Tomorrow is Tem's 26th birthday
2014
Hannibal Buress Called Bill Cosby a Rapist During a Stand up
“Pull your pants up black people, I was on TV in the ‘80s, Yeah, but you rape women, Bill Cosby. So turn the crazy down a couple notches.”
2016
Donald Trump On Tape: I Grab Women "By The Pussy”
January 2017 The Women's March
Uber co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick resigned in June.
This autumn:
Harvey Weinstein
Ben Affleck
Roy Price
Chris Savino
Lockhart Steele
John Besh
James Toback
Terry Richardson
Leon Wieseltier
Knight Landesman
Mark Halperin
Ken Baker
Kevin Spacey
Jeremy Piven
Hamilton Fish
Michael Oreskes
Andy Dick
Brett Ratner
Jeff Hoover
Dustin Hoffman
David Guillod, Ed Westwick, Jeffrey Tambor, Matthew Weiner, Roy Moore, Louis C.K., Andrew Kreisberg, Eddie Berganza, Gary Goddard, Al Franken, John Conyers, Glenn Thrush, Charlie Rose, John Lasseter, Nick Carter, Matt Lauer, Garrison Keillor, Russell Simmons, Blake Farenthold, Ruben Kihuen, Warren Moon, Mario Batali, Ryan Lizza, and the list continues to grow each week.
One Mississippi - S2E5: Can't Fight This Feeling
Women in this country are slowly carving out a place for themselves, they are slowly fighting back. Before the shame of being a prude or speaking out and becoming a slut was always on the woman and now in the most incredible and courageous way women are pushing back, they are taking the power and the shame and the consequences are changing hands. We aren't there yet but I love where our country is going. I think now seeing democracy through the power of social media and hashtags has changed the game of majority rules. Like the news footage of the south being broadcast up north during the civil rights movement of the 60s opening the eyes to the lives of the oppressed and silent. Like #blacklivesmatter showing the cell phone footage of police officers murdering citizens they swore to protect and serve. and now #metoo shining a light on something we all knew has always happened but now the power has changed. 2017 has been a monumental year for women. And in the weirdest way I wonder if we have Donald Trump to thank for it... I wonder what our year would have looked like if Hilary was elected. Would it have pissed off women enough to march in the numbers they did across the country? Would it have pushed the silence breakers to come forward and tell the whole story of their predators?
Ben Roethlisberger raped a 20 year old college student in March of 2010.
"Ben asked us to go to his 'VIP' area (back of Capital). We all went with him. He said there were shots for us, numerous shots were on the bar, and he told us to take them. His bodyguard came and took my arm and said come with me, he escorted me into a side door/hallway, and sat me on a stool. He left and Ben came back with his penis out of his pants. I told him it wasn't OK, no, we don't need to do this and I proceeded to get up and try to leave. I went to the first door I saw, which happened to be a bathroom. He followed me into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. I still said no, this is not OK, and he then had sex with me. He said it was OK. He then left without saying anything."
A prosecutor decided that he would not pursue criminal charges against Roethlisberger, saying he could not prove that a crime had been committed. If this happened seven years later I have a feeling Ben would not be playing football this Sunday.
July 2003 Kobe Bryant raped a 19-year-old hotel employee in Edwards, Colorado.
Bryant admitted to an adulterous sexual encounter with his accuser, but denied the assault allegation. The case was dropped after Bryant's accuser refused to testify in the case. A separate civil suit was later filed against Bryant by the woman. This was settled out of court and included Bryant's publicly apologizing to his accuser, though admitting no guilt on his part.
Again if this happened 14 years later I think the trial might have gone differently.
We are living in a more woke society and I believe that is thanks to social media. Thanks to hashtags we are able to see the lives and lens of the oppressed and silenced. The voiceless are given a platform from which to speak. This movement will hopefully keep our leaders and celebrities accountable. Roy Moore did not win his election in a state that has voted for his party for over 20 years. People are stepping down and being removed from places of power whereas before Ben and Kobe not only continued their lives but did so essentially consequence free. I can't image what that poor woman feels every time she sees Ben Roethlisberger on TVs and jerseys all over the country. And I wonder how that hotel worker felt on Kobe's last game while the whole country congratulated and celebrated him.
Yes Hilary would have been a better president and our country would be better off without Trump in office but Trump winning the election has opened the countries eyes to the honesty of how much work we have to do. Like Brian said on twitter this week, it isn't just the south, it isn't just Alabama we all elected Trump as president through our silence, our complacency, and our delusions that we are past and beyond sexism, racism, as a whole in the country. The truth is now in our faces, and the entire world can see. We have so much work to do but the women who marched and spoke up this year in 2017, they will lead us to a better United States.
I know I started this letter saying tomorrow is Tem's birthday and I want to celebrate her for being exactly what this country needs more of smart independent educated empowered women. She's only 25 but she is so much more mature and wise than I am at 30. She's someone I look up to and I value her opinion of me a lot. When she disagrees with me or when she has a different opinion on an issue I always try to listen to her and learn from her. I'm very thankful she is in my life and I want to continue to encourage her to use her voice because her thoughts and her position in this planet are valuable and they matter. I like her a lot and I want her to have many, many more birthdays.
Week 16 of teaching complete.
