I wish every man in the entire world would read this. Men, walk in our shoes for just 30 seconds by reading this post. Guys ask why women are so pissed off. Even guys with wives and daughters.
Jackson Katz, a prominent social researcher, illustrates why. He’s done it with hundreds of audiences:
“I draw a line down the middle of a chalkboard, sketching a male symbol on one side and a female symbol on the other.
Then I ask just the men: What steps do you guys take, on a daily basis, to prevent yourselves from being sexually assaulted? At first there is a kind of awkward silence as the men try to figure out if they’ve been asked a trick question. The silence gives way to a smattering of nervous laughter. Occasionally, a young a guy will raise his hand and say, ‘I stay out of prison.’ This is typically followed by another moment of laughter, before someone finally raises his hand and soberly states, ‘Nothing. I don’t think about it.’
Then I ask the women the same question. What steps do you take on a daily basis to prevent yourselves from being sexually assaulted? Women throughout the audience immediately start raising their hands. As the men sit in stunned silence, the women recount safety precautions they take as part of their daily routine.
- Hold my keys as a potential weapon.
- Look in the back seat of the car before getting in.
- Carry a cell phone.
- Don’t go jogging at night.
- Lock all the windows when I sleep, even on hot summer nights.
- Be careful not to drink too much.
- Don’t put my drink down and come back to it; make sure I see it being poured.
- Own a big dog.
- Carry Mace or pepper spray.
- Have an unlisted phone number.
- Have a man’s voice on my answering machine.
- Park in well-lit areas.
- Don’t use parking garages.
- Don’t get on elevators with only one man, or with a group of men.
- Vary my route home from work.
- Watch what I wear.
- Don’t use highway rest areas.
- Use a home alarm system.
- Don’t wear headphones when jogging.
- Avoid forests or wooded areas, even in the daytime.
- Don’t take a first-floor apartment.
- Go out in groups.
- Own a firearm.
- Meet men on first dates in public places.
- Make sure to have a car or cab fare.
- Don’t make eye contact with men on the street.
- Make assertive eye contact with men on the street.”
― Jackson Katz, The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How All Men Can Help
(The first man to minor in women’s studies at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, holds a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Ph.D. in cultural studies and education from UCLA.)
Women's Rights Are Human Rights
The Vote to Confirm Our Second-Class Citizenship
At 9:30 AM, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on whether to send Kavanaugh’s nomination to the floor. Regardless of how they vote, McConnell can schedule a floor vote. He will because of course he fucking will — subverting the US Constitution and the will of the people is what McConnell does.
After McConnell schedules a vote on Kavanaugh, I’m 95% certain the Republicans in the US Senate will put the belligerent, entitled, rapey prick on the United States Supreme Court for the rest of his fucking life.
Which Republican will vote no? Flake or Sasse? Give me a fucking break. Collins? Not gonna happen. Murkowski? Her colleagues will find a way to bribe her.
Kavanaugh’s ranty, partisan performance yesterday pleased the belligerent, entitled, rapey prick in the White House who nominated him. Lindsey Graham successfully auditioned to replace Jeff Sessions as AG, overcoming the deficit of a cracker-ass accent that grates on Manhattan Mussolini’s ears.
This country doesn’t give a shit about treating women equally under the law, and it never has, due to a combination of malice and ignorance, with the former increasing and the latter receding too slowly.
As I’ve said here before, the reaction to Anita Hill’s testimony among male colleagues at my first real post-college job was an eye-opener for me back when I was a dewy young thing.
“If he was so horrible, why didn’t she just quit?”
“Why was she friendly to him in social settings years later if he sexually harassed her?”
“A little bit nutty and a little bit slutty.”
They didn’t get it. Some still don’t.
I was a cynic even then, but not so much that I expected to be sitting here 27 years later watching an even more revolting spectacle play out among members of my generational cohort.
Oh well. Nothing to do but vote, get others to vote, and get on with our lives, right? That’s just the way it is.
Professor Christine Blasey Ford will go on with her life after her country proves so unworthy of her courage and patriotism, just like Professor Anita Hill did before her.
Maybe, after another 27 years has passed, 80-year-old Justice Kavanaugh will retire or kick the bucket, and my 47-year-old daughter will find the prospect of his being replaced with a misogynist unthinkable.
But you know what? I wouldn’t bet on it.
