A day after the election, I texted a friend of mine to talk about what we thought about the results. She told me she was planning on not going to work that day because she felt stressed and scared over what had happened.
“Just go,” I told her. “It’s a short shift, and if you need to go early then leave.”
I was insistent. I was trying my best to avoid letting the results get to me, and I wanted to live out my day exactly how I would’ve rather than be scared to live it at all. It was silent for a beat, then my phone rang for a notification.
“I’m just tired. It feels like there’s no point in fighting anymore.”
It’s been a hard few months. This month marked over a year since the Trump administration made its way into the White House, and somehow it’s felt like years have gone by. The world keeps changing constantly, and every day feels like a battle rather than just a day.
Long Live Warped Tour 🤘🏻 Proud to have been a part of this tour so many times #foreverwarped #vanswarpedtour #Warpedtour https://t.co/BOT6pG61Fa
— Miss May I (@missmayiband) November 16, 2017
In a great op-ed by Lauren Duca entitled, “It’s Not “Unfeminist” to Admit That You’re Tired,” Duca accurately summed up it’s okay to feel tired, but it’s not okay to stay silent. You need to know what’s going on in order to speak out, and especially during these times, the world needs to hear your voice.
Net Neutrality and No Chill
You’ve probably heard a lot of news about what’s going on with net neutrality, and it’s because it became the newest target of the Trump Administration. Ajit Pai, the new Federal Communications Committee Chairman announced that he plans to remove net neutrality, a principle placed under the Obama administration that said all Internet service providers must treat all data on the Internet the same. By removing net neutrality, it gives the opportunity for broadband providers to manipulate the internet by deliberately interfering with competition and giving ISPs control over your Internet consumption. Watching your favorite Netflix show or even scrolling through the web could take much longer than you’d like it to. Basically, it’ll fucking suck.
To-Do for the Week:
Get quickly informed to what is net neutrality with these online flashcards created by Vox, then check out this article to see what exactly is going on with net neutrality and what you can do to try and stop it. It’ll be a Christmas miracle if things fall apart for Pai and the Trump Administration, be a part of making it happen.
A Tale of Two Bills
House Republicans are now trying to get their own tax systems through the US Senate. with their Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a project they’d been working on for years. With the bill comes lower taxes for businesses and the elimination of the estate tax, however, the bill works in favor of wealthy Americans. They’ve passed it.
The Senate, on the other hand, pulled out their own version of a tax reform bill too. It’s somewhat similar to the House’s bill, however, it has a lot of differences too including scrapping the state and local tax deduction and it cuts the top income tax rate lower than the House’s plan. They have yet to reach a conclusion and in order for things to go through, both the House and Senate would need to pass both their versions and reach a middle ground for both their plans.
To-Do for this Week:
Calling your representative is one thing you can do, but for now, just cross your fingers. The House has already made their decisions, but the Senate hasn’t. These six senators are in charge of deciding what happens. Let your voice be heard.
#WeinsteinEffect
It’s been one of the most exhausting months. With more than 80 and counting accusers against Harvey Weinstein, he’s been the tipping point behind the snowball effect of accusations being made against people who’ve committed acts of sexual misconduct including lewd texts and even rape. Since the last update, other men involved in this snowball have included Pixar and Disney Animation Head John Lasseter, U.S. Senator Al Franken, Comedian Louis CK, DC Comics Editor Eddie Berganza, and many more.
The list of powerful men accused of sexual assault just keeps growing. pic.twitter.com/kmiYcqFgGp
— AJ+ (@ajplus) October 26, 2017
It’s a mess. It’s tiring. It’s frustrating. It can be a traumatizing time for victims, and a scary time as more and more people are being revealed to be a sexual assaulter. At the same time, the amount of outspoken people is inspiring proving people crave change, and being silent is no longer an option now.
To-Do for this Week:
Nothing much different from last week’s to-dos. Be educated, help those who have been victims of sexual assault, and donating to RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) and or volunteer at RAINN events. Keep updated to people who’ve been exposed.
These three cases in particular because they’re particularly shitty…
The Worst x 3:
Roy Moore
In a special election in Alabama, Republican nominee Roy Moore has been charged with allegations of sexual assault that the GOP has yet to respond in a way that seems fitting. Moore, whose role is crucial in deciding the fate of an already divided U.S. Senate was accused of initiating sexual encounters with women, some of which were only 14 and 16 years old. He forced them to be quiet in order not to jeopardize his career.
Moore has rejected all claims, but people don’t believe him. In fact, many Republicans have rejected Moore as their candidate asking him to step aside, others are forcing themselves to accept him in order to avoid losing another Republican seat. Either way, it’s going to be tough for him to jump back from this.
Massage Envy
In another chilling investigative breaking news article BuzzFeed News, more than 180 women reported sexual assaults happening to them when they choose to go a massage service called Massage Envy. The article describes cases that are almost sickening to read and the way the company has basically said “that’s not our problem” to people who’ve come forward. Either way, it proves that sexual assault can happen anywhere, and that’s terrifying.
Gymnastics Team Doctor
In September two former gymnasts had come forward with allegations of sexual abuse against Larry Nassar, a former USA Gymnastics team doctor. Jeanette Antolin, Jessica Howard, and Jamie Dantzscher gave an interview with “60 Minutes where they accused Nassar of manipulating them. Shortly after, MacKayla Maroney, while using the #MeToo hashtag, accused Nassar of repeatedly molesting her starting when she was 13.
More accounts include Aly Rasiman, the former captain of the 2012 and 2016 Olympic gymnastics team who came forward with an account of how Nassar had been sexually assaulting her since the age of 15. Controversy arose when Gabby Douglas commented that it is the responsibility of women to “dress modestly and be classy” as “dressing in a provocative sexual way entices the wrong crowd.”
shocks me that I’m seeing this but it doesn’t surprise me… honestly seeing this brings me to tears bc as your teammate I expected more from you & to support her. I support you Aly 💕 & all the other women out there!
STAY STRONG pic.twitter.com/CccTzhyPcb— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) November 17, 2017
However, Douglas quickly apologized for the comments and revealed she was also abused by Nassar who has over 60 allegations of sexual assault against him currently. He has pled guilty to seven accounts of sexual contact with underage girls some of whom were under the age of 13 and three aged between 13 to 15.
To-do for this week:
Call your representatives. Let them know how you feel about this. America let one sexual assaulter into office (he’s our president now), don’t let it happen again. Make sure Massage Envy is held accountable for what they did. Send your support to the brave women a part of the U.S. gymnastics teams.
And to all victims of sexual assault, send them good vibes. Find support systems, be support systems, and work together during this tough time.
