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"Having a vagina is a matter of biology, not a political argument." Agree or disagree?

Consider the following account of Katie Hopkins, a British reporter at Saturday's Women's March on Washington:

Her sign said; 'I am more than my vagina'. I asked her why she was at the Women's March on Washington. She said it was because she wanted to show what democracy really meant.

Another white lady held a placard reminding me that 'white silence = white consent but Black Lives Matter #BLM'. She said she was marching because women own their own bodies.

And a lady, pushing a stroller with two children on board, facing down the secret service, with a sign that made it clear Trump is 'Not My President'.

Even the speakers sounded confused. As I ate a three piece chicken meal with a side of slaw to recover from hearing the Koran read out in Washington Cathedral, I listened to one manic woman yell at the crowd;

'We are women. And you are we. And we are you', gesturing to make her point clear. It wasn't. But the crowd loved it all the same.

Madonna popped up, her eyes inching ever closer to her ears to let us know Good did not win this election. (I didn't even know Good was a candidate.)

In the interests of full disclosure she told the crowd she had considered blowing up the White House'. The tolerant left also get PMS it seems.

Another speaker, short on content but gushing with estrogen shouted: 'We are here'. (She was not wrong, we were). We will not be silenced. We will not play dead'.

To be fair to Trump, I have not heard the silencing of females or women playing dead in his 100 day plan. Perhaps a more suitable venue for this speech would be outside the Saudi embassy, where the silencing of women is all the rage.

A woman whipped into a frenzy by her own brilliance started listing girls' names, 'Emily, Conchita, Malala, Edith, Tonia, Shania (we had all got the point but she carried on regardless) Maria Guadalupe, Kayleigh....we are here to be respected. We are here to be nasty.

I think Madonna had already received this memo.

And fueled by these pearls of wisdom, the women set off for the streets, pussy ears perked, banners aloft, chanting as they went.

'Tell me what democracy looks like?' 'This is what democracy looks like'.

I wanted to point out, respectfully, that democracy is the Electoral College system that saw Trump turn the map from blue to red. But there were a few million of them. And they had pictures of vaginas. So I decided this was not the time.

I thought I heard the women chanting 'Menstrual brew' which had me wondering exactly what this lot were on. But listening more closely it turned out to be 'Pence Sucks Too.'

I was grateful for the clarity. I thought it was just Trump they hated. But it turns out it is all men. Apart from the ones who are transitioning to women.

'What do we want? Equality'. 'When do we want it?' 'NOW'.

I wondered what in their world was not equal, but I guess if you have a massive chip on one shoulder the world is probably a bit askew.

I took a peak at the map to see if any of them actually knew what they were doing, what they were protesting about or where they were going.

I was surprised to see a lactation station, a reunification station marked by fist and a fleet of warming buses before they had reached mile one.

An almighty army of women, gushing, fisting, and lactating their way down the road. Right on, sister.

For all my jibes, there was something truly impressive about the sheer scale of the crowds, the enormous number of women and men, filling the streets of Washington in a noisy bubbling ribbon of pink and placards.

But it is an army lacking a common purpose. Lacking a common cause. Every one of them wielding a placard for a different grudge they bear. Many unable to give a coherent reason for being there. Most at odds with the placards they carried. Many cross a woman didn't win.

But simply being a woman is not enough.

This was a march defined by gender, not purpose - much like Clinton's campaign. And a march where the meaningless drivel of the speakers was matched by the lack of a clear aim of those marching.

No one would argue their hearts were not in it. I found myself smiling at their happiness in each other's company, their relief to be together, reminding each other they are not alone.

But a shared sense of victimhood is not sufficient to make change happen. And at its most fundamental the unifying cause for these collected individuals is that they are not men.

They will not be silenced. That is clear. But they don't know what it is they are shouting about. Anger is not enough.

Feminism has to be better than this. Better than posters telling me your vagina is tough. Or 'this pussy grabs back'. So what? Mine can stash a 24 oz can of Coors Light. Sideways.

Hillary tried to win by doing everything they've just done today - by being a woman, a woman who wants to be the candidate for everyone who feels like a victim, who feels maligned by society. She was the candidate for every cause, but master of none.

The voices today? Just an echo of her mixed messages. And that wasn't, isn't enough.

The left believes it is better than the rest. But it has prejudices of its own.

The same prejudices that saw guests at the Armed Services Inauguration Ball spat at. Or Madonna saying she'd like to blow up the White House. Or the very fact you fell out over what to name the Women's March in case it was divisive. Or for being too white. They even snubbed Hillary Clinton as an honoree for the Women's March on Washington, because she was gracious and attended Trump's inauguration. Imagine how much that day hurt her, and yet they rejected her despite her courage. Shame on them.

These prejudices, these prevarications, this failure to stand for something, not represent everything, are exactly why people turn to Trump. And exactly why they lost and will continue to lose.

They are strong, I watched them today.

But they have to be better than this.

You win if you offer a clear vision supported by this strength to get things done. Not just because you are a woman. 

Posted - January 22, 2017

Responses


  • True and not true.  I can consider and think of myself as one thing and so can you but we will always find a few who will find a reason to say we are not.   That's my point on why I find declaring any label in a discussion pointless.
    " why do you think that?"  " Well because I am a ( insert anything)." doesn't bring any thought or ideas to the discussion but is dismissive of mounting an argument.  It also gives people ammunition to ignore any and all logic of arguments on a case by case basis of regressive thinking.
    I haven't ever found declaring a label to help to spread any of my ideas or messages about issues.   The only people it has ever drawn attention to my words from is the chior.

