There's something you need to know about me, and many anti-feminists (not all, I know for a fact, but many) especially if you are a feminist reading this.
Just because I am a anti-feminist does not mean I automatically dislike you. In fact, I probably don't unless you give me good reason. If you stand for equality, if you advocate men's issues as well as women's issues, if you recognize that racism has no boundaries, that poverty affects everyone, that disability can strike anyone, that rapists and abusers can be of any gender? We're not enemies. We're allies, we're fighting for the same cause. We simply fight under different banners. You're Gryffindor, I'm Hufflepuff. We're cool.
There's only one thing that WILL make me have a problem with you; haranguing me, badgering me, and otherwise attacking me for NOT being a feminist and trying to make me assume the label. I am an egalitarian. I CHOSE, of my own free will, of my own freedom of choice, of my own equality to make that choice, the label of egalitarian. To badger and attack me for doing so is not only anti-equality, it's misogynistic. You're saying that a woman can't choose any label but feminism for equality, because she obviously isn't intelligent enough to make the choice for herself. That. Is. Misogyny.
I've done the research, I've done the reading, I've spent more hours than many would ever spend even in college courses doing so, and I have made my choice. I am not stupid. I am not ignorant. I am not uneducated. I am not. Your. Enemy. Do you understand that?
Now, perhaps explaining to you why I chose to disassociate from the label will help you understand why I am so passionate in said disassociation.
I do understand that there are many feminists that are for equality, that are truly my allies in this war we fight to help men, to help the impoverished and oppressed, and to bring to light the true facts about rape and abuse as well as cease male genital mutilation as female genital mutilation has long been illegal in this country, and to also shed light on the REAL issues that women face - and I'm not talking the crap teenagers whine about on Tumblr that's just daily living for every individual, not just women, or the myth of the wage gap (that even feminism has disproven by now) but the fact that women need to take control of their own lives and education, and be responsible for what fields they enter; that women need to encourage their daughters to be confident and strong, and also encourage a healthy relationship with their fathers even if the parents are separated. (This goes for the sons too.) That women need to stop behaving like victims yet cry misogyny when they get treated as such; these are the issues we need to control right now, as women.
Yes, we need more women in STEM. But that is also a choice. Gender Studies majoring won't help with that, nor will it necessarily provide you an equal wage to that of a man who took a degree in Architechture. That is where responsibility comes in, too. We are responsible for our lives, for our education, for our futures, and that is a message that needs to be resonated throughout society as a whole. Men aren't responsible for us, we are.
That aside, the rest of the feminists, and sadly, these are becoming the majority despite anecdotal evidence, are creating a toxic core of misandry, misogyny, racism, and from some even transphobia within the movement. They don't want equality, they want female supremacy. They blame men for everything, they infantilize women as a whole, women are helpless, blameless victims always, and are never expected to take responsibility for anything. Anyone who questions them or the holy church of feminism is attacked, bullied, belittled, mocked, shamed, and even stalked and attacked offline. They shame any woman who is thin and fit and dares be feminine or show off her body while turning around and praising the same of any heavy woman (while I applaud body positivity, it must be equal!) and will harass any man who dares to comment on anything they post because they're men so what would they know and what right have they to speak?
I have never, not ever, faced as much misogyny from anyone, in any place, or from any group of people, as I have from these women. I'm talking a level of misogyny that would completely make them lose their fucking MINDS and explode their internet if it came from a man. I've been called a stupid brainwashed whore, I've been called a slut, I've been told I should be beaten and raped, I've been mocked BECAUSE I was raped and told 'See that's why you need feminism!' I'm not making any of this up; and there's more, but really, I don't even want to think about the worst shit... And yeah, it gets worse than that. All of that simply because I disagree with them. And I didn't even do so meanly. I rarely do. I just ask a question, or politely state an opposing view, and they flip their lids. It's ridiculous. And it isn't just me - I've talked to literally over 100 women who have faced this very same thing, by dozens of women, each, if not more, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Tumblr. One woman had to delete her Tumblr because the harassment was so intense she nearly committed suicide, and you can find stories similar to hers all over. Feminists are bullying and shaming women into mental breakdowns and legitimate suicide attempts all over social media simply because they aren't feminists. How dare they, right?
Then you have the people who, when you pose a point, go on a delusional rant, call YOU closed minded, and then block you before you even get a chance to respond. They don't want a conversation. They want sanctimony, self-satisfaction, and censorship while proclaiming it's for "equality." No, equality is letting BOTH SIDES SPEAK. You can't pick and choose when it comes to equality. Yet I've been blocked by so many feminists I don't even KNOW simply because I'm an anti-fem, or because of people I follow. They don't want to hear another viewpoint besides their own, they aren't interested in anything besides what feminists have to say. They don't want anything but censorship of all outside views. This is called an echo chamber. It isn't healthy, and in fact actually promotes mental instability, mental illness, and stunts emotional and intellectual growth. (Seriously, you can research that.)
These people don't want equality. They don't. This is the movement you are a part of now. This is what it has become. This is why I am an anti-feminist and am an egalitarian and why you will never, ever shove the brand of feminism onto my skin no matter how hard you try.
True equality is promotion of freedom of speech for all, even if you don't like it. It's equal rights and treatment for all, even if you don't like it (*Cough NDAA cough*), it's equal freedom of expression for everyone, even if you don't like it. You don't HAVE to like it, hell, you can even say you don't like it - that's your right. But you DO have to tolerate and accept it, if you truly are for equality.
And that includes letting other people decide not to be feminists without hounding them and trying to convert them.
Thank you for reading, and as always, feel free to comment below.
Showing posts with label equality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label equality. Show all posts
Monday, June 27, 2016
Sunday, June 26, 2016
The Truth About Anti-Feminists & Why I Advocate For Men
SO, I know this blog has strayed a fair bit from its title (Maybe I should change it; suggestions?) as my posts invariably meander more towards social issues, political issues, etc, along with chronic illnesses and the like. That is a trend that isn't likely to change any time soon, and this post isn't going to be any different.
