June 2, 2014

#YesAllWomen

While I was on break last week, a beautiful thing was born out of tragedy. For the first time ever, a hashtag is relevant and not completely useless. #YesAllWomen, when used correctly, conveys all of the small unpleasantries that all women encounter everyday as well as some of the larger, more heinous crimes.
The point (in case you missed it) is that, we know not all men are sociopathic violent douchebags, but all of us have to live in a world where those men exist and they look exactly like all the guys who aren't. The tweet about M&M's says it well:
If you haven't read some of the tweets, I encourage you to do so. Slate has also posted more than a few good articles. Here is one. Also check out this blog post in case you're still inclined to the "Hey! Not fair to men!" viewpoint. Or this one.
The reason I like this hashtag so much and why I think it is actually worthwhile is that it is providing some solidarity for women and a reality check for the men. Some of them might actually get it. And pass it on to their sons.
Some day, we may live in a world where, when reporting a sexual assault, the question of what the victim was wearing is NEVER asked. When we can walk to our cars alone at dusk without fear. When we can share an elevator with a male we don't know without discomfort. When we can decline a drink from a stranger at a bar without having to worry how he'll react. Or accept one without having to worry what he'll expect in return.


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