feminism Archives - Author K. Williams

Toy Story – Open Book Blog Hop #309

January 24, 2022 By Captain Maiel

♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦

Topic #309
Do any of your characters have a favorite toy from their childhood? Do you?

Welcome back to another Open Book Blog Hop! The authors included in this ongoing series wish to thank you for your reads. Even more so, we appreciate that you share our writings with friends. If you’re new to the series, welcome aboard. The authors engage and impress weekly. Prepare to become a regular reader.

The characters in my books are responding to crisis and are often too busy trying not to die instead of reflecting on their childhood favorites. Maiel seeks to save her family as the Earth is brought into a new age, Claire is survives a kidnapping, and Emily laments a gray future in which she only assumes misery and boredom. Out of any of them, Claire is the one who has a binky of sorts. It’s her lipstick. That one item of luxury is something she clings to in the midst of bombs dropping and her father’s malicious acts. It’s a symbol of feminism and comfort.

You can imagine, as each of my characters navigate precarious futures, they might look back fondly on memories of their youth. However, those years are literally thousands of years ago for the Captain, and figuratively so for the others. Their focus on the now consumes them. They don’t have time for toys or looking back.

The History of Red Lipstick And White Feminism Talks about the history of the above product that features in OP-DEC: Operation Deceit.

The ability to focus on the moment is something I’ve struggled with in my personal life. I’ve always planned ahead for everything. And, I look back only as a matter of proving to myself why it is necessary. The comfort of the childhood my mother and father provided never precluded the fears of poverty and failure, because I was part of a family that rose from the trauma of poverty. My mother went without Christmas toys on multiple occasions and did not have enough to eat. That part of my family was always in sight, and they wowed me with their resiliency. I learned to plan and take care. The struggle could come for me no matter what I did, but at least I did everything in my power to prevent it! That was foremost.

Because my mother made sure that I had the childhood she deserved, I was able to have a number of things she was not able to enjoy. One of those things was a toy dollhouse. My uncle crafted it. My parents furnished it. That thing was so amazing! It was the same color as my home, had a central stair case, and fantastic attic space. I played with this toy a lot. Then, one day, dad threw all the furniture out, because he was angry about something. Unfortunately, this meant the doll house went into the basement and became dis-repaired, and lost to time. It would have been nice to hand that down to my daughter, but that wasn’t meant to be. Still, it is a warm memory, despite the ending to the story.

As I think about it, I can still feel the light wood of the beds and cool porcelain of the Victorian toilet. Much like my characters in books, I’m too busy planning ahead to look back too much. Of late, that is a blessing. Looking back can be an impetus to depression, and I don’t want to careen down that hill. My anxiety, depression, and PTSD don’t need a torch and gasoline to get raging. Planning, as you may now, is definitely part of the three musketeers and how I navigate a world in which I try to avoid them. Being busy is part of my selfcare.

My other favorite items from childhood are an anteater toy and my toy kitchen set. Anteater survived, but the kitchen set went out the door like the dollhouse items. Anteater was bright orange with green spots, made of hard plastic. He had a handle with a squeeze piece at the top, which used air to blow out his Velcro ended tongue. It would pick up one of three blue fabric ants that I could toss out in the room to chase down. Anteater was mostly just adorable. When you think about it, the toy was pretty boring. Still, I made fun with it–either with imagination or just getting exercise running after stuffed ants.

Outside of that, I preferred to be outside, especially with the dog and my bike. Alone, walking through the woods to get fresh air appealed to me the most. I would take a blanket out front and lay in the grass for hours at a time. Reading and art were also high on my list. Coloring books filled a lot of my days.

These childhood pastimes are trivial to the characters in my books. You may think they take that for granted, as they ignore selfcare and the joys in life to survive their traumas. However, I’d say that it really shows how little we can pay attention to what matters or used to matter in the midst of crisis in the frame of memories of better times.

