The implication being that the only possible way to be a good/moral/nice person is to have a religion. This is often followed up by statements such as “Are you sure?” or “No, you can’t be, because you don’t behave like an atheist” or “Well, have you ever considered [insert person’s religious denomination here].” Makes me feel frustrated, misunderstood, unheard. (via microaggressions)
“Well, I could ACT mean, if you wanted me to.”
Now I have to deal with all the notifications from anti-choicers getting all pissy because I don’t think a fetus is automatically a magical fucking unicorn sparkle present.
If a fetus is in my uterus and it is desperately unwanted, then yes, it is like a disease to me. A disease I will do everything I can to get rid of.
I SAID GOOD DAY, SIR.
“magical fucking unicorn sparkle present”
I love it.
SERIOUSLY, THIS IS IMPORTANT.
Tomorrow is the big day. We’re all really excited, but something to remember:
It’s going to be heated. In Los Angeles (my W4C city) over a thousand people will probably show up in support. While this is wonderful, usually where there are pro-choice protesters, there will be anti-choice ones as well.
And this is incredibly important: do not engage. Do not. It’s what they want, and it’s what the police and the media will be LOOKING FOR.
Police often use provocative tactics to spur protesters into violence, which gives them free reign to arrest and brutalize, and get away with it.
We must be prepared for this and we must remember that everyone is looking for excuse to silence us and write us off.
Hold your head and your sign high, but do not be painted as an instigator. It will only hurt your cause, and mine too.
Reblog until your internal organs fall out! This is going to be amazing! Hundreds and hundreds of people on the most rad of quests, and then we can hook up with the MoveOn walk right after! YOU GUUUUUYS, AAAAAAAH I AM SOOOO STOKED!!!!
Also: do not bring a megaphone or anything that could be construed as a blunt object. Some protesters have accidentally injured other protesters/police officers/bystanders by hitting them with wooden sign holders. Seriously! I read that! If your sign is on a stick, just be really careful with it.
Joe and I will be there with a camera. See you all there tomorrow at noon!
I’m attending the walk in Sherman Oaks, but could an umbrella be construed as a “weapon?” I know it’s probably going to be raining here tomorrow, that’s why I ask.
I don’t think umbrellas will be a problem on a rainy day. I’ll have mine in downtown LA!
Seriously, if any of you don’t at least agree with this - regardless of reblogging, how are we friends?
# Kori Cioca, the lead plaintiff, said she was constantly harassed by her Coast Guard supervisor. After she made a mistake during a knot-tying quiz, he called her a “stupid f—-ing female, who didn’t belong in the military” and then spit in her face. After complaining to her superior, the abuse escalated to stalking, sexual harassment and ultimately rape in December 2005. Despite an admission from her rapist, commanders told Cioca if she pressed charges she would be court-martialed for lying and later faced retaliation.
# Sarah Albertson was raped by a fellow Marine who outranked her in 2006. Because they had been drinking alcohol, both she and the man were charged with “inappropriate barracks conduct,” and she was ordered to “respect” her assailant. Commanders forced the corporal to interact with her rapist for two more years, suspending her security clearance and downgrading her work assignments because she took prescription medicine to cope with the trauma of being forced to live and work with her rapist.
# Rebekah Havrilla was an Army sergeant serving in Afghanistan in 2006 when she was sexually harassed by a supervisor and later raped by another soldier. She reported it under the military’s restricted reporting policy. When she later saw her rapist at a base in Missouri, she went into shock and sought the help of a military chaplain. She said he told her “it must have been God’s will for her to be raped” and recommended she attend church more often.
Things tend to get a little more interesting when the shoe is on the other foot. At one point, in one of the worse periods of mismanagement my platoon was undergoing, (it got better and worse, but this period was sadly far from the WORST), one of my friends said to his squadleader; “you know, I’m thinking about going to the Chaplain.” and shit got WAY better. FAST. Chaplains in the military are Serious Business. They are a way to go WAY over the head of most front-line supervisors; the Chaplain story above only illustrates how bad the culture is now. But I digress. It seems to me that a rapist with a gun in his face is going to ask for help. and his boss is VERY POLITELY going to consider what gets said there. And he’s going to get HIS boss on the phone right quick. This WILL get you in trouble. Possibly Section 8, possibly Court Martialed. But after being raped, a day in court is probably the best thing that can happen… All it takes is one person willing to make it clear that the rules owe her an apology, and the rules owe her the rapist’s punishment. It will be hard. and it is totally unfair that that’s what it will probably take. But it will fix things.” —17 Victims Sue Pentagon Over ‘Plague’ of Sexual Violence (via 3liza)
Submitted by diegueno:
Anti-choice reps are trying to eliminate Title X family planning funding. That means eliminating funding for birth control, cancer screenings, HIV tests, and more. Their goal is to shut down every Planned Parenthood health center in the country and deny women access to basic health care. We need to speak out now to protect funding for Planned Parenthood — click here to take action
Please reblog and sign the petition. And if you are flush enough to donate directly to Planned Parenthood, please do. The services Planned Parenthood offers are critical to the health and well-being of millions of women.
Love you, Alyssa.
I love libraries. We’re fortunate to have some very nice ones in Chicago. I love the smell of old books, wandering through the stacks into the obscure reference sections, flipping through enormous books on bizarre topics that must have been the life’s work of some researcher or scientist or other academic type. I’m also horrible at returning my books on time, so over the years I’ve contributed a somewhat disturbing amount of money to the libraries of Vero Beach, FL, Saratoga Springs, NY and Chicago, IL.
(via cathairtumbleweeds)
Libraries are the basis of my faith in mankind.