Good morning, everyone.

Yes, I’m sure many watched Trump’s speech. Me, I’ve had enough. I’ve got something else I want to bring up today.

From Daily Kos:

Rape victim thrown in jail after breaking down in court

A Houston woman in her 20’s who is called “Jenny” was raped and choked by a convicted serial rapist Keith Hendricks. While testifying against him in court, she had a breakdown, became incoherent, and ran out of the courtroom saying she’d never return. The prosecutor in the case had her arrested and put in jail for threatening not to show up to testify. Her mother and her attorney thought “Jenny,” who suffers from bipolar disorder, was put into a psychiatric hospital, when if fact, she was only hospitalized for a few days then then transferred to the Harris County Jail and put into the general population. The jail staff received erroneous reports that said Jenny was the sexual abuser rather than the abused victim. While incarcerated she was beaten.

It’s one of those stories that sounds and feels surreal, yet it happened. Jenny’s attorney filed a lawsuit against the Harris County sheriff, the jail guard who allegedly hit Jenny while in jail, and the prosecutor who requested she be jailed. Jenny’s attorney says a rape victim should never be put into that environment. He adds she was put in jail without due process — without committing a crime.

Click2Houston’s Legal Analyst Brian Wice stated:

“It’s astounding to me that could have happened,” said Wice. “At the end of the day she received less due process, less protection than the rapist did.”

At one point while in jail, Jenny was so frustrated with her situation, she “came out of her cell with fists swinging.” She hit a guard who in turn uses a closed fist and hit her. So she was charged with assault while in jail — were she should never have been placed. The prosecutor later dropped the charges and she was released after spending a month in jail.

Former prosecutor Kim Ogg, who is running against Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson in November, believes, like many, that Jenny’s treatment was wrong.

“Putting a witness in jail on a material witness bond is highly irregular and reserved for the worst of the worst witnesses, maybe gang cases,” Ogg said. “They can be protected by placing them in a hotel, you can place them with family, you can keep in contact.”

“In 30 years of practice, I’ve never heard of a rape victim being jailed and so mistreated.”

One especially sad and disturbing part about this case is that it will give rape victims one more reason not to come forward to report their rape and/or press charges.

It’s not clear why no one has attributed Jenny’s breakdown to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is common with rape victims and would cause a breakdown and erratic behavior. It’s what can happen when you’re choked and raped.

If you or someone you know is, or has ever been, a victim of rape/sexual assault, it’s never too late to seek help. You can find free support via the National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and/or by visiting the Rape, Abuse Incest National Network/RAINN.org website online. If you are in immediate danger, please call 911. You do not have to live with horror, guilt, and/or shame. If you can hold on to one thing, remember this —It. Was. Not. Your. Fault.

*****

Readers: Can  you imagine? A month in jail. This is just horrific. Once again the woman, the victim, is getting treated as if she is the bad guy, only in this case it is so much worse.

The forum is open. Talk about anything that’s on your mind.

Blog me. 

Mike, TM: Exactly. That is what I read and my thoughts are with you. The supposed speech writer took the fall for Melania.

Judy: I agree but it’s never going to happen, and people will let it slide and use the excuse that “English is not her 1st language…blah…blah…blah.” Which brings me to Shelia: My thoughts are the same. We all know, as Elanor stated, that it was a made up story. If Melanie gave those “words as inspiration” as McIver claims, then Melania would without a doubt recognize those exact words as they were placed in her speech. Period. She plagiarized big time. But Trump had to do something to save his wife’s ass.

On the other hand, if it was true, Trump and his clan would’ve had that story out within minutes of this debacle. And Trump would’ve said to the girl, “You’re Fired!” for making such a huge mistake. Regardless….all of this means absolutely nothing because in either case Melania spoke Michelle Obama’s exact words and knew exactly what she was doing, and hoped no one would notice. Oops. We all noticed.

Notice how now Melania hasn’t said a word? At least nothing I’ve heard.

