One place where everything comes together
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ladies, it’s unfortunate that sometimes we might end up in bad situations where we need to protect ourselves. Don’t be a victim! Watch this video to learn these 5 self-defense moves which you can apply when it’s needed. SHARE this on to EVERY woman you know. Knowledge is power.
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Reading Time: 3 minutes Check Your Status, Make Your Plan, Help Your Neighbors
It’s not that far away. The 2018 midterms are rapidly approaching. I’m not going to spend too much time pontificating about the urgency and importance of these mid-term elections other than to say the fate of our democracy undoubtedly depends on it. We can’t sit this one out because it’s inconvenient – and depending on who you are or where you live it might be very inconvenient.
Reading Time: 8 minutes Hillary Clinton and her directness in those First Lady days were a bit unsettling for me as well; nonetheless, the backlash felt unfair—in a double-standard sort of way—and whether I “liked” her or not wasn’t the point. I defended a woman’s rightful place to be smart and determined and capable and a leader! And yes, she, and many other women making their way in business or politics would be called “pushy” and “hard to work with” or much worse—as we saw and heard years later during the run-up to the 2016 election. “Brace yourself,” Jennifer Palmieri, Clinton’s director of communications during her presidential run, wrote in Dear Madam President, “nothing draws fire like a woman moving forward.”
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Reading Time: < 1 minute This 2017 Video was shot after the bombing at the Ariana Grande concert. This social experiment has been done elsewhere also and the outcomes are always heartwarming. This is worth a watch all the way through, maybe every day.
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Reading Time: 9 minutes You must become aware of how patriarchy has shaped each of us, even women, in order to unravel and remove it from your consciousness. You also have to know that options that are more liberating and not based on oppression, exist and you, and everyone, can thrive and flourish with the alternative. Leadership models exist that are based on collaboration and resourcefulness and continuously regenerate infinite power. We just have to learn them and practice them in the various contexts of our lives.
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Reading Time: 2 minutes At a time when our reproductive freedoms are facing constant attacks, as our Obama-era workplace protections are being overturned, as queerness and transphobia becomes more visible and attacked by this administration and it’s supporters, consensual sexual expression should be celebrated and supported in any way possible. Come for the gathering of like-minded people of all ages, sizes, shapes, and abilities – some people bring their kids, and some folks bring their grandparents. Join us for resources and literature that can help us stay connected to advocacy groups that are sex-positive and radically progressive.
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Reading Time: 5 minutes I don’t think it’s appropriate to celebrate a holiday based on a history that has separated children from parents from the inception of our nation and has thousands in custody now that will not be returned to their parents.
I don’t think it’s wise to dedicate a red, white, and blue barbeque to a commercialized notion of God and country when by doing so we’re continuing to sell the illusion that holds this hostile takeover together.
So, as we’re facing down Independence Day wondering how we’re going to get our independence back, maybe the first step is to stop pretending everything is just fine when things are not. Pretending is exactly what they want us to do because if things look like they always have maybe we’re fine enough not to want to demand our democracy back.
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Reading Time: 5 minutes Tonglen is an exceedingly simple meditative practice in which one visualizes taking in the suffering of oneself and others on the in-breath, and on the out-breath sending recognition, compassion, and relief. It involves being willing for those brief moments to “take on” the suffering of the world (or those specific people or groups that you have chosen to focus on) as you breath in, and then imagining that this suffering is being transmuted into goodness, love, compassion as you breath out, sending blessings and relief to those who are suffering.
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Reading Time: 4 minutes I recently talked to a lovely white woman who stood by quietly watching another white woman being very nasty with a black man who was walking his dog through their neighborhood. While she didn’t call the police she threatened to do just that.
This man was clearly shaken. He explained to her he lived in the neighborhood and he walked his dog there frequently. However, it escalated quickly when he wouldn’t provide her his address.
My friend stood there. She wanted to interject. She wanted to speak up, but she was terrified. However, she didn’t and the guilt was killing her. She actually crossed the street to get away from the drama and watch from a safe distance. She was seriously considering combing the neighborhood looking for this man so she could apologize – but she was afraid to do that too.
So, what is a white person to do when they witness a racist shakedown?
Crossing the street and staying silent is NOT the thing to do.
Reading Time: 7 minutes Almost sixty comments back and forth later, I realized there was no joy in the debate. I sent this person news stories and articles from more than 25 separate news sources, including Miltary.com and The Bush Foundation website. None of it landed. Don’t judge me for my back-ally comment fight with an idiot. I said all the things you wish you could a lot of the time. You can thank me later.
It ended when my right wing, wingnut “friend” started repeatedly telling me I was ignorant. I enlisted the help of family members to assist me in causing him a heart attack after he expressed he was very angry multiple times and suggested I was causing him a severe headache. The last comment exchanged was from my sister who boldly told him he didn’t want to get in an IQ competition with me – actually, it stopped when my child threw up a stop sign emoticon at the bottom of the comments.
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