Thursday, June 25, 2015

Let Me Tell You A (Feminism) Thing //

4:12:00 PM
The last couple weeks have been gross, filled with preparing for (and taking) my final exams. (On the bright side, I'm officially done with sophomore year and 50% of high school, so that's cool). My easiest final was for my fashion class, in which I had to write a very interesting essay. It had nothing to do with fashion at all, but instead, I had to write 3-5 paragraphs explaining my opinion on the Equal Rights Amendment, and whether or not I believe equality for women is something that we need in the 2015 United States of America. Most people wrote half a page, and a couple girls actually raised their hands and said, "I don't understand the question" (rolls eyes into back of head). I, on the other hand, turned what was supposed to be a few paragraphs into 2 a two-page rant (eloquently worded, but still, a rant). //


Now, I'll spare you the wrath of my entire essay (plus I don't want to have to type the entire thing out,) but I will insert an outline of my opinion here:

WE NEED THE ERA IN THE 2015 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BECAUSE:
       1- Women are still making $.77 to the man's $1 for performing the same job. (Not cool.)
              a- In a traditional 2-parent male/female home, this is less of a problem because there is a man making the higher income, and a woman can "depend" on her husbands income to support her and her family. However, we have to remember single women, as well as female/female partners, both with and without children. A single mother making $.23 less per hour is not going to be able to provide the same lifestyle for her children or herself. It isn't fair that these parents make less money and cannot afford the same lifestyle for their children as traditional male/female parents. We live in a world where a male is no longer the "head of the house" and the "breadwinner." Women need to be paid equally to support themselves and their families.
              b- Paying women $.77 to the man's $1 is dehumanizing to women. It tells us that we are incapable, incompetent, and not as valuable as men. By paying us less for the same hours of work at the same job, we are being told that we will never, ever, add up to a man's worth. During World War I, women began working in factories and happily accepted a smaller paycheck than a man would have received. The society of that time recognized women as inferior in every aspect of life, so for women then, the fight was about visibility and recognition. Working for a smaller paycheck was better than the alternative to not work at all. In today's context, feminism has already received its recognition, and now we must make changes and work toward the final goal: equality. Women are humans, and deserve the same things as all other humans.
The ERA would deem it unconstitutional for women to be paid $.23 less than their male counterparts, and unequal pay would be regarded as more serious, federal offense, with more serious punishments.

      2- "She was asking for it" is not an excuse, and women need better protection from rape, domestic violence, and other forms of sexual assault.
              a- Ok so I've watched 16 seasons too many of Law & Order: SVU, and even though it's "just  a TV show," the topics, themes and cases that Detective Olivia Benson deals with are accurate representations of some of the things that happen in our real-life society. The reason the show never "gets old" or runs out of plotlines is because rape culture is something that is so prominent in our society. From an early age, women are told to cover up, because by wearing revealing clothing they are inviting male attention. This rape culture shames women, empowers men, and makes victims of violence look like "instigators," while depicting attackers as victims because they "couldn't control themselves." *pukes* Everyday, women are dehumanized by people who look at their bodies as if its an object that can be taken by anyone, and instead of teaching boys that rape and assault are not ok, we tell girls to be ashamed of their bodies.
              b- Because of this backwards system, often times rapists (and others) do not get the punishments that they deserve. Juries who vote on the guilt or innocence of these attackers have biased opinions. There is an unspoken, underlying belief that to be a woman means you have to be quiet, polite, passive, and submissive, and in some cases, a woman's act of fighting back, standing up for herself, and not doing anything she doesn't feel comfortable with somehow justifies violent acts towards her. Women need the ERA to be added to the Constitution because it will make judgements such as these unconstitutional by law. 
The ERA could help put offenders in their proper place, and better protect the rights of victims. "She was asking for it" and the idea of the "submissive female" role, by law, would be punishable at the federal level, a far more serious punishment than what it is now.
      3- As much as we want to say "Hillary Clinton is running for office and we have female CEOs, so sexism is not a problem in America," the fact is, sexism is an underlying aspect, embedded in the core of our belief system.
              a- For years in the past, women have been oppressed and forced to the sidelines, and because of that, there is still an unspoken tension between the sexes. Though we do not outwardly express it, we have expectations and stereotypes of women (and men.) Gender roles and stereotypes are part of our daily rituals. Women need to be passive and submissive, and are expected to get married and have children. Women are supposed to be organized and tidy and we're supposed, like, learn how to cook or some shit like that. And if a woman likes to take control and have confidence, apparently she is a bitch. Sexism is deeply embedded into the roots of our country, and it needs to stop right now.
              b- Ok ok last point, I promise. The biggest problem with this whole issue of women's rights is that we don't recognize it as even if you're a person who recognizes that sexism exists, I think that as a whole, we do not take it as seriously as we should. People make jokes about sexism, and there are dumb and offensive terms that have come about, like "meninist" and "feminazi" (which makes me cringe so SO MUCH). The fact is, to most people, this fight for equality seems like a joke. They see it as unnecessary. What we don't realize is that treating women as less then men actually has consequences that severely flaws our country (ie, rape culture). At this point, the opinions of most adults, and even teens my age, probably can't be swayed, but adding the ERA to the US Constitution would set equality as a core belief in the very basics of our country. It would be taught in schools. This amendment would highlight the seriousness in gender equality, and for our future generations, it will change the "social norm" from being one of sexism to being one of equality. The Constitution is the core of our country, and with the changing times, it's time we did amended it to fit the needs of all citizens of the United States, and to point emphasize the importance of equality for all.
We need an amendment like the ERA in our Constitution to emphasize just how important equality of the sexes is, and to help move future generations in the direction of equality.

I applaud my teacher for going outside of what is taught in public schools, and getting the young women in her class to think about current issues that will affect them later on in life. Also don't be afraid to comment your opinions, and feel free to give me any information I may be missing! I am 16 and clearly not the most educated, so please join the discussion! //


CLICK HERE: fuck this
MY JAMS WHILST WRITING THIS: BO$$ , Run the World

Saturday, June 13, 2015

A Day in Boston Look //

7:34:00 PM
Today, I was able to go into the city with my family (following last night when I went in with some friends to get records), and I felt really proud of my appearance today. So naturally, I decided to post about my day. I love visiting the North End specifically, because it feels like you're walking down the streets of Italy. The North End is filled with very narrow, cobblestone paths. Bikes are parked all along the sidewalk, and the smell of Italian-style pastas and pizzas fill the air. All of the apartments are brick, and have long fire escapes, which residents decorate with plants and flowers. Colors of brown and baby blue are dotted throughout the streets. //
Then, other parts of Boston have tall, modern skyscrapers. Expensive cars line the streets, taxis are available on every corner, and you can find your everyday chain restaurants like Starbucks and Chipotle (and of course Dunkin' Donuts because after all, this is Boston). It's like the colliding of two different worlds, and I love it. I love it so so much. //
In terms of my outfit, I went for a simple look, mostly because it's summer and really really hot. I wore a basic white tank, a bralette, denim shorts and sandals. SUMMER IS HERE YAY //




WHERE TO SHOP THIS LOOK:
Coachella Tank- Rue 21 (2 for $10)
Polka Dot Bralette- Forever 21 ($17)
Shorts- I stole them from my sister
Sandals- Payless
Choker- Brandy Melville ($5)
Crossbody Bag- Marshall's (Nine West brand)
Rings- Brandy Melville ($3 each)


           

The North End




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