Not ready to make nice

So now they're supposed to be nice to us.

Fuck that.

I've arrived!

I have received what I think is my first substantive anti- comment ever. I feel so tingly inside. Not as tingly as Chris Matthews, but tingly nonetheless.

It would have been easy to just delete it, but I figured that would be too easy. And I feel like procrastinating, so here we go:

You probably haven't notice but Hillary IS A RACIST.She wants to play with Guns.She seen getting drunk. She did everthing but burn a cross.You have a lot of lies on this sight. The U.C.C church is tollerant of gays.The new minister at Trinity gets death threats.The funniest thing that I heard on election night was Hillary has to appeal to uneducated,rural,gun owning voters.Oh Klansmen huh.Many of these site repeat Sen.Obama middle name ,call him gay,anti-gay, Muslim,Christian,too black,not black enough.Admit you're a racist.If youwant to learn about black people listen to black radio,Tom Joyner and Michael Baisden are excellent,later.

Let's break it down. 

First disclaimer, though: as a teacher I instinctually choose to acknowledge the writer's spelling and grammar mistakes. I fully claim the elitism inherent in that statement. But I know for me, the more fired up I am when typing (ESPECIALLY about things I'm passionate about), the more I mess up. I'm just excited that someone took the time to write something. Moving on...

You probably haven't notice but Hillary IS A RACIST.

Did your talking points memo tell you to put it in all capital letters for a more dramatic effect? Bill O'Reilly, is that YOU?!? Because the louder you scream it, the more true it is. Riiight.

I challenge you to a duel, kind commentator. Senator Clinton's alleged racism versus Senator Obama's demonstrated hypermasculine posturing, sexism, and misogyny. Following Senator Clinton's example I'll even spot you two frames' worth.

She wants to play with Guns.

And that's one of the few parts of the Constitution that Governor Bush hasn't wiped his ass with over the past 7 years. Did you intentionally borrow the capital "G" from god to spell that word (thereby making it more sacred, of course)?

It isn't clear to me whether you think putting "Hillary Clinton" and "guns" in the same sentence is somehow marring her character or her candidacy, like how many of my older relatives often say, "Poor Sharon, she's got...[whispers]...cancer." The President is sworn in with the promise to defend the Constitution. I'm not sure what the problem is here.

She seen getting drunk. 

And it would be just blatant pandering for a candidate for political office to stage an appearance like that just to court voters.

Barack Obama raises a glass of Pabst Blue Ribbon at the Raleigh Times Bar in Raleigh, NC

(at the weekly meeting of White Guilt Anonymous, Raleigh Chapter)

Senator Obama drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon. Pabst. Blue. Ribbon. 'Nuff said. By the way, when I saw this picture the first thing I thought of were my friends Sally & Johnny.

She did everthing but burn a cross.

Response #1:

And if I said something in reference to Senator Obama like, "He's done everything but kill the hooker after taking back his money." then what do we think the response would be to that? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Response #2:

EVERYTHING but?!? Wow, she IS the more experienced candidate! 

I don't know how she finds time to campaign when she's so busy doing everything. She sexually harassed an elderly woman while courting her for her vote? She murdered a choir director? She had oral sex in the back of a limo while getting high? She voted for legislation in her state that screwed over her constituents? Hypothetically speaking, If those were true of a candidate I could not imagine ever voting for them.

You have a lot of lies on this sight. 

Point them out and I'll be happy to consider a retraction. It IS my blog, though, so I get to treat it the way Governor Bush treats this country (but with fewer murders and much less nonconsensual exploitation) and do whatever I want. If there are any, they are unintentional. I DO know that there are fewer lies, omissions and half-truths on this blog than in this document.

The U.C.C church is tollerant of gays.

Yeah, because in an ideal world underrepresented and marginalized groups should be tolerated.

Tolerate: 

• digest: put up with something or somebody unpleasant

• have a tolerance for a poison or strong drug or pathogen

• allow

I tolerate one of my cats peeing where he shouldn't be. I don't like it and it pisses me off (no pun intended). I tolerate it because I've owned him for a long time and I love my cats. But I own him. I control when and how much he eats. I control his health maintenance. I allow him to live with me. I allow him to sleep wherever he wants. But, ultimately, I still have control over him.

Yeah, tolerance is what we should be striving for.

