Warning: Political Opinions!

I don’t often share political opinions online.

Everyone has their own opinions, which is totally fine, but not everyone is tolerant of other opinions, which is totally frustrating. And social media has found ways to let people avoid hearing the opinions they don’t agree with – hello, Facebook “block” option, and hey there, Twitter “mute”! – so it’s easy to sit in your little bubble, surrounded by people who share your opinions, and never have to acknowledge that other people might actually think differently about issues than you.

We survived this election cycle: it was ugly, neither candidate was a good option, and eventually the Electoral College did their job and confirmed Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States. Then all hell broke loose: college kids needed coloring books to cope with the distress; Democrats demanded a recount (even though, just days prior, they had demanded Trump accept the results and not insist on a recount if he lost); people needed therapy; riots and protest marches began to happen daily across the country. In short, Democrats had a temper tantrum.

For the record, I enjoy coloring. And I love Jane Eyre. So, to lighten the tone here, let’s look at this amazingness that will be adding to my wish list: gothic Jane Eyre coloring sheets!!

Anyway, back on track. The protesters argue their right to free speech. They have legitimate concerns and are putting their opinions on the front page of news everywhere. And, they’re right: free speech is an important part of our culture, and they are welcome to gather wherever they like to talk about issues they feel strongly about. I’m completely on board with that.

Unfortunately, the “speech” part often becomes a little more . . . violent. They vandalize cars. Throw rocks through building windows. Beat up people who don’t agree with them. Throw things at police. People are injured, property is destroyed, and piles of trash are left in their wake. And, I’m not sure if the Democrats have really thought about it, but most of this happens in cities that are predominately Democrat. Why they want to be so destructive in their own backyard is beyond me.

This past weekend, there were women’s marches across the country. Millions of feminist women gathered, wore pink knit caps, and called for equality. I have friends who marched, friends who lamented they could not march because there wasn’t one in their city or they couldn’t get to one, friends who got their husbands and kids to march with them. They posted pictures of themselves wearing homemade t-shirts, wearing their pink knit caps, and carrying posters and signs and flags. They called on all their female friends to support them and join a march for the good of women everywhere.

I have to wonder, though, if the people who did these marches actually looked at what message they sent.

One of the four organizers is a woman named Linda Sarsour, a Palestinian-American woman who runs the Arab American Association of New York. She and her family have vocally supported terrorists and acts of terrorism. She hates that Israel even exists as its own country. She is a proponent of Sharia law, seems to encourage feelings of racism, and generally believes American government and police can do no good. And we won’t talk about that picture of her raising her fist at the march in DC that looks *very similar* to the Black Panther salute, which is not really a pillar of democratic excellence. So, no, I’m sorry. I might be a female but there is no way I’m going to participate in anything led by a woman whose very viewpoint is that close to anti-woman and anti-democracy.

The propaganda at the marches were ridiculous. Do I think Hollywood celebrities are the best people to give speeches at these events? Nope. Have they spent considerable time analyzing women’s rights or how it affects the middle class? Probably not. Does Madonna standing up and talking about bombing the White House make feminism more appealing? Hardly. [On the flip side, Nicole Kidman has suggested we support the President because he is the President (which, by the way, I agree with), and Zoe Saldana has suggested celebrities were “cocky and became arrogant and we also became bullies”.] Do I think printouts of a woman using the American flag as a hijab are in good taste? No, personally, I don’t. And, really, pussy hats? As females, could we not find something cuter? Or at least something that might prompt others to take us seriously?

The other issue I have with the women’s marches is that all women’s groups were encouraged to participate, but then the pro-life groups were told they would not be considered an official partner. So, basically, “you can tag along, but we aren’t going to acknowledge you”. Are pro-life feminists not as good as other feminists? By definition, feminism is “advocating women’s rights”, but maybe that does not include the right to be pro-life? I’m confused.

One of the primary reasons for marching is to “send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to the world that women’s rights are human rights” (per their website). Are they so scared that Trump will do something terrible within the first 24 hours of his presidency? And, really, women’s rights in America are leaps and bounds better than women’s rights in the rest of the world, so maybe we should be focusing elsewhere? And how ridiculous do people look as they

(Yes, I know, other countries had women’s marches – Australia, France, Holland, Canada, and New Zealand, just to name a few – and good for them. Women’s rights should be important everywhere; I just think it’s ironic that the movement starts in a country with arguably pretty good women’s rights and is led, in part, by a woman who supports the opposite.)

One last thought. Feminists spend a great deal of time talking about women should get the same rights as men, should be able to do the same things as men, and should get the same respect as men. But – newsflash – women are not men. Genetically, we’re different – we are generally smaller and softer and less likely to develop large muscles. And we’re built to have children (which is the only thing that keeps the human race from going extinct, for those of you who feel women should not just be expected to have children).

Yes, women are humans and logic would dictate that women’s rights are human rights. But feminism is a focus on women’s rights, and I have the right to not march and be pro-life and support equal human rights for everyone.

 

Discussion

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