    You're kinda doing it now by trying to push me in to one or two camps instead of basing things based on actions, ideas, and words.  That's why I don't focus on declaring how I label myself or declaring the labels of movements and ideas in public discourse about individual issues.   I find them a hurdle more than a boon to me personally expressing my views on issues.   It gets used as a trap to often.

    I don't see why we have to argue over personal methodologies and tactics when both are striving for the same over all goal.  Do I judge those who declare themselves feminists negatively?  No.  Do I have a negative view of feminism? No.  Do I support the goals of it? Yes.  Do I personally consider myself one? yes.  I'm not adverse to admitting it or someone acknowledging that I am on the side of feminism and human equality in any way shape or form.
      January 29, 2017 10:12 AM MST
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  • A simple yes would have sufficed.
    Im done with this thread. Im tired of giving this.guy any more.air time. 
    We're just going to have.to.disagree on this one. 
    Every time you use phrases like, I think, or I find, or I.am, you are labeling yourself. Which you did.quite.a.few.Times there by the.way. 
    Anyway thanks again G. : )
      January 29, 2017 10:20 AM MST
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  • That's just mental akido.   You're trying to pigeon hole and getting angry because I am not lock stepping into what you want me to say.  This is exactly why I tend to try and refrain from discussing the labels and instead focus on the issues.   No progress or learning happened in all these words.
    You're trying to make something that is  a spectrum into an overly simplified binary dynamic.

    You're right though, this trash thread doesn't deserve the hits we are giving it discussing this here.   PM me if you want to continue or have any confusion on what I am saying.
      January 29, 2017 10:30 AM MST
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  • 17602
    Perfection.  I love your essay.  I hope you send it to the Times Editorial for printing.  Seriously, very good piece written from a personal and present viewpoint.  Well done, my friend! This post was edited by Thriftymaid at January 23, 2017 3:13 AM MST
      January 22, 2017 7:04 PM MST
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  • 13277
    Actually, it was written by a reporter named Katie Hopkins for the UK's Daily Mail.
      January 22, 2017 7:13 PM MST
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  • 5614
    Point for coming clean ;)
      January 22, 2017 7:49 PM MST
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  • 17602
    I just skipped the first line.  My mistake. :)
      January 22, 2017 7:59 PM MST
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  • 17602
    That was an important first line that I completely overlooked.  You cannot imagine how I laughed out loud about your interactions with some of those.......people.  Well, I'll just say thanks for sharing.  :)
      January 22, 2017 7:58 PM MST
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  • 5614
    .. and thank you :) This post was edited by O-uknow at January 23, 2017 11:20 AM MST
      January 22, 2017 8:19 PM MST
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  • you know what? I did not read your whole question ... Cos you bore me. I  read enough ... i do not consider myself  A feminist and I am not an American citizen. But I did go to woman's march in Washington this past weekend cos I believe in something. I don't feel the need to tell you what I believe in Cos i think you're to ignorant to listen To a see you on Thursday like me ;) I  feel sorry for you .... all the best then ;) This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at January 22, 2017 7:56 PM MST
      January 22, 2017 7:06 PM MST
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  • 17602
    What do you believe in that took you to the woman's march?

      January 22, 2017 7:09 PM MST
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  • I believe in equality for woman , and I believe in  the freedom of the press. I went for freedom of press mostly. I went for and with someone from press. 
      January 22, 2017 7:12 PM MST
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  • 17602
    Are you a U.S. citizen?  I ask because you said English isn't your first language.  I'm curious what about Trump would make you feel like your equal treatment is threatened.  Same for freedom of the press..............they have been way too free to broadcast and print whatever they want to make up to further their own agenda.  Do you see their "freedom" threatened?
      January 24, 2017 9:30 PM MST
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  •   January 22, 2017 7:17 PM MST
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  • 13277
    Your response is not too swift and rather offensive. You misspell "because" and call me ignorant at the same time?

    If you had bothered to read before responding, you'd have known that I didn't write it but rather presented the piece for others to read.

    I feel sorry for you if you consider yourself a victim for whatever reason pops into your head.
      January 22, 2017 7:19 PM MST
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  • English is not my first language :) so soz for my misspelling ..... You can shove all that up my" pussy " cat . Foo' ;)
      January 22, 2017 7:23 PM MST
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  • And I don't feel like a victim .....but I will stand up for what and who I believe in. Problem with that? 
      January 22, 2017 7:27 PM MST
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  • 13277
    No, but you apparently are walking around with quite the chip on your shoulder. You seem like a very angry, hostile person who has a problem with the opinions of those who may disagree with you.
      January 22, 2017 7:32 PM MST
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  •   January 22, 2017 7:37 PM MST
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  • 13277
    When you don't know what you're talking about, it's far better to keep your mouth shut and let others think you're a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
      January 22, 2017 8:13 PM MST
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  • That's so cute,  you learned how to repeat a quote attributed to Lincoln but you never bothered to think about it's meaning.   I just love it when people steal quotes to try and zing me but are too daft  to realize it applies more so to them.

      January 22, 2017 8:23 PM MST
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  • 46117
    I would just say "I know you are, but what am I?"
      January 22, 2017 8:28 PM MST
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  • 34305
    You know Lincoln was actually paraphrasing the Bible, right?
    Proverbs 17:28 Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.
      January 22, 2017 8:40 PM MST
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  • Yes, still that particular wording is normally attributed and credited to him.
      January 22, 2017 8:44 PM MST
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  • 34305
    I prefer to give credit to the Bible. 
      January 22, 2017 9:11 PM MST
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