Feeling discouraged by Scott Walker, The War on Caterpillars, and this.

I would be discouraged, but these are all so out of sync with my life and human experience that I just have to believe this a a fringe element getting a lot of exposure before their return to obscurity. It has to be so. The vast majority of people I interact with seem to be sane and rational and not hell bent on oppression of women. Most people I encounter don't seem bigoted.

It could be that I protect myself well from the evil minded. If so I will try and keep up the good work.

I feel like I should have something trenchant and wise to say, in the spirit of Pesach, but I've had four glasses of wine (in the spirit of Pesach) so all I got is WTF is wrong with people?

Who am I kidding, that's all I would have regardless. Next year in Jerusalem, my friends.

the HELL?!?!?!?!?

My parents never, never ever ever, said any similar to me. Oh hell no.

I do not follow those guidelines (shocking, I know) and not once have I had my life threatened when I was a minority in a setting or an event.

The only threats to my being that I have been dealt have been from white males. I get to talk about that fact often in therapy. good times. also? fuck that writer.

I can't even read all of that article.

I grew up in New Orleans, with a majority black population, and my parents never said ANYTHING so stupid and racist to me.

I couldn't read all of that article either.

I cry about the reality that I will have to talk to mac about how some people are going to huge him harshly because of his skin color. That assumptions will be made that have nothing to do with who is and how he acts, or what he does.

I guess I've had kind of a talk with Emeline, but not like *that*. Mostly when subjects like Rosa Parks come up or she sees something on tv when [insert minority] is being treated badly and she asks why and I explain that some people don't like other people because of their skin color/country/who they love/has a vagina and treat that person badly. And then she expresses her utter disgust and asks why people are like that? Sadly, I have no good answer for that question other than Douchebage and Racists Are.

I will say, though, that I find talking with her about race is a lot harder for me than I thought it would and I tend to be more ... rigid (I reprimanded her for calling the kid at Burger King a "black boy") with what descriptors she chooses. Probably overly so, but better to err on the side of white liberal guilt?

Gay was WAY easier to explain and deal with.

I've already talked with Emmett about how women perceive men and he has to be conscious that he's big enough now that if he's walking behind a woman at night he's a perceived threat. Stuff like that.

I was feeling like crap earlier. K-Bug got me some wonton soup and it was wonderful. Im looking forward to finishing it off for breakfast.

Barely made the last leg of the trip. Chicago has it in for me. I try at all costs to avoid it, but sometimes I just can't and it never fails to remind me why. Bed now.