Women's March, January 21st, 2017

The Biggest Protest in US History

We Stand Up For Each Other... We Fight Together!

Today, on January 21st, 2017 the biggest same-day protest marches in US history occurred across the country, with an estimated 2.9 million people taking part. At least one march in every single US state. Across the world, sister marches sprang up in Canada, England, France, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Norway, Philippines, Sweden, Finland, Japan, Ireland, South Africa, Kenya, Georgia, Israel, Germany, India, Hungary, Serbia, Spain, Austria, Poland, Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, Thailand, Italy, Switzerland, Scotland, South Korea, and even Antarctica! There were 673 marches in 60 countries, on all 7 continents.

Prior to Saturday, it was estimated that 2.2 million people around the world would take part, at 670 individual marches. However, with 2.9 million people JUST IN THE US, I can't wait to see what the final tally of people who actually marched will be.

More people around the country and even just in Washington D.C. marched for women's rights than attended Trump's inauguration. It is a beautiful sight. It makes my heart soar. Sometimes I - and I am sure many other people feel this way too - feel very alone in my feelings and in the world. Surrounded by people who tell us we can't do things, and ask questions like "why do you protest, it doesn't accomplish anything". I don't believe that it can't accomplish things, but even if it did, it still shows us that we are not alone, that there is solidarity among humanity, solidarity for human rights, women's rights, love and partnership, hope and a bright future ahead. It gives us hope that we can enact change, that our voices will be heard.

The media likes to give protest marches a bad rap, and often don't like to give attention to the peaceful ones. They like to speak about the vandalism that occurs, regardless of the perpetrators and the fact that they are seldom attached to the march and protests. Often, they don't even mention why people are marching, or why they are there. They don't interview them and broadcast their message. They'd rather pretend it's not happening or that it's just a "disgruntled few". But they're not going to be able to do that this time. This message is too widespread, too important, and not easy to silence.

They're not likely to give coverage to the fact that Canadian's traveling across the boarder into the US were denied entry for the simple fact that they planned on joining the Women's march in D.C. They were searched, photographed and fingerprinted, and threatened with arrest if they tried to get across the border again for the next few months. No legal basis for this kind of intimidation turn-away. Regardless of tactics, the world has mobilized to support women. This may not have the label "feminism" as so many people seem to see that as a dirty word now, but that is what we are seeing. Feminism in reality, not just in theory. People standing up for Women's Rights. Support for women, solidarity with women. It is an incredible time to be alive. Terribly sad on one hand, but invigorating seeing so many people come together for a common cause, stretching across every continent, many countries, every state... This is a Global Movement that I am so proud to be alive to see happen.

Minimum estimates are at 2.9 million people, with high end estimates over 4 million already.
Washington, D.C.: 500,000
Portalnd, OR: 100,000
Seattle, WA: 100,000
Chicago, IL: 150,000
L.A., CA: 500,000
Denver, CO: 100,000
Boston, MA: 100,000
Madison, WI: 75-100,000
Several thousand in each of these cities: Oakland CA, Philidelphia PA, Austin TX, Pheonix AZ, Atlanta GA, Tallahassee FL, Asheville NC, Reno NV, Ithaca NY, Lansing MI, Boise ID, Montpelier VA, Memphis TN, Trenton NJ, Seneca Falls, NY, Sioux Falls SD, Binghamton NY, Naples FL, Knoxville TN, Rochester NY, and Pensacola FL
Several hundred in these: Pequannock NJ, Clemson SC, Wycoff NJ, Redding CA, Brighton MI, and Green Bay, WI

An estimated 250,000 people protested internationally...
Australia: 10,000 in Sydney, 5,000 in Melbourne, and ~300 in Brisbane
New Zealand: 2,000 in Auckland
France: in Paris
England: 100,000 in London
Ireland: in Dublin
Japan: in Tokyo
Austria: 2,000 in Austria
Hungary: 400 in Budapest
Even 30 people in Antarctica!

Trump's inauguration was lackluster and filled with depression and defeat, doom and gloom speeches, and unhappiness by those forced to be there. A stark comparison form Obama's inauguration in 2009. With inauguration protests on the 20th, and the massive protests on the 21st, I don't think any president could ever have a less well received coming to power. He already has an atrocious favorability rating, worse than any other incoming president in the history of the US. With Trump being who he is, thriving off of people's admiration and support, I hope he's having the worst week of his entire life, with many more to come.

