Tag Archives: women’s rights

Back In The Groove With … MEMES!!!!

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, Economic issues, education, Election 2024, guns, Political commentary, voting rights

Well, folks, after two days off it’s time to drag myself up and try to get back into the groove … enough of this lollygagging around!  I’m still wayyyyyyy below par, but for the sake of my mental health, I really need to try to get somewhat back into the routine and this blog is at least 80% of my routine of late.  I miss the interactions with my blogging family!  I’m a firm believer in that old adage, “Mind Over Matter”!  Don’t worry … I shan’t strain myself … gonna start out real simple today with just a few memes I’ve already collected over the past week or so.  My apologies for missing Jolly Monday this week … I just didn’t have the energy to spend four hours or more collecting cartoons ‘n other funnies as I usually do, but hopefully Jolly ‘n Joyful will return next week.

I Am Woman, Hear Me Rant!

Posted on by under History, Law and justice, Racism & Bigotry, Rants, Social commentary, voting rights

This is a repeat of a post I wrote just over a year ago — June 2023.  It came to mind earlier today when I was reading some news stories and realized that it is now 101 years since the Equal Rights Amendment was first proposed, and STILL it has not been passed!  And today, we have another cheerleader for sending women back to the 1920s, a vice-presidential candidate, J.D. Vance, who has made his position completely clear, that he believes women’s only purpose in life is to produce children.  In his book, if we’re not doing that, then we don’t deserve to live.  Everything I said in this post a year ago still stands, and I am doubling down on it!  You want us to pay taxes in this country???  Then treat us as equals, dammit!!!

When the U.S. Constitution was written in 1787, women did not have the right to vote, they did not have the right to divorce their husband, and they did not have the right to own property.  We now have all three of those rights and more, but they were hard-earned, fought for over the course of centuries!  It was more than a century after the Constitution was ratified before women finally began getting the right to vote in some states (from 1890-1919), but 21 states only granted women the right to vote after passage of the 19th amendment in 1920.

I could go on and on about the uphill battle women have had to fight for the past two-and-a-half centuries, and how today the courts are chipping furiously away at our rights with the overturning of Roe v Wade and strict abortion bans being put into effect in many states.  I could opine about how the Equal Rights Amendment has been on the table in Congress since 1923 … 100 years … and has still not passed.  Next, we are warned, the Supreme Court plans to go after our right to birth control … what next???  You comin’ for our right to equal pay, or our right to even have a career outside the kitchen?  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr …

If you sense that I’m angry today, you’d be right.  Throughout the centuries, we have fought long and hard just to be treated equally to men.  We haven’t asked for special privileges … just allow us to have the same rights as our male counterparts.  But apparently some women don’t like the 21st century, want to go back to the days where it was said that a woman’s place is “in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant.”

Last Friday in a place called Grapevine, Texas, there was an event called Young Women’s Leadership Summit that was hosted by Turning Point USA, the uber right-wing organization co-founded by the bigoted talk show persona Charlie Kirk.  Speaker after speaker emphasized to the audience that they should become wives, mothers, and accessories to the astro-turfed conservative movement rather than pursuing a demanding career.

The “unofficial emcee” for the event was someone named Alex Clark, who told the audience, “What I’m here to tell you is, if you were to just go back to biblical roots in what God had designed for women to do, we will be happier.”  I don’t know how she can be so sure what her god intended for women, but I’m pretty sure she’s saying something along the lines of that “barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen” theme.

The speakers at this event included such “luminaries” as Charlie Kirk himself, Lara Trump, Margie Greene, Fox’s Laura Ingraham, and Candace Owens, and the overall theme was that women should leave politics to men, seek fulfillment exclusively in the domestic sphere, and have lots of babies.

Margie Greene used her allotted time to call for President Biden to be impeached and to tout a bill she proposed that would criminalize gender-affirming care for transgender youth – that one earned her a standing ovation by the audience.