Feminism is at the forefront yet again. Lately I - and other women of my ilk - have been getting judged more and more simply on the fact that we're anti-feminist without the individual taking any consideration of, nor any time to learn about, who we are as individuals. They assume we surround ourselves with misogynists, or that we have internalized misogyny. They assume we aren't for equality. They assume we're all from one political party, even.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. Anti-feminists are as diverse a group as feminists are in color, height, weight, religion, political party and sexuality. We aren't misogynists, we don't have internalized misogyny, and the overwhelming majority of us (there are always exceptions to any group) are pro-equality.
Speaking for myself, the very core of my attitudes on equality, the people I seek to help and advocate the most for aren't, in fact, women - they're men. This also gets me a lot of flak, but really, an equality movement shouldn't condemn me for this. You see, men need advocates - not only from their own sex, but they need women, too, to realize that they have issues, many of them the very same that women face, and some areas, as I've mentioned in other blogs and will briefly rehash here, women have the upper hand on.
Since the FBI's change of definition of rape in 2012 (largely thanks to feminism) being 'forced penetration' men can, by law, no longer be raped by women. They can only be sexually assaulted which is a much lesser, and far more trivializing, crime. Forced engulfment happens and quite often - perhaps even almost as often as forced penetration of male-on-female rape - but because of the number of victims who don't come forward and the change in the definition of rape, the actual statistics are extremely difficult to calculate. Male-on-male rape happens frequently as well; and men too have, just like women, to watch their drinks and ensure they aren't slipped a drug, and be wary when out and about alone at night lest they be attacked. Men aren't invulnerable, in fact, men are more likely to be mugged than women. This is something that not only needs to be considered but brought into understanding.
Domestic violence is also an issue; men are victims quite nearly equally to women, and often the female is the aggressor. In reciprocal violence, it's been found that women are equally as violent in the relationship as men, though, as I've mentioned before, if police are called, only the man would go to jail unless he himself has marks on his person. There are many, many, many domestic violence shelters and hotlines in this country for women, yet only one shelter for men, and I'm unsure if there's even a hotline for men. Perhaps one? Two? This is an area that is woefully kept in the shadows and needs to be pulled into the light; domestic violence in any form, to any gender, has to stop. A man may have the muscle to take the blows of a woman, but the emotional damage is still there, the psychological damage is still there, and it is STILL ABUSE. It isn't funny or cute or being a strong woman to hit a man. It's being an abuser.
As I mentioned jail above, let's go over that - if a man commits a crime, and a woman commits the same crime, the man will always get the harsher sentence. Always. Hell, a woman videotaped herself raping her one year old son and got a slap on the wrist. 8 months probation I think it was? (Correct me if I'm wrong, please; it may have been 8 months in jail. Just the same. Ridiculously light sentence for that shit.) Women teachers have sex with students all the time and walk away without jail time. Men? BEHIND BARS YOU GO! Always. It doesn't matter WHAT the crime is, men will receive harsher sentencing. It's almost as if the criminal justice system is telling women, 'Aww, you poor thing, you have a uterus, it's okay if you act out and break the law, we understand.' It's disgusting, and it needs to stop. Equal time for equal crime!
Then there's genital mutilation. Circumcision. Yeah, it's elective. But it's become so common it's ABNORMAL for parents -not- to do it. You're literally mutilating the penis of your baby without his consent, because he can't fucking consent, forever. It needs to stop. There's no benefit to doing it, in fact there are drawbacks to doing it - multiple - and yet people just keep on chopping off the foreskins! How about leaving it alone and if, when that baby grows up into an adult, he can decide for himself to get it done if he chooses to. Circumcision can be done as an adult, it isn't too uncommon actually. So in this day and age of recognition of bodily autonomy, why are we taking away the bodily autonomy of our sons in such a way? Changing his body forever in a way that can never be undone? Let him decide when he's old enough and mature enough to make the decision himself.
Lastly, stop shitting on men just because they're men. Seriously. I see the #NotAllWomen hashtag, and even the #YesAllWomen hashtag, because some of you are bold enough to attempt to speak for an entire gender (and by the way, half of the yes all women shit I disagree with, so no, not all women) for whatever reason, but if you can sit there and do that, why is it so hard for you to even entertain the idea of, much less accept, the fact that not all men are the same? Because they're not. Literally every single man is different because... *GASP* THEY'RE INDIVIDUALS. OMG! WHO WOULD HAVE FUCKING THOUGHT THAT?! Stop treating an entire gender like shit because some of them are assholes. Yes, some men are rapists, but guess what? So are some women. And some ducks. And some Dolphins. And my friend's dog to my leg. (Yes, I'm half-joking here, but really, I have to or I'm going to break something.) The only thing treating anyone like shit is going to do is make you look like a horrible person, and if you're getting your rocks off on treating someone like shit? You really ARE a horrible person.
All of that being said. Men, if I've left anything out, or if there's something you'd like my view on as a woman, feel free to drop me a comment or zap me a DM on Twitter ( @librumtinia )
Feminists, if you have anything to contend, the same goes with you.
Anyone else, if you have anything to say, any questions, comments, etc, drop a comment or a DM!
Feminism is at the forefront yet again. Lately I - and other women of my ilk - have been getting judged more and more simply on the fact that we're anti-feminist without the individual taking any consideration of, nor any time to learn about, who we are as individuals. They assume we surround ourselves with misogynists, or that we have internalized misogyny. They assume we aren't for equality. They assume we're all from one political party, even.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. Anti-feminists are as diverse a group as feminists are in color, height, weight, religion, political party and sexuality. We aren't misogynists, we don't have internalized misogyny, and the overwhelming majority of us (there are always exceptions to any group) are pro-equality.
Speaking for myself, the very core of my attitudes on equality, the people I seek to help and advocate the most for aren't, in fact, women - they're men. This also gets me a lot of flak, but really, an equality movement shouldn't condemn me for this. You see, men need advocates - not only from their own sex, but they need women, too, to realize that they have issues, many of them the very same that women face, and some areas, as I've mentioned in other blogs and will briefly rehash here, women have the upper hand on.