Trump 2017 on the left, Obama 2009 on the right

Butthurt about blogs

People incapable of just closing their web browser

I find it intriguing that so many people will "like" a facebook page, then get all pissy when the author of the page doesn't post things that align with the viewer's beliefs. I see it happening all the time, especially with the tense political climate we now find ourselves in. Pages that used to report mostly about climate change issues, or pages that focused on atheism activism, or LGBTQ activism and rights.... Those pages started posting political articles - often still about their page's major theme. And now, their followers constantly complain that they're "getting all political", when the page used to be about science, or just religion, etc... What I want to know is how the fuck do they think it's not relevant?

Politics influences every single part of our lives, even if it's not obvious at first glance. Especially when it comes to religion in the US. Those two things are not supposed to be intertwined, however the way US Christianity takes over the system, dominates every discussion, and is an unofficial requirement to run for governmental office means that it's always going to have a seat at the table. And with the new government of Trump's ego taking over all we hold dear, politics is going to become an integral part of Science. Trump's interest or lack thereof in regards to different science fields is going to affect funding, legitimacy, management based off of the results of science research, clean energy research, even just plain common sense.

These people - who are not internet trolls, just idiots - get upset when the page doesn't post the things they want to see. Sure, I'm a little overwhelmed and stressed by the sheer quantity of political information coming at me since this time last year, but I recognize that it's better to be informed and know what's going on and how it's going to affect me then suddenly have something happen and not know why or how or what the hell is going on in my world. Not only that, but the owner of the facebook page or blog is allowed to post whatever the hell he wants. It's his damn page. If 'viewers' don't like the changing content, they don't have to read it. It's as simple as exiting out of that webpage. It's as easy as saying "I'm not in the mood right now" and moving on to something else. But  somehow these people seem to think that they individually can tell the owner of the page what they are and aren't allowed to post, usually with a treat of "i'll unfollow you if you don't go back to what the page was about before..." And usually, the owner of the page tells them to go right ahead. It's no water off of their back to lose one or even 100 followers. Leaving the page isn't going to hurt their feelings, so go ahead and do it, make things better for everyone else.

Often, it's not even like these pages say they are only going to post about science topics. There is a FB page called "A Science Enthusiast" and in the description of the page it says:

And the description of the author follows the same bent....

So it's not like he's saying he's going to write about and post articles only about really serious science research. It's his personal FB blog of things he finds amusing, interesting, educational, frustrating, irritating, important, etc... The only rules and restrictions of the blog content is whatever he finds interesting. 

This morning, he posted this:

Which adheres to his requirement for his page of "thoughts and views on different things". Pretty standard, right? And one of his "followers" got all upset that he was posting about politics, not science. Even though it's not like his entire page is about science, just because the name of the page is "A Science Enthusiast". 

And really, with all the shit that the US has done - Japanese internment camps, trail of tears, slavery, killing off all the bison, slaughtering the natives when arriving to this country, being shitty to other countries "just because", developing and then dropping nuclear bombs killing so many innocents, pretty much jumpstarting the instability in the middle-east for our own profits, using drone attacks to target suspected terrorists and actually killing civilians, etc... With all that shit, you really want to say that the Affordable Care Act (otherwise known as Obamacare) is the biggest failure in american history? That's the worst thing you can think of? Providing 200,000+ people with healthcare, despite the flaws in the legislation (arguably put there by Republicans to ensure it would "fail") is really that awful?

I repeat... It's his damn page. He can post whatever the fuck he wants to. If you don't like it you don't have to read it, or follow it, or be a part of that community. I hate to use the republican's favorite catchphrase for liberals, but seriously... stop "whining" about other people's posts on their FB blogs! 