The new minister at Trinity gets death threats.

Response #1:

I'm going to (try to) always forfeit any competitions in the Oppression Olympics. You DO get that the more we invest time and energy into battling over "whose oppression is worse", WE ALL LOSE--unless of course you're part of, or benefit from, the white supremacist capitalist heterosexist patriarchy?

Snarky, sarcastic, and somewhat childish Response #2:

That is deeply troubling. He should contact Bishop Gene Robinson for advice and as a kindred spirit (pun intended). Bishop Robinson usually has to wear a bullet-proof vest when making public appearances. He had to wear one at his own ordination. If only we lived in a world where these men could just be [or be just] tolerated! Maybe we should find a lesbian Chicana hearing-impaired minister who can trump all of them and teach us what real oppression is!

The funniest thing that I heard on election night was Hillary has to appeal to uneducated,rural,gun owning voters.

Response #1:

Oh yeah? Well on election night this week I heard that John McCain was peeling a potato but it turned to actually be a kitten. 

Response #2:

I can't tell whether you're implying that that intersection of identities is somehow "less than" or "of lesser value." Last time I checked, my formally-educated-suburban-pro-gun-control vote was worth the same as anyone else's. Although I lived in a mobile home for 8 years, so maybe my vote isn't at 100% value...? And then there's the gay thing. Woe is me, if only one of the major party candidates had an official gay logo, THEN I would know who I'm supposed to blindly vote for.

Oh Klansmen huh.

So if you don't have access to formal education, and live in a rural area, and own a gun, then by definition you're in the Klan.... but I'm the bigot? You. Make. An. Excellent. Point.

There are no formally educated, city-dwelling, gun-owning people worthy of Klan membership. None whatsoever.

And we ALL know how making generalizations or stereotyping is ignorant.

Many of these site repeat Sen.Obama middle name ,call him gay,anti-gay, Muslim,Christian,too black,not black enough.

Let's make a deal. I will vocally and passionately spend time, energy, and voice on critiquing and dismantling the racist, classist, and xenophobic attacks on Senator Obama--and I could theoretically, possibly, potentially imagine the chance that I might actually vote for him if he is the nominee--when you and your candidate commit to honestly, earnestly, and consistently speaking out against--AND cease committing, condoning,  and remaining silent about--the blatant, pervasive, and obscene misogyny in the media and (all) other social institutions. Until Senator Obama does so, I unproudly channel Vice President Cheney here and say, in the angriest way possible: go fuck yourself.

Admit you're a racist.

Response #1:

You first. Well, bigotry at least. Let's clarify how you're defining racism. 

Response #2:

No shit, sherlock. I was neither raised nor socialized in a test tube, or alone on a desert island, so of course I'm racist. As a multi-ethnic person who has often been able to pass as white, I have enjoyed white privilege more than I realize. But do us all a favor and please stop buying into the convenient politicized attack of "critical of Obama = racist". Pretty please. It is disingenuous and it ignores, devalues, and protects institutional and systemic white supremacy.

Response #3:

How about we take a ride to the airport and spend some time in baggage claim together? There's due to be long lines for the flight arriving from White-Guilt-Ville, but my bags will be easy to spot--they're the ones without any "O" stickers on them.

Response #4:

Cue the music...

If youwant to learn about black people listen to black radio,Tom Joyner and Michael Baisden are excellent,later.

Response #1:

How phallocentric and classist of you. Following your candidate's example, you keep women invisible.

Response #2:

Tom Joyner--been there, done that. I'm vaguely familiar with Baisden. You forgot Tavis Smiley (but he's on the Obama Shit List, so I'm assuming you're penalized everytime you mention his name). I see your Joyner-Baisden combo and raise you 1 cup of Michael Eric Dyson and 1 heaping scoop of Eduardo Bonilla-Silva.

Response #3:

I was never a boy scout [and not just because I wouldn't be allowed to be] but I offer the most authentic pledge possible, that I will spend as much time listening to more Joyner and Baisden as you spend reading some bell hooks. E-mail me your mailing address and I will send one of her books. Seriously. I will. No strings attached. Actually, make that two books. I use them in one of the classes that I teach, so I have extra copies.

Clinton leads Obama by more than 3400...

...in number of "anti" images being sold at CafePress.com*.

