this way? by "the base?" how about a little
R-E-S-P-E-C-T?! there, there, little girl. don't get all hormonal on me....you wouldn't want there to be a "perceived whine." don't demand to be treated, even in "gushing" discourse, with the same respect given to your male colleagues. and hey, i bet your 'gay friends' can wipe away your tears...after all, they know a bit about institutionally supported discrimination.

more on sarah palin

National Organization for Women (NOW) press release concerning Sarah Palin:

Not Every Woman Supports Women's Rights

August 29, 2008

Statement of NOW PAC Chair Kim Gandy on the Selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain's Vice Presidential Pick

Sen. John McCain's choice of Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his running mate is a cynical effort to appeal to disappointed Hillary Clinton voters and get them to vote, ultimately, against their own self-interest.

Gov. Palin may be the second woman vice-presidential candidate on a major party ticket, but she is not the right woman. Sadly, she is a woman who opposes women's rights, just like John McCain.

The fact that Palin is a mother of five who has a 4-month-old baby, a woman who is juggling work and family responsibilities, will speak to many women. But will Palin speak FOR women? Based on her record and her stated positions, the answer is clearly No.

In a gubernatorial debate, Palin stated emphatically that her opposition to abortion was so great, so total, that even if her teenage daughter was impregnated by a rapist, she would "choose life" -- meaning apparently that she would not permit her daughter to have an abortion.

Palin also had to withdraw her appointment of a top public safety commissioner who had been reprimanded for sexual harassment, although Palin had been warned about his background through letters by the sexual harassment complainant.

What McCain does not understand is that women supported Hillary Clinton not just because she was a woman, but because she was a champion on their issues. They will surely not find Sarah Palin to be an advocate for women.

Sen. Joe Biden is the VP candidate who appeals to women, with his authorship and championing of landmark domestic violence legislation, support for pay equity, and advocacy for women around the world.

Finally, as the chair of NOW's Political Action Committee, I am frequently asked whether NOW supports women candidates just because they are women. This gives me an opportunity to once again answer that question with an emphatic 'No.' We recognize the importance of having women's rights supporters at every level but, like Sarah Palin, not every woman supports women's rights.

sarah palin?! puh-leez.

seriously? i mean, really, like seriously.

wow, i hope women (hillary supporters primarily) are not as stupid as mccain is banking on them being. of course i want to see a woman in the highest office in the land but that certainly doesn't trump my desire to see a socially liberal candidate in office--someone who supports gay rights (because gay rights are civil rights & human rights), a woman's right to control her own body (because women's rights are human rights & civil rights), and who believes in practicing a foreign policy which seeks to build bridges between the united states and the rest of the world instead of blowing them up & torching the rubble, and who supports the implementation of a health care system which treats basic health care as a basic human right for every american.

obviously, this candidate is not sarah palin. john mccain's choice for vp running mate is important because let's face it--the dude's high school graduation picture is probably a painting on a cave somewhere in france, and he's not getting any younger. so why this person?! seriously, people. let's be smarter than john mccain hopes we are.

let's take a look at a few "gems" from sarah palin's controversial wikipedia page and get to know this (un)experienced politician.

"Palin was elected governor in 2006 after defeating incumbent governor Frank Murkowski in the Republican primary and former Democratic governor Tony Knowles in the general election. She was the youngest person, and the first woman, to be elected governor of Alaska. She gained attention for publicizing ethical violations by state Republican Party leaders.^[when?] Before becoming governor, Palin served two terms on the Wasilla, Alaska, City Council from 1992 to 1996, was elected and re-elected mayor of Wasilla for two three-year terms in 1996 and 1999. She also ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 2002. Palin holds a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from the University of Idaho."

---well, she barely has more credentials than me...so that's encouraging if i ever want to be a republican vp nominee!

"In May 2008, Palin objected to the decision of Dirk Kempthorne, the Republican United States Secretary of the Interior, to list polar bears as an endangered species. She threatened a lawsuit to stop the listing amid fears that it would hurt oil and gas development in the bears' habitat off Alaska's northern and northwestern coasts."

---seriously?!

"Palin's husband, Todd Palin,^[71] works for BP energy corporation at an oil field on Alaska's North Slope^[72] and works as a fisherman in his hometown in the summers."

