Welcome to my blog Upstate Girl, (a.k.a Follow Your Bliss Part II), I am an independently published author. This blog is all about writing and the stuff that inspires me to write, the joys and obstacles that come along with the writer's life, and my fascination with the psychology of people and what makes them tick...the human condition, as is...and my love for words, playing with them and making sense of them...and I throw in a few photos from my acre of the world just to make things pretty...sometimes there are things I have no words for, only pictures will do.

*Copyright notice* All photos, writing, and artwork are mine (
© Laura J. Wellner), unless otherwise noted, please be a peach, if you'd like to use my work for a project or you just love it and must have it, message me and we'll work out the details...it's simple...JUST ASK, please.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

The WORD.


Amen


 All she said was:

“I’m flattered that you’re all so interested in my vagina, but ‘no’ means ‘no’.”

The next day Lisa Brown was banned from speaking at the Michigan House of Representatives—apparently, she was out of line the other day.

Seriously? Big deal, she said “Vagina”. It’s just a word—a natural word—a word to describe a very specific female anatomy—a clinical term—the official word vagina has caused the male members of the Michigan State House of Representatives to “GASP!”

What if Lisa Brown said “Penis.”

Or what if one of the male members said the word “Penis.” (Yes, I picked to refer to them as "male members" on purpose.)

Lisa Brown had no reason to bring up the word penis because the issue wasn’t a male issue it was a female issue about reproductive rights for women—and she was voicing her opinion against the latest anti-abortion legislation that was being debated on the floor that day—she was doing her job by being the ‘voice’ for her constituency. The gavel came banging down—she was out of line—I guess the Speaker didn’t like her attitude.

SO she was “silenced” by the House Speaker (along with Barbara Bryum who apparently had “a tantrum” on the House floor the same day about the same issue being debated—she said something allegedly inappropriate about legislating men who needed a vasectomy that they needed to prove their health was at risk and after that she was done for.) Both of them silenced, banned from the House Floor. This pretty much means they were told to go to the “shut the fuck up” room for the day. What the fuck-fuckity-fuck is that shit all about?

 Twat you say? I cunt hear you.

Apparently to some male members, the word “vagina” is so disturbing that is not suitable to be used in the presence of women or “mixed company” (This implies that you’d only chuckle warmly with other male members about the word “vagina”?)

Excuse me, what century are we in?

According to another male member’s comments, it was the “no means no” part of Lisa Brown’s comment that was offensive. That it had nothing to do with body parts, dissent or religious beliefs, it was just that last bit. No means no—must be this hit a nerve. A “not tonight, honey” nerve. “‘No’ means ‘no’” alludes to the age old circumstance of rape and recurring events of violence against women—so ‘no’ means ‘no’ apparently rubs this male member the wrong way. That’s my best guess anyway.



Then came Eve, and the Vagina Monologues were read, speeches made, clever homemade signs waved in the sunshine and smiling faces proudly lit up the scene.

You go girls.

Click to go to Washington Post article
The Scene at the Capital, looks like a good time - Photo by Dale G. Young AP

Seriously
Oooo, what she said!


Vagina. If you can’t say it, don’t legislate it.

1 comment:

helen said...

Love the photos - when will we be really free!