I don’t wish to neglect, though, that perhaps, in the case of Emily, her mother packed up and got rid of any childhood items left over. Mrs. Conrad is that type of person. She’s grooming Emily to be a good Christian wife of an upper middle class variety. The austerity and seriousness of this role would be foremost to her. The opportunity for frivolity was unlikely for Emily–even though playing with your children is regarded as important to their development today. In addition, Mrs. Conrad comes from money and views these things as throw-away. Emily would be expected to purchase her nursery items from her budget later. Then again, they could just be in the attic, packed up for another time. I honestly can’t imagine that Emily had much to play with on the farm.

As for Maiel, her childhood was so long before you meet her in the books, that it is likely she gave all those things away to other children. Perhaps they’ve been disbursed to her children, not so young themselves. We later find her apartment at the moon order still furnished with all the things she had when she had prior to marrying Dominic. There, readers find a spray of peacock feathers in the small armory, a gift from the General of her the armies: Mikhael. It’s not a toy, but it is something that mattered a great deal to her–both a sign of her importance and standing at the order.

Let’s hop on over and see how the other authors answer this intriguing question by clicking on their links below…

8 Things About Breastfeeding, Especially in Public

June 8, 2018 By Captain Maiel

Look. There’s something I really need to talk about. Being a new mother has made this topic even more poignant.

Breastfeeding babies in public.

I’ve read a lot of news stories. I’ve been told a lot of stories. I’ve even experienced some push-back online. The feeling that you cannot feed your child dogs you through any outings with them. Your stress rises. Those doing the dogging think they’re morally in the right, and there are a lot of folks on that side. I am floored by it. But, then again, we are talking about the domain of a woman’s body. Apparently that makes opinions of others, especially those dictated by men, extremely valid. Sorry, that is sarcasm. I’m not actually agreeing that the arguments against public breastfeeding of babies are valid. They’re absolutely not, least of them men’s opinions on the matter. I can tell you why in a short list, which I had compiled on social media in response to a slew of comments on a post about woman who was breastfeeding in a restaurant. This list destroys all the arguments.

For those against breastfeeding in public, if I haven’t changed your mind by the end of this list, then you’re just out to control someone, and it has nothing to do with decency. The most indecent thing is your desire to control when and how a woman feeds her child.

Let’s get started on the list…

Debunking perverse, misogynistic comments about women breastfeeding in public:

Baby feeding schedules vary enough that carrying a bottle is not always possible.

Pumped milk, if previously refrigerated spoils in an hour (travel time, time of trip since last feeding, and babies variations add up to a spoiled bottle to feed them with).

If you bring an ice pack cooled bottle, how do you warm it up? And that takes a while, and they will cry that whole time. Not only is that annoying to you, but it also adversely affects brain development.

She should not need to cover up, as it obstructs the infants breathing. Do you eat under a blanket?

A lactation lounge would be lovely. To get away from all the perverts! But don’t tell anyone they need to get a room or go to the bath/car. Do you eat in the bathroom? Why don’t you sit in the car until you can join the human race as an adult?

Breasts are there to feed babies. That is their purpose. You’re ashamed of the body’s natural milk gland? Doing what it does? Nurturing an infant? What has got to be wrong with you? And, no, it doesn’t expose children to anything but a mother feeding her baby. It’s in your head that it gets twisted. “The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2013 Breast Feeding Report Card found that 77 percent of new mothers are breast-feeding their babies, up from 71 percent about a decade ago. And almost half of breast-feeding moms are continuing to do so for at least the recommended six months.” (CBS News; CDC)

Confronting the mother causes a release of cortisol in her brain. This is a stress response. It suppresses the release of milk, and increases chances of postpartum depression. So you’re actually causing physical harm and danger for a mother and her baby. She will not be able to properly feed the child it’s most natural food, when it is most necessary. That is not a choice you should be making for others. Many mothers cannot afford formula, and that goes double for nasty comments.