Peace out. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

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All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2016

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

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Good morning – Catching up…

Beth: First of all, wow! Thank you for posting. I don’t care if he’s jewish. Everyone could learn something from this kid. I HOPE his words go far and inspire the youth and the adults. Which Hellooo…It’s amazing the vitriolic attacks posted toward him on youtube. Although sadly, not surprising since he isn’t white, but jeez he’s just a 14-year old kid. Another example of what OTWs have to endure that white privilege doesn’t.

PS: Happy to hear you’re voting for Hillary, albeit, reluctantly. Give the girl a chance. I think you’ll like what she does.

Heath Info: Love my morning green smoothies. This looks like a good one. Thanks.

Women to Watch:  Excited about this. Thanks for letting us know.

Becca et al: I love when comedy is added to break up the seriousness of this blog. This by no way diminishes the importance of what is posted here, but a little comic relief is much needed sometimes. Thanks.

Wilma: I agree – love reading the comments. If it were not for you and the rest throwing in your two, this blog wouldn’t be what it is. Thanks for being here with me for 7 years.

#BlackLives Matter. Unfortunately to the vast majority of whites, sadly they don’t.

Social Butterfly: Thanks for reminding everyone. It cannot be stated enough how important it is to vote and as Alycedale stated, “Hang around and vote the republican ticket out.” Give the girl coattails. Yessss!!

Jamie: As I mentioned, I’m just catching up on the comments. Seems great minds think alike. :) I hadn’t read your post nor seen the many comments with regards to it till now. Oh well. Carlos, Anonymous: I ask the same question.

Pets in Beds: OK that was TMI. But if it saves another woman from having a fur ball in her vajayjay, I welcome the comment. Do people really sleep with their pets IN the bed, UNDER the sheets? Really, please don’t do that.

Anonymous: You got that right. I don’t mind it either when it’s said that way…in a good way. This evidently is not.

Has anyone been watching the RNC? Dominique: Thanks for posting this: Stephen Colbert – Hungry For Power Games – check your balls at the door.

LOL – Can’t stop laughing!

Wanna keep laughing? These are the dumb as a box of rocks kind of women voting for T rump. From the Huff Po:

Female GOP Delegates Explain Why They Like Donald Trump Despite His Misogyny

 “He’s made it OK for people like me, Middle America, single moms, to speak their minds.”

CLEVELAND ― Donald Trump has called women “dogs,” “slobs,” “fat pigs,” and “disgusting animals.” But female delegates at the Republican National Convention are for the most part learning to forgive their controversial candidate and accept his misogynistic streak.

“I’ve said things like that about guys ― ‘Oh, he’s short, or look at his little feet.’ But [Trump is] just on the surface about it, and that’s the refreshing part for me, is that he can speak his mind, because we’ve been so inhibited,” Mary Susan, a 52-year-old delegate from Minneapolis told The Huffington Post in an interview at the convention. “Do I think that some of the things he said are hurtful? Maybe, yeah. But that’s the beauty of our First Amendment. We should be able to say things no matter what.”

Susan, a single mother of three, said Trump has given her confidence to speak up about political issues. “I think that as a woman, I’ve always felt my First Amendment rights have been inhibited,” she said. “He’s made it OK for people like me, Middle America, single moms, to speak their minds. He’s done more for me personally than the feminist movement.”

For a presidential nominee, Trump has a shocking history of sexist comments toward women. On his reality TV show, “Celebrity Apprentice,” he once told a female contestant, “Must be a pretty picture, you dropping to your knees.” He said women should face some kind of “punishment” for choosing abortion if it were to become illegal. And when Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly asked him about his attitude toward women, he said later that she must have had “blood coming out of her wherever.”

But those comments weren’t enough to alienate Sandye Kading, a Republican delegate from South Dakota who warmed up to Trump after he won the requisite 1,237 delegates to be nominated.

“You brought up Megyn Kelly,” Kading told HuffPost. “She’s gotten over it, and I think everybody else should too.”

