I have to admit that I'm losing my faith... In people. Not that I ever had much, but what remained is dwindling. I almost expect the Rush Limbaughs of the world to react with hate laced vigor to something as simple as a well dressed, articulate woman testifying in front of Congress to try and gain support for a cause that she feels strongly about. I did not however, expect celebrities like Patricia Heaton of "Everybody Loves Raymond" fame to make remarks like this on behalf of Christ - what with her being a Christian and all...
"Hey G-Town Gal: Plz let us also pay for your Starbucks, movie theater tickets and your favorite hot wings combo deal at KFC! Anything else?"
"Hey G-Town Gal: If your parents have to pay for your birth control, maybe they should get a say in who you sleep with! Instant birth control!"
"If every Tweaton sent Georgetown Gal one condom, her parents wouldn't have to cancel basic cable, & she would never reproduce -- sound good?"
This woman, Sandra Fluke never once mentioned sex for her. She did not testify on her own behalf. She didn't ask for payments from the government for sex. She did what she thought was right and did NOT take cheap shots at anybody during the course of her testimony. And I think that's what bothers me most about this. If someone has an opinion that differs from Sandra Fluke's, it is their absolute right to posess it. This woman used a respectable channel to voice her position on the subject of contraception coverage. Why can't people who take opposition with her stand, express their opinion via the same channel? Or even if they are not able to secure an invitation to testify, but have other mediums for voicing their disagreement - why couldn't stating their personal feelings on the subject satisfy them? Ms. Fluke didn't include hate speach for anyone in her testimony. She didn't call Rush Limbaugh a "limp-dick, potbellied, ass sucking, hate spewing, drug addict with a tiny member who hates women because they won't 'F' him without payment." She didn't call Patricia Heaton a "self rightous know-it-all, saggy hag, pea brain who stoops to childish internet bullying tactics because she's offended by something that has NOTHING to do with her." So why do they feel the need to attack HER? Why not attack the issue? And if they have a 'shocking' position then so be it. But to blatantly and openly attack a woman who has done NOTHING to deserve the wrath of hatred blown at her, speaks more about who they are than who she is. And it should tell us all to be vigilant about the directions of our own thoughts. That our actions speak of us - no one else. That we are ALL very quick to point fingers so that we don't have to shoulder responsibility for the only person we're actually responsible for... Ourselves. (And my remarks about Heaton and Limbaugh above, are expressly my own - not Ms. Fluke's. I take full responsibility for them. Happily.)
Words like whore & slut cut straight to the fragile bones of women. Which is often why people like Limbaugh throw them out so rapidly. It's a fast and sure-fire way to bypass a woman's credibility. If a rape victim has a sordid sexual history or any sexual history at all for that matter, in many cases it can be used against her at a trial. It says to us all that "As a woman, if you have ever chosen to have sex, then you no longer get to decide who you do it with. If you have slept with a dozen men, or one man voluntarily, then we'll remove your right to consensual sex." Calling a woman like Sandra Fluke a slut is saying to the population of America's girls and gals, that if you believe in healthful, sexual, monogamous relationships, then you will be dishonored in the court of public opinion. Which brings me to wonder why this same issue hasn't arisen about the HPV vaccine, Gardisil? As we all know, Gardisil is a vaccine (which most insurance pays for) given to our daughters, that will help in the prevention of cervical cancer - which is caused by the Human Papilloma Virus. HPV is a virus that virtually every woman carries once she is sexually active. So do the Rush Limbaughs, Craig Bannisters & Patricia Heatons of the world also believe that women deserve cervical cancer??? Since being a sexually active woman is enough to call "Slut", regardless of the confines of the relationship - do they think that all sexually active women are whores and sluts? And heaven forbid, if we actually enjoy the sex, do we deserve 10 fold the punishment? Should we develop heart disease and diabetes from untreated Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome? Should we die slowly and painfully from Cervical Cancer? Should we have our breasts removed and our vaginas burned? Would this be punishment enough for us? If not, what would please them? Aside from everyone in the world agreeing with them, what punishment for disagreers would leave them full up? Ask yourself, as a woman - what should be your punishment for having sex? What is a slut? Are you a slut? And if so, what's so wrong with being a slut?
This is an article written about the "Slut Walk" in San Francisco.
On Saturday, August 6, San Francisco hosted its first Slut Walk. Scores of people showed up at Dolores Park to talk about their own personal experiences with rape. As SF Weekly's Ginger Murray reports, Jessica "Jane Doe" Gonzales told her story about being a victim of gang rape: "She was assaulted by her high school football team while unconscious. At the trial the clothing she wore, the fact that she was intoxicated, and her social network photos were all used against her. The perpetrators were not convicted."
Murry goes on to point out, "There were almost as many men marching as women, and and many different communities were in evidence."
Sparked earlier this year, the Slut Walk movement came about after a police officer in Toronto told audience members at York University that "women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized." In addition to shedding light on rape and victim-blaming, Slut Walk co-founders Sonya Barnett and Heather Jarvis "decided to use the word slut in their response. They observe that historically, 'slut' has had negative connotations, and that their goal is to redeem the term."
Here are a few images from Saturday's Slut Walk.
Zombie has more images. Mission Local also has a recorded interview with one of the Slut Walk founders who want people to "keep talking about rape."
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