Harassing breast feeding mothers is illegal in many states/counties. Even post-facto online. (Because of what I’ve written above and legislators understand the health risks caused to mom and baby.)

Do your research. Have some functioning empathy. Drop the misogyny. Enough of the sexualization of breasts! Y’all are twisted. Disrespectful. How dare you look at such a situation as breastfeeding as morally corrupt. Seriously, breast feeding is not PDA. Gah! That’s insane to even go there. WTF people!

Another thing. Stop basically saying that men are animals out of control. You’re disrespecting their humanity.

Please remember, a mother and child are always beautiful, always sacred. Let a mother and child be while feeding.

If you’re a mom, and you want to learn more about your rights, here are some resources I gathered for you:

https://www.parents.com/baby/breastfeeding/basics/breastfeeding-in-public-know-your-legal-rights/

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/01/map-where-its-legal-to-breastfeed-in-public_n_5637301.html

http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/breastfeeding-state-laws.aspx

What to Do If You’re Harassed While Nursing In Public

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The Corruption of Rugged Individualism Into Savage Bullying

April 27, 2018 By Captain Maiel

Once upon a time, people in the United States of America valued individualism alongside congeniality. Somewhere along the path, within recent years, Americans have veered away from friendliness to isolationism. I guess it was always a matter of time before this nation’s people began to reflect its long held (claimed anyway) foreign policy. Antisocial behavior, and/or tribalism, has won rank as the seminal characteristic of American strength, and the ideal American male. With this comes excessive greed and anger.

But, what has made American’s so cold?

The corruption of rugged individualism into savage bullying has been underway, I’d wager, for as long as the United States has existed. There has always been an element among the citizenry that prides its independence, freedom, and cloistered way of life. Think of the folks stories of the Hatfields and McCoys.

That story has something else in common with the current state of affairs in America: male violence. Certainly everyone in those two families got involved regardless of what gender with which they identified. But, that is the way of toxic masculinity. It is patriarchal and it lies as king over families or groups (you may think of Waco, or other religious communal groups that have become infamous). This form of masculinity demands unyielding loyalty and obedience from the deemed lesser members of the group. It is hard and arrogantly focused. One might notice the similarities this has with Domestic Violence perpetrators.

Not ironically, victims of domestic violence often grow up to become abusers. This is how the problem perpetuates itself. The survival of such a system relies on convincing the victim that they deserve the treatment, as well as understanding it as a necessary thing. The abuser manipulates the mind of the victim to simultaneously think they are the greatest thing that has ever happened to the abuser, and that they are a terrible person who needs to be closely kept by the abuser. Do you see the average American here in the shadow of their abusive overlords?

Part of that manipulation relies on allies to back up the stories the abuser tells. So if those who believe they should be the ruling class in America want to maintain power over the sovereign citizens of America, they must convince them to abdicate their power unto them. They will need to be convinced they require protection from the would be ruling class, because they are too weak to defend themselves. In the middle of this, they will be told they cannot trust one another, because we can’t have victims speaking to victims about what they’ve been told. And the manipulations spiral on from there until the people are divided. That division is a long existing trench put in place prior to the close of the revolution that birthed the nation (slavery being the millstone on which that grain was ground).

Rugged individualism was a value that was employed to leverage the emotions of Americans. It has been wielded for generations, plucking the heartstrings with nostalgia of a time that exists only in stories. For, Americans never did anything without relying upon each other. Even when conquering the west, settlers leaned upon their groups, towns, and larger legions. Yet, it is spun that each family was headed by a tall silent patriarch who single-handedly carved out the ranch and defended against intruders (usually a person of color painted as a blood-thirsty savage, hell-bent on taking the rancher’s women). Why not just talk about cavemen bopping women over the head and dragging them back to a cave?

in·di·vid·u·al·ism (noun) : individualism

the habit or principle of being independent and self-reliant.

self-centered feeling or conduct; egoism.

a social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control.

