I Didn't March

I didn't March.

Why? Frankly, because I was tired. Taylor hasn't been sleeping well, we had a big week, and I didn't want to deal with driving downtown and a diaper bag and a cranky baby and crowds. 

But I should've. The fact that I felt I could say no thanks to the March just demonstrates how privileged I am. 

But the March wasn't about me. And honestly, it wasn't about Trump. 

Ok, it may have been a little about Trump. But really, he is just the catalyst for a movement that's been building for years. Women are sick and tired of being treated like we are a problem. We're tired of our bodies being legislated by (mostly) straight white men who don't even know how the reproductive system works. We're tired of making 70ish cents on the dollar to what a man makes working the same job. We're tired of being verbally and physically assaulted and watching our attackers get away unscathed - or being told to get over it because it wasn't really assault. 

We're tired of fighting for the same shit women have been fighting for decades. 

Was the March perfect? No. There are lots of additional issues that need to be addressed, and no one will ever be happy with everything.

But it's a start. And I missed it.

But really, I didn't. Yes, I missed the March. But the Movement? It's just getting started. Millions of people around the globe (all 7 continents - yes, even Antarctica) stood up and said they will not go quietly into the night. 

So instead of wringing my hands and wishing I'd gone on Saturday I'm going to get to work. I'm going to call my elected officials and tell them I want my voice heard. I'm going to start a new series on this blog, focusing on women who make a difference. 

I'm not going to bury my head in the sand anymore. And next time, I March. For my daughter. In the hopes that someday her daughter won't have to. 

photo taken by Heidi Naguib at the Women's March on Washington - click the link to purchase a print of this amazing photo

Today I started small by calling my state senator and telling the staffer who answered the phone what I thought about two bills that were recently introduced that would restrict midwifery care in our state. The staffer took my information, listened to what I had to say and talked to me about what she thought and went above and beyond talking to me about the senator and how she ended up in office. It took about five minutes but it mattered. 

Don't be afraid to use your voice. Even if you hate using the phone like me, suck it up and make a call. If you're in Oklahoma, you can find out who your legislators are and how to contact them here.

Let's go.

Local Politics Matter: #SaveAP

I don't write about politics often, but I had to write this one. (Note for regular readers: the next When I Grow Up post will appear next Wednesday.) You see, the state of Oklahoma, the state I love and call home, is in the national news for a bill that was introduced to ban Advanced Placement (AP) US History. I'll go in detail on the ridiculous reasons they gave in a minute, but it's important to note that the notorious OK Representative Sally Kern has jumped on this idea and decided that ALL AP classes should be banned because they are too similar to Common Core, which our state voted to repeal last year. 

I have oh so many issues with what is going on. Let me start by saying I don't think this discussion should be partisan based. But since most of the people arguing in favor of the ban are Republican (more specifically, ultra conservative Republicans) it will probably turn into that. However, let it be known that I am a registered Republican and a Christian. And I am still adamantly against what some of our legislators are trying to do.

Let's look at the argument against AP US History. The bill (follow the link to read it in its entirety) was introduced by  Representative Dan Fisher. He introduced this "emergency" legislation because he believes AP US History fails to teach "American exceptionalism". He argues that AP US History only teaches "what is bad about America".

Created by @bobby_griffith

I'm not sure what Fisher thinks students should be learning. Are we supposed to avoid talking about the Civil War, slavery, Plessy v Ferguson, women's suffrage, the civil rights movement, the internment of American citizens in World War II, and how the government treated Native Americans? I guess we avoid all the messy history and just focus on the good stuff. Maybe the teachers should just show movies like Team America: World Police and call it a day? 

Now please don't assume I don't love this country. I absolutely 100% do. I've teared up at the National Anthem on more than one occasion, ok? I believe our country has done some serious good in this world. I believe that overall we are an amazing nation. But I also know that we have done some messed up things. Every country has. Every person has! You can't have good without bad. And covering up the bad things is NOT what this country is about. You know what they say about history, right?

Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. - George Santayana

Ok, I think we can all agree that Fisher's reasoning is far from sound. Now let's talk about Sally Kern's proposal. (Full disclosure: that woman may be my least favorite politician of all time.)

