Tag Archives: equal rights

Letting go of fate

Posted on by
Reply

The image above has sparked an internal rant. All too often, people blame the concepts of fate, destiny, God’s will, meant to be, and the alike on their life’s problems.

If it is destiny’s way, then the boyfriend who takes you for granted will change and it will all work out! No, sorry, relationships are about intimacy, passion, and commitment. Not looking for fateful moments.

Should you choose to follow Christianity in the fate discussion, then God’s plan is not an excuse for you to sit idly by and wait for fate. It is to seek spiritual guidance, do what Jesus would do, and live your life in his image. Even the Protestants are largely abandoning the idea of predestination.

Many people do not have desirable lives. They are not where they are supposed to be. The ten year old living in sex slavery is not supposed to be there. The woman sitting in a hut waiting to die because she can’t afford a fistula surgery is also not supposed to be there. The eternally hard-working yet impoverished teenagers taking care of their younger siblings due to parental drug addiction are not supposed to be there. Ok, I stole that from Showtime’s Shameless- but it still applies. Emmy Rossum is marvelous.

The above image was made to help people deal with their “first world problems”. Honestly, those are the only ailments I suffer from. Mostly, I just wish I was Emmy Rossum. Sorry about the high horse.

How you deal with the hand you are given in life is what matters. Share that love and fortune, and remember that everyone else probably has battles rougher than yours. No one gets an equal beginning point in life. What would make the largest difference in these battles are the rights to an equal pursuit of happiness. It always comes back to those darn pesky equal rights.



You Might Also Like ...

Women’s History Month…Exists

Posted on by
Reply

Everyone in America knows when Black History month is. It’s taught in schools and all major networks run a graphic that says “Happy Black History Month” or “In Honor of Black History Month”. In short, Black History Month gets a ton of air time. It should. It’s important. Did you know there is a Women’s History Month?

I didn’t either. I learned that March is celebrated as Women’s History Month from Twitter, since the 80’s March has been recognized throughout America, Canada and the UK. I had no clue. It’s not taught in schools, no one runs a graphic on NBC it just goes by silently. There’s not even an influx in female programming or documentaries. Nothing is done to recognize this month. It bothers me—but not as much as it should.

I don’t think we should have separate months celebrating “women” I think it should just be part of history. The women’s rights movement is amazing; it’s inspiring and not just for women. Learning about people standing up to injustice and fighting for equal rights is what this country was founded on. It’s part of our collective history so why separate it?

There’s still a long way to go in the women’s rights movement. There’s a lot of ground to cover but I’m very confident we’ll get there. Maybe on the road we’ll all realize that to be equal means to be together as one. I don’t need a month to celebrate the trials and successes of these amazing women. I do it every day.



You Might Also Like ...

Gay Student Gets Vandalized Car Fixed Gratis

Posted on by
2

photo of jordan addison pictures
I’m a girl. I’m a skinny, not completely hideous, girl. I have been subjected to horrible slurs, discrimination, and shady situations. I have been told I’m not smart, not worth anything unless I’m lying down, and that I should just “sit there and look pretty.” I’ve lost male friends because their girlfriends didn’t want them around me because they didn’t “understand” how we could just “be friends.” I know what it feels like to be regulated to one thing, and I know what it feels like to have people judge you and be threatened by you and wish you ill will because of one thing. Due to these experiences, I have a pretty hard time when people tell me I’m pretty. I always correct them with “I’m smart.” I just don’t want to be one thing. And I don’t want that one thing to take anything else away from me. Maybe that’s why I feel so strongly and work so hard for equal rights. It’s why I’m a feminist and it’s why I strongly support equality for all.

There’s a joke in my family that I can’t process normal human emotions. I give all my love and attention to animals and “the underdogs.” If I see a kid with glasses and an inhaler I’ll immediately well up—no matter what the situation. I don’t like bullies and I don’t stand by and watch it happen. I can’t. I can’t understand dehumanizing someone—mainly because I’ve felt it and I’d never wish that on anyone. So when a story like the one I’m about to tell you comes around, I tend to get really involved.

Jordan Addison is a college student in Virginia. He has a long history of being bullied, and has been assaulted quite often for being gay. Addison’s car has been vandalized four times and covered in gay slurs and hate speech each and every time. “The first time, there were some homophobic slurs keyed into the side of it. Then the second time I had die keyed into it,” said Addison.

When word got out about this latest assault on Addison, a local repair shop took action. The employees at Quality Auto Paint and Body in Roanoke asked 10 other businesses to donate and help them repair Addison’s car for free. Richard Henegar Jr., the manager of the repair shop, headed the project. “Once I saw the vandalism that was done to it, I said ‘That’s uncalled for. We’re gonna fix your car’. That’s the least we can do,” said Henegar.

The employees put in over 100 hours of work on the car. They put on new tires, a new paint job, tinted windows, a security system, and a new stereo. Altogether the car makeover came to over $10,000, which was all taken care of by the charity of other businesses and Quality Auto Paint and Body themselves. To see people coming together and standing up for what’s right and embracing someone … it really makes you stop and think.

I took this story to mean that change is possible, and this story made me feel like we’re moving in the right direction. We’re winning the fight, or at least starting to take an edge over on the other side, and that’s encouraging, if you ask me.



You Might Also Like ...

I’m Going Solo (Or; Why I’m ‘Done’ With Feminists)

Posted on by
3

photo of mahatma gandhi pictures
I was going to write a piece about “what’s changed for women,” but in doing the research I was reminded that nothing has changed. Female M.B.A’s still make $4,600 less than their male counterparts, and the depressing statistics just go on and on. I don’t need to spout them here, because they’ve already been talked to death as it were.

You know, I’ve spent a lot of time trying to rally the troops to get feminism up and running (guys, these articles don’t write themselves). Now I’m starting to think that maybe I don’t need the rest of you. That’s right, I said it. I don’t need you guys to be feminist and I don’t need anybody to help propel feminism forward. I can do it all on my own.

I recently read in an article that “… no woman [I] know would unapologetically describe herself as a feminist.” Feminism is something dirty, denigrated—to be looked upon with scorn. If, in the modern culture, gender equality does come up, the response is simply: ‘I’m not a feminist, but—’ (Translation: Please don’t think I’m a man-hater/ugly/being difficult!) It’s true and I’m guilty of it too. No one can accuse me of caring what people think. I make terrible life decisions over and over and don’t care what people say about them and I am far too blunt when asked for my opinion, but when I tell people I write for Zelda Lily I always say, “They’re a feminist blog but not like man-hating feminism.” Why do I clarify that? Why do I feel the apparent need to specify this? Who cares if they are man-hating? It’s not like men haven’t given us a reason to have an issue with them. What do I care if someone thinks I hate men?

This could be my exhaustion, depression, or overall constant anxiety talking but I think I’m done making excuses for feminists. I will stand up and say unapologetically that I am a feminist, and if you think that makes me a man-hater, ugly, or difficult … well, that’s fine with me because if that’s what a feminist is to you—then I don’t want to know you anyway. I’m done waiting on the movement. I’m taking a page from Gandhi and I’m going to be the change I want to see in the world.

Et tu?



You Might Also Like ...