Hi!
Okay, a couple things.
First, I'm having a seriously hard time keeping my smart ass in check after watching the Cheeto -in-chief brag about 'acing' the Montreal cognitive assessment test.
Have you checked it out? I did. It's a one-page test. The last few questions that Trump wants you to believe were so difficult are literally this.
1. recognizing the fact that bananas and oranges are both fruit.
2. repeating 5 words you heard 5 minutes previous. (The whole test is designed to last approximately 10 minutes)
3. knowing the date and where you are
Now, in at least one of the interviews where he tries to dazzle with his brilliance, he says the latter, and supposedly tougher recall question was 10, 15, 20, 25 minutes after he initially heard the words. As the whole test is designed to last 10 minutes for a reason, either the person who administered the test was giving him a ton of extra time to answer the questions, he has an incredibly poor sense of time, or he's just full of it. None of the options are great... for him.
Yes, as the number of cases of COVID in the United States surpasses 4 million, as the infection rate climbs, and deaths cross the threshold of 144,000, he's spending his time bragging about how brilliantly he can recognize camels and bananas.
Watching him struggle to pretend he cares is like watching a toddler do advanced calculus.
Ok, second.
A shout out of absolute respect for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the way she stood up for herself and all women, really, when she stood her ground on the Congress floor. She faced Tedd Yoho and explained in terms simple enough even the Republicans could understand, that calling her a 'fucking bitch' is not something she was just going to let slide.
I'm sorry if some are offended by the language but it is a direct quote from a long-time Congressman, sooooo...
In her speech, she explains how his words were not new. How almost every woman has been subjected to this kind of unfounded verbal assault at some point in her life.
It's not new, but that doesn't make it acceptable.
Personally, I've dealt with it a ton.
One instance that sticks out in my memory...
Years ago, I worked for an auction company that routinely provided services to farmers that were selling their equipment and household items.
I was one of the first of a very few female bid catchers, and as such stood on the flatdeck trailer alongside the other bid catchers (both men) and the smaller items for sale. For those who have never been to an auction, the catchers are the ones who scan the crowd, practiced in noticing even the most subtle bidder's gesture. In a crowd of hundreds, you have to watch for every flick of a finger, wiggle of an eyebrow, etc. As things sold, whoever was holding the item up to be seen by the crowd would hand it to the winning bidder.
After the sale of one the first items of the day, as I handed it down to the guy who bought it, he, in his best and loudest condescending voice asked me, "So what are you, the stripper?"
Of course, his remark caused some snickers and giggles from the guys around him. I held my composure and remained professional.
But... for the rest of the day...
Every time he blinked, I caught it as a bid. Every time he swatted at a mosquito, it was a bid. Every time he scratched his nose... well, you get the point. Somehow, he managed to win the bid on every box of junk on the trailer. Each time I handed him yet another box of useless crap, I would ask, "Now do you know why I'm here?"
Five hours and hundreds of dollars later, I think he got the point.
Working in bars, I had a patron try and shove his tip down my shirt. After he was able to breathe again, he doubled the tip, apologized, promising never to that again to me or anyone else.
Working in restaurants, I had a customer try to reach his hand up my uniform skirt as I poured him coffee. After I swung the coffee pot near his face, he looked at me in shock.
"You almost hit me with that!"
"I know. Next time, I don't miss."
I've had a job where I was warned of a co-worker, "Watch out for that one, he's an ass grabber." Like it was something that a person just had to put up with.
I could go on, but at some point, it just gets ridiculous.
The most ridiculous part of it is I know every woman who reads this will have her own experiences of very similar things. I fought back so my daughters wouldn't have to, but here they are, having to.
Hopefully, in part, because of the AOC's of the world, my granddaughters won't have to be subjected to this, that is anything but new.
Hopefully.
What can we do? Don't let it slide.
************************************************************
May we hold the gaze of those who want to de-humanize, demean, dismiss, make them face their words.
May we hold them accountable, let none of it slide, for to do so is a betrayal of our daughters' worth.
May we make them see the faces of their mothers, wives and daughters each time they choose to spew venom.
May we hold them accountable, all of them, for every drop, no matter if they walk in an Armani suit or Walmart denim.
May those who are still wearing the Cheeto covered blinders, lift them so they can see.
May they see they deserve so much more than, person, woman, man, camera, tv.
***********************************************************
For that summer read...
![Once Broken by [Margy Reid]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41x0FgrjdFL._SX260_.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment