Feminist Rants, Come On!

Anyone who knows me does not know this about me.

I am a fairly moderate republican with socially liberal tendencies- obviously. I care about the welfare of human beings and equality among all- and equal chances among all, but not socialism. I don't think it's okay for everyone to be equal, because there is naturally going to be hierarchy among mammals, humans not excluded.

I think it's horrible how extremely sexist our society is. No matter where you go or what you do, it's a male dominated world. Take for example, something as harmless as a billboard. On this specific billboard, there is a woman. She is half-dressed, of course, and she is advertising a women's perfume.

What makes an advertiser/marketer think that seeing a "perfect" woman on billboard smothering herself in perfume is what women want? Furthermore, why is it that women want to look perfect? What is perfect? Why is it that Jay Leno can stroll around in his suit and belly while Katie Couric has to wear skirts and worry about her appearance? And Katie Couric still doesn't make as much as Jay Leno does, nor will she ever.

There ought to be more awareness about how much men dominate the media, and how much they control what women think and feel. What might be even worse is how much women succumb to these messages and images.

Fellow women, it's NOT cool! We don't need to do something for men. We don't need to change what we are for men. It's pathetic, and I can say for sure it'll be okay if I never marry a man. I can make it through my life being completely happy without a man by my side.

I hate the dependency women have on men. It's created by the media generated by money and units sold. Media doesn't care about how someone feels after seeing an ad.

I'd like to think that women would be able to take a stand- but alas, there will always those stupid women in life who giggle and flirt and flaunt everything they have because it makes them feel more self worth, or whatever feeling they want.

I just want people to know that men rule this country. Men decide everything, men make money off women, and men wouldn't be as successful as they are if women didn't take their clothes off the way they do. Think on that. Old men are successful because of young, naked women. Pathetic.

Sexxxing?

Imagine living in a home where all you see is violence. All you know is pain, torture, tears, sadness, and depression. All you hear is screaming and curse words, and all you want to do is escape. This situation is not uncommon in our backyard, Atlanta. What’s worse is that it’s a large factor of why young women run away from home and turn to a life that they think is ultimately better for them. This new life I’m referring to is sex trafficking. I cannot personally empathize with the poor young women who are forced into this life, but I want to be able to help.

Why is it that young women in Atlanta don’t think they have any other option? What is going so wrong at home that they feel life would be better selling themselves? It drives me crazy to imagine how these girls must feel. I’m referring, of course, to a niche demographic- young teens that flee their homes out of necessity. Taking refuge in a hope house is where a lot of it can begin. Apparently, there is a hope house close to where I live. I have learned in the past couple of months that young girls come here because it’s a pseudo orphanage. They think they are going to escape, when in reality, they are going to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Uncles, who were formerly known as pimps, choose the women they want and start them instantly in their new ‘jobs’.

The girls are flattered. When they enter these homes, their confidence levels are so low, they are practically invisible. The girls have nothing else going for them, or so they think. They have never been taught how to have self-esteem or how to be successful. They have not been given the same opportunities that some people take for granted. With nothing holding them back, the teens can earn so much money. Money is power to the girls, and it’s addicting and easy to earn. Why should they ever want to stop?

I need some questions answered. Why is the government not addressing the issue? Why is Atlanta climbing the charts for highest ranked sex trafficking city? Why are these government-provided hope houses a shopping experience for pimps? I just keep learning about these flawed systems Atlanta uses and wondering if we are alone in these practices.

Do other cities have the same problems?

I certainly hate the thought of any 12-year old selling herself for a couple hundred dollars to a creepy old man. His wrinkly and festering body is using a tiny, undeveloped girls body.

Sickening.

Heaven forbid any girl chooses to leave willingly. Her life would be a life of fear if she ever escaped. Her uncle would find her. He would have his way with her and force her back. It’s a dead end situation for some girls, and some women never have the chance to escape.

This specific situation is one among many in the sex trafficking world. There’s no way I could say it’s the worst possible scenario, because any form of human trafficking is offensive, ludicrous, sick, perverted, and malicious. There is no good way; there is no right way. It’s all wrong.

