Funny and sad because it’s true.
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“How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Talking About Race”
In this TED talk, Jay Smooth addresses how to communicate racist comments that come up in conversations.
He begins with an anecdote about how people often ask him “What are you?” and he proceeds to joke that he’s not a philosopher in any way but that he is a light skinned African American male that is essentially a mix of various races.
He then proceeds to discuss a video that he posted on YouTube and how he attempted to provide suggestions to people who were faced, in a conversation, with a racist comment. He told people to focus on the racist comment, not on the fact that the person who said the fact could suddenly be racist. He further explains that when he points out that a racist comment, the person who said it immediately assumes that he is accusing them of being racist and they immediately deny that label. Thus, he stresses the importance on focusing on the comment, not the person. However, he received mixed reviews from this video with some people saying that his strategies worked and some saying that his strategies didn’t work at all.
He then discusses how race is a socially constructed system that was created to essentially exploit people and so it requires a lot of effort to combat this deeply ingrained system in society. He then likens racism and prejudice to tonsils. He says that people often think that they are either racist or not and that there is essentially no ‘gray area’. Furthermore, he says that we have to actively address our imperfections and see ourselves as trying to be ‘clean’ people in that we work daily to maintain our cleanliness/awareness of our racist comments and attitudes.
Despite the barriers that have been broken, he emphasizes the fact that we all need to work together to breakthrough these issues through conversation and create strategies to keep moving forward.
The message that Jay Smooth gives in his video, specifically his metaphor about maintaining awareness and not automatically assuming that one is either racist or not at all is helpful. I realize now that instead of trying to think of myself as a perfect person that has no racist attitudes or prejudice is destructive to myself and others because I am human and I have imperfections, but that does not make me a bad person. I also think that the metaphor of social awareness being likened to cleanliness is understandable and effective because it is important to keep oneself aware and consistently working towards self-improvement, which will in turn, help improve society as a whole.
Penn State Scandal
A scandal involving the Penn State football coaches, athletic department, president and administration has unfolded in the past few days.
Basically, Joe Paterno the 84-year-old head coach of the Penn State football team, was fired. Why? Because Jerry Sandusky, a former football coach was sexually abusing young boys over the past decade. The former athletic director and former head of the finance department were charged with “failing to report an incident” aka BEING COMPLETE IDIOTS AND TURNING THE OTHER WAY WHEN YOUNG BOYS WERE BEING SEXUALLY ASSAULT.
Sandusky was able to find his victims through a foundation that he created called Second Mile in 1977. This foundation provided needy children the opportunity to participate in athletics. Even though Sandusky was technically not a faculty member at Penn State, he had access to athletic facilities and even had an office in the Football building, where he would sexually abuse his victims.
According to the 23-page grand jury report, the assistant coach had seen “a naked boy … whose age he estimated to be 10 years old, with his hands up against the wall,” and a “naked Sandusky” forcing him to have sex.
Unbelievable. Even more unbelievable is the fact that Paterno claims: “he was never questioned by university police or other law enforcement until he testified before the grand jury in December 2010.” WHAT?! HOW CAN YOU NOT REPORT YOUNG BOYS BEING RAPED? How can you simply WALK AWAY and not report that sort of thing to the police? I cannot even imagine what kind of moral code he has. Just. So disappointing that the administration and athletic department kept quiet about the sexual assault of these young boys just for the football team.
It’s upsetting enough to hear about the fact that young boys were being raped and nobody did anything, but, of course, it gets worse.
After it was announced that Joe Paterno was being fired, thousands of Penn State students began to riot. WHAT THE WHAT.
They turned their ire on a news van, a symbolic gesture that expressed a view held by many: that the news media had exaggerated Mr. Paterno’s role in the scandal surrounding accusations that a former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, sexually assaulted young boys.
OH I’M SORRY NOT SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT YOUNG BOYS BEING RAPED WAS EXAGGERATED BY THE MEDIA?! I can’t even. I can’t even believe that these students are my peers and are acting out in such a way. The fact that they are SO UPSET about the loss of a football coach and their school’s football reputation and NOT about the fact that their school allowed sexual assault of young boys is shocking to me.
It’s infuriating. It’s unbelievable. It makes me feel a complete lack of optimism for the future because of how incredibly skewed and distorted our sense of morality and our values as a generation. I’m glad they’re passionate about something, that’s better than apathy, but based the fact that this upset is over their university’s football team is just ridiculous.
I think what President Obama had to say is very fitting:
“And I think it’s a good time for the entire country to do some soul-searching — not just Penn State. People care about sports, it’s important to us, but our No. 1 priority has to be protecting our kids. And every institution has to examine how they operate, and every individual has to take responsibility for making sure that our kids are protected.”
