Someone does have to say it, yes. My post is not some pure profound truth, my post is the anguished cry of someone who sees valuable, worthwhile, intelligent people with whom I want to share a country jumping ship like leaving was the new black. No, not always even jumping ship, just threatening to and staying in the same damn place. I heard this 4 years ago -- the impassioned cries of "I'm moving to Canada!" and that means we're where we are now. If everyone had worked a bit harder, I don't know, but I think we'd be somewhere better than here. These issues are going to follow you, if and when you leave, they're part of Western society now. Yes, you can only change things in your own life, but look how big that range is -- you're blaming a huge amount of society's current flaws on one person -- how different are you in substance than Reagan? If you network, if you strive and struggle, you get something done. If no one strives, well then, leaving is the new black and the terrorists win, as the saying goes. My feminist ass will flee the country when they come knocking for me, when I'm against a wall. Until then I'll be doing something other than turning my back on issues I believe in. I'm queer, I'm feminist, I'm poor, I'm atheistic, I'm a woman, I've had an abortion, I'm politically active -- all of these are things I do not doubt will make the continuing regime dangerous to me, but that doesn't mean I can't do anything. There's nothing inherently disempowering about being in a minority, the inherent disempowerment comes of being oppressed and abused. If I haven't been knocked down yet, there's no point laying down. Just to clarify, the draft is, in my mind, someone knocking on your door, worth jumping for. If Ry was up for draft I'd encourage him to run, if I were up for draft, I'd dodge. If I were going to be thrown in jail for posting these thoughts, I'd run. If I wer going to be deprived of my graduate stipend, or of my goals and aspirations, I'd leave. The loss of an election is none of these things, nowhere near the categories of persecution that I made an allowance for in my admittedly unencompassing, biased post. I don't want people who are in my minority leaving this country, and leaving this fight, not until there's nothing anyone can do. You know what? It may be blurry-eyed idealism speaking for me, but you're just screwing your eyes shut -- no better, in my mind.
Re: well, someone has to say it!
No, not always even jumping ship, just threatening to and staying in the same damn place. I heard this 4 years ago -- the impassioned cries of "I'm moving to Canada!" and that means we're where we are now. If everyone had worked a bit harder, I don't know, but I think we'd be somewhere better than here.
These issues are going to follow you, if and when you leave, they're part of Western society now. Yes, you can only change things in your own life, but look how big that range is -- you're blaming a huge amount of society's current flaws on one person -- how different are you in substance than Reagan?
If you network, if you strive and struggle, you get something done. If no one strives, well then, leaving is the new black and the terrorists win, as the saying goes.
My feminist ass will flee the country when they come knocking for me, when I'm against a wall. Until then I'll be doing something other than turning my back on issues I believe in.
I'm queer, I'm feminist, I'm poor, I'm atheistic, I'm a woman, I've had an abortion, I'm politically active -- all of these are things I do not doubt will make the continuing regime dangerous to me, but that doesn't mean I can't do anything. There's nothing inherently disempowering about being in a minority, the inherent disempowerment comes of being oppressed and abused. If I haven't been knocked down yet, there's no point laying down.
Just to clarify, the draft is, in my mind, someone knocking on your door, worth jumping for. If Ry was up for draft I'd encourage him to run, if I were up for draft, I'd dodge. If I were going to be thrown in jail for posting these thoughts, I'd run. If I wer going to be deprived of my graduate stipend, or of my goals and aspirations, I'd leave. The loss of an election is none of these things, nowhere near the categories of persecution that I made an allowance for in my admittedly unencompassing, biased post. I don't want people who are in my minority leaving this country, and leaving this fight, not until there's nothing anyone can do.
You know what? It may be blurry-eyed idealism speaking for me, but you're just screwing your eyes shut -- no better, in my mind.