Ohio Middle-Schoolers are Kicking A** for Equality. These Kids are Inspiring.

The kids are still alright, Gentle Reader. From Mr. B & C’s FB feed today, a couple of kids he knows are striking a blow for equality. Inspiring. #FeministFriday needs to be spread far and wide!

This week, a NCS teacher degraded and and humiliated a male student at Liberty Middle school. The child was wearing a scarf, and his male teacher told him to take it off because, “boys don’t wear scarves.” 

Just today, when the student once again wore a scarf, the teacher ripped it off the boy’s neck and said, “Don’t wear scarves, you look homosexual.” This is bullying and harassment, and it’s worse because it’s being done by someone in a position of power. 

My little sister xxxxx xcccc and xxxxx xxxxx’s little brother xxxxxcc have teamed up and created ‪#‎FeministFriday‬. To support this kid and his choice of neckwear, they’ve set aside this Friday to have all boys wear scarves and all girls wear ties to show that awful teacher that he can’t impose gender roles on children. 

Spread the word, or participate in yourself. Teachers have no right to harass or bully students. Clothing choice does not determine sexuality, and someone’s sexuality is not an insult. I’m so proud of my sister and xxxx for starting this. I hope that teacher gets fired for his actions.

Seeing Middle School activism gives one hope. Now the adults need to catch up with the kids. This writer will be wearing a scarf next Friday in solidarity, and urges you to wear a tie/scarf as appropriate.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

(P.S. The names of the kids have been removed from this post to protect them from stupid f***ing Keyboard Commandos that hate equality. Anybody who trolls these awesome youths will be reported to the authorities. Just sayin’.)

Oh Hellz Yeah, Hillary should embrace the “Feminist” Label.

As Hillary Clinton starts her run for the White House, some on the Left and in the Center are tut-tutting over whether her endorsements from feminist organizations will “hurt her” during the campaign. After all, lots of Millenials, some Boomers, and ALL the Right Wingnuts dislke the term “feminist”. The Leery Lefties and Simpering Centrists worryworryworry about HRC and her supporters seeming too, well…brash. Forward. Aggressive. Insufficiently deferential. Not “ladylike” enough.

Put another way, they worry that she will act like she has an equal right to run for President. They worry that Hillary will act like women are just as qualified to hold high office as are men. They worry that the dread word “feminist” will doom her campaign, because the notion of gender equality will turn people off.

That’s a steaming load of elephant turds, Gentle Reader. Here’s why:

Number A: Not too long ago, politicos were urged to avoid talking about equality for non-Whites. Civil Rights were a “third rail” in American politics, touch it and watch your bid for office die. So the “mainstream” politicos soft-pedaled the issue, danced around it, vacillated, and as time went on, lost. Because the average American was, as they often are, ahead of the politicians and pundits on the issue. Eventually, candidates who grew a pair and started talking about equality won their races and changed the law of the land to reflect the will of the people and the meaning of the Constitution.

Letter 2: Not too long ago (and in some places, still), politicos were urged to avoid talking about equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered people (LGBT) . Gay rights were a “third rail” in American politics, touch it and watch your bid for office die. So the “mainstream” politicos soft-pedaled the issue, danced around it, vacillated, and as time went on, lost their elections. Because the average American was, as they often are, ahead of the politicians and pundits on the issue. Eventually, candidates who grew a pair and started talking about equality have been winning their races and are changing the law of the land to reflect the will of the people and the meaning of the Constitution.

So now it’s Feminism that Nervous Normans and Nellies are scared to embrace. Why yes, they PERSONALLY support equality for women, yesyesyesofcourse THEY do, but others might take offense, so let’s be quiet and timid so as not to offend…F*** THAT F***ING S***. It’s time to recognize that equality for all means just that: for all. People of all colors, all orientations, all genders, and so on. All means all.

Hillary Clinton has already gotten flak for her hairstyles; for her wardrobe; for her age; for just being a woman. She can’t win the votes of the MRAs, the Teabaggers, the woman-haters, the Teabaggers, or the “Republicans”, so why even bother trying? F*** it, she should be what she is and be proud of it.

