Rant O' the Day!

[mallorys_camera]

RANT

So, I guess one of the things that’s bothering me about this whole Kavanaugh horse and pony show is that I’ve been fending off sexual advances my entire life—well. Until I got too old to be a sex object.

I never thought of them as “assaults.”

I thought, There are a lot of assholes in this world. Take steps to avoid those assholes.

I started taking Tai Kwon Do! I got two-thirds of the way to a black belt before the birth of my first son cut into the time I had available for such endeavors.

The incidents were upsetting, yes, but I never felt derailed by them or traumatized in any ongoing sense. I sure didn’t feel like a victim.

So, is something wrong with me because I didn’t feel like a victim?

###

Also, I can’t quite get it out of my head that this is a class issue in the most privileged, namby-pamby nation on the face of the planet. The age of consent in Mexico is twelve. Congo militias are weaponizing rape, and forcing women to squat on hot coals afterwards to prevent conception. Acid attacks in India. Child marriage in Pakistan. Machismo in all its permutations and combinations throughout Central and South America.

One notes, too, that except for the accusations against Russell Simmons, the #MeToo movement has been conspicuously silent about male-on-female violence in the African American community.

So, I’m mildly disgusted by all these fragile, entitled women on American social media wailing, And then he brushed his hand against my nipple! And I did-ent like it!

And I’m even more disgusted with the dopey guys who white-knight them. Particularly because—since my FB friend list is kind of a sagittal slice through my past—I know, sometimes from personal experience, what absolute d-a-w-g-s many of these guys were back in the day.

I do think it’s wrong for me to feel disgusted. I get it: Any cleanup campaign begins by picking up your own backyard.

But, you know. You feel what you feel.

###

I don't think it's wrong to feel the deepest contempt for the social media lynching of Brett Kavanaugh.

Too bad for him that he’s the poster boy for White Privilege! (Well. Not really. ‘Cause he’s a Catholic. But close enough for government work.) I don’t like the guy, but no one should be subjected to this type of public humiliation.

Everyone is entitled to due process. Everyone.

It’s just amazing for me to watch this mob that howls for “justice” when one of its own tribe members is on the chopping block unleash this tsunami of self-righteous cant punctuated by asinine, elementary school jokes. Plus that never-ending streams of Big Reveals! But, of course, the reason people flock to social media is to sniff each others' butts. Good times are had by all!

If these people were really interested in changing the rules of the game, they would get up off their asses, turn off their computers, and begin canvassing and campaigning for female political candidates. Women currently comprise a mere 20% of the voting members of Congress (84 Congressional representatives; 23 Senators.) If these people really cared, they would begin educating themselves about what’s going on in the rest of the world and try to do something about it.

But they’re sheep.

Being manipulated by the media.

Which has figured out that political soap opera gets higher ratings than scripted drama and is so-o-o-o much cheaper to produce.

And they're having so much fun playing, No!-I'm-the-Bigger-Victim! on social media.

/RANT

Comments

[asakiyume]

I get freaked out too, in general, by people's changing reactions depending on which side is doing what. "Hey, you're doing this thing that you hated when the other side was doing!" "No, but this is different because [thing]." And then I just shrug my shoulders--if you can't see similarities or won't acknowledge seeing them...

I also think you're right about electing different people being key, and then I get horribly depressed and antsy, because I just don't like doing any of the things it takes to help people get elected (phone banks, canvassing). And one of the things I scold myself about is being willing to do things I don't like doing if they're Necessary--yet here I am skiving off and not wanting to Do The Thing.

[mallorys_camera]

people's changing reactions depending on which side is doing what.

I just really hate that kind of hypocrisy. Which is actually why I'm more comfortable with people on the right, even when I disagree with their politics—which, for the most part, I do. They're upfront about their biases.

Canvassing and phone banking are hard. But I imagine you are doing your part to change the world through your writing. :-)

[asakiyume]

Nah, I don't think the writing counts. Or even the volunteering. Don't get me wrong: I think writing is good and important, and I think volunteering are good and important, but I think (sadly) that it's not true that if we just keep doing our good things--like writing or volunteering... or knitting blankets, or coaching little league, or whatever--the world will sort itself out. I'd been doing all those good things beforehand, and look what happened! So I know I have to just push myself to do something. I'm trying to figure out what. And how much.

[mallorys_camera]

When I do those electoral things—canvassing, phone banking—I try to see them as performance art. :-)

Do you do performance art?

It actually does help make the whole process more palatable. :-)

[asakiyume]

I *can* be...I think it would work better in person. I could try doing something in person. Maybe. Or maybe I'll just *think* about doing it really hard and never quite get around to it. And then castigate myself for that. That's useful, right?

No but seriously. I will work myself up to something.

[mallorys_camera]

That's useful, right?

Well, it often works for me! :-)

[bleodswean]

Agree. Agree. Agree. And I feel as though I've been ranting here to everyone who will listen and the reactions are varied and interesting, but I don't have the energy yet to contemplate them because I'm not done ranting.

Rape??? Seriously? Sexual assault? There's a fine line there that didn't use to be so fine, it used to be about common sense. And I'm not about blaming the victim, but rather about asking for perspective. That's the thing that politics does not have and most people as far as that goes - PERSPECTIVE. I shudder to think of the emotions of the survivors of say the East Area Rapist who BIT OFF HIS VICTIM'S NIPPLES when they hear this typical high school drunkenness being described as rape and this judge being described as a rapist.

I want to see patterns of behavior. I want to see corroborations. I want to see perspective.

I also want someone, anyone, YOU, to continue to point out that the emperor is butt ass naked.

[mallorys_camera]

It's also a matter of the degradation of the English language. As my friend Rose remarked over on LJ, the word assault needs to retain its meaning. You are not being verbally raped when someone tells you a crude joke you do not like.

I am thinking of writing up these thoughts and a few of the thoughts in this post here into a Medium piece. If I do, would you be willing to edit it?

[bleodswean]

Oh absolutely! And isn't that all about 1984???? Of course.

I would just absolutely stand on a chair and applaud a longer concise sharp piece from you and it would be my honor to offer an editing eye.

[robby]

My take is that the Kavanaugh accusations are false and malicious, and a desperate political ploy to block a Supreme Court appointment. It just shows how cynical and rotten politics have become.

[mallorys_camera]

I suspect the Kavanaugh debacle is the ultimate last stand for this iteration of the Democratic party. And it just might work: I think there's a 30% chance that kavanaugh does get blocked.

But I also wonder about its effect on the midterm elections: This will redouble the Republican party's ability to bring out the vote.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/242906/republican-party-favorability-highest-seven-years.aspx

[robby]

I'm especially surprised that Dianne Feinstein is deeply involved with this cynical ploy. She'll soon leave office, and this will be her legacy.

[mallorys_camera]

She is desperately trying to prove her cred with the CA Democratic Party, no? :-)

[robby]

Yes, she has been targeted by the progressive Democrats in California. I suppose her involvement with the Ford letter is an attempt to gain support.