Letters from the Trenches/Gender Shrapnel meets Hypocrisy

Folks, this week’s post offers a more visceral response to the gender shrapnel flying all around us. Here are a few short epistolary screeds in response to the additional abuse heaped upon the United States public in the last 10 or so days.  These screeds mostly address questions of gender, but their content is related to the reality of continued attacks on people from African American, Jewish, Latino, and Muslim communities.

 

Dear Paul Ryan,

Thanks so much for letting us know that men should revere women.  I revere you so much that I’d like to put you up on a pedestal and just keep you there.  You won’t need to do or say anything up there; you can just sit still and feel revered.  Really, don’t say anything at all.  If you stray from the pedestal or try to say something or do something active, don’t worry, I’ll protect you so that you can just stay up there and be quiet.

Looking forward to patting you on the head, oh Revered One.

 

Dear Mitch McConnell,

I’m Not Your Daughter, I’m Not Your Sister

Do I have to be a woman related to you for you to treat me like a human being?

Do you have to tell me that you understand because you have two daughters, or that you wouldn’t want that bad situation for your sister?

What of the people who have no daughters, no sisters,or of the ones who don’t really give a shit about their daughters or their sisters?

Will they know to treat me like a human being just because I am one?

Don’t tell me that you understand because your daughter went through something similar, and then throw up your hands and do nothing to alleviate the illegal situation.

Don’t tell me that the woman with her legs spread in your internet browser is nothing like or everything like your sister or your daughter.

Don’t tell me that the human being whom you bought or rented to perform sex on you doesn’t matter because she’s nobody’s daughter or sister.

Just cut the crap. You cannot have it both ways.  You cannot both be a sexist and claim feminist street cred because you happen to have genetic lineage to a female.

Guess what?

We all do.

 

Dear Pat Robertson,

You say that Donald Trump is macho.  You say he rises from the ashes like a phoenix.

I say he disrespects everyone but himself. You’re included in that “everyone,” Pat.  Tell us more about your Christian values.

 

Dear Trump supporters who started the Repeal the 19^th Hashtag,

It’s awesome to be reminded how tenuous voting rights are. Thanks for that!  We’ll keep it in mind as your nominee continues to talk about rigged elections.

 

Dear Glenn Beck,

Wow, you are so ethical, so moral. It’s really great to see that you can’t support Trump. Oh, and thanks so much for clarifying that Hillary Clinton is not the devil.  Might be time to cancel the tea party and, along with it, the hypocrisy.

 

Donald Trump,

I have no words for you. You’ve already had way too much air time.