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#I'm seriously going to start writing down my arguments in a book and carry it around with me
newlyy · 3 years
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can I ask you for advice? my sister started using terms like cis and people with uteruses recently, how do I like. explain why that’s BS, I get so heated so quickly I can’t form coherent arguments lol
god, same. how old is your sister? and how deep is she into gender shit? Big discussion below the cut.
I know a lot of people's argument with “cis” is that it means “comfort with your gender role,” but I’ve never thought that was a good argument to make because genderists don’t view it that way. They just view it as “not trans” and when you frame it like that, opposition to “cis” just seems like opposition to a really neutral concept that no one should have a problem with. but I think there are a few arguments that would be harder for them to dismiss:
- pointing out that splitting the category of women into two and then giving half to male people, is just an instance of oppressors appropriating the language of the oppressed. I know a lot of people don’t like to use the race analogy, but you could ask your sister if she would agree that white people have the right to call themselves black and force black people to call themselves “cis.” If she says it’s not the same thing, ask her why. Point out that in both cases, a class of people with privilege is claiming the identities of a class of people without. Don’t let her say that transwomen don’t have privilege. They are male. Whatever other axis they may be oppressed on (race, sexuality, even “trans” status), they retain privilege from being biologically male (if she denies this, or denies the existence of sex, point out centuries of female oppression. ask her the basis for it, if not sex). Should men have the right to claim and redefine womanhood or is this just another assertion of entitlement and power?
- When you refer to someone as cis, you’re imposing your own belief system or worldview on them. Whether genderists realize it or not, arguing the existence of a “gender identity” is equal to arguing the existence of a “soul.” Both are unprovable assertions based on belief. Not everyone believes in a soul. Not everyone believes in an internal gender essence. If she doesn’t believe religious people have the right to force everyone into a believer/heretic dynamic, and to identify themselves according to that dynamic, then she can’t argue the same for the cis/trans dynamic.
- I found THIS POST in my archive that makes a good practical point about “cis” and its implications. When “women” are oppressed and “woman” is a matter of identity, “cis women” could simply choose to opt out of their oppression. Another thing you might want to look at is Callie Burt’s paper on the Equality Act, the section titled “disappearing sexism: cissexism and the cis/trans hierarchy,” where she points out that the shift from a male/female dynamic to a cis/trans dynamic obscures the reality of sexism by conferring privilege onto female people, and therefore paints any female-centric (i.e. feminist) focus as bigoted, cissexist, or transphobic. 
As for “people with uteruses” arguments, I think you can just tell her it’s dehumanizing to refer to women by their body parts. Or maybe ask her what’s wrong with the words woman or man (why not “women and trans men” for female people or “men and transwomen” for male people, if we’re trying to be inclusive? if she says not all women have uteruses, tell her that some women do, so the language is accurate. if she goes further and says that the word “woman” shouldn’t be used when only female people are being referred to, ask her if the reverse applies, and if transwomen shouldn’t be able to use the word “woman” when they’re only referring to themselves. If she says no, she’s telling on herself. point out the inconsistency and ask if what she’s advocating is actually inclusivity or if it’s male dominance and female erasure). 
You could also ask if less than 1% of the population’s discomfort with the correct language for their bodies justifies an entire overhaul, imposed on the other 99% without their consent or input, at high risk of creating confusion. Or maybe point out the women who don’t speak English as a first language, or who are unaware of the names of their body parts, and the burden this language imposes on them. 
I can’t find any examples of this on hand, but I also know there are instances of organizations redefining “woman” but not “man” in their materials (planned parenthood I’ve seen do this, but I can’t find it on their site now). You could ask why she thinks that is, why the word “woman” offends, but not “man.” Or ask her how often she uses/sees others use the words “penis haver” or “sperm producer.” (it’d be really effective if she says the word “man” without thinking while you talk to her, but that’s just me being petty). You could ask why it’s only women being stripped of their words and what, in general, the effect is on an oppressed group of being denied a word to refer to themselves as a class. ”Pregnant people” and “menstruating people” are two distinct types of people with absolutely no overlap; if you’re pregnant, you necessarily aren’t menstruating and vice versa. But they are both female and oppressed for it. Losing the ability to refer to them together as part of a cohesive class (along with cervix havers and vagina havers, all these disconnected groups) erases our ability to name and address female oppression. 
