I would add that misogyny is also a core piece of who we are as a country as well. I am a white woman who was so hopeful we would break through to a new identity and a new vision. I stand with you, refusing to give up but appalled and disgusted that this is our dawn.
Professor Ifill would remind us that, at the time of our founding, the US population was predominantly indigenous or enslaved, and half female. The Framers were very much aware of this, and ensured that a truly representative democracy would be more conceptual than attainable; hence the Senate and Electoral College were created.
Every democratic loophole, since the mid 19th century, has been in appeasement to a perpetually segregationist South, and naked opportunism. It’s advanced what our recently departed Rev Dr James Lawson called “Plantation Capitalism”. America’s original sins — genocide and chattel slavery brought us to this point.
Misogyny is the companion ideology to racism. They’re inseparable and reinforcing. The systemic desecration of Black and indigenous bodies was the means to free land and free labor and thus oligarchy. The cognitive dissonance that naturally arises from this inescapable truth is manifest as a White patriarchal culture of paranoia.
What I’m reading in comments and often hear from folks, who are not descended from enslaved and indigenous people, is unawareness that misogyny and racism are interdependent tools of white supremacy. Wade Davis, retired NFL player of my hometown’s Seahawks, once said that homophobia is fear of the feminine. He brilliantly argues that queer-phobia is merely a category of misogyny. Having lived his life as a Black and openly gay man, I take what Mr Davis says to heart.
In Latin America, where the Iberian conquistadors arrived a century before they thought to settle with their female counterparts, they were less squeamish about miscegenation. These countries have complex caste systems where whiteness is an aspiration that families hope to attain. Latinidad is independent of race; and since anti-blackness is a currency of assimilation in the US, we needn’t be mystified by the voting patterns of new immigrants.
The Voting Rights act attempted to operationalize democracy in the US. But by the following election cycle, the GOP adopted the Southern Strategy to undo it. Once we come to grips with our history, as a colonial country run by Divide and Rule tactics — applied to each and every one of us, we will all be better off. We ignore our blood-soaked history at our own peril. It’s at the root of our authoritarian impulse. Racism, misogyny and wealth inequity operate as mutually amplifying tools and weapons to prevent the truth and reconciliation required for sustained American progress.
I am an 81 yr old white woman wy happens to be a lesbian, secular Jew and atheist. I am also a U .S Navy vet. I have been in many matches and knock on many doors and donated money I have voted in very election since I was 21' years old... I sat last night staring at the TV watching Rachel and wondered if it was worth it. Today with a clear mind, listening VP Harris I. knew it was and until they scatter my ashes I will keep fighting for our freedoms, dignity and rights. The best thing about the USA is the idea of America. E Pluribus Unum. .
I was struck by the absence of misogyny in this analysis. The patriarchy and religious fundamentalists have been playing a role here. It makes sense we, at 50 % of the voting population, represent the greater threat to men holding office. If we voted as a solid block. Like black women do.
I don't discount for a second that many white women are racist. But, I also believe that patriarchy has subjugated many women's minds and sense of self-worth. The stats on rising levels of domestic violence are a clear sign that many women live in literal fear in their homes. What does that do to a person's ability to think clearly? To feel confidence and pride in oneself? The feminine is not valued in our boardrooms and C suites ( beyond the talking points) the feminine runs counter to most capitalist needs. I could go on, but I am a tired and momentarily dispirited old feminist. Race mattered. Hell yes. And misogyny mattered too. If we don't pay attention to it, we won't see it for the issue it is, and won't be looking for solutions.
Yes! However, misogyny ran a very distant second to the 'laager' actions, which saw white men and women voters close ranks and preserve their white privilege.
I am a 79-year old white woman who has been slapped upside the head by the depth of racism and misogyny in the US. I am heartbroken that my country chose this monster of hate over a decent, extremely qualified
WOC.
Thank you for your strong voice. It penetrates through the wall of denial.