Regardless, the point is, that true individualism in the United States has been corrupted into men vying for power over one another. In each heart is held a deep suspicion that his neighbor will steal him blind if he lets his guard down but a moment. A cycle of abuse thus embeds itself into practically every niche of the culture.

Underlying this is the ideology of mammon, or the gaining of wealth for the sake of wealth. The United States has been here before, in the 1800s when robber barons ruled the day, and the train system was erected. It came after the turn of the century, too. Sectors of the populace believed it was a god given right to abuse the less fortunate and build wealth upon their backs, because that is a manly thing to do, both manly and aristocratic.

Boys don’t cry, you’re incapable of amassing wealth because you are weak, and other tall tales are tools of abusers. When such abuse is prolonged and as exhaustive as it has been in the United States, you are left with anger. This year has seen a devastating rise in the expression of that anger, especially among the white males of the nation, school shootings being the most visible locus. Yet, school shootings are not the prime materialization.

If one has spent any time at all on the internet, for instance, on Facebook or similar social media, then one would see the incessant abuse of strangers. The easiest place in which to see this flood of vitriol is in the comments section of any celebrity’s post. Another popular place is in the comments of feminist posts, as feminism is seen as threatening to the way of masculinity (although it seeks to simply put genders on equal footing with one another). These men claim they are preserving freedom (of action?). In truth, they are clawing at the power they wield over others instead of the freedom to choose for themselves. No longer is the desire to cooperate in an effort to achieve greatness together, as it has been replaced with repressive and angry compulsions to control.

Is it any wonder that with the rise of technology, when we are at our most connected state ever, it is being manipulated by those in power to keep us divided?

Thus, conservative elites, who pretend to emulate the greatest of American values, and the supposed liberals working beside them, exploit the people of this nation through savage bullying, and have broken the very meaning of republic.

8 Things My Parents Taught Me

August 21, 2017 By Captain Maiel

?

Reader questions are always welcome on the blog. When this one came up, I was pretty excited. What my parents taught me might take a book of its own to cover. I’ll try to keep it brief and still answer the question.

Setting aside the obvious things, like how to walk, use the toilet, brush your teeth, and speak your first words, there are so many more things a parent can teach you. Focusing on the formative lessons will give more insight into the kind of parenting I had. I’m sure that is what lay at the root of the question…

