my thoughts of feminism

I am a big supporter of feminism. I hate it when books, movies, music, society use women as a means to get a man something. Whether it's sex, power, or politics women seem to be a means to gratify the ego of some men. I hate that. I have lived all my life in cultures that claimed to be equal and yet there seems to be more and more inequality the older i get.

It seems organisations are particularly prone to trying to control women. Churches define women's roles and when women step outside those bounds they are often socially or financial disadvantaged (financially, if they work for the church). It disgusts me when women seek help from the church and are told that the men in their lives are the ones who will give (or not give) them help as they see fit. Sadly this isn't a situation that is confined to 50 years ago; this is happening today.

Political groups often see women as easy targets. It is popular and easy to critize a woman in politics if she has views on family, health, or abortion. Women in politics are often seen to not give enough attention to their own family therefore have no relevant experience to speak on the matters of family. If she sides with abortion rights, she's seen as a whore. If she side against abortion, she's seen as an over protective mother type. If she wants more health care for her family, she's too lazy to get working and support her own healthcare. Somehow men seem to be immune to these sorts of attacks...

Even feminism itself is starting to define what is good for a woman. No Prior Restraints pointed out the other day how feminism had become a tool by which to tell women how to think. "you can't listen to Taylor Swift because she isn't empowering women in her songs" Wasn't the feminist movement supposed to support women's right to think for themselves? Make choices for themselves?

This is where the point to all this is supposed to be made clear. A happy summery to make the world liveable again...or maybe a call to action. There is neither here. There is no solution that will make organisations see women as people and not just 'women'. There is no sentence that can make the injustice of it 'okay'. There is just women who are sick and tired of being told what to do and how to think.

love it or leave it

I was a pretty naive girl when i first left my home country. I thought that my home country was amazing and that seeing the world would only confirm that belief. What i didn't realise was that i was about to enter the world of 'the migrant' and become one of the most hated groups on the planet, and by extension an outsider even in my home country.

Every country i've been to or heard of has a certain amount of nationalism. This isn't a bad thing until nationalism becomes synonymous with 'white only' or 'native only' or 'christian only' (you get the idea). Countries that have freedoms of speech are often quick to declare anyone who disagrees with [insert any group]'s understanding of nationalism should leave the country.

The implication of this statement is that

1. you (the person who disagrees) are the ONLY person who feels the way you do.
   
2. There are other countries who have national policies that agree with your view
3. your views are not important enough to debate.

This kind of argument is not helpful in creating and maintaining a healthy free country. It makes me angry that people put bumper stickers on their car that say things like that. It makes me angry when politicians suggest that migrants who disagree with an parts of their new countries policies should be "sent back".

Forcing or pressuring your opponent out of the country does not mean you 'won' the debate. It just makes you a bully.

quotes from the interweb

So lately i've been reading a lot of stuff from various online sources. I thought i'd share some of my favourite quotes of the week with you.

If it's "The Land of the Free", why am I always broke?? -Josh Lawson

"Question: Were getting 18 inches tomorrow. Any advice?
Answer: --Lubricate." - via Brent Spiner

"The scope of RC (Restricted Classification) is simply too broad and can raise genuine questions about restrictions on access to information. RC includes the grey realms of material instructing in any crime from [painting] graffiti to politically controversial crimes such as euthanasia, and exposing these topics to public debate is vital for democracy." - Iarla Flynn

Today, I'm practicing being grateful. Not actually grateful- just practicing - Nathan Fillion

My 80-year-old grandmother accidentally smashed her hand into the wall while hauling her garbage can into the garage. It swelled up and turned purple and looked awful. One of my aunts came over that evening and said "Mom, what did you do to your hand?!" and Grandma replied "This is nothing. You should see the other guy." IMMD - Jill

all natural

Growing up, my mother was a big supporter of consequences. If you touched the burner, you'd get burned. She never *wanted* me to hurt myself. It was a natural consequence. True, there were many times she was able to stop me before i got hurt, but it was not something she could do all the time.

I have taken that lesson with me in life. There are consequences to my actions. If choose not to wake up in time, the natural consequence is that i will be late. I can not blame it on my husband for not waking me up.

A few days ago i made up my mind to stop being a safety net for someone. I decided to not stop their hand when it went for the burner. I decided it was time for some natural consequences to kick in. It may mean that i lose them from my life, but i can not continue to treat an adult like a child. There is a strange and wonderful peace about my decision. And i believe it was for the best.