Since Barack Obama ran for, won, and has been the President, we’ve seen skin color come back up in the national conversation. And we’ve seen some serious progression on the issue, BECAUSE it was right in America’s face: Black Man = President. Only a few eedjits still dare spout their KKK bulls*** in public these days.

If HRC does the same, we can hope for some progress toward equality for women as well. Having feminism in America’s face can only help make that happen.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Hate Equal Rights? Then don’t tax the people you oppress.

Young men of color are not treated equally by cops, but they pay the same taxes as old white farts like this author, who gets very good service from the cops. So we can either treat POC as equal citizens, or cut their taxes (& raise taxes on white folks). Anything else would be unfair and thus, un-American.

LGBT Americans are not treated equally by the courts, but they pay the same taxes as old heterosexual farts like this author, who gets very good service from the courts when he gets married or pays taxes on inheritances. So we can either treat LGBT people as equal citizens, or cut their taxes (& raise taxes on straight folks). Anything else would be unfair and thus, un-American.

Women are not treated equally by courts OR the cops, but they pay the same taxes as old male farts like this author, who gets very good service from the courts and the cops. So we can either treat women as equal citizens, or cut their taxes (& raise taxes on dudes). Anything else would be unfair and thus, un-American.

Taxation without representation was one of the reasons we formed this country in the first place. The ideas that people paying taxes should have some say in how they are taxed, and should receive some benefit from taxation, are fundamental to fairness and justice.

Don’t believe it? Let some fast food joint overcharge you for a cheeseburger, but charge the next customer the correct price. Would you be hacked off? Oh hellz yeah, you’d be all up in that restaurant’s face, demanding a refund and decrying the discriminatory way they treated you.

The government is ripping off millions of taxpayers, and has been doing so for decades. We can either:
*condone this extortion and theft,
*rectify the inequalities, or
*cut taxes on those who are being overcharged (thus raising taxes on the white, straight, male population to balance the budget).

Even if you hate POC, gays, and women, even if you support discriminatory laws against them…or maybe ESPECIALLY if you feel that way, you should be willing to support fairness in our tax code.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

The Terrorists of 4chan

Terrorist
[ter-er-ist]
noun
1.
a person, usually a member of a group, who uses or advocates terrorism.
2.
a person who terrorizes or frightens others.

Emma Watson is being attacked by terrorists at 4chan (see the definition above) for saying that men and women should work together to improve the relationship between men and women. Evidently such a statement of common sense is now a threat to rape freaks, pedophiles, and other woman-hating scumballs, so those members of 4chan fitting that description issued terroristic threats against Ms. Watson:

Over the weekend, Harry Potter actress Emma Watson delivered an impassioned speech aimed at ending gender inequality — to which group 4chan responded by creating a site called “Emma You Are Next,” which alleges to count down the time until a 4chan user will release nude photographs of her.

“The more I have spoken about feminism, the more I have realized that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with ‘man-hating,’” Watson said. “If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop. For the record, feminism, by definition, is ‘the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.’”

Such elements have made Watson a target of intense interest, of which the 4chan site “Emma You Are Next” is merely the latest instance. The site includes a countdown clock set to four days from Monday, September 22; an image of Watson wiping away tears; and the message, “Never forget, the biggest to come thus far.”

For preaching equality, the motherf***ers at 4chan are using threats in order to punish this actress, and try to silence her. Got that? She is merely reinforcing what is in the friggin’ Constitution, ferchrissakes. But to serial rapists and other sex offenders, that is a bad thing.

Here are a few pictures of other terrorists who also hate equality:

This, Gentle Reader, is what happens to anyone who speaks out against terrorism and in favor of the rule of law: terrorists attack the speaker. Whether it’s beheadings, rape, beatings, public shaming, or unjust incarceration, terrorists do not like being called out for their terrorist acts, and they are s***-scared of those who stand up to them.