♥

Just because I was born a girl didn’t mean I couldn’t be anything I wanted.
My dad made sure I knew that I could grow up to be whatever I wanted. Asking him if an astronaut was still on the table, and his confident assurance, assured me that it was true.
Speak up for yourself because no one else will.
Both of my parents made sure that I was comfortable talking to them about my problems, as well as things that made me happy. As I grew older this likely became more difficult for them, but they persevered because of how important a matter this is. This can protect your children from bad things.
Family is everything.
Having each other is for the rest of our lives. That relationship is important. In our case, it was about always having support and love. Other than my parents, I have one brother. In my father’s family, he had three siblings, and they’re mostly estranged. My father was close to his one brother for the majority of his youth, but my uncle’s path took him to another part of the state in which we live. Without their parents to bind them, the distances grew. My mother saw the distance beginning early on, and intervened between me and my brother, who were typical siblings bickering here and there, to ensure that we realized the importance of each other. We were taught to respect each other, to forgive, and to keep in contact. We’re doing just that, even though he lives many hours away. It takes effort, but when you know that your family matters, that effort is meaningless. The rewards of the stability and affection, you either give or receive, are worth it.
Marriage is work.
I’ve never been married. I don’t think I could ever find someone that would work as hard to keep love between us as my parents do. Maybe they’re old school, but they understand marriage is work. It’s worthy work, just like keeping family close. Additionally, they showed me that not just anyone would do. You don’t just get married because you’re with someone at a certain age and that seems like the next step you’re supposed to take. Marriage should be wanted for more than that, or it becomes nothing more than going steady. Also, it’s not about having the wedding and showing off. That ceremony is such a small nothing in the greater aspect of being wedded to your partner. It needs to be more than timing, or fulfilling a responsibility. Marriage is a responsibility, and you only choose the partner that understands that and truly loves you. Sex, gifts, rings, china patterns, and other frills won’t keep it together. The people involved do.
Even small lives matter. Go out there with Empathy.
My parents taught me to respect the lives of wildlife, and that what we know about animals and plants is still being learned. When I was growing up, it was believed dogs saw in black and white. Now, researchers have found that they see colors, although they may not be the equal of the human spectrum. The idea behind that was a question that I had when learning the black and white myth: just because the cones and things aren’t arranged like ours, why does that mean they don’t capture the same spectrum that my eyes do, considering the brain decodes the information and thus we see? (Yes, I was a pretty intelligent kid.) Thus, I started seeing the interconnections humanity had with the rest of the world in which we live. Being able to relate to animals and plants empathetically ensured that I would do the same among my own kind. And that is very important for forging relationships and being a positive contributing member of society.
A love of reading.
If I was going to be anything I wanted, I needed to be able to read well. Reading opens the doors to greater knowledge. Think of the children who struggled in school. They often were not strong readers. Schools try to remedy this, but they don’t meet the frustration of the child struggling to catch up, believing that the gift of taking time and correcting the deficit enough is reward enough. Simply not true. You have to speak to a child’s hurts. You have to speak to why they were lacking in the first place (some parents do not value reading and learning, actually insulting these things before their children and teaching them to spurn it). One size fits all doesn’t work. That’s why it’s important for parents to be involved with their child’s growth and learning. A lot of how they learn will be decided by mom and/or dad. What they value, even more so.
Others may not respect your accomplishments, and that doesn’t matter.
This goes with the one before. You know how parents might not value education, and teach their children to feel similarly? Well, those kids grow up and you still have to interact with them (not necessarily the ones from your school). They make remarks in the office, online, and even in public that attempt to diminish the things you’ve done in your life. Whether it comes from a place of inadequacy on their part or a true hatred of clever people, it doesn’t matter. These folks are just fine with the mundane. So be it. That is ultimately their choice. However, they don’t get to trump facts with opinions, as they often attempt to do. Nor do they get to make those who have worked their tails off feel as though they’ve done something wrong. Education matters, and so does the level of it. If you chose not to achieve certain things, then there are consequences for it—good or bad. So long as you realize your self-worth and the merit of your achievement, those who chose else cannot take that away from you, though they may make for hard days, as we are forced to face the often destructive efforts they back and partake in.

I promised to not take up all of your time, so I will stop here. I hope this answered the question and helped you see a little deeper into what makes me tick.

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Progressive Problems

June 5, 2017 By Captain Maiel

The liberal end of the pool has as many problems, if not more than the conservative end. I say this, as a progressive. My last boss once described me as further left than anyone she knew, and she was a former lobbyist, card carrying feminist. I miss her, and her bright support.

This last election cycle opened my eyes even further to the problems that the left is suffering from. Much of the things we point the finger at the right for are simply swept under the rug over here. A half-hearted effort to address many of the hot button issues are made by our representatives. They really make a great show of it, and that’s why it has been so hard to see up until recently. It’s heartbreaking, frustrating even, once you do see it. You might be asking me, what do you even mean, these people bust their asses, and they’ve done so much? Next time you see a piece of legislation that means a lot to the people of this nation go up for a shot at becoming law, watch how it’s handled: 1. the hype; 2. your excitement at a pitch; 3. a round of near silence; 4. the vote; 5. the apology and explanation that it was just too hard. You’ll see this formula played out far more than you like, and on the things that matter most. That’s why women, LGBTQ, and people of color are still fighting for equality. There issues are used to gain support, and abandoned once it’s gained.