Jon Stewart addressed the situation and his satire makes the scandal a little less infuriating.
Western Regional Feminist Campus Leadership Conference 2011
This is my weekend. I’m pretty excited as this is my first conference. Ever.
I feel like an adult, which is bittersweet. I also feel like I’m taking more responsibility for the development of my interest in social justice/feminism.
The website states:
Activists and campus leaders from 10 Western States will converge to strategize, share ideas about feminist activism, and formulate a plan of action. We will be tackling issues that affect us on a local, national, and global level. From the upcoming elections, to reproductive health and rights, violence against women, anti-choice extremism, education access, and campus activism, this is weekend that is not to be missed!
Be prepared for a weekend of activist training, amazing workshops, strategy sessions, and inspirational speakers. One year out from the 2012 Election, the conference will feature “Get Out HER Vote” workshops where we will learn about the election’s impact on women’s lives and what you and your feminist group can do now and next Spring to gear up for 2012.
The Feminist Majority Foundation started this program to inform young feminists about various issues ranging from abortion access, affirmative action and LGBTQ rights. The program works with students on campus to create change at the grassroots, national and global levels. It also provides an opportunity for feminists to connect with other feminists and contribute to the larger feminist movement.
I’m hoping that this conference will be a good experience in the sense that I learn to expand my mind and not reiterate knowledge that I already have in a ‘preaching to the choir’ sense. Another thing that bothers me a little bit is the fact that the conference is obviously geared to women even though feminist issues and women’s rights also affect men. Even though the discussions and programs will be geared towards women, specifically reproductive issues, I believe that men should also understand the importance of the issues and contribute their perspectives. I think that would also encourage discourse about what men think about the issues and how to better inform/raise awareness people without alienating them. I guess I’m curious to see how many guys show up to the conference.
I looked at the RSVP list on facebook and noticed that there was an obvious majority of women, which was not surprising. The word ‘feminist’ and the stereotype of ‘feminism’ continues to alienate both males and females, which is an issue that I hope will be discussed. I often wonder how to express myself as a feminist without giving the impression that I am a “crazy radical bitch”.
I’ll update this post later to share my experience this weekend.
Take care!
– Sarah
Review of Discourse Material
http://www.thenation.com/article/163811/taking-legacy-anita-hill
This article, written by Jessica Valenti, discusses the accomplishments and present goals of third wave feminists. She incorporates her own personal input and experiences to provide the reader with deeper insight about Anita Hill and the broader topic of sexual harassment.
She begins the article by establishing a time period based on her own age. This decision expresses an informal style that breaks away from the traditional ‘professional journalist’ style. As a female, Valenti incorporates her own personal emotions, pathos, to draw the reader in. In some ways, she also utilizes ethos because, as a female, she has been affected by sexual harassment and she also explains her discovery of feminism and her decision to engage in the women’s movement.
Valenti goes on to prove that sexual harassment continues to be a major issue in the United States even with seminars provided by corporations. She points out that the media is quick to blame the victim instead of evaluating the more serious problem of sexual assault and rape. She references an article in the Wall Street Journal about a graduate student that had been raped and beaten to death. She also lists another article titled “Listen up, sweetheart, buy the ticket, you take the ride” to show another example of victim-blaming. This use of logos with the two examples is simple and satisfactory in pointing out how the media approaches these cases. Perhaps more examples would have been more effective, but too many could also be overwhelming.
The last two paragraphs express optimism and acknowledge Anita Hill’s courage to speak out. Valenti lists a few organizations that demonstrate how young people have begun to address the issue of sexual harassment. She connects this new generation of the women’s movement with Anita Hill and how cultural progress is slow, but steady. Valenti’s balance between optimism and realism creates a sense of hopeful persistence that resonates. The length of the article was long enough to emphasize her point and yet short enough that it was not too detailed.
However, I believe that more context about the Anita Hill hearings would have strengthened the introduction. I also think that her use of a cuss word in the conclusion was slightly unnecessary and could be considered mildly offensive.
Overall, Valenti efficiently connects Anita Hill’s hearing and the issue of sexual harassment to demonstrate how it continues and how this generation is handling it.
Mitt Romney doesn’t know how birth control works.
Yeah. I said it. He just doesn’t know.
At a campaign event in Sioux City Iowa, Mitt Romney was asked by Beth Schopis if he was opposed to the use of birth control. He answered “I don’t”, which means that he was not opposed to the use of birth control…
However, he told Mike Huckabee that he IS in support of a law created by an anti-abortion group, Personhood USA, which would “redefine life as beginning at the moment of fertilization, effectively outlawing contraceptives like birth control pills.” If the law is passed then miscarriages would be considered murder and common forms of birth control would be “the legal equivalent of a homicide”. Awesome.
