This week’s terror attack in New York brought out the best and worst in Americans: As New Yorkers came together to support one another and rise tall, the racist backlash against Muslims followed closely behind.
And the same people who insisted that we not “politicize” the nearly 500 people shot and 58 killed in Las Vegas suddenly became very interested in policies that would discriminate against Muslims and immigrants. So much for not politicizing.
When I first heard about the attack, I realized immediately that it happened on the corner of my former high school; I couldn’t help but think about the young people there, and hope they were all safe. But part of keeping young people healthy and happy is not caving into hatred and bigotry. If we’re building a world for our kids, let’s make sure it’s one worth leaving to them.
Glass Half Full
Things are terrible, but at least Roxane Gay is publishing a new book, an anthology about rape culture.
What I’m RTing
Or you could not hire grown men that would be distracted by children’s legs https://t.co/GnrKE8bOId
— Talia Mar (@TaliaMarMusic) November 1, 2017
Trump administration appointments giving a generation of men a lift over their female peers across the govt https://t.co/21oMlxnKyE
— Garance Franke-Ruta (@thegarance) November 1, 2017
“I am sorry for all the times I stabbed men, just a little, in my previous workplace. After years of counseling, I stopped stabbing men.”
— Kate Harding (@KateHarding) October 28, 2017
shoutout to all those times hannity called michael brown a “thug” https://t.co/X4QfA8UpJd
— Jamelle Bouie (@jbouie) October 31, 2017
Who I’m reading
10-year-old Alice Paul Tapper on getting girls to raise their hands more in class; Marin Cogan with a truly important piece on the power differential in harassment cases; and Soraya Nadia McDonald on how to prevent another Harvey Weinstein.
What I’m writing
Why conservative women throw their gender under the bus, and why harassers rise to the top.
How outraged I am
Multiple women have accused Brett Ratner of sexual harassment and assault, and the director’s response has been textbook victim-blaming and dismissiveness. On a scale of one to 10, I’m at an eight, because at this point I don’t even expect any better.
How I’m making it through this week
I binge watched Stranger Things which was extraordinarily helpful to forget that the world was burning, at least for a bit. I also went to talk to Brian Stelter at CNN about sexual harassment in the media, and while it wasn’t a distraction, it did feel good to vent a bit.