But honestly, I think the best argument that really cuts to the heart of it, is just that it’s dehumanizing. Women aren’t a collection of body parts or biological functions. Animals have uteruses. Animals menstruate. Animals have vaginas. Women, while sharing those female characteristics, are human beings. They just happen to be female, as opposed to male. Referring to us as “uterus havers” or “vagina havers” or “menstruators” or “bleeders” or “people who get pregnant” is to put our bodies first and our personhood second. Its sexist.
As much as it leaves a bad taste in your mouth, you might also consider using genderist language while talking to her, like calling tims transwomen and using she/her pronouns, or at least avoid calling them men. It’s good to remember that it’s a cult mentality and if she pins you as one of the Bad People, she won’t listen to anything you say. But I mean, that’s up to you and your relationship with your sister. I am curious to know your relationship with her, like if she’s younger than you and how close you are. But good luck either way, anon. the best thing you can do is anticipate her counterarguments and be prepared. 
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helloanime247-blog · 7 years
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For the One Piece character question thing, I'm gonna give you: 1. Monkey D. Luffy, 2. Nico Robin, 3. X Drake, 4. Jinbe, 5. Gecko Moria, 6. Buggy, 7. Aokiji, 8. Akainu, 9. Tashigi, 10. Marco, 11. Magellan, 12. Shirahoshi, 13. Momonosuke, 14. Monet, and 15. Bartolomeo! :P Sorry, stole some of the ones you asked me, you just picked great ones!! XD
1. MonkeyD. Luffy: Whatis your dream job?
I honestly have no idea and it seriously kills me that I appear to be wandering around aimlessly not knowing what my dream job is!! :( I really just want a job where I go to work everyday and feel both happy (and incredibly lucky) that this is my job!! I’m still waiting for some ‘sign’ to tell me what my vocation in life is.....hahahaha!! Unfortunately, I must endure my current misery until that ‘eureka’ moment comes along. :P Maybe Gintoki will hire me to work as part of his Odd Jobs gang!! ;) :P
2. NicoRobin:What was the first book that you can remember reading?
I remember the first books that I ever borrowed from my local library were ‘The Famous Five’ series by Enid Blyton. I was just blown away by the adventures that they went on! I always craved adventure and I still do....I would love to (one day) go on some sort of epic adventure myself! :D
I also discovered ‘The Harry Potter’ series when I about seven years old. I remember going into town with my Mum and picking up ‘Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone’. I saved up my pocket money to buy it and when I got home I distinctly recall sitting on my bed to begin reading it. I couldn’t put it down, my Mum kept calling me to eat my dinner, but I kept refusing to go downstairs. I finished the book before I went to bed, I was such a weird child! XD
3. XDrake: Ifyour dad was a pirate, and you were captured by Marines would youserve for them?
No, I don’t think I would, as I really hate the Marines. I’m only on episode 27 of ‘One Piece’ so my knowledge of them is still a little bit hazy. However, in the earlier episodes I came across a Marine called Fullbody and he was such a despicable human being. He was both arrogant and nasty, if there are two traits that I absolutely cannot abide in a person....it’s definitely those two. Fullbody acted as if he was better than everybody else, which was ultimately his downfall, as Sanji’s reaction was AMAZING. Sanji certainly used some words of wisdom to bring Fullbody down a peg or two, which he most definitely deserved.
4. Jinbe:Would you take up Luffy’s offer to be in the crew or act as anally?
I would definitely love to be part of Luffy’s crew!! I already mentioned that I have a thirst for adventure, so what would be a better way to quench this thirst than to set sail with Luffy and his gang of pirates! It’s always said that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination. This would certainly be true if I could become a member of the straw hats. I mean, it would be great to find the elusive treasure that is named one piece, however, it would also be pretty great to be able to be friends with Luffy and the rest of the gang! Also, as we would be setting sail and having so many adventures along the way.....life would indeed be wonderful!!
5. GeckoMoria: Areyou fan of horror movies?  If not, what was your worstexperience.
I am most definitely not a fan of horror movies, I like psychological thrillers, but the horror genre is most definitely not my thing. Emmmmmmm.......my worst experience was probably more embarrassing than anything else!! I remember I went to see a horror movie with my friend, unlike me he’s obsessed with this film genre! I can’t recall the name of the film that we went to see, but it was terrible....and when I say terrible, I mean terribly bad! Anyway, this really ridiculous moment happened in the film.....and I screamed so loudly......and nobody else screamed at all........everybody started laughing!! I immediately went bright red, and in that moment, I just wanted to leave the cinema! XD
6. Buggy:Are you a leader or a follower?
I have my own beliefs, my own opinions and my own way of dressing! If anybody goes against what I believe in, then I will engage in a lively debate with them! I will never willingly accept what another person says to me to be the ‘Gospel truth’! I like to think of myself as being able to independently evaluate a situation for myself.....that doesn’t mean to say that my mind can’t be changed. However, you must present a good case for me to undergo this change of mind. I don’t know if that’s necessarily being a leader, I think it’s just more of a case of being true to yourself.