I'm sure someone could and probably would say the same thing to me if I linked this under the post, saying that I'm just whining about someone who has a different opinion. Then we get into a twisty endless loop of who is really being a little whiney brat and needs to grow up and get over it. I admit I didn't have to spend all this time writing this blog, I could have been doing much more useful things with my time. But I needed to vent and remark upon how irritating it is to have people dictate what you do with your time and your personal blogs/pages. Which I have now done. Yay for me :)

Feminism

Why we need it, and why the "I don't need feminism" people deserve a good hard bitch-slap

Women face near-constant objectification. It can be as simple as a guy whistling at us on the sidewalk, or saying an unwanted "hey beautiful" as we walk by. Sure, it might not be hurting us physically, but they're looking at us, at our faces and our bodies and seeing a vagina that they want to fuck and breasts that they want to touch. Not a person with feelings, a family, a job, and worth beyond physical beauty. That is not a compliment, whatever they think. Looking at us and wishing they could get us naked and rut on top of us for a few minutes is not nice and it's not funny and it's not okay. And it happens every day and chances are every women will experience it at least once in their lives - probably a lot more frequently.

Even more disgusting and dangerous is when a guy shows interest in us and asks if we want to hang out, or get a drink, or go back to his place, or go on a date, and when we say no - the reason is not important - they get aggressive and offended, sometimes even resort to violence to "put us in our place". They say we're not even giving them a chance, that we're missing out on something great, that we're stupid bitches/cunts/sluts simply because we don't want to fuck them. They take it as a personal insult that we don't automatically strip naked and get on our knees in front of them to suck their cock. They are so sure of their own importance in the world, and that a women's job is to be an object for their own satisfaction and pleasure, that they can't take rejection. It doesn't matter to them that the women might be in a committed relationship, that she might not be sexually attracted to men, or just them, or might just not want sex, or have better things to do than go on a date with a scumbag, or might be really busy, or might be late for a meeting, or just doesn't want to sleep with a guy that sees her as a fuck toy and not a human being. They see it as a rejection, an insult, a slight against their male pride and they take violent offense to anyone not doing what they say when they say it.

Every day I wait for systematic objectification to happen to me. In the past it has, but I was too nervous and unsure of myself (or in a dangerous place at night) to stand up for myself and other women and do something to show that it wasn't okay. Now that I am slightly older, more confident and less scared of the world, I am just waiting for someone to try it on me. They'll get the tongue lashing of their lives.

I don't understand how men think that it's okay - not only to say things like this to random women on the street - but to get so offended when we show them we don't appreciate the objectification. They could just give up and wait for the next victim, but they often-times seem to be personally offended by the rejection, to the point of violence. How is a woman simply declining to engage in their 'oh so witty' banter and being just as rude back to them so offensive that they feel the need to punish her?

And then those men and women out in the world that somehow don't experience this type of objectification and verbal abuse pretend that it does not happen. They proudly hold up signs about how they "don't need feminism", as though their limited sample size of 1 is representative of the rest of the world. Their willing blindness to the problem just intensifies it and denigrates those of us who experience it in real life. To them it's just a news article or a "whining liberal". But to those of us who actually live with it, it's something important that needs to be fought and changed. It saddens me that we live in a world where people who don't experience these kinds of situations not only don't stand up for people who need support, but they refuse to believe that they exist at all...

So many men out there see a story about some kind of abuse a woman has experienced, and their first reaction is to point out that THEY wouldn't do something like that. They use #NotAllMen as though that somehow makes things better. They point out that there are many good guys out there in the world, so we shouldn't judge all men by a "few" bad experiences. As though the fact that there are some good guys makes it okay that a woman was raped or attacked and beaten to a pulp. Woman share their negative experience in the hope that other people will take notice and learn from it. That other women will be more wary then they were and hopefully avoid a similar occurrence. We talk about it to remove the stigma of being a victim of abuse and assault. We talk about it so that it's not ignored and shamed, so that victims get support, so that people work harder to prevent it from happening again. And then men, for some reason, feel like women who have been assaulted judge all of them by their experience and blame their gender for it. They feel defensive and uncomfortable and try to make themselves feel better by pointing out that they aren't like that.

Comments like that don't fix the problem. #NotAllMen and "Women Against Feminism" is a disgusting misunderstanding of the struggle that many women face. It's a bunch of people, men and women, disregarding the challenges that many women in society face. Just because they personally haven't felt oppressed by society, or just because they haven't been objectified and put down by men around them, they choose to believe that there is no problem. A lot of time this viewpoint comes from middle class people who have been privileged because of their economic status and protected from reality by their parents, brothers, and people they hang out with.

