The Fifth Question: Modern Day Slavery

Today marks the first day of Pesach ("Passover" to you goyim), a Jewish holiday celebrating the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, ending 400 years of slavery. On a day when my family and I come together to recognize both the struggles we face and the freedoms we have as Jews, it is essential to recognize the oppression and enslavement of people all over the world.

An enslavement by patriarchal traditions that oppress and degrade, the rarity of breaking free, and the consequences to those who do.

An enslavement by fear, when desperate times and forced ignorance lead to desperate, painfully ignorant measures.

And and enslavement by a culture in which every woman must be encased in silicone to become her true self, a bondage that seems so appealing that children willfully enter the shackles.

A Passover tradition is to speak of four different son (wise, wicked, simple, and the one who does not know how to ask) and the dialogues they engage in about Passover: "And the one who does not know how to ask, you start for him, as the Torah says: "And you should tell your son on that day, saying 'It is for the sake of this that Hashem did for me when I left Egypt.'"

Please initiate meaningful dialogues about slavery with the sons who cannot ask and do not know.

You'd Better Put Out, I'm Tellin' You Why: Sexist Clothes are Comin' to Town!

'Twas a bit before Christmas, Wal-Mart heads got antsy,
So they decided to deshelve some sexist panties.


The underpants [which aren't even red and green] were pulled from shelves due to a deluge of complaints, yet still I am quite concerned for anyone who unwraps a pair of these Christmas morning. The vagina = money philosophy is incredibly chauvinistic [the part of the slogan written on the rum-pa-pa-rump reads "...when you've got Santa!", essentially referring to the sugar daddy stereotype in the most Christmas-y of ways]. News flash: Women are more than vaginas, and vaginas are more than banks. This underpants ideology belongs in the tenth circle of Hell once reserved for "Math is hard, let's go shopping!" Barbie. What really bothers me is that these undergarments aren't hidden in some sleaze shop where they might be more appropriate. They're a junior's item, which means little girls [because what junior actually shops in their dept.?] will be wearing them.

Besides, since when did Santa want a little extra sumthin'-sumthin' with his milk and cookies?

"Ho?" Oh no!

In Sydney, Australia, "Santas" are no longer permitted to say "Ho, ho, ho!" as this may "be offensive to women." Instead, they must replace the classic cry with "Ha, ha, ha!"

As silly as this seems, I'm not laughing.

I doubt any women worked to pass this restriction. This faux resolution claims to looks out for women, yet it's only purpose is to further the patriarchal stereotype of the frivolous women.

Living in a Material World, and I am a Feminist Girl

When we immerse ourselves in a mission, like ending sexism, we often forget that there other causes worth fighting for. Just look at PETA. Their valuable message is clouded by their sex-saturated ads and radical scare-tactics.

Anarchist values and feminism go hand in hand, even if we aren't passing out "Fight the Power!" buttons at Planned Parenthood rallies. Today in particular is the time to remember our roots.

As you probably know, today is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that promises mega-savings and mega-crowds at your local shopping mall. In protest, it's Adbuster's Buy Nothing Day, an informal day in which people are urged to shun consumerism and, in essence, buy nothing.

Even if you don't support the Adbuster's cause, and even if you did buy a sandwich today (I was hungry!), it's important to remember that as feminists, we have a certain responsibility. It's not enough to just fight sexism. That's only the first step. It is our duty to speak out against any atrocity, whether that be homophobia, genocide, or racism.

Just do what you feel is right, and protest what you feel is wrong. That's what feminism is all about.

Thanks-to-the-women-giving

Happy Thanksgiving, readers! No big post on a holiday, but I just wanted to make a point of telling you to be sure to thank your moms, grandmothers, sisters, and aunties today, because without them cooking all day... you'd probably be eating at the Cracker Barrel for your Thanksgiving dinner.