I used to always be a follower when I was younger, as my first friend was a bit of a bully towards me! I think that negatively impacted on my self-confidence, as we were friends from junior infants up until first class. When I finally stood up to her....it was one of the best things that I have ever done and from that point on I told myself that nobody would treat me like that again. 
7. Aokiji: Wouldyou throw away all position and power in your job because you don’tagree with the ethics of the organization?
Yes, I actually think I would!! I have certain core beliefs that are like my foundation stones which guide me through life....almost like a moral compass. I would like to think that no amount of power could corrupt me into accepting unacceptable ethical practices by any organisation. 
I was once involved in such a situation where I tackled one of my teachers over his absolutely appalling views on animal rights. From that moment on.....he HATED me with a passion.......he really turned on me! He actually told my Mum that I was too headstrong for my own good......!! 
8. Akainu:What kind of justice do you believe in?
I believe that if you commit a crime then you should be made pay for your actions! Of course in an ideal world there would be peace and everybody would be able to live in harmony with each other! Unfortunately, this type of world is non-existent, therefore, certain measures must be put in place in order to prevent things such as murder from occurring! If these measures didn't exist, then society as we know it would descend into a state of lawlessness. People themselves have different beliefs as to what is right and what is wrong. This is why we look to those in power to guide us in the right direction as to what is the proper conduct. We all know that government officials, the police force etc are corruptible! This means that often those who should pay for their evil deeds end up not paying for their crimes. Unfortunately, money seems to be the deciding factor in determining whether or not a person does indeed go to jail for their crime. I personally feel as if we should treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Our moral compass should guide us through life and we should have the presence of mind to know right from wrong. If somebody carries out a premeditated murder then they should pay for their actions by spending the rest of their life in jail! 
9. Tashigi:Do people ever tell you that you look like someone they know?
Emmmmmmmm....no......I don’t think that anyone has ever told that I look like somebody else!! :( I did once get mistaken for being a boy though, does that count??!! :P If you have any ideas about who I may look like.....please tell me!! :P
10. Marco:If you could have any devil fruit, what would it be?
I had to look up the different types of devil fruit that are available....and out of all of them....I would probably eat Ope Ope no Mi, as it definitely seems like the most useful fruit! 
11. Magellan:Are you allergic to anything?
Yes, I’m allergic to pollen, as I suffer with hay fever! :( I have a spray that I use whenever I get a headache or sore eyes! It also means that I normally don’t wear perfume, I especially try to avoid perfume whenever I have to study....as my brain wouldn’t be able to function at all!!
12. Shirahoshi:Do you hold grudges?
Emmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm......yes.....I hold grudges....eeeekkkk! I once had an argument with my friend that lasted a couple of months!! I was just so angry with her that I didn’t want to see her at all!! XD 
I also used to hold a grudge against people who had hurt me in the past, however, I slowly realised that this type of grudge was hurting me more than them, so I gradually learned to overcome it! Sometimes you need to move on for your own sake!
13. Momonosuke: Whenwas the last time that you had a nightmare?
Thankfully, I haven’t had a nightmare in quite a long time! However, I do have a recurring one where I’m being chased by a witch! I spend that entire nightmare running and running away from her! I always wake up in a cold sweat from that dream! XD
14. Monet:Do you enjoy writing?  Share a snippet?
Yes, I love writing!! It’s one of my favourite hobbies! :D Emmmmmmm.......I would be too nervous to share a snippet......but I will tell you that I’m currently writing a novel based during the Second World War! I love German history and I’m especially interested in politics! Therefore, it’s a story about the struggle of a Jewish family, who are living in fascist Germany! It documents their desire to escape from this society, however, will they be able to escape in time to avoid being sentenced to death??!!
15. Bartolomeo:Are you massively obsessed with something?
Yes.....I’m obsessed with anime guys......I really wish I was joking when I say that! :P
I’m also currently obsessed with collecting anime figures!! I check the websites of both AmiAmi and Mandarake at least once a day! HELP ME!! 