Where's My Love - SYML
2014
Hannibal Buress Called Bill Cosby a Rapist During a Stand up
“Pull your pants up black people, I was on TV in the ‘80s, Yeah, but you rape women, Bill Cosby. So turn the crazy down a couple notches.”
2016
Donald Trump On Tape: I Grab Women "By The Pussy”
January 2017 The Women's March
Uber co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick resigned in June.
Harvey Weinstein
Ben Affleck
Roy Price
Chris Savino
Lockhart Steele
John Besh
James Toback
Terry Richardson
Leon Wieseltier
Knight Landesman
Mark Halperin
Ken Baker
Kevin Spacey
Jeremy Piven
Hamilton Fish
Michael Oreskes
Andy Dick
Brett Ratner
Jeff Hoover
Dustin Hoffman
David Guillod, Ed Westwick, Jeffrey Tambor, Matthew Weiner, Roy Moore, Louis C.K., Andrew Kreisberg, Eddie Berganza, Gary Goddard, Al Franken, John Conyers, Glenn Thrush, Charlie Rose, John Lasseter, Nick Carter, Matt Lauer, Garrison Keillor, Russell Simmons, Blake Farenthold, Ruben Kihuen, Warren Moon, Mario Batali, Ryan Lizza, and the list continues to grow each week.
One Mississippi - S2E5: Can't Fight This Feeling
Women in this country are slowly carving out a place for themselves, they are slowly fighting back. Before the shame of being a prude or speaking out and becoming a slut was always on the woman and now in the most incredible and courageous way women are pushing back, they are taking the power and the shame and the consequences are changing hands. We aren't there yet but I love where our country is going. I think now seeing democracy through the power of social media and hashtags has changed the game of majority rules. Like the news footage of the south being broadcast up north during the civil rights movement of the 60s opening the eyes to the lives of the oppressed and silent. Like #blacklivesmatter showing the cell phone footage of police officers murdering citizens they swore to protect and serve. and now #metoo shining a light on something we all knew has always happened but now the power has changed. 2017 has been a monumental year for women. And in the weirdest way I wonder if we have Donald Trump to thank for it... I wonder what our year would have looked like if Hilary was elected. Would it have pissed off women enough to march in the numbers they did across the country? Would it have pushed the silence breakers to come forward and tell the whole story of their predators?
Ben Roethlisberger raped a 20 year old college student in March of 2010.
"Ben asked us to go to his 'VIP' area (back of Capital). We all went with him. He said there were shots for us, numerous shots were on the bar, and he told us to take them. His bodyguard came and took my arm and said come with me, he escorted me into a side door/hallway, and sat me on a stool. He left and Ben came back with his penis out of his pants. I told him it wasn't OK, no, we don't need to do this and I proceeded to get up and try to leave. I went to the first door I saw, which happened to be a bathroom. He followed me into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. I still said no, this is not OK, and he then had sex with me. He said it was OK. He then left without saying anything."
A prosecutor decided that he would not pursue criminal charges against Roethlisberger, saying he could not prove that a crime had been committed. If this happened seven years later I have a feeling Ben would not be playing football this Sunday.
July 2003 Kobe Bryant raped a 19-year-old hotel employee in Edwards, Colorado.
Bryant admitted to an adulterous sexual encounter with his accuser, but denied the assault allegation. The case was dropped after Bryant's accuser refused to testify in the case. A separate civil suit was later filed against Bryant by the woman. This was settled out of court and included Bryant's publicly apologizing to his accuser, though admitting no guilt on his part.
Again if this happened 14 years later I think the trial might have gone differently.
We are living in a more woke society and I believe that is thanks to social media. Thanks to hashtags we are able to see the lives and lens of the oppressed and silenced. The voiceless are given a platform from which to speak. This movement will hopefully keep our leaders and celebrities accountable. Roy Moore did not win his election in a state that has voted for his party for over 20 years. People are stepping down and being removed from places of power whereas before Ben and Kobe not only continued their lives but did so essentially consequence free. I can't image what that poor woman feels every time she sees Ben Roethlisberger on TVs and jerseys all over the country. And I wonder how that hotel worker felt on Kobe's last game while the whole country congratulated and celebrated him.
Yes Hilary would have been a better president and our country would be better off without Trump in office but Trump winning the election has opened the countries eyes to the honesty of how much work we have to do. Like Brian said on twitter this week, it isn't just the south, it isn't just Alabama we all elected Trump as president through our silence, our complacency, and our delusions that we are past and beyond sexism, racism, as a whole in the country. The truth is now in our faces, and the entire world can see. We have so much work to do but the women who marched and spoke up this year in 2017, they will lead us to a better United States.
I know I started this letter saying tomorrow is Tem's birthday and I want to celebrate her for being exactly what this country needs more of smart independent educated empowered women. She's only 25 but she is so much more mature and wise than I am at 30. She's someone I look up to and I value her opinion of me a lot. When she disagrees with me or when she has a different opinion on an issue I always try to listen to her and learn from her. I'm very thankful she is in my life and I want to continue to encourage her to use her voice because her thoughts and her position in this planet are valuable and they matter. I like her a lot and I want her to have many, many more birthdays.
Week 16 of teaching complete.
Where's My Love - SYML