I'm not an expert on U.S. political history, but does anyone out there know how many times a presidential candidate has been targeted with such attacks--simultaneously, not just as isolated individual attacks, by the way--as:

• Bitch
  
• Liar
  
• Hates America
  
• Will eat your children
  
• Beat her
  
• Bitch
  
• Throw rocks at
  
• Urinate on 
  
• Anti-Christ
  
• Bitch
  
• If only O.J. had married
  
• Deceitful
  
• Bitch
  
• Delusional
  
• Deranged
  
• Bitch
  
• Not wanted even by their spouse
  
• Needs to get back in the kitchen
  
• Cries like a baby
  
• Scares me
  
• The Devil
  
• Sucks
  
• Cow
  
• Mad Cow
  
• Communist
  
• Rotten
  
• Bitch
  
• Can suck my conservative dick
  

The goal is here is NOT to advocate for more offensive slogans targeting Senator Obama. That's not the kind of "equality" I'm fighting for. 

But it is noteworthy that the masses seem to know that certain things just aren't okay. I haven't seen any t-shirts with 

• white hoods, or 
  
• nooses, or 
  
• rope tied to the bumper of a pickup truck, or 
  
• burning crosses, or
  
• calls for the Senator to return to the cotton field...
  

and the list could go on.

*This is far from a scientific study. And granted, many of the same slogans are listed in both "Anti-Hillary" and "Anti-Obama" sections. But just by perusing both sections you can't help but notice some interesting distinctions.

the fucker did it again

On CNN's Compassion Forum, Barack Obama got a question about whether "pro-choice and pro-life" (a fucking false binary if there ever was one) could ever reach a common ground.

Once again he whipped out his "those of us who are pro-choice don't talk about" what a tough moral decision this is.

Yeah, thanks to the Senator for enlightening us and sharing his "discovery" that this pro-choice crowd is just a bunch of clueless ignorant cannibals.

This must be a talking point that his campaign has tested... to seduce anti-choicers.

Democratic Primary or Domestic Violence?

This is the saddest post I could (n)ever imagine doing about a primary election campaign, of all things.

First, read Anglachel's recent post.

Then, look at this [replacing "children" with "voters"] and decide for yourself. The key here is not to minimize or trivialize men's violence against women. The point is that it is another symptom of the larger systemic problem--the white supremacist capitalist heteronormative patriarchy.

I am Hillary Clinton.

Pocochina's post literally made my day/week/month/season/election year. So the least I can do to show my gratitude is to pay it forward and join this real movement. I've created my very first blog ever in order to state that I, too, am Hillary Clinton:

I am Hillary Clinton.

I am dumbfounded that "Why does Hillary Clinton wear such bad clothes?" actually appears in a newspaper.

I am outraged that googling "hillary cleavage" will produce articles written by people pretending to be journalists published in outlets pretending to be newspapers. Googling "barack cleavage" gives articles... about Senator Clinton. And no, getting equally offensive results from "barack bulge" is NOT the kind of equality I'm striving for [don't waste your time doing it... you'll read about how much money his campaign has raised].

I find it hypocritical for Senator Obama to put his own campaigning ahead of important Democratic constituents. (Yes, Senator Clinton took time to be there.)

I find it hypocritical and  disingenuous for Senator Obama to refuse to pose for a picture with the (straight--and I shouldn't have to point that out) mayor of San Francisco and outspoken LGBT advocate, but then try to actively court LGBT voters when it is safer, convenient, and self-serving. He has the audacity to first pair up with a homophobic minister and then think that by simply making an extra campaign logo with a rainbow on it (separate is never equal) will make things all better. 

I find it hypocritical and disingenuous and abusive for Senator Obama to advocate bullying U.S. House Representative and super-delegate Sheila Jackson-Lee to change her endorsement. 

But wait, there's more on that one.

The posting on the campaign website was changed. Now when you see it it says:

"We are encouraging Houstonians for Obama to call the office of Sheila Jackson Lee to request that vote according to the request of her constituents.... Please call Congress Woman Sheila Jackson Lee... and request that she change her vote to Obama."

But only a few days ago, the message had a different tone to it:

"We are encouraging Houstonians for Obama to call the office of Sheila Jackson Lee to request that vote according to the demand of her constituents.... Please call Congress Woman Sheila Jackson Lee... and demand that she change her vote to Obama."