No wonder Anonymous bailed on 4chan. What a bunch of needle-d***ed, wussy, woman-hating, terrorist jerkoffs. Go, Emma. We, the non-psychopaths of the world, support you and salute you.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Sexist Sack of S*** of The Week: Will Infantine

The infantile Infantine pretty much called women lazy. He doesn’t think we should all get the same pay for the same work, you see. Which is why he said, and we quote:

“Men by and large make more because of some of the things they do. Their jobs are, by and large, more riskier,” Infantine, a former chairman of the Manchester Republican Committee, said on Wednesday, as captured by progressive advocacy group Granite State Progress. “They don’t mind working nights and weekends. They don’t mind working overtime, or outdoors in the elements.”

In response to an outburst from colleagues objecting to the Hillsborough Republican’s remarks, Infantine responded, “It’s not me!”

“Men work five or six hours longer a week than women do. When it comes to women and men who own businesses … women make half of what men do because of flexibility of work, men are more motivated by money than women are,” Infantine said, noting that facts from the Bureau of Labor Statistics validate his claims. “Guys! I’m not making this stuff up!”

And he’s not backing down, nor is he providing any citations of these supposed statistics. Of course. A link to a video of the sexist little tyke is herein case you cannot believe anyone could actually say such crap.

Of course, he is full of s*** even according to his own “logic”: if you pay the same hourly rate, and women work fewer hours, you’d prove your point. But he wants to pay women a smaller hourly rate, so his case makes no sense at all. You truly cannot make this s*** up.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Grammys to Right-Wing Fundagelicals: “In Your Face”.

That, friends, was the first Grammy awards show in years that was worth watching. Hoo boy, somebody must have grown a pair, and allowed some artists to take some risks for a damned change. From Steven Tyler singing Smokey Robinson in front of Smokey Robinson, to Taylor Swift bleeding all over the piano, to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ stinging bitch-slap to the major labels, some truly excellent moments occurred. Note to awards show producers near and far: safe sucks, risk rocks. Learn from this telecast.

But the best part wasn’t purely musical: it was the mass marriage of straight, LGBT, and multi-racial couples at the 2/3 mark of the broadcast. A good rap/gospel mashup number set up the ceremony, and the rap itself was a huge thumb in the eye to all the homophobes who are such an affliction on society.

There were some awesome musical moments, too: Nelson, Haggard, Kristofferson, and Shelton laid out a reminder of what country music used to be before it turned into classic rock sung through nasal cavities; Metallica with a classical pianist; and Imagine Dragons with a helluva hip hop artist, totally melting down the stage; those were just a few of the great musical moments of a rarely-watchable awards show. But it’s not what everyone will be talking about this morning.

And that’s a good thing, overall. Music isn’t just ear candy, you know: it’s part of the zeitgeist, and is as much influenced by as it is influential within it. Last night a few thousand music industry professionals, some of them pretty damned influential, all spoke with one voice. And what that voice said was:”up yours” to the regressive, repressive, and hate-ridden “Christian Conservative” community that wants us all to party like it’s 1499.

The courts, the people, and society as a whole are moving towards a rational, sane, and Constitutional policy on marriage equality. The Grammys added their considerable weight to the discussion, and it’s gonna be a fun week as the “Republicans”, Wingnuts, and Fundies go into full freakout mode, blathering, bullying, lying, shrieking, and generally acting like they can still bluster their way to victory.

That worked for a while, when the majority of the country tried to be civilized when dealing with these Repub barbarians. But people are getting tired of that losing approach. Last night, we saw what happens when we stand up for what is right: great art, great television, good politics, and oh yeah, a ton of money got made, all while serving the greater good and defending our Constitutional freedoms.

In your face, Fundies. In your face while dancing. In your face while we turn the volume up. Because you were right, back in the 50’s and 60’s: rock music IS revolutionary, and it WILL destroy your hateful, bigoted, backwards, hypocritical, lying society. In your face, boyo, because that is a very good thing.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Your vote matters, example five gazillion and three: Gay Marriage in Virginia.