But the main topic, apart from putting women back into chains, was transgender people …

“They ruin opportunities for women,” said one, while another proclaimed that “If you start mixing genders and we can’t identify what a woman is, a lot of other things become kind of blurry.”  And yet another said that “This is a fight against cultural evils — against the erasure of women.”  OH FOR PETE’S SAKE!!!  Get over yourself!  Trans people don’t threaten anybody, they don’t blur anything, and they damn sure don’t ‘erase’ anyone!

What a slap in the face this all is to women like Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Ida B. Wells, and others who dedicated their lives to the fight for women’s rights.  I’ve said before that it seems the United States is moving backward in many ways, and now I’m convinced that there is a portion of the population in this nation who would take us back … way back … back to a time when Blacks worked in the cotton fields, women spent their days nursing babies and baking apple pies, and the white male dominated all.  At this point, I would like to reprise a chant that was well-known back in the 1960s … “Hell no, we won’t go!!!”  At that time, it meant Vietnam, but today it means backward.  Hell no, we won’t return to the kitchen, to the dominance of men, no matter what the Supreme Court and Turning Point USA have to say!

Colour Me Confused …

Posted on by under Economic issues, education, History, Racism & Bigotry, Rants, Social commentary, voting rights

I’m confused.

In recent weeks, almost every day there is a headline similar to this one from today:

Ford joins list of companies walking back DEI policies

The list is long … Lowe’s, Zoom, Snap, Tesla, Microsoft, Door Dash, Home Depot, Harley-Davidson, John Deere … and on it goes.

I don’t understand.  Long and hard has been the fight for equality for women, minorities, and the LGBTQ community, but we made progress.  Slowly but surely, equality in pay, employment opportunities, educational opportunities, housing and more became reality.  But today, every damn day another company announces it is either rolling back or completely dissing its DEI initiatives.  WHY???

DEI – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion.  What’s wrong with that?  Why do we insist on turning the clocks back?  Is this nation really that bigoted that we cannot see our way clear to provide the same opportunities for everyone, regardless of the colour of their skin, their gender, or who they love?

I do not understand why we cannot simply LIVE AND LET LIVE.  Colour me confused.  And disgusted.

There is a person named Robert “Robby” Starbuck who has been actively targeting companies with DEI policies in place, many of which have since reversed their policies.  Mr. Starbuck is obviously a racist, a misogynist, and a homophobe, but who the hell does he think he is, imposing his bigotries on the rest of us?  What next, Mr. Starbuck?  Will you restore old plantations and return Black people to slavery?  Make it illegal for women to vote and allow companies to pay women less simply because they don’t have a penis?  Thus far his efforts have been quite successful …  Grrrrrrrrrrrr …

So yes, I’m confused … confused as to why so many companies seem to think it’s a good idea to return to the dark ages, why they even listen to fools and idiots like Mr. Starbuck, and why … why we have to keep fighting the same battles over and over and over just to live free, just to ensure that everyone has the same rights and opportunities.  Yes, I am WOKE and damn proud of it.  I am also confused as hell.

Saturday Afternoon Meme Break!

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, education, Election 2024, History, Humour, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

Saturday afternoon and I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling lazy today!  Seems like a good day for some memes, don’t you think?  As always, some are just for fun, others more thought-provoking.  Enjoy and have a great rest-of-the-weekend!

Maybe the best advice I’ve heard!!!

And just in case you need a few more chuckles, here’s a short clip from a recent Stephen Colbert show …

To Meme Or Not To Meme … That Is The Question

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, Election 2024, Humour, Political commentary, Social commentary

Okay, it’s been over a week since I shared some memes, and my stash is overflowing, so what better time than a nice peaceful  Saturday afternoon?  As per my usual, some are funny, others are more thought-provoking.  Enjoy!!!

For our non-U.S. readers, Milwaukee is NOT in Minnesota, it is in the state of Wisconsin! Laura Ingraham is even dumber than we thought!

Saturday Afternoon ‘Toons!

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Election 2024, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary

Due to a lack of time, energy, and motivation … not to mention an overflowing cartoon folder … I’m sharing the latest batch of the best cartoons from the past few days for your Saturday afternoon viewing pleasure.  One of the big topics from this week, aside from the November election of course, is the Supreme Court.

Mood-Altering Snarky Snippets

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, Election 2024, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Rants, Social commentary, voting rights

I was in a good mood when I first got up this morning.  Came downstairs, fed the birds & squirrels outside, watered the flowers, fed the kitties inside, made myself a cuppa coffee, then settled down to cruise the news.  And that was the end of the good mood.  Hence today’s ‘Snarky Snippets’.

Has there ever been a more bigoted group of people than today’s Republicans?  First they take away women’s rights in overturning the iconic Roe v Wade, and now they’ve decided that women who choose not to have children are incapable of doing … well, anything useful.  Several times in the last few days I’ve read of men referring to childless women as “childless cat ladies”.  But it has gotten completely out of hand, with one person going so far as to say that …

“Political leaders should have children. Certainly they should at least be married. If you aren’t running or can’t run a household of your own, how can you relate to a constituency of families, or govern wisely with respect to future generations? Skin in the game matters.”

That came from Blake Masters, who ran for a Senate seat from Arizona in 2022 and failed miserably.  I think I see why.  But there are others, including the Republican candidate for Vice-President, who are blowing their misogynist dog whistles against women who either cannot or choose not to have children … simply because presidential candidate and Vice-President Kamala Harris has no children.

J.D. Vance, running mate of Donald Trump, has a unique idea to punish those without children, and reward those who are parents:

“Let’s give votes to all children in this country, but let’s give control over those votes to the parents of those children.”

That’s right … he wants parents to be able to cast votes for themselves, but also for each of their offspring, thereby rewarding parents for having children and punishing those who don’t.  That would likely pave the way for Republicans to win in every election, since it is the Republicans who seem not to know when to stop!  I’m beginning to think that China’s former ‘one child’ policy made a lot of sense!

Let me make something clear … and I hope you’ll share this post with any Republican friends you might have …

IT IS NOBODY’S DAMN BUSINESS WHETHER A WOMAN CHOOSES TO HAVE CHILDREN OR NOT!!!!!

Did I say that loudly enough for the Republicans to hear?  We don’t mandate that a man running for political office prove via DNA tests how many children he has sired … frankly we don’t care.  So why is it different for a woman???  Quite frankly, if I were young now, I would choose not to have children, not to dump an innocent child into the world as it has become, for frankly we are destroying the planet and it would be criminal negligence to add another person to suffer the destruction.  I am sick and damn tired of men deciding what women can or cannot do!

Furthermore, having or not having children has absolutely nothing to do with intelligence or capability!!!!!!!  Kamala Harris is more intelligent and qualified than 99% of the rest of the politicians in Washington … or elsewhere … and it has nothing to do with her private decision about bearing children.  It has to do with her education, base intelligence, and experience.  Men … and women … get over yourselves!  It’s none of your damn business whether any woman has children or not!!!!!!

And then, there are the books.  I really want to laugh about these, but I guess I’m just not in a laughing mood right now.  First, there is Melania Trump’s forthcoming book, and an autographed copy can be yours for only … wait for it … $150!  Wow, what a bargain, eh?  Of course, you can also buy the not-autographed copy for only $40, but who wouldn’t want to pay an extra $110 just to see Melania’s scrawl?

The book, aptly titled “Melania”, is described on Melania’s own website (naturally) as …

“… the powerful and inspiring story of a woman who has defined personal excellence, overcome adversity, and carved her own path. The former First Lady invites readers into her world, offering an intimate portrait of a woman who has lived an extraordinary life. Melania includes stories and images never before shared with the public.”

Um … “personal excellence”???  Is this what they mean …

And Donnie also has a new book that he did not write for he is incapable of even scribbling his name, coming out on September 3rd.  His book only costs $99!  What a bargain … NOT.  No reputable publisher would publish his garbage book, so it is published by “Winning Team Publishing”, co-founded in 2021 by Don Jr. and Sergio Gor.  According to Axios, the book includes photos from his time in office — a White House Christmas, the Abraham Accords and China — plus the 2024 campaign, all with captions he wrote. Big whoops.  But what’s really interesting is the cover …

Wow, talk about turning a near tragedy into profit.  Trump should have to pay royalties from the book sales, if there are any, to the family of the shooter, and maybe also to the family of the real victim, Corey Comperatore, who died of his wounds that day, while Trump only suffered a small nick on the ear, likely by a shard of glass.