Finally, I love anime so much! I tend to incorporate watching anime into my daily routine!! XD
Thanks for asking me these questions, Sophie! @akatsuki3519
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posijeff-blog · 7 years
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Chapter 2, Young, Poor, and Jewish In my initial year at UWM  I took two semesters of Biblical Hebrew language under Dr. Bernard Grossfield. Some of that era of the tongue translated to contemporary conversational Hebrew which I was able to use in my daily dialogue with an elderly Palestinian coworker. I went on in the Religious Studies program to study with Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan who I became friends with. At the time he was writing a book called, American Reform Judaism: An Introduction ( Rutgers University Press) which was to become highly esteemed in academic circles. I never wanted to move from Milwaukee but I knew it was time to travel. I narrowed my destinations down to India and Israel. Israel won out. I met Dana for lunch at Shaharazad restaurant to talk about it. He thought it was a great idea and cool that I had no plans and just a few loose contacts in The Holy Land.  At the time I had very little money. Dana told me exactly what to do. "Go to the old city. People are going to ask you if you are Jewish. Just tell them your mother is Jewish. You know more about Judaism than most Jews." "But I have tattoos. I don't even look Jewish." "I didn't say you were a good Jew" I knew he was right. I needed to turn this head knowledge into experiential knowledge. Without doing so there would be no insight into first hand experience as a Jew. This was education and investigative journalism at once. The more I gave whole heartedly of myself as a Jew, the more I knew about being a Jew, and the more of a Jew I became. Believe your own bullshit. Dana told me some very specific things that came to manifest in Israel. For example, I would meet a guy at The Wall named Jeff Seidel who would ask if I would like a place to stay and I could stay with a religious family and study with them. This came to pass and so did some other interesting things. My first stop was in Tel Aviv where I'd to stay with a punk rocker I met in a punk chat room. Our connection was a n anarchist punk band whose 1994 record I had by some Jewish Israeli's called Nekhei Na'atza AKA Renounce Judaism. Like  a lot of American punk bands, I thought they were fast and thought provoking but if they believed in what they politically espoused they were painting with some broad strokes. To a large degree it was just another shock tactic, one that got them recognition in Israel and on talk shows where religious Jews tried to "deprogram" them. Believe it or not, pre-911 Israel didn't have a lot else going on as far as a hardcore scene.When I arrived the guys at the squat treated me like I was some sort of ambassador. They really rolled out the cat haired red carpet for me. These guys were so crusty one dude's deadlock fell off. I got up from the chair at the kitchen table after my NesCafe and my butt had a mustache. Their record collections were really small and they were stoked to get some presents I had for them  them from the States like the new Shelter, a Sensefield/Jimmy Eat World split 7", EVEL (from Milwaukee), and the Destroy LA 7" from Pressure. They liked the Pressure 7" right away and were pretty open to the other music as well. After taking a walk one of the guys took me aside and told me seriously that that the world would be a better place if the US were blown off the face of the Earth. He wanted me to meet with this guy who he said was the king of the punks in Tel Aviv. I wasn't interested.   There was a lot of partying going on that night in the streets because The Maccabees professional basketball team ( part of the European league) just won a big championship title. I slept for a few hours then sneaked out with all my stuff. I slept on a jungle gym and wound up getting this rash called "wrestlers back" from that or the squat: a bunch of gross boils all over my back. I was low on money from the start so I decided to walk to Jerusalem and hitch hike if need be as I heard it was safe to do so. I calculated in my mind that it was only 40 miles which was way off. But the major roads were lined with grapefruit trees and orange groves. I didn't want to steal so I was eating warm, sun drenched oranges and grapefruit that fell off the trees. I hitched a  ride in a van after the first 15 miles and got into an argument in Hebrew with the driver. It seems hitch hiking in Israel is safe because you are expected to pay. I told him I wasn't going to pay him one shekel since we were going to the same place. He was pissed but didn't kick me out. The kids in the back seat were cool. An orthodox family, one of the young boys asked if I liked Tu Pac. No matter where I seemed to go on this journey Palestinian and Israeli kids seemed to share a love and excitement for Tu Pac. When I got dropped off I found a grocer and bought a bottle of water. I started walking toward sights I'd seen in books: the mosque with the gold dome (which holds the slab of rock Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac on), The Wall. A conservative guy with a yarmulke, white shirt, and black pants was coming home from work to his apartment and asked me in a New York accent if I was lost. I told him I wanted to get to The Wall before sundown as it was Friday. He invited me up to their apartment where I got to meet his young wife and