I’m embarrassed for the city of Atlanta for becoming a huge factor in this dirty industry. I’m embarrassed to call this beautiful city my home sometimes.

The AJC article

I just wanted to post the link to the AJC article I discussed in the prior post.

http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/atlanta-still-a-hub-511465.html

Please go there and check out the sexist, male elitist framed, biased article.

Homelessness and Sex Trafficking.....

I am one of the most grateful people in Atlanta in this moment.

I sit back and relax, because I know I have everything others want.
Let me lay it down for you:

I am 21, an undergraduate student (with a rocking GPA), and I am perfectly content with how the world turns. Nope, no real complaints (for today, anyway).
I have a part-time job in a restaurant, a professional AND paid internship, an amazing dog, three wonderful room mates, and a plethora of supportive and caring friends. To top it all off, I have a family who will take care of me if I needed it. I really have nothing to complain about, right?


It took me so long to be able to accomplish everything I have done to this point.
I feel like working my way from literally the bottom (poor, unemployed, and lonely) to the top has served my character in amazing ways. I think all this adds to my credibility.



Let's get started, for real.


How come people can not help others more? Don't get me wrong, there are so many people who do more good things for others than themselves. As selfless as those people are, there are just as many selfish people. Let's see Atlanta, we are considered one of the worst cities for the homeless population, and we have some of the highest amounts of homeless women and children.
Who's to blame?
Everyone.
I would like to plaster the streets and skies with messages that will encourage people to donate, volunteer or something that might benefit someone other than themselves. For those of you who already do good, I know the people who have been helped could not be more appreciative.
Anyway, how pathetic is it to ignore a homeless person on the streets?

Do you think you're better?
Do you think you know more?
Do you think they did it to themselves?
Do you think they're all crack heads?
Do you think they want to be there?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, I'd like you to exit this blog post- because you are an uneducated fool.
Homeless people can not be categorized or stereotyped. It's just as bad as being racist or sexist. Most homeless people can not control their situation once they're in it.I've met a handful of them who have never touched a drug in their lives, but have merely fallen into some bad luck. It's tragic to watch a grown man cry because he lost his job and consequently, his home too. Fred (name change for confidentiality purposes) described some of the worst things my ears have ever heard. He talked of how cold he was some nights, how he couldn't feel his hands or feet. His lips were actually blue when I met him. He was sleeping in Atlanta when we had snow, and he was not inside. His strength to make it through each day was dwindling, until he got help.

I just can't ramble enough about how wretched it is to overlook the homeless population. I can say that the majority of the people in Atlanta who are homeless don't actually want to be. They just can't get out of it because of how poor the system is.
It was brought to my attention recently that some homeless people who stay in shelters can't even get a job. Some shelters enforce curfews, which prevents someone from working past 7 p.m. sometimes. How can we expect a homeless man to become self-sufficient if he has no means of getting a job??
Something is failing in the Atlanta system, and we have to figure out what to do about it.

I also would like to comment on an article written by a male journalist for the AJC. It was about sex trafficking. Unfortunately, Atlanta ranked in the top 10 for human trafficking. Instead of truly writing from a non-biased perspective, this author put a pretty sexist twist on it. The title instantly takes the blame and places it on the children and young women involved by calling them prostitutes. Does anyone associate the word prostitute with anything good? Or guilt-free? Or healthy? Or innocent? NO! How about: Sex trafficking is still a major factor in Atlanta. Probably something more riveting than that, but certainly not placing blame on female victims by calling them prostitutes. Thanks, Steve from the AJC for sharing your sexist views with Atlanta. If you were a real journalist, you’d do some more/better research. Maybe you could start a mini-series, similar to the one about crack cocaine use in Atlanta- written in 1998. Shine a light on the HUGE problem Atlanta faces rather than taking away the spirit of the situation.

There is a huge correlation between sex trafficking and homeless women and children. No surprise there, though.
Alas, it's time for a change. But I sigh at this thought, because it's something that I can't do alone, nor want to. I want everyone to make a difference. It's hard when no one cares.