The Vote to Confirm Our Second-Class CitizenshipPost + Comments (136)
For the Record: Brett Kavanaugh Is *NOT* A Good Man
Yelling at a job interview at the people in charge of hiring you really seems peak rich white guy pic.twitter.com/VjfOELmKQI
— Susan J. Demas ?? (@sjdemas) September 27, 2018
I have my doubts about his skill as a lawyer, and Murphy the Trickster God knows how much harm he’s already done on the bench, if Thursday’s performance was a fair sample. But there’s no doubt whatsofeckingever that he’s a loyal little Repub partisan, and that might be enough at this moment in time.
People of varying political views are talking about an “1850s moment“. That’s when the Republican Party was founded, explicitly to fight the grossest civil injustice of the day; perhaps there is some narrative arc demanding that today’s debased GOP die fighting to defend the worst current crimes against the Constitution.
Kavanaugh just absolutely proved what Democrats have always suspected of him: that he is a partisan operative masquerading as a judge.
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) September 27, 2018
This outrage might be a bit more compelling coming from someone who wasn’t part of the Vince Foster witch hunt.
— David S. Bernstein (@dbernstein) September 27, 2018
Contrast: Christine Blasey Ford, who has never been near the political arena, & Brett Kavanaugh, who has spent his lifetime in it. Both expressing surprise that the political arena is so harsh and perilous. Kavanaugh seems shocked, reeling that it is become perilous for him.
— Alexis Simendinger (@ASimendinger) September 27, 2018
Kavanaugh says opposition to his nomination is “a calculated and orchestrated hit” engineered in response to dissatisfaction with Trump and to serve the Clinton’s agenda. “What goes around comes around,” he advises. “You’ll never get me to quit. Never.”
— Tim O'Brien (@TimOBrien) September 27, 2018
"you'll never get me to quit" yeah Brett that's kind of Dr Ford's point.
— zeddy (@Zeddary) September 27, 2018
Brett Kavanaugh operates under the assumption that being confirmed to the Supreme Court without any full investigation would be better for his life reputation than an additional week to investigate. Ask yourself why
— Adam Weinstein (@AdamWeinstein) September 27, 2018
Brett Kavanaugh is now highlighting at length his many years as a partisan Republican operative. The related paper trail is why McConnell originally did not want Trump to pick him. I wrote about this the day after he was nominated: https://t.co/uigfqBKarO
— James Hohmann (@jameshohmann) September 27, 2018
For the Record: Brett Kavanaugh Is *NOT* A Good ManPost + Comments (38)
Senator Grassley, Via His Staff, Tips His Hand
Chuck Grassley’s staff says two different (unnamed) men came forward and admitted sexual assault in the past week, looking to exonerate Kavanaugh https://t.co/ylpNsiwkNz
— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) September 27, 2018
Now we know why they brought in the sex crimes prosecutor from Arizona.
In a timeline of actions the Senate Judiciary Cmte has taken in response to allegations against Kavanaugh, they says TWO individuals have come forward to the Cmte saying THEY had the encounter with Dr Ford instead of Kavanaugh —> pic.twitter.com/WqgX4gRSYo
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) September 27, 2018
Asked for more info about the individuals, @ChuckGrassley Spox Taylor Foy says “Nothing further at the moment.”
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) September 27, 2018
Dem aide responds: “Twelve hours before the hearing they suggest two anonymous men claimed to have assaulted her. Democrats were never informed of these assertions or interviews, in violation of Senate rules. This is shameful and the height of irresponsibility.”
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) September 27, 2018
The state of play less than ten hours out from the hearing is that the Senate Judiciary Committee’s GOP majority has conducted three interviews, with two men, without notifying the ranking Democratic member or any of the Democratic staff on the Judiciary Committee, both of whom claim they are the man who attacked Dr. Blasey. I will be very, very, very (pleasantly) surprised if the female sex crimes prosecutor from Maricopa County, AZ doesn’t conduct an inquisition of Dr. Blasey tomorrow morning.
Dr. Ford KNOWS it was Kavanaugh. She has no doubt. Republicans still trying this "silly woman must be confused" defense is so so offensive.
— JackiSchechner (@JackiSchechner) September 27, 2018
Make them come before the committee and publicly say it. On live television, make them say “yes, I believe I was the one who committed sexual assault”. https://t.co/rnDT8VKw2N
— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) September 27, 2018
Brace for impact!
Open thread!
Senator Grassley, Via His Staff, Tips His HandPost + Comments (97)
Boom
Avenatti drops a fucking bomb on the Kavanaugh nomination:
Below is my correspondence to Mr. Davis of moments ago, together with a sworn declaration from my client. We demand an immediate FBI investigation into the allegations. Under no circumstances should Brett Kavanaugh be confirmed absent a full and complete investigation. pic.twitter.com/QHbHBbbfbE
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 26, 2018
Click through to read a sworn statement from Julie Swetnick, or, if you’re not on the Twitter, you can read the sworn statement over at TPM. It’s disturbing as hell. A brief summary is below the fold.