---say WHAT?!

"She opposes same-sex marriage, but she has stated that she has gay friends and is receptive to gay and lesbian concerns about discrimination.^[16] Palin complied with an Alaskan state Supreme Court order and signed an implementation of same-sex benefits into law under protest, stating that legal options to avoid doing so had run out.^[42][43] She supported a non-binding referendum on whether there should be a constitutional amendment on the matter.^[44]

--"gay friends?" oh wow, she's so progressive! yeah, some "friend" she is.

"Alaska was one of the first U.S. states to pass a constitutional ban on gay marriage, in 1998, along with Hawaii.^[45] Palin has stated that she supported the 1998 constitutional amendment.^[16]"

---ew, ew, eeeewwww!!! is all i have to say about that. this is NOT something to be proud of. this is disgusting. god bless california and massachusetts.

"A major consideration in Palin's selection was her appeal to former Clinton supporters in the contentious Democratic primary.^[69] Palin, when asked about Senator Clinton's complaints regarding her coverage by the press, said "that doesn't do us any good, women in politics, women in general, wanting to progress this country...when I hear a statement like that from from any woman, I think that there is a perceived whine."^[70]"

--what world are you living in, sarah palin?! however, i doubt palin will face the same level of scrutiny in the media (undoubtedly the result of a systemic, internalized gender bias in this country) as hillary rodham clinton because a cunt in a vp slot is not as threatening as a cunt in the big chair to the patriarchal powers that actively (though often covertly) work from the ground-up to reinforce and reproduce the status quo (read: this is a free country--if you are heterosexual, white, male, christian and preferably upper-middle class, too).

and here's a little note to ms. palin: do you know why you are able to vote? do you know why you are considered a person under the law? it's because women--brave and empowered women--who came before you had the courage to stand up and say "enough is enough" in spite of all those masculine power-mongers who accused them of being whiney, hormonal bitches. do you know why you even live in a world in which you can entertain the notion that the feminist battles have been won and women should "quit whining?" it is because of feminists--those who have come before, those who are with us now, and those who will be--that we live in a world in which women are people, too. and do you know what? many of them were/are/will be lesbians. is that threatening to you? oh, of course not. you have gay friends. well, a fine friend you are indeed...denying your fellow citizens and fellow human beings the same rights that you yourself take for granted. get over yourself. it is my hope and belief that in the future (in my lifetime, i hope) that the struggle for gay rights will be something taught in history classes...and children will find it hard to even imagine a world in which gay and lesbian citizens were not treated as first class citizens under the law. we have to keep vigilant...we have to protect the civil and human rights of all people. hatred is alive and well in this country...and we certainly have work to do in dismantling systemic, institutionalized racism, sexism and homophobia in this nation of ours.

in conclusion: women, let's vote on the issues. let's spend our votes investing in the kind of world we want to live in. america can do better than the status quo. it's in our nature. yes, we can!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin

Hate-mail disguised as a friendly forward

Sometimes I am so disgusted with American society that I simply don’t even know what to do with myself. So, I’m gonna blog about it. My mom forwarded me an email that she received from a friend of hers…she replied to the email with her own critical analysis of this piece of garbage, pulling out the tacit theories behind this “patriotic” little forward, and I am compelled to do the same. My responses to the email are posted in bold font below the content of the actual message. My mother’s responses were far more diplomatic than mine. I see no reason to tolerate hate-mail, racism, sexism, or homophobia. I am not interested in making myself palatable to individuals who spout this garbage or to the system which subtly (and sometimes overtly) cultivates, supports and encourages this filth. Perhaps I should note that the actual message arrived replete with jpegs of valiant American cowboys, American flags, and fireworks. God Bless the U.S.A.! (And the tacit theory behind that statement is—drum roll please—Fuck everyone else!)

Sent: Friday, March 21, 2008 9:51 AM

Subject: Someone Finally Said It!!!

Sad in this day and age but so true.

Someone Finally Said It!!!

Proud To Be White

Someone finally said it.

How many are actually paying attention to this?

There are African Americans,

Mexican Americans,

Asian Americans,

Arab Americans,

Native Americans, etc.