Since the FBI's change of definition of rape in 2012 (largely thanks to feminism) being 'forced penetration' men can, by law, no longer be raped by women. They can only be sexually assaulted which is a much lesser, and far more trivializing, crime. Forced engulfment happens and quite often - perhaps even almost as often as forced penetration of male-on-female rape - but because of the number of victims who don't come forward and the change in the definition of rape, the actual statistics are extremely difficult to calculate. Male-on-male rape happens frequently as well; and men too have, just like women, to watch their drinks and ensure they aren't slipped a drug, and be wary when out and about alone at night lest they be attacked. Men aren't invulnerable, in fact, men are more likely to be mugged than women. This is something that not only needs to be considered but brought into understanding.
Domestic violence is also an issue; men are victims quite nearly equally to women, and often the female is the aggressor. In reciprocal violence, it's been found that women are equally as violent in the relationship as men, though, as I've mentioned before, if police are called, only the man would go to jail unless he himself has marks on his person. There are many, many, many domestic violence shelters and hotlines in this country for women, yet only one shelter for men, and I'm unsure if there's even a hotline for men. Perhaps one? Two? This is an area that is woefully kept in the shadows and needs to be pulled into the light; domestic violence in any form, to any gender, has to stop. A man may have the muscle to take the blows of a woman, but the emotional damage is still there, the psychological damage is still there, and it is STILL ABUSE. It isn't funny or cute or being a strong woman to hit a man. It's being an abuser.
As I mentioned jail above, let's go over that - if a man commits a crime, and a woman commits the same crime, the man will always get the harsher sentence. Always. Hell, a woman videotaped herself raping her one year old son and got a slap on the wrist. 8 months probation I think it was? (Correct me if I'm wrong, please; it may have been 8 months in jail. Just the same. Ridiculously light sentence for that shit.) Women teachers have sex with students all the time and walk away without jail time. Men? BEHIND BARS YOU GO! Always. It doesn't matter WHAT the crime is, men will receive harsher sentencing. It's almost as if the criminal justice system is telling women, 'Aww, you poor thing, you have a uterus, it's okay if you act out and break the law, we understand.' It's disgusting, and it needs to stop. Equal time for equal crime!
Then there's genital mutilation. Circumcision. Yeah, it's elective. But it's become so common it's ABNORMAL for parents -not- to do it. You're literally mutilating the penis of your baby without his consent, because he can't fucking consent, forever. It needs to stop. There's no benefit to doing it, in fact there are drawbacks to doing it - multiple - and yet people just keep on chopping off the foreskins! How about leaving it alone and if, when that baby grows up into an adult, he can decide for himself to get it done if he chooses to. Circumcision can be done as an adult, it isn't too uncommon actually. So in this day and age of recognition of bodily autonomy, why are we taking away the bodily autonomy of our sons in such a way? Changing his body forever in a way that can never be undone? Let him decide when he's old enough and mature enough to make the decision himself.
Lastly, stop shitting on men just because they're men. Seriously. I see the #NotAllWomen hashtag, and even the #YesAllWomen hashtag, because some of you are bold enough to attempt to speak for an entire gender (and by the way, half of the yes all women shit I disagree with, so no, not all women) for whatever reason, but if you can sit there and do that, why is it so hard for you to even entertain the idea of, much less accept, the fact that not all men are the same? Because they're not. Literally every single man is different because... *GASP* THEY'RE INDIVIDUALS. OMG! WHO WOULD HAVE FUCKING THOUGHT THAT?! Stop treating an entire gender like shit because some of them are assholes. Yes, some men are rapists, but guess what? So are some women. And some ducks. And some Dolphins. And my friend's dog to my leg. (Yes, I'm half-joking here, but really, I have to or I'm going to break something.) The only thing treating anyone like shit is going to do is make you look like a horrible person, and if you're getting your rocks off on treating someone like shit? You really ARE a horrible person.
All of that being said. Men, if I've left anything out, or if there's something you'd like my view on as a woman, feel free to drop me a comment or zap me a DM on Twitter ( @librumtinia )
Feminists, if you have anything to contend, the same goes with you.
Anyone else, if you have anything to say, any questions, comments, etc, drop a comment or a DM!
Saturday, June 25, 2016
This Has To Stop
This post isn't going to be pleasant for many people, in fact, it's probably going to cause some butt hurt, but I really don't give a damn. Strap in, people, because this is going to get bumpy.
People have made posts about racism before, in fact, nothing has been more widely discussed. However, typically it's racism against particular groups - namely white people or African Americans (or is black PC now? I don't know; you tell me. I don't normally give a damn about PCness [that almost sounds like penis] but for once, I'm actually curious.) - and while this will touch on that a bit, this is about something else entirely, and will expand from there.
A family friend has a... We'll go with "cultural" name. At her workplace, she has faced sneers and derision, asking where she's from, where she was born, 'that's not an American name!' Etc. This woman was not only born in America, both of her parents are American as well. Her name is of Palestinian/Jordanian origin, which most people just throw under the "Arab" umbrella, but she was born and raised right here in the US of A. Since the shootings in Orlando, hell, since 9/11, the amount of racism and derision she has faced has been disgusting. Yes, she is Muslim, though she doesn't fully practice the religion beyond observing some of its laws such as not eating pork, etc. She doesn't wear a hijab, she to my knowledge doesn't pray five times a day, and there is nothing beyond her name and perhaps to an educated eye her skin tone and appearance that would make one even remotely assume she was of Middle-Eastern descent.
Her response to our shock at what she has faced is little more than "I'm used to it" in attitude. She shouldn't be. Just because someone is Middle-Eastern in heritage or name does not make them a terrorist, it does not mean they weren't born right here in America, it does not mean they aren't American, and it doesn't mean they're a Muslim - but even if they are a Muslim, that also does not mean they're a terrorist, either.