“I’m a woman with a loose mouth so I get myself in trouble,”said Tila Hubrecht, an alternate delegate from Missouri. “If you’re in politics, you better have some tough skin, and if not, you best be getting yourself out. Everybody has their strengths. There’s not going to be any one candidate you’re going to find that’s perfect.”

Of course, not all Republican women at the convention support Trump. Susan Valentine, a longtime GOP activist from northern Virginia, said she will not vote for any presidential candidate this year. She is putting all her hopes in House and Senate races. “We have lots of other candidates that we need to protect from being dragged down by Donald Trump,” she said.

Valentine said “everything” about Trump bothers her. She is offended by comments he’s made about women, and as a passionate anti-abortion advocate, she is turned off by his waffling on the issue. Even Trump choosing Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R), a national leader in the fight against reproductive rights, for a running mate did not sway Valentine.

“To be honest, the way that Donald Trump has so far treated Mike Pence ― I’m sort of feeling sorry for Mike Pence,” she said. “But it was a courageous thing for him to do to accept the nomination. If you’re on a ticket with Donald Trump, it’s going to be unpredictable.”

Other women find it endearing that Trump is unpredictable and never says the right thing.

“We call him our little orange buffoon that we love,” Susan said.

*****

And there you have it.

Oh…Before I sign off what do you think of Melania’s speechwriter taking the fall?

Enough from me today. Lots to talk about so broach a topic and get it rolling.

Blog Me. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2016

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

From Think Progress:

Black Republican Senator Says He’s Been Repeatedly Stopped By Police In Last Year

Speaking on the Senate floor Wednesday, a Republican senator took 18 minutes to describe his own experiences as a black man profiled by police. He also recounted the seven times he’s been pulled over by cops in the last year, explaining that his profession isn’t enough to shield him from racist policing.

Following a Senate discussion about the need for criminal justice reform, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) got candid about the reality of being black in America, the second of several speeches on race he’s planned for this week.

“In the course of one year, I’ve been stopped seven times by law enforcement officers. Not four, not five, not six, but seven times in one year as an elected official,” he said. “Was I speeding sometimes? Sure. But the vast majority of the times, I was pulled over for nothing more than driving a new car in the wrong neighborhood, or some other reason just as trivial.”

Scott detailed several times he was followed by police for reasons he couldn’t deduce. He also admitted that he’s been questioned and profiled by police on Capitol Hill.

“I do not know many African American men who do not have a very similar story to tell, no matter their profession. No matter their income. No matter their disposition in life. Imagine the frustration, the irritation, the sense of a loss of dignity that accompanies each of those stops,” Scott said. “I have felt the anger, the frustration, the sadness, and the humiliation that comes with feeling like you’re being targeted for nothing more than being just yourself.”

Click here to watch the speech.

Scott’s remarks came nearly one week after Philando Castile was fatally shot in St. Anthony in front of a 4-year-old girl and Dallas police were gunned down by a sniper — two tragedies the senator brought up in his speech. Like Scott, Castile was stopped numerous times by officers before he was killed — 52 times since 2002, according to the Associated Press. But Scott also spoke on the Senate floor about the Dallas shooting on Tuesday, urging the country to have a “family conversation” about the challenges the country experienced last week and condemning the massacre.

“Our nation is experiencing turmoil we haven’t seen in generations,” he said. “There are wounds that have existed for more than a generation, and it’s time for the American family to work together to heal some of these wounds.”

Scott has been outspoken about race and policing in the past. Last year, he criticized the fatal shooting of Walter Scott, who was shot in the back while fleeing officer Michael Slager in North Charleston, South Carolina. Scott’s also been a vocal proponent of police body cameras, and introduced a bill to allocate $100 million to police departments, annually, in order to equip more officers with them.

*****

Blog me. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2016

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

The blog that I posted on Sunday, dealt with women supporting a child abuser by accepting roles in the pedophile’s films. In my opinion, and many may not agree with me, this is showing women not supporting women. Like Irene said, “Shame on you sisters.”