...And then there are just -

Americans. –Yep, they lived on this continent before Columbus “discovered” it.

You pass me on the street

and sneer in my direction.

You Call me 'White boy,'

'Cracker,' 'Honkey,'

'Whitey,' 'Caveman,'

...And that's OK. –Oh really?! Yeah sure, this is the kind of systemic racism that has been plaguing this country since the genocide of Native American populations. Yes, woe is the white majority in America. Aren’t they busy enough maintaining social, economic and political power in this country? Poor babies. Everywhere they go—whether in pursuit of jobs, higher education, home loans or venture capital—they are met with such ignorant and institutionally supported racism as is exemplified in the types of taunts and derogatory names listed above. “Reverse discrimination?” Give me a break, and then after you do that you and Justin Timberlake can cry me a fucking river. It (the term ‘reverse discrimination’) is propaganda intended to cater to our society’s possessive investment in whiteness—and even indicts white society as discriminatory in saying that it is possible to have a “reverse” practice of discrimination. As if discrimination itself is to be preferred over the alleged “reverse?” PUH-LEEZ. “…And that’s okay.” Nope, turns out power is interested in maintaining itself…and power will decry anything (affirmative action, equal rights, etc.) that threatens its superior status. How DARE anyone deign to believe that human beings ought to be granted equal rights in society based on their humanity! Yep, that’s the power machine talking.

But when I call you

Kike, Towel head,

Camel Jockey,

Beaner, Gook, or Chink,

...You call me a racist. –Yep, that is some mad-racist shit. It’s not funny, acceptable or patriotic—despite what the fear-mongering “freedom fry” pushers would have an ignorant, complacent public believe.

You say that whites commit a lot

of violence against you,

so why are the ghettos the most

dangerous places to live?

–The more apt question here is why are “the ghettos” populated by predominately Black and other minority groups? It’s called poverty, people. Multi-generational poverty, in many cases. (Also, let us consider the idea of a "ghetto." Remember how the Nazis put the Jewish people into ghettos? Or how about Indian reservations. Or remember the Japanse internment camps such as Manzanar in the U.S. during WWII? We can't be expected to have scary "others" living in the good, desirable places that we want for the good white folks!)Poverty breeds violence. But back to my original question…let’s take a look at the history of this, our great nation. You ever tried being a recently freed slave seeking to build a new life for you and your family in a country populated with a majority group of people who have been indoctrinated with self-righteous disdain for your race? I’d imagine it would be a rockin’ good time. So, with that history in mind let’s jump forward a few decades…(bearing in mind that it was not until 1964 that a comprehensive civil rights amendment was signed by President Johnson). Integration of high schools in 1954 after the Brown v. Board of Education decision: that went well. Ever heard of the “Little Rock Nine?” Nine Black students who attempt to integrate a historically all white school and are met with physical violence to the extent that federal troops and the National Guard have to be called in to protect the students. Well, more rockin’ good times courtesy of those peace-lovin’, non-ghetto whites. BUT BUT BUT, let’s not forget the red lining practices in granting home loans following WWII. How about Levittown, located in the northern east coast region. Affordable housing available to returning GI’s and their families—the creation of suburbia. Working class families can now afford to move into suburbia and live in single family homes, with yards and white picket fences! Hell yeah, access to resources enabling people to get out of urban areas…oh wait, nope. Black families are denied access to these new developments because if a Black family moves into the neighborhood, the whites will not live there (and the developers have to consider their bottom line, social justice be damned)—or, if they do, they will make sure that Black families do not feel welcome. You don’t have to be a card-carrying Klansperson to contribute to maintaining the status quo in this country! It’s about lack of access to resources and education—if you keep people down, you can perpetuate the stereotypes you have established for them, which in turn benefits you and keeps you in power. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! Don’t you just wanna stand up and cheer for the land of the free?! And doesn’t that make America’s condemnation of the Chinese for their treatment of Tibetans seem so totally not hypocritical? (This is not to say that I would ever, EVER support or agree with human rights abuses, ever…I merely mean to suggest that before Americans get on their self-righteous high horses, we should consider the situation of our own country both past and present.)

You have the United Negro College Fund.

You have Hispanic History Month.

You have Martin Luther King Day.