Muslims outnumber any other people of religion on this planet. In truth, if they wanted everyone dead, we would be. Every religion has its radicals, every religion has its whack jobs. That does not mean that the majority agrees with their views. That does not mean that the minority reflects upon the majority. I will forever stand with the Muslims who follow the peaceful teachings of their religion, just as I stand with the Christians who follow the teachings of love and peace of Christ, though Christians slaughtered Muslims in scores during the Crusades. No religion has its hands clean. Every religion has spilled blood. Every religion has radicals, even today. Stop letting the media turn you against literally a billion plus people for the actions of less than .0001% of them.
Yes, I am aware there are passages of the Quran that preach against infidels and preach war and the like. But the very same can be found in the Old Testament of the Bible. For Christians out there, are you aware that Jesus is considered a prophet in Islam? And that Muslims are, by law of their religion, to obey the teachings of their prophets? Are you also aware that Allah is simply the Arabic word for "God" and Jews, Christians and Muslims all worship the same God? Ignorance is what is fueling the hate and religious war that is going on right now, and the more the western world screams about their hatred of Islam, the easier you're making it on terrorist cells to go "Look at how they hate our religion! Look at how they hate us!" You're actually adding fuel to their fire, to their propaganda, making it easier for them to corrupt and recruit young minds to their cause. But you can't see that because you are so horribly blinded not only by what the media and politicians are throwing out but by your own prejudice.
People, this has to stop! It has to! Hate has to stop. I know that sounds naïve and like a pipe dream, to think that hate can end. But it can. It really can. All you have to do... Is stop doing it. Stop judging people based on the color of their skin, or their hair, or their eyes, or their bone structure. Stop judging people based upon their religion. Stop judging people based upon their political affiliation. Stop getting so worked up by the media and what it tells you to like or dislike, who or what to hate. What is or isn't wrong. You know in your heart, no, in your SOUL, what is or isn't wrong. Love your fellow human, no matter the color of their skin or their religion or their political party. Love them even if you think they're fucking morons! Love them even if they piss you off! Don't get angry back, don't respond to hate with hate. Respond to hate with love, with compassion, with kindness.
Hate is a sickness, it's a disease that's running rampant in our world because it's such a very easy thing to do. It's so very easy to hate people. It's so very easy to look at someone and hate them for who they are or what they're doing or what they're saying. The hardest thing is to love them even though everything they believe, or stand for, goes against everything YOU believe or stand for. But my God if we could do that... If every person could do that.. Could love, could forgive, could just let others lead their lives and be who they are without judgment, without condemnation, without vitriol and hatred, there would be world peace. Legitimate, lasting world peace. There would be no reason for war, because people would refuse to kill those they love.
Eliminating racism is the first step. Don't look at someone's name or skin tone and see they're Middle-Eastern and automatically assume they're a terrorist or not American, even if they don't speak English fluently - some people are born here in America but speak English as a second language because they spoke their mother tongue in their home growing up. Don't look at an African American and assume they're going to mug you or shoot you, or break into your home or what have you, or that they're living off of welfare because they're too lazy to get a job. Don't look at a white person and assume they're privileged, that they have it easy, that they have a good job and a good life and everything just slides over to them on a silver platter. Don't look at an Asian and assume they can't speak English or that they work in a nail salon, or that they automatically speak/read/write whatever language their ancestors did. Don't look at a Hispanic person and assume they do yard work, or work at Home Depot, or that they're an illegal immigrant.
I could go on but you get the idea. Stop assuming based off of heritage, off of race. Look deeper than that. Get to know the person. Know them for who they are, not where they or their parents came from. And if they DID immigrate and are legal citizens? Congratulate them! If they're illegal? See if you can do anything to help. It costs something like $30,000 to become a legal citizen in the United States. Most people who come here are trying to provide a better life for their children, or are fleeing terrorism or oppression, and many of them can only bring what they can carry and have very limited funds. Many of the illegal citizens WANT to be legal. (Don't give me some BS anecdotal evidence; statistics outweigh your anecdotes.) Hell, they have to pay taxes anyway, regardless of the lies you've been told about that. (Seriously, do legit research. They do.)
The Statue of Liberty says "Bring us your tired, your hungry, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." Yet American citizens seem to be screaming "CLOSE THE DAMN DOORS!" And that is so sad, and so completely un-American. We're a melting pot, we have always been a melting pot. We need to help each other, and hold each other up, not beat each other down. So what if the guy/gal beside you isn't a legal American? (Also, stop assuming it's only Hispanics that are illegal citizens; there are a lot of people of other "races", even white people[e.g. Scandinavian, German, etc], that are illegals) That doesn't mean they're any less deserving of your help, or mine.
In fact, if you're so concerned about their legal status, help them achieve it. Put yourself in their shoes for five minutes. Think about what may have drove them to come here illegally, only to find out the overwhelming amount of money they need to become legal citizens. How heartbreaking would that be, to come for a better life, to reach for the American Dream, only to find out it's just as far out of your reach in the country as it was outside of it?
Do you see my point here? We need to help each other; we need to stop worrying so much about what country someone is from, or whether they're "legal" and start worrying so much more about one simple thing. "Caucasian" isn't a race. "Hispanic" isn't a race. "Asian" isn't a race. "Arab" isn't a race. These are simply heritages. We are all one race - HUMAN. We need to focus on that, we need to help each other, we need to love each other, to protect each other, to care for each other, to tear down all of these stupid ass words we use to define each other by that we then use to discriminate whether it's sex, sexual orientation, gender - these are important for one's identity, yes, but in the grand scheme of things, the one main focus needs to be on the pure and simple fact we are all purely human. We need to respect that. Fuck everything else.
We. Are. Human.
Love each other.
Respect each other.
Help each other.
Care for each other.
Have some compassion, some empathy, for the suffering and the struggles of your fellow human regardless of where they live, or what they look like, or what they believe or think.
Listen not with your ears, not with your mind, but with your heart, and with your soul. Let them lead you, and the world will truly be a better place; and isn't that, really, the goal in life? To leave this world in a better place than which we entered it? I've always felt that it was... And unfortunately, in my nearly 30 years... It's only gotten worse. I do what I can for my small part of the world, and to reach out with the Internet to help those that I can when and where and how I can. I only hope that in some way... This causes a ripple in the pond that will become a wave. We must be the change we wish to see... And it starts with one person.