Just Who Is J.D. Vance?

Posted on by under education, Election 2024, Global Issues, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

Yesterday I wrote about the hypocrisy of J.D. Vance that led to him becoming Trump’s running mate and potential Vice President, about how in the past, Vance had denigrated Trump more than a few times, but had since turned around, kissed the ring, licked the boots, and won the ‘privilege’ of being Trump’s partner in crime.  But today I want to talk about … why it matters, why J.D. Vance is every bit as dangerous as Donald Trump.

Let’s start with his view on women and women’s rights.  He is dead set against a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion under any circumstances, including rape or incest, and presumably including if the woman’s life is endangered by her pregnancy.  He also believes that a woman who is being abused by her husband must stay in the marriage “for the sake of the children.”  Really???  So … he thinks it’s healthy for children to grow up watching their father beat and verbally abuse their mother???  And as for women who decide not to have children, here’s what Vance thinks of them:

“We are effectively run in this country… by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made. And they want to make the rest of the country miserable too, and it’s just a basic fact if you look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, AOC — the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children. And how does it make any sense that we’ve turned our country over to people who don’t really have a direct stake in it.”

It should be noted that Pete Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten, actually have twins, Joseph & Penelope, who will turn three years old next month!

And among his other views …

  • One of the most infamous Vance comments came just before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, where he publicly said this about our ally on the brink of being attacked: “I gotta be honest with you, I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another.” He has since consistently advanced positions on the war that sound oddly close to Russia’s take.
  • Vance praised Orban’s political takeover of higher education.
  • Vance praised Sandy Hook conspiracy theorist Alex Jones as “far more reputable source of information than Rachel Maddow.”
  • Vance raised money for those who attacked the Capitol on January 6.

Typically, the Vice Presidency is a low-profile position.  That’s not to say they don’t work hard, for they do, they just don’t get the spotlight very often, so we tend not to think of them much in the grand scheme of things.  But, given Trump’s age and obvious mental decline, I think there is good reason to believe that if Trump wins in November, J.D. Vance may assume the reins of power at some point in the next four years.  Then he would be eligible to run on his own in 2028, and again in 2032, so conceivably his ‘reign’ could last until 2037!  Let that one sink in for just a minute … scary, don’t you think?

I am sickened and disgusted by the words of one Ohio GOP official, Tony Schroeder, who said of Mr. Vance …

“He’s got the gift. I think he makes people feel he cares about them specifically. He’s our Barack Obama. There’s just an intelligence and a directness, he’s young, and there’s no pretense with this guy.”

BULLSHIT!!!  It is almost criminal to compare the lying, hypocritical Vance to the decent, intelligent former President Barack Obama!  But as we’ve seen in the past, if he does have that ‘gift’ of gab, the power of persuasion, there are far too many people who will fall for his rhetoric just as they have fallen for Trump’s for years now.

Recently Adam Kinzinger appeared on Stephen Colbert’s show and here’s what he had to say about Mr. Vance …

I’m sure I’ll have more to say about Mr. Vance over the next few months, but for now, suffice it to say he is not a nice man, not a good man, has no respect for women or the LGBTQ community, and would, like Trump, mock our allies and cozy up to dictators like Putin and Orbán.  He makes it more imperative than ever to ensure Trump does not win in November!

WHEW … Time For A ‘Toon Break!

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Election 2024, Environmental Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary

Whew!  It’s been some week, hasn’t it … and it’s only Tuesday!  I can hardly wait to see what the rest of the week has in store for us (I say that with tongue in cheek).  I need a break from it all already, and I suspect you do too, so I’m emptying my stash of recent cartoons to share with you this afternoon before returning to the fray.