Born Again?

This might sound silly, over the top, or overly dramatic. Maybe even disingenuous or insincere. But I assure you it’s not. I’ve been fighting with myself if I should post this or not.

I feel “born again”. But not in the religious way.

I feel like a “Born Again Feminist”. I recently wrote a post about all the crap women have to deal with. It had been building up for about a month or so. So many things caused me to write that post; a discussion with a friend, the slew of idiotic legislation making its way through state legislatures, these attacks on contraception coverage and the women who speak out in support of it, the Susan G. Komen Foundation and their partisan withdrawal of support for Planned Parenthood, my friends on Facebook sharing these stories along with their opinion, tumblr posts, and my one friend’s courageous admission of sexual abuse have all caused me to rethink a lot of my positions, thoughts, and the statements I have made in the past regarding women’s issues.

In the last week or so, I felt like my eyes had been opened. I was guided out of the dark and into the light and I could see clearly for the first time. I finally felt like I understood feminism. Why it exists and what it is trying to accomplish. Things that boggled my mind now made sense.

I felt as if Johnathan Edwards was speaking to me when he told an audience in Enfield, Connecticut that we were “sinners in the hands of an angry God”. I feel like I have sinned. Like I had been led astray. That I was part of the problem.

I was sexist. I held sexist beliefs.

I want to repent for the ‘sins’ I have committed. For all the terrible, insensitive, ignorant, anti-woman things I have said, written, thought, and done and the grief they caused. There is no “God of Feminism” to ask for forgiveness from, but I do have the women in my life that I have wronged through my words and actions that I hope they can forgive me for. I wish there was a way for me to confess to someone all of my horrible thoughts. Maybe a higher power is in order? Or maybe I should just write a list. My sins might not be as great as others that have been committed, but they are sins nonetheless.

I feel so differently. Like some kind of real, profound change has occurred within me.

But I don’t want to get arrogant. I don’t want to act like I fully “get it”. As a man, I will never truly understand what it is like to be a woman. Living in a male-dominated world, I will never really know what it is like to be seen as an “inferior” sex/gender. To be subject to more abuse, discrimination, and control for being a woman. I can be more open minded, sympathetic, and supportive of women and their struggles against injustice. But I shouldn’t act like a know-it-all. I don’t want to go overboard and become a crazy crusader (and develop an attitude of constantly needing to protect women, as that’s not very feminist. I may have already broken that promise).

I might still have a few disagreements here and there with feminism. But overall, I hope I am turning a new leaf. That I can put a lot of distance between my old beliefs and can embrace these new ones. I hope I can overcome my dark past and move into a brighter future.

Women's History Month '12

March is half over at this point and I failed to mention that it is Women's History Month. Last year at the beginning of the month, I wrote two posts. One was about statistics and women's involvement in government. Another was about how change takes time and we should have more patience. I had something similar along those lines planned for this month. But I have decided against it. Why?

Because women have to put up with a lot of shit. Here and abroad women have to put up with A LOT. Just look at these statistics. Look at them! When you look at some of these, scratch that, ALL of these, how can you tell someone that it takes time, so just wait it out? How can you tell someone that they will make less, own less, and will be subject to far more abuse simply because of the way they were born? And I'm sitting here complaining about a play trying to empower women to overcome this shit? What the fuck?

Look at what is going on in this country. I know there is a larger world beyond the shores of the USA, but I want to focus on this country for now. Look at all the crap that has been going on in the last few months. Do I need to provide any links? These idiotic ultrasound bills. Attacking contraception. Calling a woman who wants access to contraception "a slut". COMPARING WOMEN TO GOD DAMN FARM ANIMALS! And much, MUCH, more. This is insanity! Why are these old men so obsessed with controlling women? Why do so many lawmakers want to keep women barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen? It drives me crazy to think there are so many men out there that can't view a woman as a fellow human being who deserves the same rights as any other man, like privacy and control of their own bodies! And this is coming predominately from a political party that wants less government intrusion into the lives of its citizens!

I frankly do not know how women put up with all of this shit. Well, a lot aren't just putting up with it and are making their voices heard. Continue to do so. Stand up and tell these misogynistic lawmakers that you aren't second class citizens. I don't know what I can do besides voting and doing this to the lawmakers. Maybe I could write some letters or something. Donate to a cause. Something.

Women's History Month? International Women's Day? Jesus, everyday should be dedicated to women if you have to put up with this much BS. And to anyone who complains about not having a "Men's History Month" or a "White History Month", please see the link to what I would do to lawmakers in the previous paragraph.

Deep down, I'll always be a Silent Majority, white man. I may still complain about double standards and hypocrisy. But really, I am in no real position to complain.

What a Day!

I got up and took the bus to the mall. It felt so good to do something on my own without the assistance of someone (besides the bus drivers). I no longer feel like I am suffocating in my apartment. A short walk and I can go anywhere for 50¢! I still want to get my license and a car so I can go even farther!

I went in and ate at Chick-fil-A and had one of their famous chicken sandwiches (minus the pickles). It felt good going in...but not going out. :P I'm getting too old for greasy fast food. Sorry, too much information.

I walked around a bit and did a little shopping. Everyone was so friendly. I didn't feel afraid to talk to anyone or ask for help. They didn't have what I was looking for, but I got something similar.

Now I am home on time for two straight hours of Everybody Loves Raymond! What a great day!

Election Prediction: March

 

 

Because I am bored and a political junkie, I decided to make these three Electoral College prediction maps thanks to realclearpolitics.com. Based on current polling (some states haven’t had a poll since August), this is how the election will turn out.

Romney vs Obama.          191 to 347

Santorum vs. Obama        187 to 351

Gingrich vs. Obama          162 to 376

Obama is looking pretty good for the moment. Some states are really close, but whoever had the majority, no matter how slight, I gave them that state.

I was surprised by a few things when compiling the data.

If Gingrich were running, Texas would be a tossup (based on mid January polling) as would Kansas (based on November polls). I was surprised to see him lose Kentucky to the President (based on one poll from August).

If the President were to face Romney, he would only lose one state from 2008, Indiana. Of course, things can change. Florida has been back and forth between Romney and Obama since 2010.

What bothers me the most is that Rick Santorum would finish quite close to Romney in the Electoral Vote. Only four votes behind. He would pick up Missouri, but lose Iowa. I thought he was a bit more unpopular than that. That concerns me a little.

As of right now, Obama looks pretty good. He is well over the 270 needed to win. But there is still eight months left and we don’t have an official GOP candidate yet. Only time will tell who will win come November.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I frankly do not get this holiday. Maybe if it wasn’t used as an excuse for people who know nothing about St. Patrick or Ireland and it’s history or culture to get drunk and act like jackasses while embracing Irish stereotypes, I might like this holiday.

As a non-Irish person, I just don’t see the reason for celebrating this holiday. It means nothing to me. It doesn’t reflect my culture or heritage. It’s like celebrating Cinco de Mayo, as a non-Mexican, why do I care about a Mexican military victory over the French in 1862? I wouldn’t expect Mexico to celebrate the Battle of Antietam. But I guess these holiday’s are more of a testament to America as a “melting pot” nation of cultures and people. We celebrate them because immigrants brought them from their native land and it has become part of our national identity.

But what I don’t understand is why this holiday doesn’t get more scorn. In my Columbus Day rebuttal, I kind of jokingly said that St. Patrick’s Day should be criticized because we are celebrating a man who forced Christianity on a native population. He may not have forced the Irish people into accepting Christianity, but he did introduce it to the island. You could argue that was the first step in eroding native Irish culture. His “crimes” aren’t as severe as Columbus’, but an argument could still be made.

Well, wherever you are, have a good day. If you want to celebrate the day, don’t get drunk and butcher the song “Danny Boy”. Take some time and read up on the man himself and Irish history. I think that would be a more appropriate way to celebrating this holiday.