But it wasn't poof at all. For the last several months I've been reading and practicing The Zen of Listening. On top of this I'm trying to be mindful of the first agreement, to be impeccable with my word.
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| Words to live by |
Speaking has been hard. I gotta say, that election did me in like no other experience in my life has. Maybe I could've handled Trump winning if Congress leaned blue, but that didn't happen. I had a nauseous and rage-filled, very scared few months there. And I'm a fucking white, non-poor citizen (AKA as lucky as it gets around here, except for being female). My empathy sensors have stayed on overdrive.
So I've listened. And I hear you. I hear the left and I hear the right. I've asked questions. I've asked more questions. I've read the talking points on both sides and listened to the commentary. I've bended my brain to understand how the election happened and why Trump supporters still support him, heck, why GOP supporters still support the GOP. (It's obvious Trump and the GOP are not one in the same.)
I've learned, I suppose, that condescension is not the way to change minds. Neither is appealing to logic or facts, sadly. I'm told appealing to emotion is the way to go.
And then I got sad, and so, so tired. Adults should seek the truth independently, without prompting, no? Questioning, always questioning.. Whose best interests are traditions and laws serving?
I'm told critical thinking is a luxury of the elite. No. It's a personal, moral responsibility.
So, so tired.
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| My comfort animal |
We've all read the articles on why Clinton lost to Trump. I have a simpler take. It starts and ends with religion-led misogyny. I went to Catholic school so grant me this: In Genesis, God gets really pissed at Eve for introducing the apple to Adam. Really fucking pissed. He gets pissed at Adam too, but Eve bears the brunt. To Eve he basically says, bringing a child into the world will now totally suck for you, and (so many ways to put this) your husband will dominate you. You are exclusively his. In general, women are inferior to men.
I believe misogyny is why Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump. If the votes are to be believed, a lot of people voted for Donald Trump and a lot of people didn't vote for anyone. These people are not the same. But many of them would claim to believe in God, and a Christian God at that.
I hear some of you saying - God had to punish Eve! She did tempt Adam!! Adam was first and is stronger so he should be in charge anyway.
Can you hear it? The voice might be very very very small, but I can hear it. If you listen you may even hear it too.
I hear others saying it's more complicated than one bible verse. You're right. Misogyny itself is plenty complicated.
Let's continue with a religion and policy example...
A lot of people go to church. Anyone who goes to a church that doesn't ordain women to the highest spiritual office, or goes to one that ignores or condones God's misogyny, is being conditioned to reject Hillary Clinton. It can be so extremely subtle at times.
I applaud those of you who practice misogynist religions and still voted for Hillary Clinton. For whatever reason, you have not fully allowed Genesis 3:16 into your heart of hearts.
I also applaud pro-lifers who vote for pro-choice candidates. You probably realize that other things matter too AND pro-choice policies reduce abortion rates. For a lot of people though, especially Catholics and Evangelicals, the buck stops here. Pro-life, the label, is all that matters because Murder. Zero nuance. It doesn't matter that the total number of babies who are murdered (your words) will DROP when there is education and birth control because you're locked in on total abolition.
Fuck you, critical thinking! Fuck you, taking a step back and thinking of the bigger picture! I won. You lost. Suck it up, like I did with that black prick in office. WHAT A MESS HE MADE.
It's not cool to reject learning.
On abortion and religion...
Republicans try every year to reduce abortion rights in their states. Most of the time this does nothing but waste money. (Now that I think about it more, it also sows lasting division.) I know the GOP is subconsciously trying to bring about the second coming of Christ and therefore needs a lot of shit to go down. I get that now. Are unwanted babies supposed to assist that? Maybe an unwanted baby will be Jesus this time? What if new Jesus is a migrant and when he comes, he's turned away by the wall?
Republican women - please start speaking up for what most of us want. Choice. It's the kinder way.
Thinking outside your personal interests is fun. We must use our imaginations to see the restrictions on others. and instead of saying, suffer, whore! we must say, how can I help you?
One final thing about religion, now...
How many churchgoers in the United States realize that if their church authority speaks politically from the pulpit, which is common, it is illegal? It's an affront to the separation of church and state, and yet it passively rolls over millions of people every weekend, wafting in the air.
Some welcome it. They huff that shit.
Back to the 2016 election...
The cacophony of blame for Hillary's loss has gone to so many factions: the FBI, Russia, white women, white men, white people in general, the DNC, Democrats, the media, the candidate herself, President Obama, black people, Hispanic people, third party candidates, non-voters, Bernie Sanders, Facebook,... who's missing?
But that all dissects the blame too finely.
Hillary lost because of the deep-seated misogyny held by a slew of men and women. Nasty women (Hilary and other pro-choice women kicking butt) are just so damn easy to smear. Trump masterfully, unfortunately, won. He may have even tampered with the electoral process. We shall see.
But here we stand.
Traumatized.