What I mentioned above is why there is a fissure in the Democratic Party. There are those, progressives, who have been woke to this for years, and they’ve reached out to others waking to it, until we became a large portion of that party’s base. When the candidates announced, beginning in May of 2015, we were aware of who was your average apologist and who was likely to take action on our behalf. The record simply does not lie about that. It doesn’t matter what you want to believe because fact should always be above your emotions (like when a person of color is talking about their experience, and white folks check their privilege to allow them that time).

Unfortunately, neither the Democratic Party nor their conservative members care to realize this absolute fact. Progressives are unimportant to them. And that is the first and foremost problem that we have. We must become imperative to the left. Fortunately, there is a push via Justice Democrats, even if it’s not perfect. Does perfect matter, considering we’ve never had it? I can empathize with that feeling. It’s about damn time we get perfect, or at least a group that is loyal to the movement and not politicking and money. Purity is a myth, and the other problems that Progressives suffer enumerate that in blisteringly, humbling ways.

Hanging out in groups on Facebook gives you a real, grassroots view of the men and women claiming to be progressive. I’ve made some great connections there. Conversely, I’ve met some cringe-worthy connections as well. Those are the ones I wish to talk about, especially when these persons are posing as information hubs and leaders. They should not be. I’ll be the bad guy and say it. They should not be.

Set aside for a moment that we are aware that both DNC operatives and those from the right wing infiltrated the groups and some still remain to work discord through the ranks. (Discord included convincing people to write in a name, use their vote as retaliation by helping to elect Trump, anti-feminist or racist ranting, sharing of misinformation, reporting and shutting down groups, etc.) Obviously there are those who realize that progressives are quite a force when they come together and organize, despite minimal differences we may have. So, those people aside, let’s look at the members who are progressives and spread discord. This happened in a number of ways. Fake news gained strength in 2016 during the run up to the election. It’s big business and those who stand to profit don’t care if they dupe the public. It’s about making money and wielding control over the minds of the general population. It became such an issue that Facebook has implemented a reporting function for posts. It should be used. Do Not just scroll past these stories. When your gut tells you something is wrong, click the arrow in the top corner, select report the post, and then select report as fake news, etc. The post (article) will be investigated and if found to be fake, it will be labeled so. This is truly important to maintaining a movement, because these stories can do a hell of a lot of fuckery to the minds of the average citizen. They use partial truth to spin their webs, and a lot of people are taken in by it.

Another issue I saw, which is related to the above, was a lack of understanding on how to do research and vet information one comes across. This should not ignore the upset that people react with when a piece they share is called out for being erroneous. It is rather upsetting to find out something you’ve bought into is wrong. Flashback to 2008 when I had realized what a terrible candidate Hillary Clinton was, and I had supported her in the primary. The last straw was her lying about being shot at, but there were so many other things, not least of all my gut feeling that she was bad for the country. Obama didn’t do all the important things he promised. The economy didn’t recover before he was out of office (it was still recovering before the Cheeto took over). Yes, Bill Clinton was able to boost our economy and create a boon, but it was artificial, so I am not entirely sure Obama really did a bad job on that front. It takes a few years for these things to really manifest, and that is why it appears that someone else is to blame (although, Republicans really know how to mess up the economy, as exhibited by evidence—google it, kids. Austerity doesn’t work.).

Progressives should be the type of people who welcome a friend or member of the cohort letting them know that a bit of information they found is not correct. Would you rather go on being misinformed? I certainly don’t. If you find it’s difficult to accept, wait fifteen minutes to reply. Type up the response in Word, let it rest for awhile and then come back to it. You’ll likely find that your head has cooled and you’ll see the reasonableness of pointing out a falsehood. In the end, it’s not your fault, nor the fault of the person bringing it to your attention. The blame lies squarely with the person who published the misinformation. Be glad you were saved from being manipulated by them. Also, if it simply echoes your beliefs or understanding of a complicated situation (as all politics is complicated), question it. There’s nothing wrong with being skeptical like that, as it ensures you’re getting the right information, so long as you follow through with the research to vet that information.