There is a Tumblr out there called "We Don't Need Feminism" where people just submit reasons why they think Feminism and speaking out against systematic oppression against women isn't needed. They like to claim things like women who are feminists are whiny and pathetic. That speaking out against rape and victim shaming is "acting pathetic" and distracting from "real problems". They never really elaborate on what those real problems are though...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can I first just point out how truly awful these backgrounds tend to be? It's like they're trying to offend the senses in every way they possibly can. Just in case you can't read the disgusting words on these things, I've made it easier by listing them out below...

1. "I don't need feminism because it's all about idiots that feel bored and paint oppression on themselves to feel important."

2. "I don't need feminism because they really are using the same tactics as nazis and they HATE it when you make the comparison."

3. "I personally don't need feminism because I work hard for respect. I don't need a bunch of whiny half naked brats telling me I'm a brainwashed slave and men should step down. I've got this"

4. "I don't need feminism because when I was physically harassed by a boy I understood that it was just him not the entire male population would do that."

5. "I don't need feminism because women in modern western societies are not victims by default" ~Guess what, I'm female and I'm in STEM field, and no agents of your "patriarchy" has EVER tried to push me aside or hinder me. The only and unanimous reaction I get from men are all along the lines of "really? That's so awesome!". So get your whiny butts of the couch, drop your gender studies, and go learn something meaningful, that way you'll experience for yourselves that you can achieve all a man can.

6. "I don't need feminism because I am empowered without it!"

7. "I don't need feminism because, as a Latina, I have never been oppressed. I don't need to be misandrist to be empowered."

8. "I don't need Feminism because feminists want me to feel oppressed. I used to identify as a feminist and whenever I did, I didn't feel empowered or anything I guess I was supposed to feel. I'm not a victim of men. I am not a victim of "internalized misogyny." I am happy with how I am treated as a woman."

9. "Feminism as a whole is irrelevant and outdated, because it doesn't teach women to be strong. It teaches women that they should be afraid of everything and everyone except feminism and feminists, but then tells women that it's everyone else's job to look after them and protect them."

10. "Feminism isn't needed anymore. So it's irrelevant now. We don't need to waste time fighting for something that doesn't need to be fought for anymore"

11. "I don't need feminism because even if I was the nicest, most considerate guy in the world, catering to their every need, I would still be labeled a monster, a potential rapist, disgusting, etc..."

12. "I don't need feminism because if "Male privilege" did exist, I would've had my own art studio by now instead of working $9/hr at a bakery."

13. "I don't need feminism because even if I present a proper argument complete with factually correct evidence, I get disregarded because I'm male"

There's so many problems with all this shit I don't even know where to start. Well, the ones by men are pretty obvious to see.

#11 complains about the fact that women are already nervous about people attacking and raping them, and therefore feminism sucks, because as a guy he gets grouped into potential rapists. Doesn't recognize that that's exactly why feminism is important. Women are so used to hearing about others who have been raped, and so used to being objectified and fearing for their safety that we have to expect it from all guys. Rape is common enough that we have to be so aware of our surroundings to make sure we don't have it happen to us that we guard against men who are probably perfectly nice people, just in case it's a trap. And that's exactly why feminism is needed from everyone, not just women. Because if men ostracized other men who take advantage of women who can't fight back, are drunk, are vulnerable in some way, then it would probably become less common. But men brag about how many people they've slept with, how that hot drunk chick went home with them and had sex with them, or that girl at the party was so wasted she had sex with everyone who approached her without protest. Guys joke with their friends about how they can have anyone, or if they get a girl drunk enough or stoned enough etc... she'll agree to have sex. That is why feminism is needed from men too. Because women alone cannot convince men that it's wrong to take advantage of someone who doesn't know what they're doing.

