Role Model

I just finished listening to an amazing book called Feminism is for Everybody by Bell Hooks. It gives a thorough overview of feminism through the years and succinctly defines current day issues and where we need to go from here to make progress in dismantling the violent, dominating, exploitative, oppressive “imperialist-white supremacist-capitalist-patriarchy” that plagues us to this day.

https://www.them.us/story/bell-hooks

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/acquired-spontaneity/201708/why-patriarchy-is-not-about-men

In doing quarterly goals it was suggested we think bigger and to imagine what we wanted to be doing five years from now if anything were possible. What I would want is to be helping to shift our society in ways that Bell Hooks has envisioned. We need to do a better job of caring for all of us so that eventually no one will be dominated, oppressed, exploited, abused, terrorized, and traumatized.

There is a deep foreboding looming over our country surrounding the upcoming election. I did not watch the debate and nor do I want to judging by what I’ve read, it will only bring me down and I already know what we’re up against. The president is a prime example of patriarchy in action.

Now I need to work on goals that help me progress on a path that will help me utilize my skills in ways that will create the biggest impact. I can begin with more reading and research. All of my life I’ve witnessed and been directly impacted by abuses, injustices, and violence which were a direct result of our patriarchal kyriarchal society. I want to do more to help us all be free from harm. It’s so insidious that people can’t even see what they’re participating in, it’s normal to them and they remain ignorant of all the damage they’re doing not only to others but to themselves.

I won’t ever be okay with injustice and abuse. I will always be seeking ways to help create a saner, safer, egalitarian, peaceful, supportive, caring, loving world. Yes, there are always gonna be things that are out of our control, but the way we treat one another is well within our control. Violence, coercion, manipulation, exploitation, oppression, and treating people as objects, or possessions, dehumanization, and human rights abuses, we can do something about that. We can all help create positive change. Feminism is indeed for everybody. Thank you so much Bell Hooks! I am inspired! You are an excellent role model!