Rise Up

http://onebillionrising.org/

I'm reading
A history
Of women in power in England
Before Elizabeth I
The injustices these women faced!
Married off as political pawns at birth
Literally entering those marriages at 12
And being carted around Europe
And bearing the children
Of unfaithful
Selfish
Arrogant kings
Imagine being a 12thC princess
No thanks!

But if only
The trampling of women
Were "history"

Today I read
How the upcoming
Children's films
For 2013
Do nothing to promote
The visibility of women
On screen

Yesterday Upworthy published an article
Congratulating Dove for using
"real women"
In its "real beauty" campaign
Yes, they weren't anorexic
But where was their cellulite?
Or their stretch marks?
Or body hair?
Or skin "blemishes"?
Just as photoshopped and airbrushed as the
Derided Victoria's Secret
bikini models
Visible but conformist
To the gaze
That requires
Perfect bodies

The answer?
Speak out!
Say it is wrong!
Point out where the trouble is
But
The Independent
Published an article
About how when women speak out
They are literally told to
Shut up

Today
If you are a powerful woman
You are a witch
A bitch
A liar
Criticized for not wearing makeup
For wearing too much makeup
For being visible at all

I'm sick of
People not treating
Other people
As people
Because of race gender beliefs
Whatever
I'm sick of living
In a culture
So entrenched for
Centuries
That prizes women for
Their glorified looks
For their silence

I want to live in a world
Where people are people
The end.

In two weeks
Eve Ensler is calling
For people to
Rise
To stand up against
Inequality
And brutality
Towards women

I want to rise
To say
Whoever you are
Whether you identify as man woman or neither
Please can we just work together
To make life on this unstable planet more bearable
More fun
More beautiful
To ensure
Every person
Born to this planet
Has good food
And shelter
And access to music
And culture
And freedom of expression
And freedom to be
Themselves
Perfect
Just as they are

The end.

Inspiration v. Despair

I love messages that are inspiring and full of hope and leave me feeling positive
It's why I'm fascinated by A is For and Occupy and No More Page 3, and V-Day
And all the A-Z of organizations who in their own way
Are just trying to make it better, easier, nicer
For people.
Because that's what we all are in the end
Whether we're writers or artists or bankers or plumbers or dentists
We. Are. People.

It's why I love artists like Amy Krouse Rosenthal.
Not just artists
Writers and composers and historians and entrepreneurs and builders and all the souls just trying to make a difference.
People who say,
Let's make this better
Let's make this nicer, more beautiful, more inspiring
A less harsh place to live in.
Like Eve Ensler, like Martha Plimpton, like Anne Summers.

It's why I loved reading Obama's book.
He has the audacity to hope for something better
A time, a place, a now that doesn't tread on people
And why is it so audacious to want hope?
Shouldn't it be utterly audacious to only see the bottom line, to hurt, to lie, to steal, to see a world devoid of beauty?
Imagine a world where people were actually nice to each other.
Imagine such a thing
"Hippy" John Lennon.
If you believe in peace and love and nicety, you're a damn communist.

We are a rock revolting.
There is so much anger and hate and sadness,
But it can be different.
We must speak out.
We must appreciate each other.
We must not be afraid.

I've been afraid.
I am afraid
Of my own voice.
So afraid I haven't written, I haven't sung, I'm scared of dancing in public.
I'm scared of my own body.
Because the people who speak out
Are laughed at, trolled, vilified, shot.
People are miserable, living on the street, dying horrifically.
God, it can all seem so awful.

And I shift between total inspiration
And total despair.
What can I do?!
Breathe. Just breathe.
And trust that it all gets better. That change IS possible.
And get on with what I have to do.

The end.