#12 complains that he doesn't have his dream job, so male privilege must not exist and feminism is unnecessary. I'm sorry, but that's not how "male privilege" works. Just because you are a guy and "privileged" by your gender doesn't mean that your life will be a charmed cake-walk and you don't have to work towards what you want. Just because you are male doesn't mean if you go to a bank to get a loan you will automatically get one and a woman won't. That's not what male privilege is. The reason you are working in a bakery for $9/hr is because you need a job to pay rent and you are lucky enough to have a job at all. Making it in the world as an artist is hard, and everyone knows it. You aren't going to be successful immediately and you are going to have to work towards what you want. We all have to do that. Male privilege just means that you will probably have certain advantages over the women in your life, might get payed more than they will, won't have to face the sexual objectification that women in the workplace do, won't have guys starting at your tits and ass as you walk by as though that's all you are worth.

#13... that's what many women in high powered fields face every day. We say something smart, with evidence and worth to it, and are completely ignored. But when the man sitting next to us says the same thing he is praised for having such a great idea... That's why we NEED feminism, especially men to understand what it is and why it's important. You complaining about not always being listened to over women isn't exactly helping your case.

Then there's #1, #2 and #3 that are just gems... They make feminists out to be lazy sluts that just complain about their lots in life and wear little to no clothing and therefore deserve to be objectified? Not even really sure how #2 makes sense... How are feminists the same as Nazis? We don't put people in gas chambers and kill them just because they are jewish... Sure, there are some feminists out there that are not model citizens, not the smartest wrench in the toolshed. But does that mean that they should be sexually harassed by men? Does that mean that they are less deserving of basic human respect? And yeah, there are some nearly militant feminists out there who complain if a guy holds a door open for them, or accuse every guy in their vicinity of staring at their boobs when they are wearing nothing but a bra and see-through shirt. Those people have their own issues. But isn't that exactly what you are saying already? Don't judge everyone in a certain group by the crazies that also happen to belong to that group? Don't judge "all men" by the actions of a few? If you are going to make that argument you can't turn around and say all feminists are loonies and whiny bored people just looking to make trouble, just because there MAY be people out there claiming to be feminists who act crazy.

#'s 4, 5, 6, and 7 just make me angry. Just because YOU PERSONALLY have not felt oppressed, objectified, been sexually assaulted, discriminated against in the workplace, payed less then your male counterparts, been denied medical services (abortions) due to men and women around you feeling it's morally wrong, doesn't mean that other women are not having these experiences all the fucking time. Just because you are lucky enough to be surrounded by men who respect you doesn't meant that your neighbor doesn't face these challenges every day. Just because you don't feel oppressed in your workplace, doesn't mean that millions of women in STEM fields don't get payed the same as the men they work with. And lets get one thing clear right now. Feminism does not equal misandry. Feminists do not hate men. Feminism is not about women being better then men, or giving women more rights then men, or promoting women's issues INSTEAD of men's. And Feminism isn't just about promoting women's issues. It's about equality between the sexes. It's about making women EQUAL to men. It's about making sure that women are payed at the same rate as men. It's about not stigmatizing men who want to be in traditionally female roles, like men who WANT to stay home and raise children while their wives have high-powered careers, or something as simple as men who want to be nurses in hospitals, social workers, librarians, or elementary school teachers. However, even when men are in these traditionally female occupations and roles, while they may be teased and stigmatized for it, they still get payed more than the women in these jobs do. And yet, feminists campaign just as much for men to get paternity leave as well as women to get maternity leave. They campaign for many male-oriented injustices and they do a damn good job of it.
#8 and #9 are so incredibly frustrating to me. It makes me want to get those people all together and blast them with a huge speaker saying "feminism is not oppressing women you dumb fucks". They say that feminism is trying to tell women they are damsels in distress, that they are incapable of achieving whatever they put their minds to, that it teaches women to be scared of their own shadows. And just because you are a feminist or believe that feminism is needed in today's society doesn't instantaneously make you an "empowered" person. A basic google of "definition of empowered" will lead you to this:

Which wonderfully illustrates that to be empowered is something that you have to work for or figure out for yourself. Belonging to a movement, or giving lip service to those around you claiming that you are a feminist, does not guarantee that you will feel strong and confident, or give you the ability to speak up when you feel someone is treating you poorly. Belonging to a group of feminists, or hanging out with similarly minded people might help you get to the point of being "empowered", but calling yourself a feminist doesn't do that automatically.

