After reading some more about that whole Oklahoma women shaming, my blood has just once again boiled. Seriously, this anti-abortion stuff/women shaming stuff makes my blood boil so much, it’s crazy.
It just got me thinking about how in the world could so many people believe that women and men are equal? How could they believe this when clearly, women are oppressed? It is because it’s written into law? Is it because we’re now told that women and men are equal? Or…is it because people are kind of just lazy nowadays and don’t care that much?
I guess it probably is true that there is misinformation out there, and that people are not being educated properly on these things. But if people think there’s equality because it’s written into law, I ask, how does something written down trump a society’s power and privilege system, which is so historical and intertwined within everything in our society?
But then, there are the people who actually believe that gender inequality is okay. Do they enjoy shaming women into not having abortions? Do they enjoy not wanting to give women a choice about whether they stay at home with the kids or work? Do they enjoy the other many oppressing things that women face? My cynical self believes that they may sometimes enjoy shaming women, or at least think that it needs to be done. Maybe “enjoy” isn’t the write word, but these people obviously think they know what’s best.
What actually needs to be done to combat this? As the book says, “We Don’t Need Another Wave“. I’ve personally never read the book, but I agree with the title. We don’t need another era of huge political activism where constant demonstrations are being held (although we do need some of those). I think we need to be constantly politically active* in our everyday lives. It seems simple, but how many of us are actually politically active in our everyday lives? Do we stand up for what we believe in everyday? Do we write about and spread our beliefs around so that everyone can read/hear? Do we call out our closest friends when they make the most sexist or racist joke you’ve ever heard? Once you get uncomfortable and you know something is against your beliefs as a feminist, or anti-racist, etc…you need to step up and hold that title and possibly make those other people uncomfortable in the process. You do not have to be on the side of the majority. Really. You don’t have to be. In fact, I discourage it, unless the majority becomes people who believe and ACT ON the belief that everyone (gender, race, class, sexuality, etc) is equal.
We have a far way to come. We need to be on our toes constantly, seeing how we can stand up for what is right. You may think that you are doing the most insignificant thing by saying something, or blogging something, but you never know how it may affect one person. And we should all know, sometimes, it only takes the mobilization of one person, to change everything.
*by me saying that we need to be constantly politically active, I do not mean sitting behind a computer and joining a Facebook group that supports your cause…and then doing nothing about it.
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