Akilina: Agreed. The question was posed about Allen. So I stand by my previous sentiments with regards to women supporting Allen by starring in his films.

Continuing in that vein of women not supporting women, have you seen the disgusting Anti-Hillary republican convention buttons? Here’s a sample – How’s this for a button?

Here you’ll witness women supporting a party that condones calling a woman a Bitch. (And I don’t mean in a good way.) If a woman gets on a man’s bad side, well then, she’s a Bitch, right? That’s basically what these republican men are saying, and stupid, dumb as a box of rocks white women, are following lockstep, by proudly wearing these buttons too.

This is how a woman who has been the First Lady, a U.S. Senator, a Secretary of State, is being treated by Trump and his supporters. Mean-spirited at best, and insanely disgusting at worst.

The sickness doesn’t stop at the Bitch button. Here’s the write from Variety:

Anti-Hillary Misogyny at GOP Convention Reflects Us-Vs.-Them Culture (Commentary)

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The first thing I saw as I pulled off the thruway here to begin covering the Republican National Convention was a small plane towing a banner that proclaimed “Hillary for Prison 2016.”

I’ve seen those signs and that sentiment about Hillary Clinton’s qualifications to serve as president increase in volume and ferocity during the past few months. It came as no surprise that criticism of Clinton’s legacy as Secretary of State would be prominent during the GOP’s four-day gathering to formally anoint Donald Trump as the party’s contender for the White House.

But there were other anti-Hillary sentiments on display on the streets of Cleveland that stopped me in my tracks.

Even for the blood sport that is national politics, some of the items for sale or on display on the streets of downtown Cleveland’s stylish Playhouse Square district were shockingly misogynistic. To be clear, these are not RNC-sanctioned souvenirs but rather items whipped by opportunistic vendors. (Nor were any such items on the shelves at the RNC’s “Freedom Marketplace” bazaar set up next to the Quicken Loans Arena.)

There’s nothing wrong with grassroots capitalism. Adam Smith’s invisible hand guided a handful of entrepreneurs to believe that there was a market for political buttons featuring an unflattering picture of Clinton with the slogan “Life’s a bitch. Don’t vote for one.” Or even worse: “KFC Hillary Special: 2 Fat Thighs, 2 Small Breasts … Left Wing.”

Another man donned a rubber Hillary face mask and parked himself on the narrow street leading to the Quicken Loans Arena in front of a “Trump vs. Tramp” sandwich board sign. He handed out a flier that railed, in single-space type on both sides of the page, on all manner of perceived Clinton sins, including the death toll in what he termed “Hillary’s Arab Spring” and her “EXTREMELY CARELESS AND GROSSLY NEGLIGENT” use of private email during her tenure at the State Department.

These attacks on Clinton veer well beyond political differences and policy fights. These are below-the-belt personal attacks on her physical appearance and her character outside the public arena. These are vile barbs hurled at her because she is a woman.

For sure, they reflect an anger that is fueled by partisan disagreements, no doubt, but escalating to a whole new level of nasty that a male candidate would never face. It’s hard to imagine someone making a button ridiculing the size of Donald Trump’s pectoral muscles. He’s faced a lot of teasing about his hair but that’s still a far cry from the “KFC Hillary Special.”

The anti-Hillary venom reflects the broader “us vs. them” fears roiling the country in this most divisive election cycle. The extreme examples of this have become frighteningly all too frequent, from police shootings of unarmed African-American men to sniper attacks on police officers.

Much of the focus of cultural commentators has been on the tensions among ethnic and racial groups in an increasingly multicultural America. Some of the unease has been exploited by the rhetoric of the Trump campaign. Trump himself has reveled in level of political discourse during the campaign with his unfiltered shoot-from-the-lip — one that extended into his (now settled) feud with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly and his commentary on his own penis size during a primary debate.

But the jaw-dropping low blows making the rounds in Cleveland would probably even make Trump cringe. They are a sobering reminder of just how far women in politics still have to come just to face a level playing field for criticism on the issues rather than her bra size.