You have Asian History Month.

You have Black History Month.

You have Cesar Chavez Day.

You have Ma'uled Al-Nabi.

You have Yom Hashoah.

You have Kwanza.

You have the NAACP. –Funny you don’t mention Women’s History Month…probably because it originated with white, upper class feminists and so it isn’t quite as much of a threat to the Power Machine (I mean, feminists can easily be written off as wacked out, man-hating, dykey weirdos…so Power can maintain its hold). But it (Women’s History Month) was established based on the same principle—socially marginalized groups have these days of special recognition and organizations to advance their position in society , yes…and do you know why these groups would feel compelled to exert and celebrate their existence in this country? It’s called white supremacist, capitalist patriarchy—we have white male history day every day…only we don’t call it that, because then the authoritative “voice from nowhere” would be marked! *Gasp* AND THEN, well, WHO would be the norm in society? Against whom would we measure otherness? Why, then we might be forced to recognize the simple fact that we are all human beings who have ALL contributed to the world and who ought to treat each other as such! No, no. We dare not challenge the hegemonic powers that be!

And you have BET.

If we had WET

(White Entertainment Television)

...We'd be racists. –Um, hello! Ever watched network television? Ever seen a mainstream movie? If so, then you have in fact watched WET.

If we had a White Pride Day

...You would call us racists.

If we had White History Month

...We'd be racists. –Yeah, lets have White Pride Day….right after Straight Pride day and Men’s History Month. On those days we’ll gear a huge majority of advertising (billboards, radio, television, newspaper, magazine, online) towards straight, white people…thus informing society of who they ought to be, so that everyone can spend their money so that even if they can’t be that happy, white, heterosexual couple, well at least they can strive endlessly towards an arbitrary ideal of what it means to be American, thus fattening our wallets while making everyone who is not that straight, white, beautiful couple feel invisible. Oh, and lets not forget to include a healthy dose of misogyny—after all, where would we be if we didn’t objectify, belittle and oppress women in ways so subtle that most of the time they aren’t even aware it’s happening?! And of course, we’ll make sure that “others” are only visible in popular culture in disparaging or limited representations, or at the very least we’ll frame their experiences in terms of us. Hell, let’s even go so far as to teach straight, white, male history as if it were History, conveniently ignoring things that make us look bad, as well as ignoring the contributions and experiences of “others.” WELL SHIT, TURNS OUT WE HAVE WHITE PRIDE DAY AND STRAIGHT PRIDE DAY AND MEN’S HISTORY MONTH EVERYDAY! Why limit ourselves to one day or one month a year?!!

If we had any organization for only whites

to 'advance' OUR lives,

...We'd be racists. –“If?” “If?” Get real. Our whole system is designed to advance the lives of whites.

We have a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce,

a Black Chamber of Commerce,

and then we just have the plain

Chamber of Commerce.

Wonder who pays for that? –Taxpayers. I suppose you’re going to tell me that white people are the only people who pay taxes?

If we had a college fund that only gave

white students scholarships

...You know we'd be racists. –Why yes, I do know.

There are over 60 openly-proclaimed

Black-only Colleges in the US ,

yet if there were 'White-only Colleges'

...THAT would be a racist college. –Oh yeah. Cause white people really need a special school in order to focus on their history, experiences, etc. White people really need their own school in order to be free of social, political and economic discrimination, both deliberate and inadvertent. That doesn’t even make sense. And yes, that would be a racist college. Funny thing is, there are tons of institutions in our society (I don’t mean just colleges, but all sorts of institutions) that take covert action to be white-only institutions…this is why we have affirmative action policies. But of course, the hegemonic powers that be would have us believe that these policies exist because uppity minority groups (often including women as a marginalized group) are trying to usurp the throne and punish good, pure white (male) people. Does anyone else hear the resounding sound of BULL-FUCKING-SHIT??!!

In the Million-Man March,

you believed that you were

marching for your race and rights. (--“Believed?” WTF?)

If we marched for our race and rights,

...You would call us racists. –White people don't have to march for our rights--we have them by accident of the color of our skin. (That was my momma’s response, I kept it.) Also, I think there have been some marches for white ‘rights’ however…often culminating in the burning of a cross on the front lawn of an African American family, or in the lynching of an African American person. See why ‘marching for white rights’ doesn’t even make sense as a concept in this country?! Seriously people.