I suppose we should thank him for making that change. Not. One of the many problems with the patriarchy is it supports, condones, and values naming women's choices for them. And If Senator Obama really wants super-delegates to "vote with their constituents," then Senators Kennedy & Kerry need to follow the will of Massachusetts and support Senator Clinton.

I am outraged that U.S. House Representative and Obama National Campaign Co-Chairman Jesse Jackson, Jr. can equate the democratic primary with O.J. Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson... and no one points it out. 

I find it absurd and suspicious to try to equate one man's quest for a promotion with a 'movement'. 

I find it troubling that when Geraldine Ferraro and Barack Obama each say that Barack Obama benefits from his race, all hell breaks lose for her, but not him (and he even has the audacity to do it on his own Senate web page).

When you try to tell me that Senator Obama's recent speech in Philadelphia on race was "campaign-defining," what you're really telling me is that his campaign is defined as damage control. When Senator Obama, or any politician, wants to talk about race while campaigning, I am suspicious. How about politicians talking about race just for the sake of talking about race? I want to hear politicians talk about race in the course of just doing their job, not when they're still trying to court me for my vote. 

I am a feminist. I am an educator. I am an activist. I am an uncle (a really cool one). I am the partner of an another amazing feminist/educator/activist/cool uncle. These identities are not mutually exclusive, and I can't separate them.

I know that if two of my students copied off of each other (let alone on more than one occasion) and submitted the same essay, that would be a violation of academic integrity. It doesn't matter if they knew about it, or were okay with it, or gave their approval. It is still cheating. We should hold our students and our elected officials to the same standards of ethical behavior.

I know that sexism is harmful for women and for men. The institution of patriarchy confines all of us. Refer to the examples of George W. Bush, or Sean John Puff Daddy P Diddy Diddy Combs, or Donald Trump, or Tim Hardaway, or Toby Keith (the list goes on) on how to perform and reproduce dominant raced, classed, masculinities.

I have an agenda. You could even say that I'm calculating. But as a male feminist I enjoy the luxury (let's call it, oh, I don't know, male privilege) of never being written off as being too emotional, or bitchy, or whiny.

I don't know what it's like to be a woman. I cannot directly relate. I cannot speak for women. I cannot and must not name their emotions, ideas, or experiences for them. That doesn't mean I cannot listen to them, talk with them, believe them, support them, respect them, and care about them (even the ones I've never met).

I don't have to do anything on a daily basis to prevent from sexually harassed, assaulted, or raped. 

I don't care when you think life begins. "Pro-life" is a useless term (when was the last anti-life rally?). I do care whether you want to force women and girls to give birth against their will. Yes or no. Pick one. Right now. I wish everyone else remembered that pro-choice doesn't mean pro-abortion. My platform on reproductive justice is this: if you're against abortion, then don't have one. And let's take the money used to reimburse viagra prescriptions and spend it on actual health care for people who can't afford it. 

I want the first question that comes to your mind to be "why is he beating her in the first place?" and not "why doesn't she just leave him?" 

I know that rape will stop when men stop raping.

I know that the consequences of some guy catcalling a woman are different than when a woman catcalls a guy. Again, I'm not advocating for an "equality" where women and men get to victimize each other equally.

When I say that men rape/beat/mutilate/harass women, I don't mean that all men do. All men are not part of the problem of gender violence, but all men are part of the solution.

I magically get special credit or extra credit or bonus points for talking about radical things such as double standards, women's rights, sexism, misogyny, or any other overlapping and intersecting forms of oppression.

All too often, when I talk about these things, you hear it better because it's packaged in the false authority of a male voice [*cough* Mission Accomplished! *cough*]. But nothing I say here is particularly innovative or original, and I certainly can't do it any better than the women and feminists who came before me.

I am not going to settle for a candidate because you (singular) forward a scripted campaign e-mail telling me to, or because you (plural) bully me into doing it.

I am not going to compromise my standards.

I am not going to vote for a candidate simply because of their gender, ethnicity, rhetorical persuasion, or anointment by Oprah.

I am going to vote for a candidate who truly advocates for social justice, who particularly confronts misogyny--a candidate who can spell it, define it, pronounce it, and use it in public. 

I am 

passionately, 

unconditionally, 

and 

unapologetically 

Hillary Clinton.