Thank you so much for this. I'm so upset today. Embarrassed and ashamed too, that the majority of voters would consciously choose this. I wanted our better angels to prevail. I feel physically ill and also powerless, but your message has given me some hope and a path forward.
My concern lies with the fact that Trump told everyone to get out and vote, and if they do, it will the very last time they need to do it. Then he changed his tune and said that people don't even have to vote. Then he said he had a 'secret.' The process of deduction says something is clearly amiss. Could it be he needed time for the Russian calvary to disembark? I am just not at ease at the way this played out. Latino's voting against their own interests, and Kamala Harris events jammed to the max...it just doesn't add up.
These are troubling times for those of us who see through the smokescreen and actually pay attention to what is really going on. To learn more, check out my articles; and if you haven't already, consider subscribing: TheLegalEdition.Substack.com
Holy smokes dear Sherrilyn ~ I was just talking with my 98 year old next door neighbor. He said exactly that ~ “racism seems to run through all our country’s problems.” So clearly true.
Dear Sherrilyn, As a life member of the NAACP and disabled USMC Veteran I need your help with an important time sensitive mission. I know that this may sound a bit outrageous, however, if there is any way to get to the ear of someone who is influential in the Biden/Harris orbit to make a suggestion to the Biden staff that he resign immediately. Why? If that could happen Harris immediately becomes #47 with Walz or even another as VP. It’s a constitutionally legal move. Then Harris would have the power to pardon Biden and his son and anyone else on the Trump hit list. Just imagine- a woman, a black woman, finally becomes President. Now is the right time while the iron is hot. Thank you in advance for your kind and courageous assistance. This is good trouble.
Great Question!! And she has certainly more than earned the right and all the privileges to be called Madam President since Trump and his cohorts bashed the hell out of her for all of the so-called “faults” of the Biden administration. I don’t like finger pointing but the “Ds” have a long history of being way too nice. With that, I’m good with “speak softly but carry a big stick” in a situation like this.
In this situation, Harris needed to wield a machete. When you think the other side can't go any lower, they go subterranean. Despicable abominations come from their mouths. And any so-called Evangelical worth their salt, would know Trump and his band of thieves and money idolators, violated the Ten Commandments over and over again. Complete with their lies, lewd statements, acts and blasphemies, false witness statements and hate for their fellow man. All of them are ready for the hell-fires the Bible itself commands.
Don't you need to be convicted of something to be pardoned? Otherwise it is blanket immunity for any acts, future or past. More than the courts bestowed upon the Presidency, in theory.
I’m a 44 year old college educated white woman. I feel your words so very deeply. I’m ashamed and embarrassed with this country. Thank you for this. I watched you on msnbc and went straight to your article. This is the brave, real message I needed to read after a day of hurt and confusion. When I’m upset and feel broken I seek understanding and information. Thank you for providing that.
Thank you! I feel bereft and discouraged after what I experienced as a strong, grass-roots pro-democracy surge!!! That is where I think I'll begin when I start back into the fray -- the many who joined in the hope, who gave time, effort, money in working to elect Harris/Walz, and for a brief period felt The Common Good was possible. That's where I'll begin, with my local peeps who wrote postcards/letters, phone banked, and so much more. We are still here. And we are not going away quietly. And here's a project a group of us have been working on to address what we as a nation can do to come together. https://nationalservice.mystrikingly.com/
Agree with you completely. I would add misogony, homophobia, and every other-ism I can think of to racism. I feel utterly helpless and afraid that the clear majority in our country are so angry, ignorant and motivated by an irrational fear of people and beliefs that differ from theirs.
White MALE supremacy - women are not people, either. Women are fawners, receptacles, wombs and servants. So tempting to unattached men (especially those who think there is no reason to be 'appealing' to women, in order to 'get' one) and those who have fractured relationships with the women in their families, or no women in their family at all, or come from cultures where men are the 'Masters'.
