Over my lifetime, I've realized that misogyny is the single worst act of oppression in the world. We here in the United States of America like to pretend we're above such prejudice, but we're the worst. We're the worst, because our country is young and if one is to read our Constitution, our laws and simply look at our history, women have had a voice for a very short time and their voice is often drowned out by the voices of men. Insecure, old, white men.
Yesterday, as I watched Sally Yates get interrupted, while James Clapper was given the respect of a peer, it really hit me what the problem was regarding Sally Yates' past warning. She was a woman, giving information that would take down a man. A military man. In 2017, that still isn't acceptable to the Old Boy's Club of American politics, but it speaks to a bigger problem.
Even in our liberal discussions, we say "what about women and children," as if they're equally as feeble and inept in their abilities to care for themselves. The same people that preach equality compare women to children more often than comparing women to men. When we believe we've granted equality, we scrutinize their abilities, their strength and worry about when they will take off or ask for leave, to have a child. Shouldn't we then question men on when they'll be "reckless" enough to try to conceive? We view men's ability to have sex, simply have sex, as more of a medical concern than that of a woman to carry a child for nine-months.
I had not realized until recently, that I've always been surrounded by misogyny, Raised by a misogynist, who was raised by two misogynists. Yes, even my grandmother fell into the roll of believing she was the weaker gender and passed it on to her children, her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Much like racism, misogyny is an ignorance passed down by generations after generation.
In many ways, I'm not better than anyone else. I view myself as a protector. Feel shame when I'm not the provider. Viewed control as my right, even when I told myself that giving it up was my choice. I'm trying to learn from my mistakes and I respect women more today than I did yesterday. Sally Yates earned my respect yesterday, not because she's a woman, but because she proved to be human. In an unequal setting, she too down two men, simply by being smarter than them. She also did it with the utmost respect for herself, her job and most importantly (in this case), her country. If Sally Yates was John Yates, nobody would have dared treat her as they did and she'd never had to have proven her worth. As a matter of fact, if she'd been John Yates, Michael Flynn would have been fired immediately and she'd still have her position. I'm sure of this.
American Hero lacks a gender. Maybe one day, American will.
Yesterday, as I watched Sally Yates get interrupted, while James Clapper was given the respect of a peer, it really hit me what the problem was regarding Sally Yates' past warning. She was a woman, giving information that would take down a man. A military man. In 2017, that still isn't acceptable to the Old Boy's Club of American politics, but it speaks to a bigger problem.
Even in our liberal discussions, we say "what about women and children," as if they're equally as feeble and inept in their abilities to care for themselves. The same people that preach equality compare women to children more often than comparing women to men. When we believe we've granted equality, we scrutinize their abilities, their strength and worry about when they will take off or ask for leave, to have a child. Shouldn't we then question men on when they'll be "reckless" enough to try to conceive? We view men's ability to have sex, simply have sex, as more of a medical concern than that of a woman to carry a child for nine-months.
I had not realized until recently, that I've always been surrounded by misogyny, Raised by a misogynist, who was raised by two misogynists. Yes, even my grandmother fell into the roll of believing she was the weaker gender and passed it on to her children, her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Much like racism, misogyny is an ignorance passed down by generations after generation.
In many ways, I'm not better than anyone else. I view myself as a protector. Feel shame when I'm not the provider. Viewed control as my right, even when I told myself that giving it up was my choice. I'm trying to learn from my mistakes and I respect women more today than I did yesterday. Sally Yates earned my respect yesterday, not because she's a woman, but because she proved to be human. In an unequal setting, she too down two men, simply by being smarter than them. She also did it with the utmost respect for herself, her job and most importantly (in this case), her country. If Sally Yates was John Yates, nobody would have dared treat her as they did and she'd never had to have proven her worth. As a matter of fact, if she'd been John Yates, Michael Flynn would have been fired immediately and she'd still have her position. I'm sure of this.
American Hero lacks a gender. Maybe one day, American will.
Well said Jon ... well said ... thank you
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