You.
People have made posts about racism before, in fact, nothing has been more widely discussed. However, typically it's racism against particular groups - namely white people or African Americans (or is black PC now? I don't know; you tell me. I don't normally give a damn about PCness [that almost sounds like penis] but for once, I'm actually curious.) - and while this will touch on that a bit, this is about something else entirely, and will expand from there.
A family friend has a... We'll go with "cultural" name. At her workplace, she has faced sneers and derision, asking where she's from, where she was born, 'that's not an American name!' Etc. This woman was not only born in America, both of her parents are American as well. Her name is of Palestinian/Jordanian origin, which most people just throw under the "Arab" umbrella, but she was born and raised right here in the US of A. Since the shootings in Orlando, hell, since 9/11, the amount of racism and derision she has faced has been disgusting. Yes, she is Muslim, though she doesn't fully practice the religion beyond observing some of its laws such as not eating pork, etc. She doesn't wear a hijab, she to my knowledge doesn't pray five times a day, and there is nothing beyond her name and perhaps to an educated eye her skin tone and appearance that would make one even remotely assume she was of Middle-Eastern descent.
Her response to our shock at what she has faced is little more than "I'm used to it" in attitude. She shouldn't be. Just because someone is Middle-Eastern in heritage or name does not make them a terrorist, it does not mean they weren't born right here in America, it does not mean they aren't American, and it doesn't mean they're a Muslim - but even if they are a Muslim, that also does not mean they're a terrorist, either.
Muslims outnumber any other people of religion on this planet. In truth, if they wanted everyone dead, we would be. Every religion has its radicals, every religion has its whack jobs. That does not mean that the majority agrees with their views. That does not mean that the minority reflects upon the majority. I will forever stand with the Muslims who follow the peaceful teachings of their religion, just as I stand with the Christians who follow the teachings of love and peace of Christ, though Christians slaughtered Muslims in scores during the Crusades. No religion has its hands clean. Every religion has spilled blood. Every religion has radicals, even today. Stop letting the media turn you against literally a billion plus people for the actions of less than .0001% of them.
Yes, I am aware there are passages of the Quran that preach against infidels and preach war and the like. But the very same can be found in the Old Testament of the Bible. For Christians out there, are you aware that Jesus is considered a prophet in Islam? And that Muslims are, by law of their religion, to obey the teachings of their prophets? Are you also aware that Allah is simply the Arabic word for "God" and Jews, Christians and Muslims all worship the same God? Ignorance is what is fueling the hate and religious war that is going on right now, and the more the western world screams about their hatred of Islam, the easier you're making it on terrorist cells to go "Look at how they hate our religion! Look at how they hate us!" You're actually adding fuel to their fire, to their propaganda, making it easier for them to corrupt and recruit young minds to their cause. But you can't see that because you are so horribly blinded not only by what the media and politicians are throwing out but by your own prejudice.
People, this has to stop! It has to! Hate has to stop. I know that sounds naïve and like a pipe dream, to think that hate can end. But it can. It really can. All you have to do... Is stop doing it. Stop judging people based on the color of their skin, or their hair, or their eyes, or their bone structure. Stop judging people based upon their religion. Stop judging people based upon their political affiliation. Stop getting so worked up by the media and what it tells you to like or dislike, who or what to hate. What is or isn't wrong. You know in your heart, no, in your SOUL, what is or isn't wrong. Love your fellow human, no matter the color of their skin or their religion or their political party. Love them even if you think they're fucking morons! Love them even if they piss you off! Don't get angry back, don't respond to hate with hate. Respond to hate with love, with compassion, with kindness.
Hate is a sickness, it's a disease that's running rampant in our world because it's such a very easy thing to do. It's so very easy to hate people. It's so very easy to look at someone and hate them for who they are or what they're doing or what they're saying. The hardest thing is to love them even though everything they believe, or stand for, goes against everything YOU believe or stand for. But my God if we could do that... If every person could do that.. Could love, could forgive, could just let others lead their lives and be who they are without judgment, without condemnation, without vitriol and hatred, there would be world peace. Legitimate, lasting world peace. There would be no reason for war, because people would refuse to kill those they love.
Eliminating racism is the first step. Don't look at someone's name or skin tone and see they're Middle-Eastern and automatically assume they're a terrorist or not American, even if they don't speak English fluently - some people are born here in America but speak English as a second language because they spoke their mother tongue in their home growing up. Don't look at an African American and assume they're going to mug you or shoot you, or break into your home or what have you, or that they're living off of welfare because they're too lazy to get a job. Don't look at a white person and assume they're privileged, that they have it easy, that they have a good job and a good life and everything just slides over to them on a silver platter. Don't look at an Asian and assume they can't speak English or that they work in a nail salon, or that they automatically speak/read/write whatever language their ancestors did. Don't look at a Hispanic person and assume they do yard work, or work at Home Depot, or that they're an illegal immigrant.
I could go on but you get the idea. Stop assuming based off of heritage, off of race. Look deeper than that. Get to know the person. Know them for who they are, not where they or their parents came from. And if they DID immigrate and are legal citizens? Congratulate them! If they're illegal? See if you can do anything to help. It costs something like $30,000 to become a legal citizen in the United States. Most people who come here are trying to provide a better life for their children, or are fleeing terrorism or oppression, and many of them can only bring what they can carry and have very limited funds. Many of the illegal citizens WANT to be legal. (Don't give me some BS anecdotal evidence; statistics outweigh your anecdotes.) Hell, they have to pay taxes anyway, regardless of the lies you've been told about that. (Seriously, do legit research. They do.)
The Statue of Liberty says "Bring us your tired, your hungry, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." Yet American citizens seem to be screaming "CLOSE THE DAMN DOORS!" And that is so sad, and so completely un-American. We're a melting pot, we have always been a melting pot. We need to help each other, and hold each other up, not beat each other down. So what if the guy/gal beside you isn't a legal American? (Also, stop assuming it's only Hispanics that are illegal citizens; there are a lot of people of other "races", even white people[e.g. Scandinavian, German, etc], that are illegals) That doesn't mean they're any less deserving of your help, or mine.