That this kind of sophomoric attitude would surface in 2016, as Clinton achieves an elusive milestone in the history of women in this great nation, is a heartbreaking commentary on our culture and our times.

*****

Readers: First of all, I don’t think Trump would cringe at any of this. If he did, why doesn’t he say something and put a stop to it?

Secondly, this is my feelings…if you get on the wrong side of your man, you have accepted that you too are a Bitch because you’re wearing the Bitch button proudly. Do you get that?

That’s how dumb some white women are. Did I say that already? I believe it’s worth repeating.

It’s one thing to not be voting for Hillary because you’re supporting Trump (Ok, so the logic escapes me there), but it is also another thing to accept that you too are a Bitch if you get on the bad side of men. YOU are sending a message to the world that you are accepting the demeaning role that is presented in the form of a button that you are wearing. I ask again, “Do you get that?”

How could any self-respecting woman accept a party that would label a woman a Bitch, not to mention pinning a Bitch button onto her chest, knowing that she is labeling herself as one should she get on the wrong side of any man? Stupidly, many are.

According to this logic, that means Trump was correct when he called Megyn Kelly a Bitch because she evidently got on the bad side of him, and FOX fans had a field day, when they called her a Bitch over 423 times in the media.

We women have enough to deal with when it comes to sexism and misogyny, we don’t need our sisters to add fuel to the flame. When will women woman-up to men?

I agree with the writer. Here we have history…a first for women. And men are trying to do whatever they can to stay in control and prevent women from rising. It’s just heartbreaking to see how disrespectful people are treating Hillary and womankind.

It’s time, and no one is going to stop us.

Thoughts? Blog me. 

♀♡

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2016

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good Morning.

From Talk Poverty:

A Wake-Up Call for White Progressives

A woman holds a sign as she and hundreds of other protesters march against the recent fatal shootings by police of black men in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

The night after Alton Sterling was killed by police, I got home from work late.  When our three children were asleep, my wife and I finally had a moment together.

The first thing she said, as if she had been sitting on it all day, was: “I feel like we need to get a Black Lives Matter sign for our yard. I know it would be unusual in our neighborhood.”

We live in Chevy Chase, D.C., in one of the wealthiest zip codes in the city. There are about 30 houses on my block, and only one African-American family that I know of. But it didn’t surprise me that my wife wanted a public display of solidarity.  In 1990, when she was 16, her classmate Phillip Pannell was shot in the back and killed while fleeing police at the elementary school they had attended in Teaneck, New Jersey.  It molded her thinking on race and justice.

I was non-committal on the sign—not opposed, I just hadn’t thought of it before.

I had always considered myself a good ally on race: I was born in the nation’s capital on one of the worst days in American history—the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated—when the city was burning, the National Guard was deployed, and a curfew was imposed.  As far back as I can remember, I have thought about what the man—and the movement—have meant to our nation, and the connection between the pogroms my family experienced in Europe and the African-American experience here.

So why, then, the hesitation on the sign?

Exhausted, I drifted off picturing it in our front yard: Who would we be speaking to?  What would the sign achieve?  Would it cause people to target my home or my children? How would I explain the sign to my 3- and 6-year olds?  (My 10-year-old could probably get it, and maybe that conversation was overdue.)

***

I woke to the news of Philando Castile—shot dead in his car in front of his girlfriend and her 4-year-old child as he reached for his license and registration.

I came to work not wanting to continue business-as-usual.  Instead, I joined a gathering of about 50 of my colleagues to talk about the killing of black people.  I didn’t talk, myself. That’s what many white allies think we should do when people of color are suffering: shut up, listen, and be supportive.

My black friends and colleagues expressed anguish, anger, hopelessness, hope, and sheer exhaustion.  But what stuck with me the most was when a black male colleague asked his white coworkers, “When will you get as angry as I am?  Which killing will be the one that finally does it for you?  I feel hopeless.  And nothing changes in this country unless white people want it to.”