Rachel Maddow discussed Romney’s lack of knowledge about how birth control works. Complete with “The Man Cave’s Not-Too-Upsetting Guide to Down-There Parts“. Maddow very blatantly, but politely, explained the purpose of each part of a female’s reproductive system and clearly pointed out that straight women often enjoy spending time with gentleman but don’t want anything popping out of them nine months later.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Even though Maddow approaches the issue in a humorous way, she communicates the fact that making birth control illegal would have serious (and scary) consequences.
Passage of this legislation would also have scary implications about the control that females have over their bodies. It would imply that the government can control how women behave sexually and restrict what they are and are not allowed to do. I think the whole religious belief that life begins and conception and so birth control/abortion is murder is a means to keep women from having the power to decide what they can and cannot do with their bodies. It’s all about keeping the males in control of females and maintaining this patriarchal society. However, I respect those in support of pro-life and I can understand that removing a developed fetus from a female’s uterus can be seen as the destruction of life. I just do not understand why it should go so far as to prevent the use of contraceptives.
It’s scary how ignorant and unaware people are… ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT WANT TO BE PRESIDENT IN 2012. If Mitt Romney does become president and birth control is made illegal, I am going to seriously consider moving to a different country because I do not think I could tolerate any more.
I always wonder how different the world would be if MALES experienced menstruation and childbirth.
Rape Culture & Slutwalks
One thing that absolutely makes me extremely upset is rape culture.
I hate it when people misuse the term rape in a sentence is clearly unrelated to rape. I’ve seen way too many facebook statuses that were to the effect of “I raped that test” or “Just got raped by that test”. It is extremely upsetting because it is offensive to anyone that has experienced sexual assault or rape and essentially trivializes a traumatic and devastating experience.
It is also frustrating when people assume that the way people, specifically a girl, dresses means that she’s asking to be raped. Last time, I checked, rape is defined as: “to have sexual intercourse with him/her, esp. by the threat or use of violence against them.” (dictionary.com) And I would almost bet my life that no one wants to ever be forced to engage in sexual intercourse against his or her will. It angers me that people would automatically assume that anyone would welcome that because they are wearing clothes that reveal skin. It is confusing for females because we are told to be ‘feminine’ and dress in such a way that highlights our femininity and what essentially makes us different from males. Because when we dress in such a way that suggest masculinity, it means we’re lesbians! So this presents a difficult situation for females and what it means to dress. This issue of clothing being somehow connected with sexual assault entered the media with the first Slutwalk in Toronto.
Before I begin discussing the Slutwalk movement, I want to mention a court case in Italy. In 1999, a woman was raped and when she went to court, the rapist was found not guilty. Why? BECAUSE APPARENTLY HER JEANS WERE SO TIGHT THAT SHE HAD TO HAVE HELPED THE RAPIST TAKE THEM OFF SO HE COULD RAPE HER. SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?! The more I think about this, the more frustrated I get. It’s just. Unbelievable. (Article here).
Anyway, so the Slutwalks began because the Toronto Police Constable made a comment (here) about how women should ‘avoid dressing like sluts’ to avoid being raped. In response, nearly 3,000 people showed up to raise awareness about slut-shaming, sexual assault, rape and the use of the word “slut”. The power of language influences the meaning associated with words and so a major aim of the Slutwalks is to change the connotation of ‘slut’ so that it describes a female that is in control of her sexual activity.
I hope that these Slutwalks encourage discourse about sexual assault, rape and how men and women can work towards promoting a culture that does not blame or alienate the victim.
I also hope that one day, people of any sexual orientation can walk freely during the day, at night, wearing what ever they choose and living without the fear of being raped or sexually assaulted by a stranger or by someone they know.
An important part of making progress, however, begins with addressing how people interpret the word ‘rape’ and how we approach rape culture.
ALSO: An interesting article about Slutwalks and racism here.
Michele Bachmann
Where do I start?
I have not been paying as much attention as I should be to the upcoming elections, but I do know that Michele Bachmann is the “new” Sarah Palin.
Except worse.
Bachmann has rejected ‘feminism’ and voiced her lack of support towards homosexuality and, of course, believes in the biblical notion that women should be completely submissive to their husbands. I understand, though, that the term feminism has been distorted in the political arena, especially with Sarah Palin labeling herself as a feminist.