Oklahoma repealed Common Core last year, but I don't want to focus on that. I want to talk about the fact that AP classes have been around for years. In fact, they predate Common Core by about 50 years, and now Kern is wanting to lump them all together. Her exact words were "AP courses are similar to Common Core, in that they could be construed as an attempt to impose a national curriculum on American schools." Except they are anything but. Schools are NOT required to offer AP classes. Students are NOT required to take them to graduate. And the government has nothing to do the curriculum. That is chosen by the College Board, a non-profit organization.

Look, our state is not doing too well education wise. Oklahoma consistently ranks well below average on all education measurements. In fact, we are usually in the bottom 10. I don't have the answer on how to change that. But I can guarantee that banning AP classes is not the way to go.

I personally took several AP classes in high school, and I think they are a great way to save some money on tuition. Banning AP classes would only deprive Oklahoma students of that opportunity, not to mention deprive them of the chance of a higher level of education. I know my AP Biology class was one of the few high school classes that really prepared me for college.

If you agree with me and think Oklahoma should NOT ban AP classes, make your voice heard. If you don't live in Oklahoma, you can sign this Change.org petition. If you live in Oklahoma, take a few minutes and call your legislators. They have no way of knowing how you feel unless you actually tell them. Don't know who to call? I didn't either! There's a page on www.okhouse.gov that lets you enter your address and see who represents you at the state and federal level. This is a state issue, so call your state representative and state senator and tell them what you think.

For more info on this craziness, check out some of these articles.

• Oklahoma Might Ban AP Tests, but Why? - Washington Post
• Oklahoma Bill would Make AP US History History - CNN
• Oklahoma lawmaker seeks to do away with AP history courses, says they emphasize 'what is bad about America' - KFOR
• Oklahoma Lawmakers Vote Overwhelmingly to Ban Advanced Placement History - ThinkProgress
• OK Lawmakers Seek to Ban "Un-American" Advanced Placement High School History Class - Sputnik International

So what do you think? And if you live in Oklahoma, are you planning on calling your legislators? I know it sounds scary, but I promise most of them are nice and really do want to hear from people like you! If you are at all against what these representatives are suggesting, please take a few minutes today and make your voice heard.

*For the record, Fisher is part of the Black Robe Regiment, which is a group of "church leaders and laypeople can network and educate themselves as to our biblical responsibility to stand up for our Lord and Savior and to protect the freedoms and liberties granted to a moral people in the divinely inspired US Constitution", according to their website.  Do with that what you will. 

#Ferguson: Heartbreakingly Familiar

Last night I stayed up until well after midnight. My Twitter feed was full of information that wasn't appearing on any major news channel. In fact, I watched the 10 pm news to see if they would mention Ferguson. About 16 minutes into the newscast there was a 30 second spot on it. I don't even remember if they mentioned Mike Brown by name, they mostly focused on the riots and looting.

Because some people are under the delusion that the looting is the real problem. Yes, looting is a problem. But it's a problem that has been around for millennia. Literally. There has been looting going on since before Christ was born, and there will be looting going on as long as there are riots, natural disasters, and any other chaotic event. Jerks will be jerks, and I guarantee they come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. It is not the point of what is going on in Ferguson. Last night I saw a comment on Facebook (on one of the only posts that was on Facebook last night because it seems no one on my friends list on Facebook even knew what was going on ) declaring the looting to be heartbreaking because "they are ruining their own community". (It might also be telling to note that this same person went on to say that "the death of the young man is sad".) Looting is a problem, but isn't the heartbreaking part of this story, ok?

We could also talk about the police involvement and the restriction of free press in Ferguson right now. The police look like they are going to war. They are refusing to give their names. They are firing tear gas and rubber bullets on crowds. They are pointing guns at journalists and demanding that cameras be turned off. It looked like District 11 out there. (Shall we remember what happened in that scene?)