(OMG, "In like Flint" [1967] was on today - PRIME example of 1950/60 male fantasies of unlimited smitten perky nubiles at one's beck and call.)
The press is complicit. Every day until Joe Biden dropped out, every headline was about his mental status. No headlines about all the horrible things Trump said and did daily. His trial was followed breathlessly, but nothing was done about him.
What Press? The days of good journalism are gone! Remember those reporters who exposed Nixon? Those Boston Globe reporters who busted the Catholic priests abusing those children? Nowadays, information is controlled by one big boss. There is no freedom of information any longer. The public has been brainwashed and real information has been suppressed.
Between the troves of misinformation on the internet and right wing media just about everywhere, Americans are bombarded with lies, and as a result, the truth is regularly suppressed. Sadly, the media has been co-opted by their mega-billionaire bosses, so there is no incentive to do more than the boss will allow. The days of truth in media are gone, and the electorate don’t care to parse the facts they get or see with their own eyes. They’d rather sit back and be force-fed propaganda, what they call “news.”
That's sounding a lot like regurgitated propaganda, designed to create quarreling.
What we actually have is thousands of good, principled journalists, who try to work from the inside until they have to leave, because the oligarchs want control. But Journalists don't stop being who they are. Many are already coming together in other forums, other ways of getting their investigations out.
A PORTION of the public is indeed brainwashed (it was a third, now it's more), and information IS being suppressed, but it is RUSSIA all the way, and their lackeys the CNP.
Don't turn on your own people. Watch "Bad Faith" to start. Should lead you to a bunch of other documentaries. "People You May Know (2020, not 2017), "The Grab", "The Disinformatino Age", "Active Measures"...
I would respectfully suggest you really dig to discover the real information about the so-called "Russia is responsible for everything propaganda " You just prove my point regarding the so-called media. We all have been programmed to keep the lies alive.
Between the troves of misinformation on the internet and right wing media just about everywhere, Americans are bombarded with lies, and as a result, the truth is regularly suppressed. Sadly, the media has been co-opted by their mega-billionaire bosses, so there is no incentive to do more than the boss will allow. The days of truth in media are gone, and the electorate don’t care to parse the facts they get or see with their own eyes. They’d rather sit back and be force-fed propaganda, what they call “news.”
Helps to not lump all Journalists together as "the press".
The majority of ineffectual media is from Far Rt Oligarchs who purchased the top parent companies of our legacy media, then applying pressures on particular 'inconvenient' messaging.
I would like to recommend Laura Brill on The Civics Center on Substack. This project works across states to get 18 year olds registered to vote. Laura is an attorney who clerked under Ruth Bader Ginsburg. There is also Michelle Obama’s “When We All Vote” and Victor Shi’s “Voters of Tomorrow.” These groups are our future. We all must continue to DO SOMETHING!
Thank you Sherrilyn, This is the bracing and realistic message I needed to read on a day filled with sorrow and grieving. It's a time to grieve, but not the time to give up.
I am a 53 year old, white male. I have been saying that this along with misogyny are our largest obstacles! I am more informed of racism than most! From the country clubs to the trailer parks, I have seen it my whole life! It went underground during the eighties and nineties, but it was always still there. It has resurged with a vengeance as non white people have gained more attention, whether in athletics, music, social endeavors, or politics. Our diversity is our greatest strength! Human diversity is the greatest strength of humanity!
I am white; I had hope. After 6Jan, I was shattered. I feel totally unmoored now after the election. I thought after the 60’s that we had turned a page to a greater country. We were so wrong. For me, time is getting short. But I guess I have to try again.
Yes. Absolutely
I would add that misogyny is also a core piece of who we are as a country as well. I am a white woman who was so hopeful we would break through to a new identity and a new vision. I stand with you, refusing to give up but appalled and disgusted that this is our dawn.