GOP Misogyny Open Thread: “A Female Assistant”
.@SenateMajLdr: "We have hired a female assistant to go on staff and to ask these questions in a respectful and professional way. We want this hearing to be handled very professionally not a political sideshow…" #Kavanaugh pic.twitter.com/N0hGKA6NqX
— CSPAN (@cspan) September 25, 2018
Shorter McConnell: We are powerful white men, and when we make a mess, it is our right to demand that a woman come in and clean up after us. Per the Washington Post:
Republican senators have selected Arizona prosecutor Rachel Mitchell to question Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh and the woman who has accused the Supreme Court nominee of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers, a top senator announced Tuesday.
Mitchell is the chief of the special victims division of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, which deals with sexual assault cases, among others. A registered Republican, Mitchell has worked for in the county attorney’s office for 26 years.
In enlisting Mitchell to join their staff, Republican senators are taking an unusual step. They are turning to her to ask what are expected to be personal and potentially painful questions about the woman’s youth on live television, sparing the all-male panel of 11 Republican senators on the committee some uncomfortable exchanges that could sway the public’s opinion about the session…
The division Mitchell heads deals with family violence, physical and sexual abuse of children, and sex offenses, including sex assault cases. Mitchell oversees about 40 to 50 people in the division, said Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery.
Mitchell has a long history of investigating years-old sex crimes and allegations that are difficult to corroborate, including in her role re-examining hundreds of cases that were unresolved and inadequately investigated by the sheriff’s office, Montgomery said.
“Over the course of Rachel’s career, she has dealt with victims in this very circumstance of delayed disclosure and circumstances where allegations were difficult to corroborate,” Montgomery said. “She has had to make a decision as a prosecutor whether or not those cases can move forward.”…
You’ve got to hand it to these guys that they think introducing a “sex crime prosecutor” into this story still doesn’t look as bad as if they asked the questions.
— Schooley (@Rschooley) September 26, 2018
If the Republicans need a woman on the Judiciary Committee to ask questions for them, they can borrow one of ours. We have four.
— shauna (@goldengateblond) September 25, 2018
GOP Misogyny Open Thread: <em>“A Female Assistant”</em>Post + Comments (37)
For Our Readers Who are Hurting or Who are Trying to Help Others Who Are: Contact RAINN
I know from reading comments in relation to both the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh and how the GOP majority in the Senate, the President, and their surrogates in the media are responding to them are negatively effecting a number of our readers and commenters. Or friends and/or family members of our readers and commenters. If you or someone you know is having trouble right now, especially if it is after hours or you can’t get to a professional mental health care practitioner for a face to face appointment, please call RAINN! They have personnel available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at:
1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
or
RAINN’s Online Chat
Hearing about sexual violence in the media and online can be very difficult for survivors and their loved ones. Remember to take care of yourself during these times. Below is a thread of resources:
— RAINN (@RAINN) September 24, 2018
Free. Confidential. 24/7. The National Sexual Assault Hotline is here for support—800.656.HOPE & https://t.co/j9dQGwplI2
— RAINN (@RAINN) September 14, 2018
For those who want to check things out online, here’s RAINN’s terms of service:
The National Sexual Assault Online Hotline
Chat online with a trained staff member who can provide you confidential crisis support.
Your privacy and safety are crucial. Please make sure you are in a safe place and that you are using a secure device and Internet connection. Please note that while we have taken numerous measures to keep your communications safe while using our site, no Internet transmission is 100% secure.
Terms:
During your session, we will not ask for information that would identify you (such as your name or address) and we will not record the chat. However, if you disclose your name and location and are under 18 or if we fear that you are in danger of committing suicide (or otherwise as required by law), we may have to provide information you have given us to the appropriate authorities.
At that link is a button for online chat if that is preferable/easier than speaking to someone on the phone.
RAINN’s front page is at this link.
Here’s the link to finding local, in person help if you need it.
And here’s the link for tips for survivors regarding consuming news and entertainment media.
Here’s the link to RAINN’s information on flashbacks.
And finally, here’s the link for self care for friends and family.
You’re not alone! You don’t have to be alone! There is help out there! And you deserve that help if you need it!
Here’s some more on RAINN for those not familiar with the organization.
I know I speak for all of the other front pagers, but if you need something, please reach out to one of us using the contact a front pager tool at the top right of the page.
Open thread!