It just makes no sense at all to me why Bachmann would not commit herself to changing women’s rights and opportunities. She has made extra effort to target Planned Parenthood and the reproductive rights of women. “If Planned Parenthood is defunded on a federal level, millions of low-income women, many in rural or medically underserved communities, would lose access to basic preventative health services, such as pap smears, breast exams, screenings for sexually transmitted diseases and affordable birth control.” (huffingtonpost.com) SERIOUSLY? In addition, she has voted in favor for the banning of abortion and for discontinuing medical training for safe abortions. I don’t understand how she can be so fervent about taking away women’s ability to control their reproductive system or even receive birth control when she HAS her own set of ovaries. It just perpetuates the idea that women have no say when it comes to their reproductive system.
There’s one quote I’d like to address:
”Does that mean that someone’s 13-year-old daughter could walk into a sex clinic, have a pregnancy test done, be taken away to the local Planned Parenthood abortion clinic, have their abortion, be back and go home on the school bus? That night, mom and dad are never the wiser.” -Michele Bachmann
WHAT. I cannot even put into words this ridiculousness. For one, abstinence education is a joke. Secondly, I highly highly doubt that any person would take an experience, such as abortion, that lightly. Especially a 13-year-old girl. She must be terrified at the possibility of pregnancy and, in my opinion, if she had been given better access to birth control and better educated about pregnancy and the responsibilities involved with sexual intercourse, then the likelihood of her having to resort to an abortion would have decreased dramatically. It is insulting that Michele Bachmann would even imply that abortion is so… flippant.
Another thing that just blows my mind is her family’s gay therapy clinic. Yes, gay therapy clinic because homosexuality is some sort of disease. Just thinking about all of the people that agree with Bachmann and think that her clinic is ‘helping’ is depressing. The fact that people cannot be proud of their sexuality because of societal pressure is sad and frustrating. Since when has love been a problem? If anything, love is the reason why human beings are still alive today.
As I’m learning more about society, people, the government and life in general through my experiences, I am increasingly afraid. I am afraid that I have been conditioned to accept the status quo and keep my head down because that’s what I’m supposed to do.
I’m a Feminist… now what?
More often than not, I’m wondering if I’m doing “enough” as a Feminist.
I’ve taken on the position of advertising for the Chapman Feminists and my decision to minor in Women’s Studies are activities that show my interest in feminism. But I think about the women, in past and present, that have brought progress to the women’s movement. Literature is often a powerful medium as seen with published books and DIY zines. Protests have also been effective at raising awareness. Most recently, Slutwalks have gained a lot of attention towards rape culture and sexual violence.
I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I have not protested nor attempted to write a book about my thoughts on Feminist theory or women’s history. But I don’t simply sit in silence when someone says a sexist joke or misuses the word ‘rape’.
Whenever I think about what more I could do and what I should be doing to raise awareness or contribute to women’s issues, I usually just tell myself that I’m more aware than the majority of my peers in college and that I’m doing what I can do with the options I have.
But that sense of complacency just perpetuates the current system. It’s an endless cycle in my mind.
Yesterday, my Women Studies professor posted this speech from the SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO commencement address:
“The Guerrilla Girls’ Guide to Behaving Badly (Which You Have to Do Most of the Time in the World as We Know It)”
1. Be a loser. The world of art and design doesn’t have to be an Olympics where a few win and everyone else is forgotten.
2. Be impatient. Don’t wait for a stamp of approval from the system. Don’t wait around to be asked to dance. Claim your place. Put on your own shows, create your own companies, develop your own projects. To steal a phrase from the Dali Lama, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” In other words, Be the artworld you want to take part in.
3. Be crazy. Political art that just points to something and says “this is bad” is like preaching to the choir. Try to change people’s minds about issues. Do it in an outrageous, unforgettable way.
4. Be anonymous. Anonymous free speech is protected by the First Amendment. So join that long line of anonymous masked avengers, like Robin Hood, Batman, and of course, Wonder Woman.
5. Be an outsider. But even if you end up working inside the system, act like an outsider. Look for the understory, the subtext, the overlooked, and the downright unfair, then expose it.
6. Lead a double life. Be a split personality. Be two, three, four, five artists in one body, like me.
7. Just do one thing. If it works, do another. If it doesn’t, try it another way. Over time, we promise you it will all add up to something effective and great. Don’t be paralyzed because you can’t do it all right away.
8. Don’t make only FINE art.
9. Sell out. If people start paying attention to you, don’t waste time wondering if you’ve lost your edge. Take your critique right inside the galleries and institutions to a larger audience.
10. Give collectors, curators and museum directors tough love. Make sure that museums cast a wider net and collect the real story of our culture.