And don't even get me started on #10. "Feminism isn't needed anymore. So it's irrelevant now. We don't need to waste time fighting for something that doesn't need to be fought for anymore." Obviously it is still needed. It's still needed because women who have been able to prove that they've been raped and who their attacker is don't get justice. It's still needed because a girl that sleeps with 5 guys in 3 years is called a slut, but a guy that sleeps with 5 girls in one week is a hero and a champ, celebrated by his buddies and exhausted to near god-like status. It's needed because women make significantly less than males in the exact same jobs and companies. It's needed because women routinely face sexual objectification and harassment in the workplace, on the street, in their social circles, etc... It's needed because other cultures have even more disgusting approaches to women's rights. It's needed because men try to restrict women's health choices because of "their morals". It's needed because men seem to think that they can dictate to us what is and what isn't appropriate to wear, or do, or say, or act, or be. That's why it's fucking needed.

Our mothers fought for these rights years ago... for the right to vote, the right to work, the right to be something other than a bored housewife if they wanted to. And I can't believe we're still fighting for this shit. With Trump as president, it's going to be even more important for people to stand up and fight for women's rights, equality, and yes - also for men's rights (i.e. feminism). This is about all of us sticking together and fighting for what is right. Not what is easy or what other people tell us we should be fighting for instead. It's about standing up for people who are hurting or who are bullied and pushed down by others. It's about equality and fairness. We're not a bunch of man-haters out there trying to destroy civilization as we know it. We just want the same respect and opportunities given to men. How is that wrong or bad?

Are we fighting Intolerance with Intolerance?

What the fuck is going on in this country?

So I keep seeing something interesting from conservatives. While they are going on and on about how black people don't deserve the same rights as them, how there's a war against christmas, about how we need to protect ourselves by barring refugees because there might possibly be a terrorist that could slip through with the rest, how islam is an evil religion, how muslims should be on a registry, how the government is trying to control them and take away their rights to bear arms and discriminate against people because of their religion.... While all that shit is going on, they - in the same breath - say that liberals are being so intolerant towards them. They somehow have the audacity to say racist, sexist, evil shit in one breath, and in the next complain about people objecting to what they have to say.

They call liberals "special snowflakes" and talk about us needing "safe spaces" so our feelings don't get hurt, but in the wave of anti-hate speech following the election by people who voted for Hillary and were disgusted by Trump supporters, I saw fliers up around my university inviting republicans to a space where they could talk about their happiness with the election results and talk about how white people are just genetically better than anyone else, specifically mentioning that they wouldn't face persecution for their speech at this meeting. Is that not their "safe space"? While they make fun of the fact that "trigger warnings" are so stupid, they themselves need them. While they say that liberals are "whining" about losing the election, they whine that people aren't even "giving Trump a chance" and that if they don't like it they should leave the country. If anyone is a goddamn "special snowflake" its the fucking conservatives that are butthurt that we didn't all shut up and go along with them when Trump won. It's like they thought the second Trump was elected, everyone would turn conservative, liberals would spontaneously combust, and that every person belonging to a minority group would instantaneously move somewhere else. 

I wonder sometimes about the idea that liberals are intolerant towards racist, sexist, homophobic assholes. They can't have it both ways. We aren't either intolerant to everything the way they are, or tolerant of everything including their shittery. The liberals I know are tolerant of other people having different religious beliefs, different cultural backgrounds, different skin tines, different countries of origin, different languages and foods, different sexual preferences, different sexual identities. We are tolerant of people who want to break from "traditional roles" expected of men and women, of men who want to stay home and raise the children, or women who want to have a high powered job as well as kids, of women who never want to have kids, of people who want to marry someone of the same gender, and raise a family with them. We are tolerant of people who want to make their own choices regarding their lives, such as when and if they have children, who they marry, what holidays they celebrate, who they have sex with. It's none of our goddamn business what they do, as long as it's not causing harm to any other person. That is how we are "tolerant". 

However, the idea that because of those things - because we have respect for other people conducting their lives the way they want to live them without us butting in telling them it's "immoral" or wrong - somehow it's expected that we'll be tolerant of people who are dickheads and go out of their way to cause mental, emotional, and physical harm to others? How the fuck does that make any sense at all?