Professor Ifill would remind us that, at the time of our founding, the US population was predominantly indigenous or enslaved, and half female. The Framers were very much aware of this, and ensured that a truly representative democracy would be more conceptual than attainable; hence the Senate and Electoral College were created.
Every democratic loophole, since the mid 19th century, has been in appeasement to a perpetually segregationist South, and naked opportunism. It’s advanced what our recently departed Rev Dr James Lawson called “Plantation Capitalism”. America’s original sins — genocide and chattel slavery brought us to this point.
Misogyny is the companion ideology to racism. They’re inseparable and reinforcing. The systemic desecration of Black and indigenous bodies was the means to free land and free labor and thus oligarchy. The cognitive dissonance that naturally arises from this inescapable truth is manifest as a White patriarchal culture of paranoia.
What I’m reading in comments and often hear from folks, who are not descended from enslaved and indigenous people, is unawareness that misogyny and racism are interdependent tools of white supremacy. Wade Davis, retired NFL player of my hometown’s Seahawks, once said that homophobia is fear of the feminine. He brilliantly argues that queer-phobia is merely a category of misogyny. Having lived his life as a Black and openly gay man, I take what Mr Davis says to heart.
In Latin America, where the Iberian conquistadors arrived a century before they thought to settle with their female counterparts, they were less squeamish about miscegenation. These countries have complex caste systems where whiteness is an aspiration that families hope to attain. Latinidad is independent of race; and since anti-blackness is a currency of assimilation in the US, we needn’t be mystified by the voting patterns of new immigrants.
The Voting Rights act attempted to operationalize democracy in the US. But by the following election cycle, the GOP adopted the Southern Strategy to undo it. Once we come to grips with our history, as a colonial country run by Divide and Rule tactics — applied to each and every one of us, we will all be better off. We ignore our blood-soaked history at our own peril. It’s at the root of our authoritarian impulse. Racism, misogyny and wealth inequity operate as mutually amplifying tools and weapons to prevent the truth and reconciliation required for sustained American progress.
I am an 81 yr old white woman wy happens to be a lesbian, secular Jew and atheist. I am also a U .S Navy vet. I have been in many matches and knock on many doors and donated money I have voted in very election since I was 21' years old... I sat last night staring at the TV watching Rachel and wondered if it was worth it. Today with a clear mind, listening VP Harris I. knew it was and until they scatter my ashes I will keep fighting for our freedoms, dignity and rights. The best thing about the USA is the idea of America. E Pluribus Unum. .
I was struck by the absence of misogyny in this analysis. The patriarchy and religious fundamentalists have been playing a role here. It makes sense we, at 50 % of the voting population, represent the greater threat to men holding office. If we voted as a solid block. Like black women do.
I don't discount for a second that many white women are racist. But, I also believe that patriarchy has subjugated many women's minds and sense of self-worth. The stats on rising levels of domestic violence are a clear sign that many women live in literal fear in their homes. What does that do to a person's ability to think clearly? To feel confidence and pride in oneself? The feminine is not valued in our boardrooms and C suites ( beyond the talking points) the feminine runs counter to most capitalist needs. I could go on, but I am a tired and momentarily dispirited old feminist. Race mattered. Hell yes. And misogyny mattered too. If we don't pay attention to it, we won't see it for the issue it is, and won't be looking for solutions.
She said what she said.
Yes! However, misogyny ran a very distant second to the 'laager' actions, which saw white men and women voters close ranks and preserve their white privilege.
I invite you to read my expansion on that thought.
Every word of this. Every. Single. Word.
I am a 79-year old white woman who has been slapped upside the head by the depth of racism and misogyny in the US. I am heartbroken that my country chose this monster of hate over a decent, extremely qualified
WOC.
Thank you for your strong voice. It penetrates through the wall of denial.
I’m a 76 year old white woman who is deeply ashamed of her country.