In fact, if you're so concerned about their legal status, help them achieve it. Put yourself in their shoes for five minutes. Think about what may have drove them to come here illegally, only to find out the overwhelming amount of money they need to become legal citizens. How heartbreaking would that be, to come for a better life, to reach for the American Dream, only to find out it's just as far out of your reach in the country as it was outside of it?
Do you see my point here? We need to help each other; we need to stop worrying so much about what country someone is from, or whether they're "legal" and start worrying so much more about one simple thing. "Caucasian" isn't a race. "Hispanic" isn't a race. "Asian" isn't a race. "Arab" isn't a race. These are simply heritages. We are all one race - HUMAN. We need to focus on that, we need to help each other, we need to love each other, to protect each other, to care for each other, to tear down all of these stupid ass words we use to define each other by that we then use to discriminate whether it's sex, sexual orientation, gender - these are important for one's identity, yes, but in the grand scheme of things, the one main focus needs to be on the pure and simple fact we are all purely human. We need to respect that. Fuck everything else.
We. Are. Human.
Love each other.
Respect each other.
Help each other.
Care for each other.
Have some compassion, some empathy, for the suffering and the struggles of your fellow human regardless of where they live, or what they look like, or what they believe or think.
Listen not with your ears, not with your mind, but with your heart, and with your soul. Let them lead you, and the world will truly be a better place; and isn't that, really, the goal in life? To leave this world in a better place than which we entered it? I've always felt that it was... And unfortunately, in my nearly 30 years... It's only gotten worse. I do what I can for my small part of the world, and to reach out with the Internet to help those that I can when and where and how I can. I only hope that in some way... This causes a ripple in the pond that will become a wave. We must be the change we wish to see... And it starts with one person.
You.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
The Hypocrisy of Feminists (Generally Speaking)
The reason I included 'generally' in this title is because I have met and/or spoken to feminists who fall outside of this generalization, and am aware that there are exceptions to the rule. So yes, in a sense, I'm saying "#NotAllFeminists" here. This is out of respect for the feminists that have earned my respect.
That being said, by and large, the majority of feminists have yet to do this. The majority of feminists have become a toxic, cancerous plague upon society and social networks. Their hypocrisy knows no bounds. They claim they want equality, and turn around and complain at NDAA because they 'don't want equality like that.' Or complain about women that are against feminism. Well, let me tell you something.
Just because there are people - male and female alike - against feminism doesn't mean they are against equality. Feminism is NOT for equality, and I don't care what dictionary definition you regurgitate, actions speak louder than words, and the feminist majority has spread nothing but misandry, racism (prejudice against white people IS STILL RACISM BY DEFINITION), misogyny, hate against CIS and straight people and even transphobia - namely against transwomen. Feminism has even excluded men from identifying as proper feminists - they can only be feminist allies. Then there's the whole "he for she" thing; feminism is all about promoting strong and independent women, yet it turns around and asks men for help? What?
If a person - especially a woman - states they are against feminism, they are bullied, they are harassed, they are threatened and mocked and belittled. They're insulted and told they should be raped, or beaten, or that they shouldn't have uteruses and aren't real women. I have faced so much bullshit because I identify as an egalitarian rather than a feminist, and truthfully, I've faced quite a lot of misogyny as well. Feminism claims to be against misogyny yet the very people who identify as feminists are throwing it around left and right! It's as though they feel women are only entitled to their opinions and rights if they identify as feminists and agree with the feminist ideology and dogma. That isn't equality. That isn't equal rights. That's why so many refer to feminists as feminazis. That sort of attitude - agree with us or else - is the very same attitude that drove the Nazi party. Biased propaganda, burning books that disagree with your ideals, harassing and bullying and attacking those that disagree with you, that identify as something differently than you, that challenge your beliefs... Does that sound familiar?
Just because I'm a woman against feminism doesn't mean I'm against equality. It doesn't mean I'm against equal rights. It doesn't mean I'm uneducated or stupid. It means I disagree with the social cancer that is feminism. I am pro-equality; I fight for men and women alike. Men need help in so many areas and feminism has completely ignored that in favor of seeking out female privilege; women have had equal rights to men for many years, and while there were certain areas where they were oppressed, that isn't the case anymore. What you're seeking for "equality" is really just privilege, and trying to change the world to protect your thin skinned ass from anything that may make you even slightly uncomfortable. Well, guess what? The world is full of things that will make you uncomfortable regardless of your gender. Get used to it, and deal with it like a damn adult. Help people that really need it. Look into equal rights for men, look at how they're genuinely oppressed and how the system is legitimately biased against them. Fight for them, if you are really for equality. They need your help, and so do many others.
Stop with the hypocrisy, stop attacking women just because they don't identify as feminists; they aren't your enemy. If you can't co-exist with non-feminists, you aren't for equality; everyone should have the right to their own opinion and ideals, their own choice to how they identify, in an equal society. If you oppress people who differ from you, you aren't for equality; period.
That being said, by and large, the majority of feminists have yet to do this. The majority of feminists have become a toxic, cancerous plague upon society and social networks. Their hypocrisy knows no bounds. They claim they want equality, and turn around and complain at NDAA because they 'don't want equality like that.' Or complain about women that are against feminism. Well, let me tell you something.
Just because there are people - male and female alike - against feminism doesn't mean they are against equality. Feminism is NOT for equality, and I don't care what dictionary definition you regurgitate, actions speak louder than words, and the feminist majority has spread nothing but misandry, racism (prejudice against white people IS STILL RACISM BY DEFINITION), misogyny, hate against CIS and straight people and even transphobia - namely against transwomen. Feminism has even excluded men from identifying as proper feminists - they can only be feminist allies. Then there's the whole "he for she" thing; feminism is all about promoting strong and independent women, yet it turns around and asks men for help? What?
