There's a running joke in my family that I'm always pissed off about something. Every time I sit down to eat dinner with my family and begin to talk about my day, my dad classically rolls his eyes and half laughs as he mutters, “Oh, here we go again.” Sure, I may complain, sometimes maybe more than an average person, but everytime I’m upset about something, it is always with legitimate reason and concern. Just the other day I was complaining about how I couldn’t download my new workout playlist because my phone was full. Last week I was pissed because my brother called a girl a slut, and I had to go into the whole “Slut vs. Stud" spiel (which I'll get into later). The range of things that piss me off is wide to say the least, but you have to cut me some slack. As a young, ambitious, slightly liberal female living in America and pursuing a college degree, I have a heck of a lot to be pissed off about.
1. Because of glass ceilings.
Yes, Hillary Clinton is the presumptive democratic nominee for president, thus becoming the first woman ever to head one of the major political parties. However, just because she was able to shatter one of the highest glass ceilings, doesn't mean women don't struggle every day with glass ceilings. Just because one woman was able to make it, doesn't mean the fight is over.
2. Because women on average make 78 cents to every dollar a man makes.
3. Because rapists aren't always prosecuted fairly, and because people downplay rape as “20 minutes of action."
Brock Turner is a rapist, plain and simple.
When it comes to his father's letter pleading for a lighter sentence, though, I have a few things to say.
First of all, it wasn't "20 minutes of action," it was 20 grueling minutes of assault and rape that ultimately destroyed the life of an innocent woman. Secondly, what the hell kind of logic are you using? So if we convicted a murderer and sentenced them to 10+ years in prison, would you say that is "too steep" for .7 seconds of action?
How dare you ask for probation instead of jail time because your son's "happy go lucky" life was altered by the rape he committed. How dare you insinuate that a rapist should be pitied because he did not have a previous criminal record. Turner did not simply break-and-enter or rob someone; the crime he committed is far more heinous. He does not deserve probation for being a good boy up until now, nor does he deserve a lighter sentence because he has, I mean had, a bright future ahead of him. He deserves to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
4. Because people don’t believe rape-culture exists, and girls get slut-shamed for their outfits.
"It bothers me alot that so many girls and women say that we live in a "rape culture" now and people need to watch their sons. I for one say that if your 14-23 yr old daughter is dressed like a slut she's going to be treated the way she presents herself. Not saying rape is OK by any means for the f***ing idiots who would point that out but maybe if these girls had a better knowledge to the idea of respecting yourself they wouldn't be treated so shitty and left alone all the time. ( Which yes i think thats what they need ).. F***man." - An ignorant boy I went to high school with on Facebook
So what constitutes me dressing like a slut? Is it shorts that are above my knee? Is it a tight dress? Is it a v-neck? What do "sluts" wear? Actually, can you define a "slut?" Where is the line between a girl who is comfortable with her sexuality and a girl who sleeps around too much?
I could walk around town naked and still have more respect for myself than I'll ever have for someone like you.
5. Because people don’t believe in global warming.
6. Because people are trying to govern what I can and cannot do with MY body.
In the words of Bill Nye, "nobody likes abortion," but trying to criminalize it or make it harder to receive is not going to make it go away. I understand people, especially those of devout religious backgrounds, feel that abortion is murder, However, just because you wholeheartedly believe something doesn't make it real or credible. Simply deciding that before the 12th week of pregnancy (when most abortions are performed) that an embryo/fetus is a person without any scientific proof is absurd. By passing these abortion laws and making it harder for the average woman to receive one, you are infringing upon my rights as a human to do whatever I please with my body.
I am Catholic, and I support abortion.
7. Because the meaning of #BlackLivesMatter is removed by changing it to #AllLivesMatter.
I think you guys on the #AllLivesMatter train are missing the point. Black Lives Matter is a movement to recognize that African-Americans in this country have been treated poorly from the moment they were captured, uprooted, and sold into slavery until today. The movement is not trying to say that black lives are more important than any other life. The movement is about raising black lives to the same standard as all other lives because in the past they have not been see as equally important. It is about putting unfair judicial proceedings, police brutality towards blacks, environmental racism and everything else in between on the forefront of conversation in the country. Until all lives are actually treated the same, #AllLivesMatter does not mean anything.
8. BecauseAmerica has the highest incarceration rate in the world.
How and why?? If we proactively look for ways to get crime rates down and prisons emptied, we can save billions!
9. Because America is teeming with massshootings every year.
"I don't want to get into the political argument...but what blows my mind is the disparity of response between when we think people that are foreign are going to kill us and us killing ourselves...'We gotta do whatever we can! We''ll torture people! We gotta do whatever we can to keep Americans safe!' 9 people shot in a church. What about that?'" -John Stewart
10. Because state mandated testing is ruining our education system.
- One size fit all testing simply doesn't work.
- Curriculum is altered to "teach to the test" and valuable lessons are pushed aside.
- There is an unnecessary financial burden on schools (where the money could definitely better used for updated text books, new technology and other supplies).
etc. etc....
11. Because people are still racist, homophobic and bigots.
12. Because a college education means debt for decades
Trying to make something of myself and contribute to society should not have to cost me an arm and a leg.... seriously, losing an arm in Pennsylvania according to this workers comp guide would pay for my college and grad school!
13. Seriously, just everything about Donald Trump.
14. Because of the Citizens United and Speechnow.org court decisions
Because of the Citizens United disastrous decision, corporations are granted "personhood" when it comes to campaign financing. Basically, corporations can spend as much money as they wish on campaign material such as advertisements as long as they are not donating directly to a candidate.
Following that decision, SpeechNow.org vs. FEC ruled that limiting donations to orginizations for *independednt expenditures is unconsitiutional. Therefore, those organizations can accept unlimited amounts of money from both individuals and corporations. Thus, the superPAC was born!
What's worse is that nonprofits who do a large amount of political spending (as long as it is not the majority of their expenditures) do not have to disclose their donors. That means that when you see a negative ad for a candidate created by a nonprofit, they may keep their donors a secret, therefore hiding any credibility they may or may not have.
* Independent expenditures are forms of communication to advocate or oppose a candidate without being supported by the candidate or his/her committee. For example, a campaign against Bernie Sanders run by conservative group without material or support from a party, candidate, or political committee, would be considered an independent expenditure.
15. BecauseJK Rowling killed off Fred Weasley.
But really, I'm not over it, and I never will be.