Thank you so much for this. I'm so upset today. Embarrassed and ashamed too, that the majority of voters would consciously choose this. I wanted our better angels to prevail. I feel physically ill and also powerless, but your message has given me some hope and a path forward.
See above for some reasons men of color went to trump.
Also, you KNOW there was Russian interference and domestic cheating
(I say RECOUNT EVERY RACE, EVERY PRECINCT).
But Harris chose the High Road (I just wish she had waited at least a day).
My concern lies with the fact that Trump told everyone to get out and vote, and if they do, it will the very last time they need to do it. Then he changed his tune and said that people don't even have to vote. Then he said he had a 'secret.' The process of deduction says something is clearly amiss. Could it be he needed time for the Russian calvary to disembark? I am just not at ease at the way this played out. Latino's voting against their own interests, and Kamala Harris events jammed to the max...it just doesn't add up.
Me too
These are troubling times for those of us who see through the smokescreen and actually pay attention to what is really going on. To learn more, check out my articles; and if you haven't already, consider subscribing: TheLegalEdition.Substack.com
Perfectly stated. Exactly where I am today.
Holy smokes dear Sherrilyn ~ I was just talking with my 98 year old next door neighbor. He said exactly that ~ “racism seems to run through all our country’s problems.” So clearly true.
I forgot to mention that he and I are both white.
Dear Sherrilyn, As a life member of the NAACP and disabled USMC Veteran I need your help with an important time sensitive mission. I know that this may sound a bit outrageous, however, if there is any way to get to the ear of someone who is influential in the Biden/Harris orbit to make a suggestion to the Biden staff that he resign immediately. Why? If that could happen Harris immediately becomes #47 with Walz or even another as VP. It’s a constitutionally legal move. Then Harris would have the power to pardon Biden and his son and anyone else on the Trump hit list. Just imagine- a woman, a black woman, finally becomes President. Now is the right time while the iron is hot. Thank you in advance for your kind and courageous assistance. This is good trouble.
Regards
Brayton Willis
Brilliant! 🙌🏿
CR
Yes!!! Why hasn’t someone thought of this earlier???
Great Question!! And she has certainly more than earned the right and all the privileges to be called Madam President since Trump and his cohorts bashed the hell out of her for all of the so-called “faults” of the Biden administration. I don’t like finger pointing but the “Ds” have a long history of being way too nice. With that, I’m good with “speak softly but carry a big stick” in a situation like this.
In this situation, Harris needed to wield a machete. When you think the other side can't go any lower, they go subterranean. Despicable abominations come from their mouths. And any so-called Evangelical worth their salt, would know Trump and his band of thieves and money idolators, violated the Ten Commandments over and over again. Complete with their lies, lewd statements, acts and blasphemies, false witness statements and hate for their fellow man. All of them are ready for the hell-fires the Bible itself commands.
Wouldn't she then only be President until
Biden's term would end?
Yes, and she would be recognized as the 47th president and first female president of color. The glass ceiling will have been broken.
Don't you need to be convicted of something to be pardoned? Otherwise it is blanket immunity for any acts, future or past. More than the courts bestowed upon the Presidency, in theory.
I just play a lawyer on TV.
I’m a 44 year old college educated white woman. I feel your words so very deeply. I’m ashamed and embarrassed with this country. Thank you for this. I watched you on msnbc and went straight to your article. This is the brave, real message I needed to read after a day of hurt and confusion. When I’m upset and feel broken I seek understanding and information. Thank you for providing that.
Thank you! I feel bereft and discouraged after what I experienced as a strong, grass-roots pro-democracy surge!!! That is where I think I'll begin when I start back into the fray -- the many who joined in the hope, who gave time, effort, money in working to elect Harris/Walz, and for a brief period felt The Common Good was possible. That's where I'll begin, with my local peeps who wrote postcards/letters, phone banked, and so much more. We are still here. And we are not going away quietly. And here's a project a group of us have been working on to address what we as a nation can do to come together. https://nationalservice.mystrikingly.com/
Agree with you completely. I would add misogony, homophobia, and every other-ism I can think of to racism. I feel utterly helpless and afraid that the clear majority in our country are so angry, ignorant and motivated by an irrational fear of people and beliefs that differ from theirs.