We protested Trump because he embodies the very idea of intolerance. He made it okay for people to be openly racist, sexist, homophobic, islamophobic. He made it okay for them to threaten others with physical violence, simply because they had different beliefs about religion or different "morals". He made it okay for guys to sexually assault women and walk away laughing about it (as though there wasn't a big enough problem with that already). He made it okay to make fun of disabled people (didn't we realize how fucked up that was years ago?). He made it okay to be a disgusting horrible person, and be proud of that. That is why we were protesting. That is why we were showing that we would not tolerate people being hateful to each other without an incredibly good reason for it (like they raped someone or murdered someone or abused humans/animals). We shouted "Love not Hate" in the streets to say that we would not tolerate this vicious hate that seemed to be getting quite popular. We said that we would not stand by and let conservatives intimidate, scare, assault other people just because they decided on some arbitrary issue that they "deserved it". 

So yeah, I guess by that definition we are intolerant. We are intolerant of hate. We are intolerant of humans treating other people like shit. We are intolerant of sexual assault. We are intolerant of forcing people to be someone they are not. We are intolerant of Trump and the people who voted for him with full understanding of what he stood for and what he promoted. 

So go ahead. Laugh about how intolerant liberals are while at the same time saying they're "special snowflakes" that need a safe space. You try and hurt someone near me because you are vicious fucking asshole, and see what a "special snowflake" I am. I decided a long time ago that I wouldn't stand by and watch bullying happen in front of me. I wasn't going to watch a man assault his girlfriend in front of me. I wasn't going to watch people getting hurt and not do anything. If I see someone being attacked in any way just because of who they are, I have no problem throwing myself in the middle and causing as much verbal or physical harm to the attacker as humanly possible. Does that make me intolerant? Probably, but that's something I think I can live with.

*My views are not necessarily representative of the entire group known as "liberals", or any group. My beliefs and thoughts are my own and I choose this blog to be an outlet for my frustration at my community, my country, and the world in general.*

A Future Drastically Changed

How my life trajectory shifted direction in November 2016

Prior to the US election in November of 2016 I had the next 5-10 years of my life planned. Not every single detail, but I knew where I was going and what I wanted to do with my life. I was going to graduate from OSU with a BS in Fisheries & Wildlife Science. I was going to get summer tech positions all over the US working as a field technician collecting samples, and cataloging plants, and electroshocking fish (hopefully not), collaring bobcats if I was lucky... I was going to have adventures and make connections with professionals in my career field. I was going to work my but off moving every six months, saving up for grad school and trying to get into one eventually. After grad school I was going to hopefully get a more permanent job, preferably somewhere in the PNW, Montana, the Dakotas, Wyoming, etc... doing something in the field of predator-livestock conflict management (if I was super lucky). I was going to make a difference, I was going to try to change people's views on predators and hopefully convince them to try non-lethal control methods. I was going to be a badass female in a field and region usually dominated by men, and hopefully make a difference in the world. 

And then Donald Trump won the US Election. Aside from the whole civil rights, women's rights, social rights consequences of this new management of the US, my career field is in crisis. Environmentalists in general are seeing a bleak future for their professions and careers, but people who are in or are looking to gain entry to government organizations that deal with land management, resource management, clean energy, and environmental issues in general are now facing massive changes in their futures as well. When I graduated, I was going to apply for jobs with the Forest Service, Fisheries and Wildlife departments, Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior, Park Service, etc... Now that is not likely to land me even an entry level position.

We all know republicans are fond of "small government", whatever that load of tripe means. They want to take control away from the federal level ad give back control to individual states. This "small government" idea will cripple country-wide environmental work. And it will cripple important departments nested in government. Sure, each state has it's own "fisheries and wildlife department", but they are funded, organized, and staffed by the federal sector of the Department of the Interior. Shave off funding for that, and the state departments will collapse.