The Democratic candidate won the Virginia Attorney General’s contest last fall by 163 votes, out of 2.2 million ballots cast. That means if a couple hundred Dems had stayed home, or a couple hundred more Repubs hadn’t, the “Republican” candidate would have won. Such a teeny tiny number of people deciding to vote made all the difference.

And because of those few extra Dems, gay marriage will soon be legal in Virginia. (Marriage Equality is a better term, so we will roll with it henceforth.) That is because new AG Mark Herring will fight to get rid of Virginia’s anti-equality law. You read that right: the new AG says the state’s marriage law is unconstitutional.

So tell us again that your vote doesn’t matter, please, do tell. Whether you are a Big Government Repub who wants the the State to monitor your bedroom activities, or a Small Government Dem who thinks that you have a right to privacy, your vote counts. Your individual vote counts. Your choices matter, especially when you choose to vote or not vote.

And because a very small number of freedom-loving people chose to get out and vote last November, Virginia will soon have more freedom for its dwellers than it does today. Marriage Equality is on the way in that state. You need no more proof, Gentle Reader: your vote matters.

So get the f*** out there and vote in the next election, so you can have the government you want. The freedom you save will very likely be your own.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

No wonder they killed him: MLK was working for economic justice for ALL the poor.

Racial equality wasn’t all that big a deal to the plutocracy (AKA the 1%), because they weren’t going to lose any money from it. But when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. started the Poor People’s Campaign, that’s when s*** got real. A multi-racial, cross-class movement for economic justice? That was gonna cost some change.

And if you think about it, the leaders of every movement that tried to empower the many and free them from the oppression of the few have been so treated. Jesus, and Gandhi, to name a few. Others survived (like Mandela) but suffered horribly as they were made an example of by the 1% of their day.

Because ultimately the color wars, the culture wars, the party wars, all are of relatively little import to those who would use the world as their own private slush fund. They matter to US, we who are not of the Plutocratic Elite, but all they care about is cash and control. When wealth and power are put on the table, that is when people start getting killed, to protect the fortunes and privileges of the few. If they can mute the voices of freedom and justice, they will do so: but kill they will, if they deem it expedient and to their own benefit.

The leaders of Occupy managed to avoid King’s fate, because they refused (wisely) to have one single person as their capital-L Leader. Their message was marginalized by less drastic means. But marginalized it was, because when it comes to wealth, any and all means will be used to maintain the positions of the Plutocrats.

Remember, Gentle Reader, as you honor Dr. King on this day: he did not only die because he wanted people of color to be free: he died because he wanted all of us to share in the fruits of our labor. That is why he was murdered, as were other warriors before him. And we can best honor him by carrying on that fight.

Mister Blunt and Cranky

PS: This is not intended as slight on those who have bravely fought for justice based on color, creed, class and culture. Those are serious struggles and are very important to the vast majority of us. This post is about the economic aspect of Dr. King’s legacy, which is ofttimes overlooked.

It does NOT say, “All men are created equal, except for f*****s, dy**s and qu***s”.

Or, for that matter, anyone else you happen to sling such pejorative names at. No, the Constitution says “All men are created equal”. It does not carve out exceptions for religion, skin color, or gender, and it sure as Hell doesn’t exclude LGBT Americans. All means all.

So it is sad that a law saying that little bit of obviousness even has to be created in the first place, and it is even more depressing that it is likely to get shot down again by our elected “Republicans.” All means all.

Sad though the necessity may be, the law needs passed. Just like the laws banning discrimination based on skin tone, X and Y chromosomes, religion and physical limitations. And anyone who opposes such equality can suck on the Constitution. Equality for all, that is what it says.

AND ALL MEANS ALL.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

John Arthur, Warrior, has passed away.

A very brave man has died. John Arthur, who with his husband forced the Teapublican government of Ohio to recognize their same-sex marriage, has passed away. He will be listed as Mr. Obergefell’s husband on the death certificate, and the two will be buried side by side.

You know, just like every other married couple. Because he was a warrior. Because he had to be a warrior.

RIP John Arthur. If there is any justice in this universe, your memory will be honored for many years to come.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky