FIGHT BACK!
By Holly Near
By day I live in terror
By night I live in fright
For as long as I can remember
A lady don't go out alone at night, no no
A lady don't go out alone at night
But I don't accept the verdict
It's a wrong one anyway
‘Cause nowadays a woman
Can't even go out in the middle of the day, safely
Can't go out in the middle of the day
And so we've got to fight back
In large numbers
Fight back, I can't make it alone
Fight back, in large numbers
Together we can make a safe home
Together we can make a safe home
Women all around the world
Every color, religion and age
One thing we’ve got in common
We can all be battered and raped
We can all be battered and raped
Some have an easy answer
They buy a lock and they live in a cage
But my fear is turning to anger
And my anger's turning to rage
And I won't live my life in a cage—no!
By day I live in terror
By night I live in fright
For as long as I can remember
A lady don't go out at night--fight back!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
You know...
Now that Mr. "I'm not concerned about the very poor" Romney has picked Mr. Ryan as his veep pick, I am
(a) Looking forward to the debates
(b) Looking forward to not voting for them
(c) Looking forward to watching them lose
(d) All of the above!
Please pick one. This will be graded.
(a) Looking forward to the debates
(b) Looking forward to not voting for them
(c) Looking forward to watching them lose
(d) All of the above!
Please pick one. This will be graded.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
I stand with Oak Creek
By now, I'm sure you've heard about the truly atrocious shooting at the gurdwara (Sikh temple) in Wisconsin yesterday. I've been following that story all day today, and it still makes my blood run cold. It just horrifies me that someone could be so heartless and so hateful as to enter a house of worship and open fire on its congregants. In particular, my heart goes out to my Sikh brothers and sisters tonight. They're already a very marginalized group as it is. Since they are often mistaken for Muslims in this very Islamophobic climate, they've been victimized by violent crime and discrimination. A culture that sees non-Christian, non-white Americans as less than has become the breeding ground for these horrific acts to happen.
While many of us, I'm sure, are definitely shocked by the violent acts in Wisconsin, I think it's important for us to be mindful of what created this. I read a very poignant article by journalist Valarie Kaur called "Today We are All American Sikhs," in which she called upon all of us to work towards healing the divisions between religious and ethnic groups in order to prevent another incident like this. I definitely can understand the sentiment, and while I'm certainly on board with her message of solidarity, I'm not sure that the headline is the best entreaty for her audience. The fact is, we are not all American Sikhs. As a member of a fairly small religion that is not often targeted for hate crimes in the United States, I don't have a clue as to what it's like to be a Sikh. I've never been discriminated against on the basis of my religion or targeted with hate crimes. In short, we don't all have that experience. If anything, I'd say we are more like Wade Page, the murderer. I'm not saying that we would all commit the murders that he did. However, news reports are showing that he belonged to several white supremacist hate groups, ones that believed that non-whites are inferior (I'm not going to write any of their beliefs in much detail). Now where did those beliefs come from? They don't happen in a void. Consider that in this day and age, there's still a lot of prejudice against non-white individuals. Latinos are often considered to be here illegally and are treated with suspicion. News outlets overrepresent blacks as criminals or welfare recipients, even though most crime is intraracial and most families on welfare happen to be white. Muslims have been victimized by numerous hate crimes, in particular following hte September 11 attacks, and they still face discrimination in terms of employment (like not being able to wear veils at work) or assembly (see the outcry over the Park 51 cultural center, also erroneously called a "Ground Zero Mosque"). How many of us have internalized those beliefs? A culture like this is the environment actions like Page's came from. We're all affected by that. We've all been fed that steady stream of racism and religious intolerance.
The choice is whether we act on it or not. The choice is whether or not we accept it. We can decide that enough is enough. We can say "That's not fair" when we see a community being unfairly targeted, for starters. We can raise awareness and consciousness and refuse to stop talking until the problem is solved. It's going to take a lot more than saying you are a part of a group you have never been associated with. As much as I favor gun control, it's going to take a lot more than harsher gun laws (I believe Page got his weapons legally). We need a deep-seated cultural change, one that values us all, to prevent another Wade Page and to keep all of us safe. I'm going to stand with the people of Oak Creek, Wisconsin, by doing my part for just that. We can't afford to do any less.