If a person - especially a woman - states they are against feminism, they are bullied, they are harassed, they are threatened and mocked and belittled. They're insulted and told they should be raped, or beaten, or that they shouldn't have uteruses and aren't real women. I have faced so much bullshit because I identify as an egalitarian rather than a feminist, and truthfully, I've faced quite a lot of misogyny as well. Feminism claims to be against misogyny yet the very people who identify as feminists are throwing it around left and right! It's as though they feel women are only entitled to their opinions and rights if they identify as feminists and agree with the feminist ideology and dogma. That isn't equality. That isn't equal rights. That's why so many refer to feminists as feminazis. That sort of attitude - agree with us or else - is the very same attitude that drove the Nazi party. Biased propaganda, burning books that disagree with your ideals, harassing and bullying and attacking those that disagree with you, that identify as something differently than you, that challenge your beliefs... Does that sound familiar?
Just because I'm a woman against feminism doesn't mean I'm against equality. It doesn't mean I'm against equal rights. It doesn't mean I'm uneducated or stupid. It means I disagree with the social cancer that is feminism. I am pro-equality; I fight for men and women alike. Men need help in so many areas and feminism has completely ignored that in favor of seeking out female privilege; women have had equal rights to men for many years, and while there were certain areas where they were oppressed, that isn't the case anymore. What you're seeking for "equality" is really just privilege, and trying to change the world to protect your thin skinned ass from anything that may make you even slightly uncomfortable. Well, guess what? The world is full of things that will make you uncomfortable regardless of your gender. Get used to it, and deal with it like a damn adult. Help people that really need it. Look into equal rights for men, look at how they're genuinely oppressed and how the system is legitimately biased against them. Fight for them, if you are really for equality. They need your help, and so do many others.
Stop with the hypocrisy, stop attacking women just because they don't identify as feminists; they aren't your enemy. If you can't co-exist with non-feminists, you aren't for equality; everyone should have the right to their own opinion and ideals, their own choice to how they identify, in an equal society. If you oppress people who differ from you, you aren't for equality; period.
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
"I Want Equality, But Not Like This!"
So as many of you are aware, the US Senate recently passed a bill called the National Defense Authorization Act - or NDAA - that will, if reconciled with a House bill, require women turning 18 on or before January 1st of 2018 to register to be drafted in the event of a draft, just as men have done since the Selective Service act was put into place in 1917. It has caused one hell of an uproar. I see tweets and tumblr posts all over the place of women proclaiming, "I want equality/equal rights, but not like this!"
Well, honey, let me lay this out really simply for you.
If you don't want to be treated exactly like men, you don't want equality, you want privilege.
This bill has brought the true guise of feminism to the forefront once and for all. Women are screaming about how their daughters shouldn't be forced to do this, while their sons and fathers have been buying their rights to vote with a blank check to the government payable up to and including their life should said government decide to cash it since 1917. You can't pick and choose what you get when it comes to equality. You can't. If it isn't cool for your daughters, it isn't cool for your sons, either. If you want to throw a fit, then don't throw a fit over the NDAA bill, throw a fit over the Selective Service act as a whole, otherwise all you're saying is, "We want privilege, not equality. You can have all of the drawbacks, treat me like a pampered princess because I have a uterus."
This should not be something you are angry over. In fact, this is something that, if feminism was truly FOR equality, should be regarded as a monumental and historic victory. FINALLY, for the first time since 1917, women are regarded as equals to men in the respect of the draft. No longer are our men alone in having to sign off on saying "ship me off to war, Uncle Sam!" So they're allowed to vote. No, finally, there is equality. This is a victory for equality. But there is no celebration. There's outrage.
For once, I can say thank you to our Senate for revealing the overwhelming hypocrisy that is feminism. You don't want to be equal. You don't want to be treated equally to men. You want to be treated like women, with all of the privilege of men, yet all of the kid gloves that society has always demanded women be treated with. Doors opened for you, chairs pulled out, no need to be shipped out for war in a draft, let the menfolk go and die for you while you sit safe and sound getting your hair done and your manicures bitching about man spreading and the mythical wage gap. Rarely do I say this in sincerity to any individual, rarely am I so incensed that I truly mean these words out of disgust and outrage... But now, I do. Fuck. You. You are a bunch of lying hypocrites who want nothing more than preferential treatment.
This is why I am a woman against feminism. This is why I am an egalitarian. This is why I will forever fight for TRUE EQUALITY. True equality isn't about getting preferential treatment because I have tits and a uterus, true equality isn't sitting around bitching and whining and making shit up to complain about via biased statistics that I don't even fucking bother to fact check because God forbid I become disillusioned with the dogma I've been brainwashed with. True equality is just that - everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone, EVERYFUCKINGONE, being treated the same. And I do. I treat everyone the same. I don't care if someone is being shitty to me, I don't care if it's a man or woman, a child or an adult, a disabled individual or an able-bodied individual. I treat everyone the same way; with kindness, with a smile, with good cheer and friendliness and compassion. Because goddammit, THAT'S WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS.
I'm so fucking tired of two-faced assholes in this world saying they want one thing but when they get it they cry because it's not what they wanted after all because they didn't realize that there's ACTUALLY drawbacks to it! So much for all of that male privilege right?
You should go check out Arlington Cemetery sometime. Or Gettysburg. Antietam. There are so many places, historical sites, where men have shed blood on our own soil for the very rights you have to whine and bitch and moan about all of that male privilege they supposedly have. MEN died for that. Yes, there were female casualties too, typically nurses and civilians, but the overwhelming, breathtaking majority of people who have fought, bled, cried, sweat, and died for your rights, your privileges, your freedoms in this country have been men. They've been Navy, Air Force, National Guard, Marines (Semper Fi!), Army, and even the Coast Guard in some cases. And in some cases even their children have suffered for their service from radiation exposure in Japan during World War II and Agent Orange (amongst other colors) exposure in Vietnam and on the ships and planes that carried the chemicals. That shit altered their DNA and subsequently that of their children, leading to health and mental disorders; not to mention the PTSD of the combat veterans that went untreated for so long due to lack of knowledge of the disorder to properly treat it.