baby son who I got to hold and play with. He prayed over me and gave me a yarmulke which was not real effective because I had a shaved head. It turned out he knew my friend Raphael's relatives in New York and our mothers were both from Sheboygan. He showed me a a haunting photo of his mom's dad visiting his home town in Latvia that was totally reduced to rubble by the Nazi's. I'm not sure why the guy felt compelled to return. My mother's family is Lithuanian, from that same region of the Europe I knew next to nothing about at the time. The couple sent me on my way with a bag of groceries, mostly native oranges and Israeli chocolates. I was so happy to have food. When I got to the wall it was as predicted I met Jeff Siedel. I wanted to go pray but he wanted to talk to me about the Chicago Blackhawks who were not doing so well at the time. There were so many cute girls there. I looked kind of awful, like a sun burnt skinhead. But the girls were all really sweet and nice to me. Most of them wore long conservative dresses. A few of them kept asking me about my tattoos. There was a group of men praying with some old scrolls. This guy with a beard who was about my dad's age asked if I was married. I told him no. "Well maybe you just haven't met the right girl." "Yeah, well that's the whole trick isn't it." These people were OG. Seidel wrote a name and address on a piece of paper for me of an elderly man and woman who I would have dinner with and stay with. I got to the apartment which reminded me of a clean early 20th century apartment in NYC except cobble stone streets below, less sirens, and more sounds of people praying and singing. The meal itself took hours. I turned down the boiled chicken that was sitting out for three hours. But the wine was delicious. I was really poor at reading from the prayer books in Hebrew but they were patient with me, like loving grandparents. I asked the  man why in earlier times miracles occurred like parting of the red sea. People, as he explained were more in touch with nature, with God then. Even the most depraved person had a sense of reverence for that which could not be explained. Today we credit meteorology as a logical science, more believable than God even while fifty percent of people complain about the weather man getting shit wrong half the time. Perfect Deity, developing science. When it came time to bid farewell the next day I wanted to give the matriarch a hug but there seemed to be some rule against it. But I got a strong sense of love from them and some solid handshakes. They even gave me money. I hit the streets and saw the sights. The hottest chicks around were the Israeli Army girls. All these girls were my age and wore grunge styled army fatigues and held Uzis that were attached to a strap that went around there necks. I guess I have a little Ted Nugent in me. I don't know why but if you put a gun on an already hot girl she becomes totally hot. It's a weird phenomenon. I'm weird. I figured I may as well do something positive with my time. I saw a sign that said "Emergency Clinic" in English then something in Arabic outside the City's Jewish quarter. I had just gotten a CPR and first Aid certification from the American Red Cross before I came over. Maybe they could use some help with all the fighting. I didn't see any bloodshed but there was a really high tension in the air as Jews  interacted cordially yet cautiously with Palestinians and vice versa. I can imagine it was a similar "in the air tonight"  feeling prevalent during the American years of segregation down south. I saw some Arab kids playing with guns, hiding around the corner and shooting at one another. I wondered how long before they would be carrying guns for real. The thought bummed me out. I got to the clinic and it appeared to be run by Muslims because I didn't see anybody there except some shoes on what looked like a Moroccan rug. Out of nowhere two guy ran out of the clinic in white robes pointing Uzis at me. The head guy from the clinic (I was later lead to assume) walked up to me with a Chinese AK and pointed it at my forehead. Realizing I didn't speak their native tongue the head honcho asked what the fuck I was doing there. I told him I was just seeing if they needed any help. It was confusing to him. He grabbed my wrist and asked me what the Hebrew tattoo meant on it. I told him it was one of the Hebrew words for meditation from the Bible. Ironically I got it done in NYC by Tee Schwartz , a skinhead from Milwaukee. Honcho told his buddies to go back in the clinic and started talking to me about meditation. He said his brother was into meditation. He told me to be more careful  because he was about to shoot me. It was all good. To be honest, I did not feel scared for one second. I was on Holy ground. One of my last stops that day was at the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot. I saw Reggie White from the Green Bay Packers there which was awesome and I got my picture taken with him. Nobody else knew who he was. A few Israeli soldiers thought I was getting my picture taken with him because he was a black giant. They told me there was an even bigger black guy there a few days earlier. What the hell is wrong with these people? It's Reggie White! Seeing him made me homesick. I was already missing Milwaukee, my apartment, and my 13" TV set. I was leaving Jerusalem with more money I had arrived with on account of the nice people I met. I got a shuttle to Tel Aviv and flew to Amsterdam, then home.
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