I know that there are some awesome police officers out there. I'm related to one. I know that we need a police force in our country, I know that sometimes they get stuck doing the shittiest jobs. But I do think there needs to be a conversation about the use of police force in this situation. I'm not going to go there today, I'll leave that to someone far more suited for the discussion. And I won't delve into freedom of the press either, though I am astonished that in this day and age journalists are being arrested for doing their job. (And by arrested, I mean hauled to the police station, put in a cell, and the released because they didn't actually break the law and couldn't be charged with a crime.) Nor will I complain about how it seems that major news outlets would rather talk about anything else than what is going on in Ferguson.

Instead, I want to talk about how the most important thing is being ignored. An unarmed black teenager was gunned down in the street. We don't know the details, It's possible we may never know the details of exactly what went down in that brief window when Mike Brown was shot. But we do know this: if that had been an unarmed white teenager gunned down by the cops, the cop responsible would be on leave and an investigation would be in process. No, if a white man had been shot, the cop responsible would not be able to hide behind his badge. White people wouldn't have to line the streets in protest demanding justice. More to the point, an unarmed white teenager wouldn't have to fear for his life around the police to begin with.

While the death of Mike Brown was the catalyst for what is going on in Ferguson, I dare say it isn't the sole reason. His death was the spark that ignited the powder keg of race relations in our country. Because his death isn't an isolated incident. In fact, he isn't the only unarmed black man killed by police this month. In fact, he is the fourth. Let that sink in. Four unarmed people have been killed by police in the first two weeks of August. How many do you think have been shot this year? This decade?

But again, I'm not here to rail against the police. (I'll leave that to someone else.) My only real goal in today's post is to tell you that THIS IS HAPPENING. You may not see much of it on your local news tonight, but I promise you, that doesn't mean it isn't going on.

We may not want to admit it (by we, I mean white people) but we are not living in a post-racial America. No, right now we seem to be living in the same world our parents and grandparents lived in. A world where black people have to demand justice by protesting while white cops armed with assault rifles and German shepherds stand ready to face off with them. Oh, and did I mention that a local KKK group came to one of the peaceful protests in a neighboring town? (That information came from a mutual friend on Facebook who lives in the Ferguson area. It has not been confirmed by any news outlets. Then again, the news outlets aren't confirming much right now.) We live in a world where when a news outlet does report on the death of unarmed minorities, it uses the picture that shows the person in the worst light. (Check out #IfTheyGunnedMeDown on Twitter or read the Buzzfeed article.)

If all this seems heartbreakingly familiar, it's because it is. Images are appearing (through Twitter, of course) that parallel the riots of the 1960's so exactly it is mind boggling.

Top image from Ferguson, MO in 2014. Bottom from Newark, NJ in 1967.

Top image from Birmingham, AL in 1963. Bottom from Ferguson, MO in 2014.

Y'all, we need to be talking about race relations in our country. I'm ashamed to say that I really had no idea things were this bad. I grew up in a predominately white town (approx. 65%), went to college at a predominately white university (approx. 75% white when I graduated), moved to a predominately white city in Dallas (but more diverse at 50%), then after a little moving around within OKC (approx. 63%) I have ended up in a small town with a population that is nearly 90% white.

Of course race relations are bad in our country. Of course I've been oblivious to it. I've been living in my bubble, seeing what is going on in other parts of the country through my little window of Twitter. Of course Ferguson was an explosive just waiting for a spark. The town is 67% black and the police force is 94% white. 92% of all arrests made last year were of black residents. The police chief allegedly has a Confederate flag hanging in his living room. (Images found of his son online appear to show this, but it hasn't been confirmed. Also, the flag itself is enough for a whole other conversation.)

I don't have the answers. But I do know that we need to start talking about it. Now. Before there are more riots, before another unarmed person is killed. (And for the record, it isn't just black people. It is minorities in general. Just Google Luis Rodriguez Oklahoma.) We need to wake up and realize that things in this country are not ok. #Ferguson just showed us that.

*I do not own the images I used. I have tried to find the original owners of the Ferguson images and haven't been successful, so if you read this and know, please tell me so I can give them proper credit. I also could not find the names of the photographers of the historical photos. Again, if anyone knows, I'd appreciate the help!