We all have so many men - and yes, I'm aware there were women too, and I'm not taking away from their contributions nor denying their service, however that isn't my point here - to thank for what we have. For everything we have. Yet all you ungrateful humans do with your freedoms is spit on men, an entire gender, simply because they're men. Simply because you perceive things that you feel are unequal and rather than working either better yourself or stand up for yourself to stop it from happening to you - or for fuck's sake just getting over yourself - you decide to tear apart an entire gender who has a menagerie of injustices of its own to deal with and overcome that you're completely, WILLFULLY, blind to.
I'm so sick of it, I really am. It's time to grow up, wake up, and start actually acting like a human rather than defining yourself and everyone else by what's between their legs; and most importantly, it's time to stop expecting the world to change just for you because something makes you uncomfortable. Everyone has things that makes them uncomfortable. Guess what? PEOPLE GET OVER IT. It's a part of life.
Step outside of your comfort zone of feminist propaganda and dogma and start researching and reading from unbiased sources. Start talking to people who AREN'T feminists, hear what they have to say with an open mind, be willing to listen and to learn, hear them out. You may just be surprised at what they have to say. Moreover, you may just be surprised at how much you didn't know.
Well, honey, let me lay this out really simply for you.
If you don't want to be treated exactly like men, you don't want equality, you want privilege.
This bill has brought the true guise of feminism to the forefront once and for all. Women are screaming about how their daughters shouldn't be forced to do this, while their sons and fathers have been buying their rights to vote with a blank check to the government payable up to and including their life should said government decide to cash it since 1917. You can't pick and choose what you get when it comes to equality. You can't. If it isn't cool for your daughters, it isn't cool for your sons, either. If you want to throw a fit, then don't throw a fit over the NDAA bill, throw a fit over the Selective Service act as a whole, otherwise all you're saying is, "We want privilege, not equality. You can have all of the drawbacks, treat me like a pampered princess because I have a uterus."
This should not be something you are angry over. In fact, this is something that, if feminism was truly FOR equality, should be regarded as a monumental and historic victory. FINALLY, for the first time since 1917, women are regarded as equals to men in the respect of the draft. No longer are our men alone in having to sign off on saying "ship me off to war, Uncle Sam!" So they're allowed to vote. No, finally, there is equality. This is a victory for equality. But there is no celebration. There's outrage.
For once, I can say thank you to our Senate for revealing the overwhelming hypocrisy that is feminism. You don't want to be equal. You don't want to be treated equally to men. You want to be treated like women, with all of the privilege of men, yet all of the kid gloves that society has always demanded women be treated with. Doors opened for you, chairs pulled out, no need to be shipped out for war in a draft, let the menfolk go and die for you while you sit safe and sound getting your hair done and your manicures bitching about man spreading and the mythical wage gap. Rarely do I say this in sincerity to any individual, rarely am I so incensed that I truly mean these words out of disgust and outrage... But now, I do. Fuck. You. You are a bunch of lying hypocrites who want nothing more than preferential treatment.
This is why I am a woman against feminism. This is why I am an egalitarian. This is why I will forever fight for TRUE EQUALITY. True equality isn't about getting preferential treatment because I have tits and a uterus, true equality isn't sitting around bitching and whining and making shit up to complain about via biased statistics that I don't even fucking bother to fact check because God forbid I become disillusioned with the dogma I've been brainwashed with. True equality is just that - everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone, EVERYFUCKINGONE, being treated the same. And I do. I treat everyone the same. I don't care if someone is being shitty to me, I don't care if it's a man or woman, a child or an adult, a disabled individual or an able-bodied individual. I treat everyone the same way; with kindness, with a smile, with good cheer and friendliness and compassion. Because goddammit, THAT'S WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS.
I'm so fucking tired of two-faced assholes in this world saying they want one thing but when they get it they cry because it's not what they wanted after all because they didn't realize that there's ACTUALLY drawbacks to it! So much for all of that male privilege right?
You should go check out Arlington Cemetery sometime. Or Gettysburg. Antietam. There are so many places, historical sites, where men have shed blood on our own soil for the very rights you have to whine and bitch and moan about all of that male privilege they supposedly have. MEN died for that. Yes, there were female casualties too, typically nurses and civilians, but the overwhelming, breathtaking majority of people who have fought, bled, cried, sweat, and died for your rights, your privileges, your freedoms in this country have been men. They've been Navy, Air Force, National Guard, Marines (Semper Fi!), Army, and even the Coast Guard in some cases. And in some cases even their children have suffered for their service from radiation exposure in Japan during World War II and Agent Orange (amongst other colors) exposure in Vietnam and on the ships and planes that carried the chemicals. That shit altered their DNA and subsequently that of their children, leading to health and mental disorders; not to mention the PTSD of the combat veterans that went untreated for so long due to lack of knowledge of the disorder to properly treat it.
We all have so many men - and yes, I'm aware there were women too, and I'm not taking away from their contributions nor denying their service, however that isn't my point here - to thank for what we have. For everything we have. Yet all you ungrateful humans do with your freedoms is spit on men, an entire gender, simply because they're men. Simply because you perceive things that you feel are unequal and rather than working either better yourself or stand up for yourself to stop it from happening to you - or for fuck's sake just getting over yourself - you decide to tear apart an entire gender who has a menagerie of injustices of its own to deal with and overcome that you're completely, WILLFULLY, blind to.
I'm so sick of it, I really am. It's time to grow up, wake up, and start actually acting like a human rather than defining yourself and everyone else by what's between their legs; and most importantly, it's time to stop expecting the world to change just for you because something makes you uncomfortable. Everyone has things that makes them uncomfortable. Guess what? PEOPLE GET OVER IT. It's a part of life.
Step outside of your comfort zone of feminist propaganda and dogma and start researching and reading from unbiased sources. Start talking to people who AREN'T feminists, hear what they have to say with an open mind, be willing to listen and to learn, hear them out. You may just be surprised at what they have to say. Moreover, you may just be surprised at how much you didn't know.
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