For years, young up-and-coming wildlife techs have been told that the "old boys club" will be retiring soon. And now they finally are. The baby boomers are almost all reaching retirement now and leaving these government positions. There is finally the possibility of promotion to long-term positions. People who have been doing tech jobs for 5+ years can now move into management positions, research director positions, department management, and other positions that are longer than 6 month gigs. And because those seasoned techs are moving up, there's entry level positions for people coming out of college. My generation actually has a shot at getting a job. And all that hope and excitement is now gone.  When baby boomers retire, they won't be replaced. That's how republicans in the past have operated. When the federal employees in management positions retire, they don't replace them. They don't hire new blood. They just shave down the department until it's so small it doesn't have a prayer of doing anything useful. And all those hopeful young people that spent 4 years in college, $20,000+ on university fees (and that's at the low end of costs), worked their butts off every summer in volunteer positions for professors and grad students - barely making enough to pay rent, let along pay off student loans - all those people are going to be unemployed. Or at least unemployed in their field.

There is some hope in the private sector. Non-profit and NGO's have made mention that there is a possibility that a lot more individual donation funding will start flowing into them to offset the lack of interest within the government to protect the environment. Therefore, people who care about the environment will pour money into these NGO's to try and combat dangerous coal and oil interests of the new government. As these organizations grow they'll hire people who know how the system works, and independent research will flourish. But this isn't going to happen nearly fast enough to offset the number of people who are going to be out of work now. People like me are not going to have a future in this "new and great america".

My future here in the US is shot to hell. The country I was born in, the country I grew up in, the country I watched from a young age be torn apart by the selfish republican interests in middle eastern oil under the Bush administration. And then Obama happened and suddenly I had a future. The Obama administration has mitigated the damage of Bush, has reduced unemployment, brought the US back from the brink of complete collapse. And now, after 8 years of hope and progress, we're going to backslide about 10 years in the next 4 under Trump's administration. My future career chances are gone. My 5-10 year plan is going to have to wait. 3 months ago I knew how my life was going to go. And now I get to struggle all over again to figure out what the fuck to do with my life.

I cannot exist in this country under a Trump Administration. I want to be the person that stays and fights. I want to stand up for civil rights, women's rights, environmental issues... I want to march in protests and vote locally, create civil disobedience, stand up for what is right, counter racist, sexist, homophobic motherfuckers that have the audacity to publicly try to intimidate others. I want to be the kind of person who fights back. But in 3 months I already feel completely hopeless and Trump hasn't even been inaugurated yet. Every news feed about his cabinet members, every tweet by him, every nasty person celebrating the new government, every announcement about repealing Obamacare and defunding Planned Parenthood, and I feel like i'm drowning in despair. I feel completely hopeless and scared shitless and I don't think I can live like this for 4 years. I can't deal with this crushing fear and hopelessness, watching people get hurt, watching people die and struggle and the environment become even more damaged and have to listen to people who care about nothing other than money running the government. I know myself pretty well, and I know my limits. Mentally, I don't think I can handle living with this kind of stress and depression day in day out for 4 years.

I need to do something useful with my life. I need to be a force for good out there in the world making a difference, however small it may be. I need to help people somehow, alleviate hardships somewhere in the world, be a symbol that not every american is a fucking selfish uneducated pig. So I applied to the Peace Corps. I am hoping to hell that I get in, that they send me to Paraguay to do something environmental or agricultural. Living in a local community, using my degree to help other people and the environment at the same time, learning a new culture, learning about people and their lives, experiencing things I would never encounter in the US. An added bonus would be a nearly complete media blackout. It's unlikely i'll have access to Facebook, unlikely that i'll be bombarded by more bad news about whatever shit Trump has done next, unlikely that I'll be faced with constant depression and hopelessness. I can exist for 2.5 years in a place where my presence is a help, not a hinderance, gaining experience, hopefully impacting other people's lives in a good way, and keeping myself sane until the 2020 election.

I want to be a fighter and stick it out, adding my voice to the majority of americans that did not want Trump as their new dictator. I want to, but I know that's not in me. I'm not strong enough to do that for 4 years. Just as I knew I couldn't be an environmental lawyer in the US with our already fucked up government, I can't stick around here for 4 years. So I'm going, getting out of dodge and keeping myself strong and healthy until I can come back and live in a country that has the same values that I have, that supports all it's citizens, that cares about the vulnerable people in society, that cares about the environment, not just increasing politicians bank accounts...