You are proud to be black,

brown, yellow and red,

and you're not afraid to announce it.

But when we announce our white pride

...You call us racists. –I’d call you a bully, too. I’m not advocating that white people should feel inherently ashamed to be white, but rather that whites should recognize their place of privilege within society that is afforded them based solely on the fact that they happened to be born into the majority (Power) group as opposed to a group that is marginalized within American society. White people, such as myself, should remember this before jumping on the high-horse of self-righteousness. This is not to say that every white person will graduate from Harvard, travel the world, publish novels, cure cancer, make art and become deliriously rich and happy. Rather, what this means is that a white person will never face discrimination in mainstream society (workforce, education, police, government, etc.) based on the color of his or her skin. A white person will never know what it’s like to be handed a stereotypical identity by society and have to spend their life proving themselves not only as competent in whatever field he or she chooses, but as a human being as well. Don’t know what I mean? Think, “well I’m white and I haven’t had the world handed to me on a silver platter,” well then. You need to do some reading, starting with “The Possessive Investment in Whiteness,” and then do some soul-searching. Then come back and talk to me about this shit. Then tell me if you still believe in “the American dream.”

You rob us,

carjack us,

and shoot at us.

But, when a white police officer

shoots a black gang member

or beats up a black drug-dealer

who is running from the LAW and

posing a threat to ALL of society

...You call him a racist. --Whoa, hold up. Stop the show. Suggested reading to set the tone for your research: “Nobody Mean More to Me Than You And The Future Life of Willie Jordan” by June Jordan. Give it a read, and then do a google search for cases of police brutality directed at minority groups (there was a major case in ny this year) and then come back and tell me about how “they” rob, carjack and shoot “us” …and about how police brutality and racial profiling is never directed at minority groups. Tell me about how individuals are never discriminated against by authorities based purely on their membership to a (socially constructed) racial or ethnic group. Or if you’re not convinced, check the statistics. Check the court records—seriously. Hit up Lexis-Nexis.

I am proud.

...But, you call me a racist. –Well, you’ve made the case for yourself as such. It doesn’t matter what I call you. You’ve already defined yourself as racist.

Let's see which of you

are proud enough to send it on...

I'm disgusted enough to take the time to respond to this garbage.

new year's resolution 2008

generally i find resolutions to be stupid...BUT i need to expel these thoughts somehow, and so they're gonna come in the form of some resolutions for myself for 2008.

i am so fucking sick and tired of the hype surrounding weight loss and weight loss products and everything having to do with losing weight. all the tv and radio ads (particularly in resolution-making season) seem to be centered around the epitomical goal of fat-reducing.

"how dare you be fat you fucking pig! your life will not start until you lose those 20 pounds...so buy our stupid fucking shit and send yourself into a tumult of self-loathing and dissatisfaction until you give up, pig out and then come back and buy some more of our stupid fucking shit so that you can lose weight and be worthy of your personhood. and if you fail....well, we'll forgive you as long as you cry, admit to feeling deeply ashamed of yourself, and apologize profusely for your general existence."

i will not apologize.
i will not laugh at fat jokes.
i will speak up when i hear off-color remarks that offend me.
i will not act as if losing weight were the greatest accomplishment a person (particularly a woman) can have.
i will not talk about anyone's weight (too much, too little) in any negative terms.
i will refrain from evaluating peoples' physical appearances and will instead focus on getting to know the soul that lives in the body.
i will continue doing things that make me feel good...such as working out at the gym...because they make me feel good. simple as that.
i will never count calories
I AM PROUD.
i will wear my skin with the pride i feel in my soul.

so there you have it.
i am so fucking sick of listening to people (especially women) evaluating their self worth in terms of pounds and inches. it's sad, limiting and painful...and contagious. i can't help but feel self-doubt and self-disdain sometimes when seeing my reflection. this must stop. this is not healthy, it is not productive, and i refuse to accept it as a part of being a woman.

this year i want to work on filling and exercising my soul. health and well-being are holistic endeavors, and i will put my everything into the experience.

happy 2008!