While many of us, I'm sure, are definitely shocked by the violent acts in Wisconsin, I think it's important for us to be mindful of what created this. I read a very poignant article by journalist Valarie Kaur called "Today We are All American Sikhs," in which she called upon all of us to work towards healing the divisions between religious and ethnic groups in order to prevent another incident like this. I definitely can understand the sentiment, and while I'm certainly on board with her message of solidarity, I'm not sure that the headline is the best entreaty for her audience. The fact is, we are not all American Sikhs. As a member of a fairly small religion that is not often targeted for hate crimes in the United States, I don't have a clue as to what it's like to be a Sikh. I've never been discriminated against on the basis of my religion or targeted with hate crimes. In short, we don't all have that experience. If anything, I'd say we are more like Wade Page, the murderer. I'm not saying that we would all commit the murders that he did. However, news reports are showing that he belonged to several white supremacist hate groups, ones that believed that non-whites are inferior (I'm not going to write any of their beliefs in much detail). Now where did those beliefs come from? They don't happen in a void. Consider that in this day and age, there's still a lot of prejudice against non-white individuals. Latinos are often considered to be here illegally and are treated with suspicion. News outlets overrepresent blacks as criminals or welfare recipients, even though most crime is intraracial and most families on welfare happen to be white. Muslims have been victimized by numerous hate crimes, in particular following hte September 11 attacks, and they still face discrimination in terms of employment (like not being able to wear veils at work) or assembly (see the outcry over the Park 51 cultural center, also erroneously called a "Ground Zero Mosque"). How many of us have internalized those beliefs? A culture like this is the environment actions like Page's came from. We're all affected by that. We've all been fed that steady stream of racism and religious intolerance.
The choice is whether we act on it or not. The choice is whether or not we accept it. We can decide that enough is enough. We can say "That's not fair" when we see a community being unfairly targeted, for starters. We can raise awareness and consciousness and refuse to stop talking until the problem is solved. It's going to take a lot more than saying you are a part of a group you have never been associated with. As much as I favor gun control, it's going to take a lot more than harsher gun laws (I believe Page got his weapons legally). We need a deep-seated cultural change, one that values us all, to prevent another Wade Page and to keep all of us safe. I'm going to stand with the people of Oak Creek, Wisconsin, by doing my part for just that. We can't afford to do any less.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Wake me up when November ends
This election can't come soon enough.
Not just because I'm looking forward to the debates.
Not because I particularly am interested in seeing both spend sums of money in fundraising that's enough to fund a state worth of non-profits.
I just wish that Mitt would hurry up and LOSE already so;
a. Obama can get back to fixing what's wrong with the country.
b. I can finally stop seeing Romney campaign ads while I play Angry Birds! I get it, advertising is important. But no amount of ads will convince me! Can you please leave the Angry Birds alone??
Not just because I'm looking forward to the debates.
Not because I particularly am interested in seeing both spend sums of money in fundraising that's enough to fund a state worth of non-profits.
I just wish that Mitt would hurry up and LOSE already so;
a. Obama can get back to fixing what's wrong with the country.
b. I can finally stop seeing Romney campaign ads while I play Angry Birds! I get it, advertising is important. But no amount of ads will convince me! Can you please leave the Angry Birds alone??
Monday, July 16, 2012
A big, full, bleeding heart
I'm studying the domestic violence prevention movement this summer, in particular, the activism and social services in Illinois. The state is so big and diverse, and learning about all of the activists is so inspiring for a professional and a social justice advocate like me. Learning about the history of activism is one thing that does make me feel proud to be an American, as the tradition of standing up for what's right is ingrained in our nation's history. I'm not saying that everything this country does is perfect, but I do know that there will always be resistance and service to address it.