I left looking for a way to take action. The news cycle will move on from these killings, but my colleagues and I can make sure TalkPoverty doesn’t.  I reached out to some folks who had shared powerful reflections during the meeting and asked if they were interested in writing.  You will likely hear from some of them in the coming days.

But one friend emailed me, “I’m not in a place where I can write yet. If you want to get the ball rolling, it’s a great act of allyship to know you don’t have all the answers but want to show support when your peers are hurting, especially when you have a platform.”

***

I woke up Friday morning to the news that five police officers were killed in Dallas. I was hit with shock and sadness—and then the realization that people will try to blame the Black Lives Matter movement.  I checked Twitter and Facebook, and sure enough that narrative had already emerged.  I’m not a huge fan of tweeting, but the message I received from my colleagues the previous day was that white people need to speak up.

So I did:

I went downstairs and asked my wife if she had heard the news.  She hadn’t, and when I told her, her jaw dropped.  My 10-year-old daughter noticed.

“What?” she asked.

My daughter and I walked out of earshot of her younger siblings.  We sat down and I told her what had happened in Dallas, and also what the people had been demonstrating about: You know how if Mommy or Daddy were driving too fast a policeman would stop us and give us a ticket, and then we would drive away?

From there I struggled through what she has learned in school about racism in the past—slavery, segregation, civil rights—but also what she didn’t necessarily understand yet: that racism isn’t gone.  I told her that some people think that black people aren’t as good as other people, or they are afraid of them, or both, and it has led to things like black people getting shot (my daughter winced) when they should have just gotten a ticket, or not even that.  So now there are a lot of us saying “Black Lives Matter” to fight against racism that has never gone away.

I told her if we were black we would have had this conversation when she was younger and it would have been very different, something like: “If a police officer ever talks to you, listen to whatever he says, you can’t talk back, you can’t make any quick movements, because some of them might be prejudiced against you just because you are black and hurt you badly.  People even get killed.”  I told my daughter that black parents have to worry about their children’s safety in ways her mom and I don’t, simply because of skin color.

She got it much better than I explained it, I think.  Just as she thought it absurd when she first learned there was never a black president before Obama, and literally laughed aloud, incredulous, when I told her there has never been a woman president.  Because in her world, there is no room for these injustices—just as there is no room for a parent needing to have a conversation with their child about the life-and-death stakes of their interactions with police.

***

My wife and I are getting the Black Lives Matter sign. We’re posting it in our lily-white neighborhood, which is exactly the kind of place where we need to start these long overdue conversations.

I used to think I was very progressive on race.  But I’ve been in a slumber, because I could be, without even knowing it.

No more.

*****

Readers: Like this writer who writes, “…when a black male colleague asked his white coworkers, ‘When will you get as angry as I am?  Which killing will be the one that finally does it for you?...’” I get what he is saying. Because I think the same thing when I see men stand by and say nothing when a girl or woman is molested or raped.

It’s never enough to just not commit the atrocity. It’s never enough to say, “I don’t treat women that way…I would never rape a woman.”

It’s never enough to just not commit the atrocity.  It’s never enough to say, “I’m not a racist…I would never murder a man because of the color of his skin.”

It is wrong to turn a blind eye, when sicko men are preying on young girls and women, and when cops are committing racist behavior, and murdering innocent black men, and remain silent when you know what is happening.

We as a society are responsible for doing something, for being a part of the solution, or we are just as bad as the accomplices. We can no longer be just  innocent bystanders when we can do something. Men need to stand up for women by joining women in the fight for equality, rights, and stronger laws to protect women and harsher laws to convict rapists.

And whites need to get out of their slumber, wake up, and get pissed off enough to do something. Unfortunately, even in light of this positive write I don’t have much faith many whites will wake up because blacks are being murdered. This has been happening for a long time and nothing has changed to protect blacks from the rabid racists in this country. Will it now – now that cops are being killed? –  Will their murders piss off enough for people to actually do something? Time will most certainly tell.

Thoughts? Blog me. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

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