While we’re discussing research, let’s remember that a progressive can be at any educational level, and to feel otherwise is elitist. As a group, we should have the most accurate information available for all of our members, so that those who are still developing their skills in this arena get what they need to be contributing and strong progressives. Doesn’t that make sense? Wouldn’t we be a stronger force, one that infiltrating operatives would fail to shake? How much more powerful would we be if we didn’t undercut members of our own group? Haven’t you noticed how tightly the right sticks together? Why can’t we achieve that solidarity? Because often progressives are just too busy being superior, exceedingly proud of themselves for believing they’re on the correct side of history.

That last question leads me to a couple of the most disturbing problems I’ve noted among progressives: racism and sexism. Absolutely this is true. I can’t even count the number of times progressives have lectured people of color and women about expressing their assessment of their own experience. One of the most popular progressives on Facebook has repeatedly commented that he despises feminism and has alluded to racial issues as equally cooked up, all to leverage power over others, to get some stuff. This person is, of course, a white male. For the most part, his hatred of the right wing is delivered in cathartic diatribes that make us feel good about him despite these problematic tendencies. The problem is, his bigotry is left unquestioned and therefore accepted by the larger group. The impressionable members see him for a role-model. Thus, these behaviors are normalized and repeated by the members of the group.

Question this individual, or those like him, and you’ll be faced with one angry response that seeks to silence and ridicule you as a snowflake. Likely, you will be dismissed from the group. Maintaining power and control over the group appears to be more important than progressive values. Still, this person is given a pass by the group, because he also says things that they like to hear.

This faux leader isn’t alone. He’s one of many supposedly progressive males who enjoy trolling women in the groups, and being downright abusive. Bitch and Cunt are thrown around freely. If you call it what it is, you’re once again called a snowflake and told you need to grow up. In addition, should a person of color highlight racial disparities, they’re told they’re being ridiculous. If they attempt to call out the privilege, then they are told they’re racists.

Are these behaviors consistent with progressive values? At one time, in the early days of progressivism, it was acceptable to think and speak in such a manner, because it was a widely held value of the American culture. Roles were clearly established. That’s just how things were done. However, in current times, progressives seek equality and to shut down privilege and institutionalized racism/sexism. If we say things like feminism no longer has a place and white privilege isn’t a real thing, then we are failing the wider group that has set a goal of eradicating inequality. It’s bad enough that Democrats, who are sliding further right day by day, make false ovations to fixing inequality. Progressives have long held that they fall left of the average Democrat. The above suggests they are lockstep, instead.

If the progressive movement wants to be taken more seriously it will need to address these issues. Had we not harbored bigots, the mantra of Bernie Bro would not have stuck to our lapels so easily. Had we done our due diligence with the information we share among ourselves, we would not have been so easily divided by outsiders. If we embraced our values and learning above our egos, we’d likely have been a much more powerful force the DNC would have been incapable of brushing aside. To accuse Senator Sanders of being a turncoat, to rage against The Young Turks for questioning matters instead of falling in line with self-destruction, doesn’t make us a more united force and it doesn’t improve our respectability in the political arena. Instead, it makes us look belligerent, if not nutty. I can’t be the only one tired of listening to it all, and rolling my eyes at the shit citations being shared as proof. My favorite is when someone cites blogs, which are not peer reviewed, as gospel. Even better when it is their own site!

Do I believe that Hillary Clinton would have been better than Trump? The fact is, if we hadn’t been so disparate across the board we wouldn’t have gotten to that choice in 2016. Believe it. So it doesn’t fucking matter, stop asking that question to thwart true progressiveness. The reality is, we didn’t help ourselves to overcome, and now we’re focusing on the past and eating our movement from the inside. Those actions will keep us hobbled as we move forward. Yet, despite us, the movement still has traction. By the way, that link, check that out knowing Bernie Sanders had a big hand in making it happen. Can we stop infighting and organize now with our values upheld? We’ve got a lot of work to do, and kitschy #resist tags and memes aren’t going to get anything done.