Like a form of torture

I’ve had some lawn renovation work done over the last few months. The back yard had been looking quite ugly with weeds. About three weeks ago the company spread grass seed and said I needed to water it regularly. I did for a couple days, but haven’t needed to since because we’ve had so much rain. I haven’t seen much new grass (not that I’ve looked closely). However, all this rain has produced a healthy crop of – mosquitoes. Over the last few days I’ve tried to be quick in getting from the house to the car. The most problematic has been getting from the house onto the bicycle. And getting back inside usually lets in a couple.

I was out canvassing for Michigan’s Proposal 2 this afternoon. That’s the one to end gerrymandering in the state. My campaign captain gives me a list of homes to visit within an area. It’s not every home because why waste volunteer time at homes where the residents don’t vote or various sources (the same ones that provide info on how to precisely gerrymander) say they would be strongly for or against us. At the last house for today I could look through the front window to the TV – and it was showing a Prop 2 ad! I didn’t freak out the resident because nobody came to the door.



Mandy Velez at the Daily Beast reports that mental health professionals are saying the last month has been difficult for women’s mental health. They’re depressed, anxious, and psychologically exhausted. They’ve been retraumatized and have had to deal again with victim shaming. This has been especially true for survivors of sexual assault.

These same professionals are saying while there has been a spike in women needing care over the last month, the levels have been up significantly in the last two years. It wasn’t just the defeat of Hillary Clinton, it was the truckloads of misogyny that came with it. Counselor Christine Horner said, “No matter what you do, no matter how hard you cry, how loud you scream, nothing works — it's like a form of torture.”

You object to the phrase truckloads of misogyny? It was on display again a couple days ago when the nasty guy held a rally in Iowa. During his speech he told a few lies about Senator Dianne Feinstein and the crowd chanted, “Lock her up!” That was the chant they used when he talked about Clinton and when he’s now talking about Maxine Waters and Nancy Pelosi. For the record, none of these women have committed a crime.

Melissa McEwan of Shakesville adds:

He basks in their malice; in the malice he invited.

This is terrifying to watch — the President of the United States leading seething misogynist crowds in round after round of "Lock her up!" chants.

And it's extremely scary to me to see how many people still greet it with jokes. This isn't funny. Every woman who resists this regime under her real name every day is at increasing risk. We are watching with horror.