11. Complain, complain, complain. (But be creative about it).
12. Use the F word. Be a feminist. Women’s rights, civil rights, and gay, lesbian and trans rights are the great human rights movements of our time. There’s still a long way to go.
13. Be a great ape. In 1917, Franz Kafka wrote a short story titled A Report to An Academy, in which an ape spoke about what it was like to be taken into captivity by a bunch of educated, intellectual types. The published story ends with the ape tamed and broken by the stultified academics. But in an earlier draft, Kafka tells a different story. The ape ends his report by instructing other apes NOT to allow themselves to be tamed. He says instead: “break the bars of your cages, bite a hole through them, squeeze through an opening…and ask yourself where do YOU want to go?”
This list, which I reduced to its main points, made me realize that I can’t expect from myself or anyone else a huge movement or change. A lot of the change that needs to happen begins with awareness and just noticing the flaws that most choose to ignore because it’s comfortable to stick with the status quo.
And I realize that I can’t just ‘raise awareness’, but I should try my best to inspire others to work towards change. A lot of progress began with ideas and questions that then changed history. I hope I can contribute to the progression of my generation in some way.
11:08pm
It took 8 minutes for the lethal injection to kill Troy Davis.
In 1989, nineteen-year-old Troy Davis was accused of shooting Mark MacPhail, an off-duty police officer. MacPhail was helping a homeless man in a Burger King parking lot when he was shot in the face and the heart. According to court testimony, Davis was said to be a part of the group of two other men that was assaulting the homeless man. Prosecutors also claim that he had was beating the homeless man with a gun for beer. Nine eyewitnesses came forward and provided eyewitness accounts that stated Davis murdered MacPhail. This led to Davis’ first death sentence in 1991. Over the next twenty years, Davis and his supporters have been successful at preventing his execution. Appeals from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Amnesty International, former President Jimmy Carter, fifty one members of Congress and former F.B.I. director, William Sessions along with thousands of people wrote to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles asking for clemency. In 2010, seven out of the nine eyewitnesses recanted their statements and allegations of police coercion have surfaced. Furthermore, there was no gun or DNA evidence that proved without a doubt that Davis was the murderer. Ninety minutes before his execution, the Supreme Court stepped in to review the case, but declined to grant a stay for Davis. Until his death, Davis was defiant about his innocence.
Unbelievable.
I don’t even know how to articulate my feelings about this. I’m upset, sad, confused, in disbelief and most of all, afraid. The death penalty has been (one of) the reason(s) for the death of innocent people, it has perpetuated injustice and the belief that ‘closure’ and justice can be achieved simply with death. How is it possible that, in this present society, the death penalty is morally permissible and legal?
In another case, Duane Buck, an African American, was scheduled to be killed in Texas. Hours before his death, the Supreme Court granted a stay of execution because a psychologist testified that “Mr. Buck’s race increased the chances of future dangerousness”. Seriously? SERIOUSLY? It is painful how discriminatory the US legal system and death penalty is. What happened to “Freedom and Justice for all”?
I also found this picture online, which is self-explanatory:
And yet, I cannot help but also be frustrated with myself. As a member of my generation, I am ashamed of my habit of being outraged for five minutes and then slipping back into indifference. I admit I was not fully aware of the Troy Davis case until a few days before his death. I lacked a definitive opinion on the death penalty until I took the time to delve into the argument against it. I looked into the Innocence Project, which is, according to their website, “a national litigation and public policy organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice”. So far, it has successfully saved 273 individuals from unfair execution since 1992. Despite the accomplishments of the Innocence Project, I can’t help but think that there must be more or something different that needs to be done to effectively end the use of the death penalty. I clicked on the “What Can I Do?” link on the Innocence Project website. I’m not too surprised. Of course, awareness and staying informed, along with writing to elected representatives and the media are helpful, but the present existence of the death penalty makes me question our power as citizens. I could go on and on about this but it obviously detracts from the main issue of the death penalty.
Until his death, Troy Davis continued to have faith that he would be saved. He told prison personnel: “May God have mercy on your souls; may God bless your souls.” Before his execution, Davis was described as being in good spirits and prayerful.
I wonder what it feels like to be executed for a crime I didn’t commit. I wonder what it feels like to know that, despite the support of nearly 630,000 people, there is a roomful of people that decide I should die, despite a lack of concrete evidence.
I think it is admirable and amazing that Troy Davis maintained a positive attitude towards humanity and had faith that things would change. I hope I can continue that same positivity and hope that one day things will change with our efforts.
Read on:
Amnesty International – Death Penalty
Thoughts about what can be done to change the system?
Will the removal of the death penalty be enough?
Keep questioning and take care,
S.
Whoa. Wait. What? 