salienne

Dear Professor,

Next time we're about to watch a movie with a graphic attempted rape scene, how about a little fucking warning? 'Cos me, I'm just disgusted and offended. Someone else? Might be really triggered.

No love,

Me

Sadly, not an exaggeration. The Texas GOP is seriously considering opting out of Medicaid.

A few choice quotes:

Far-right conservatives are offering that possibility in impassioned news conferences. Moderate Republicans are studying it behind closed doors. And the party’s advisers on health care policy say it is being discussed more seriously than ever

“This system is bankrupting our state,” [Representative Warren Chisum] said. “We need to get out of it. And with the budget shortfall we’re anticipating, we may have to act this year.”

State Senator Jane Nelson, Republican of Flower Mound, who heads the Senate Public Health Committee, said dropping out of Medicaid was worth considering — but only if it made fiscal sense without jeopardizing care.
(Because not being able to afford care? Definitely won't prevent people from accessing it.)

Now I'm not saying the US, and many many US states (Texas included) aren't having severe financial difficulties. But to even consider dropping the only real health care option low-income people have is inhumane, especially when there are other options.

(Such as, I don't know, tax people making above $250,000? But we can't have that!)

Anyone remember Grayson's summary of the Republican's Health Care Plan?

To jog your memory:



(Quick summary: Republican HC Plan: Don't get sick. And if you do get sick, die quickly.)

Please, tell me...

In what way is he wrong?

I go to a fairly prestigious and relatively liberal university in the States. As such, I expect certain things from my university: diversity; attempts at tolerance, acceptance, and equality; a non-hostile environment. As a woman and as member of our sexual assault hotline, I certainly expect my university to respect women, and I expect it to do its best to prevent the objectification and disparaging of women. I expect it not to explicitly further misogyny and the rape culture.

I expect it to protect women. To protect me and those I care about.

What I do not expect is for a student group to invite Tucker Max, Mr. 'women are like toys and trash, there for my entertainment,' to speak. I do not expect my tuition to go towards paying this man thousands of dollars to tell jokes about all the women he's fucked and all the women he's threatened with violence.

Naturally, there was a petition. Faculty members wrote letters. The Deans and the President were contacted, the student organization responsible heard speeches and read these letters and the petition. They voted.

Guess who's still coming this Wednesday?

Now I'm in England, so I have managed to remain relatively disconnected from all of this. I've been able to ignore it.

Until today when I really looked at Mr. Max's writing, when I really listened to what's going on back at my university, what my friends are going through.

For all the good it will probably do (i.e. none), I have just sent this letter to just about every person I can think of to contact:

( The Letter of Protest )

Will it do anything? Probably not.

But I am so hurt, angry, disappointed, and just all-around upset. I had to do something, and for what it's worth, I did this. It was probably all already said, but it had to be said again.

I hate the world sometimes, guys. Between this, my Gender Relations class, Maine, the Stupak Amendment, and that gang-rape where a group of at least 10 teens stood around and laughed and took pictures and watched, I just feel so stuck and helpless.

How do you change--or even live in--a world where most people refuse to believe anything is wrong, where women (and minorities, and those with less money, and so many others) are second-class citizens, where things only get worse the further you move away from your comfort zone, and where even your supposedly liberal university will claim that it's perfectly okay for a misogynist to come and laugh at the suffering of women?

( MAJOR SPOILERS )

ETA: Well now that I've calmed down a bit:

( Still spoilers, though more thematic ones )