I spent 6 hours doing archival research for my project! What stories these women have! I left with my heart full just thinking about them all. I could be typically described as a "bleeding heart" lefty liberal, and this time is no exception. I have been thinking nonstop about the early activists in the domestic violence prevention movement. During the 1970s, there were no shelters or programs as we know them now. I would read the coalition newsletter, and believe you me, it was a BIG DEAL when a hotline or informal counseling service rented out a house to serve as a shelter. I read the stories of activists in big urban areas finding that the house or apartment building they rented (sometimes with their own money!) was overrun with women fleeing a dangerous situation. I read about women in rural areas, who faced enormous amounts of isolation and provincial attitudes when their shelters opened. And still, I read about outspoken activists who found unlikely allies in local celebrities anxious to make a social difference.
The stories are not easy to read, but they made me feel like I was part of something big. Again, I'm a crisis worker for rape victims, but I saw myself as part of a larger movement to end violence against women and children. They were just what I needed to stay inspired and energized. What struck me was how many of these women did this FOR FREE. Such services were not professionalized or "career choices." The women did this because they saw a need and did everything in their power to fill it. They rented these homes with their own money, and they formed a telephone tree to serve as a hotline in the beginning. It was their passion and dedication that kept them going.
So it must with me as well. Not a day goes by that I don't think about ending violence and promoting equality. The topic is a part of the very fabric and fiber of my being. It makes me wonder, what is it that keeps each of us going? What would we do for free, because we believe in it so much?
I spent 6 hours doing archival research for my project! What stories these women have! I left with my heart full just thinking about them all. I could be typically described as a "bleeding heart" lefty liberal, and this time is no exception. I have been thinking nonstop about the early activists in the domestic violence prevention movement. During the 1970s, there were no shelters or programs as we know them now. I would read the coalition newsletter, and believe you me, it was a BIG DEAL when a hotline or informal counseling service rented out a house to serve as a shelter. I read the stories of activists in big urban areas finding that the house or apartment building they rented (sometimes with their own money!) was overrun with women fleeing a dangerous situation. I read about women in rural areas, who faced enormous amounts of isolation and provincial attitudes when their shelters opened. And still, I read about outspoken activists who found unlikely allies in local celebrities anxious to make a social difference.
The stories are not easy to read, but they made me feel like I was part of something big. Again, I'm a crisis worker for rape victims, but I saw myself as part of a larger movement to end violence against women and children. They were just what I needed to stay inspired and energized. What struck me was how many of these women did this FOR FREE. Such services were not professionalized or "career choices." The women did this because they saw a need and did everything in their power to fill it. They rented these homes with their own money, and they formed a telephone tree to serve as a hotline in the beginning. It was their passion and dedication that kept them going.
So it must with me as well. Not a day goes by that I don't think about ending violence and promoting equality. The topic is a part of the very fabric and fiber of my being. It makes me wonder, what is it that keeps each of us going? What would we do for free, because we believe in it so much?
Thursday, July 5, 2012
It's like a HEATWAVE!
Well, big congrats to the two buddies who correctly identified the horned melon in the last blog post. Hopefully the melon will be a well-deserved treat for the summer heat. Today it was over a hundred degrees! I'm planning to head south during the winter, and I think I'm getting quite a bit of practice in dealing with extreme temperatures now. When I went to work today, I had on a Martha Reeves-inspired sheath dress and winged eyeliner, and I had her band's "Heatwave" playing as I got ready for work. (Love the '60s and '70s!) The Haus of Revel is now the HotHaus of Revel!
We need some rain and soon! All those folks who say global warming and climate change isn't real obviously aren't living in the midwest right now!
We need some rain and soon! All those folks who say global warming and climate change isn't real obviously aren't living in the midwest right now!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
What's for dinner?
Either this thing is going to regret meeting me, or I'm going to regret meeting it. Anybody know what it is? Bonus points if you know how to cook it! Who says midwesterners are boring!?
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