I always believed that the white supremacy siren song of easy, automatic entitlements would prove wildly attractive to millions.
All they had to do is...go along...play along with the myth of their being 'born better' than the rest.
Easy as poison pie...
White MALE supremacy - women are not people, either. Women are fawners, receptacles, wombs and servants. So tempting to unattached men (especially those who think there is no reason to be 'appealing' to women, in order to 'get' one) and those who have fractured relationships with the women in their families, or no women in their family at all, or come from cultures where men are the 'Masters'.
(OMG, "In like Flint" [1967] was on today - PRIME example of 1950/60 male fantasies of unlimited smitten perky nubiles at one's beck and call.)
The press is complicit. Every day until Joe Biden dropped out, every headline was about his mental status. No headlines about all the horrible things Trump said and did daily. His trial was followed breathlessly, but nothing was done about him.
What Press? The days of good journalism are gone! Remember those reporters who exposed Nixon? Those Boston Globe reporters who busted the Catholic priests abusing those children? Nowadays, information is controlled by one big boss. There is no freedom of information any longer. The public has been brainwashed and real information has been suppressed.
Between the troves of misinformation on the internet and right wing media just about everywhere, Americans are bombarded with lies, and as a result, the truth is regularly suppressed. Sadly, the media has been co-opted by their mega-billionaire bosses, so there is no incentive to do more than the boss will allow. The days of truth in media are gone, and the electorate don’t care to parse the facts they get or see with their own eyes. They’d rather sit back and be force-fed propaganda, what they call “news.”
That's sounding a lot like regurgitated propaganda, designed to create quarreling.
What we actually have is thousands of good, principled journalists, who try to work from the inside until they have to leave, because the oligarchs want control. But Journalists don't stop being who they are. Many are already coming together in other forums, other ways of getting their investigations out.
A PORTION of the public is indeed brainwashed (it was a third, now it's more), and information IS being suppressed, but it is RUSSIA all the way, and their lackeys the CNP.
Don't turn on your own people. Watch "Bad Faith" to start. Should lead you to a bunch of other documentaries. "People You May Know (2020, not 2017), "The Grab", "The Disinformatino Age", "Active Measures"...
I would respectfully suggest you really dig to discover the real information about the so-called "Russia is responsible for everything propaganda " You just prove my point regarding the so-called media. We all have been programmed to keep the lies alive.
Between the troves of misinformation on the internet and right wing media just about everywhere, Americans are bombarded with lies, and as a result, the truth is regularly suppressed. Sadly, the media has been co-opted by their mega-billionaire bosses, so there is no incentive to do more than the boss will allow. The days of truth in media are gone, and the electorate don’t care to parse the facts they get or see with their own eyes. They’d rather sit back and be force-fed propaganda, what they call “news.”
Helps to not lump all Journalists together as "the press".
The majority of ineffectual media is from Far Rt Oligarchs who purchased the top parent companies of our legacy media, then applying pressures on particular 'inconvenient' messaging.
Yes, right, sorry!
I would like to recommend Laura Brill on The Civics Center on Substack. This project works across states to get 18 year olds registered to vote. Laura is an attorney who clerked under Ruth Bader Ginsburg. There is also Michelle Obama’s “When We All Vote” and Victor Shi’s “Voters of Tomorrow.” These groups are our future. We all must continue to DO SOMETHING!
Thank you Sherrilyn, This is the bracing and realistic message I needed to read on a day filled with sorrow and grieving. It's a time to grieve, but not the time to give up.
I am a white 63 year old woman but I am here for you, but I know we must do our work. It is up to us to “know the assignment.”
I am a 53 year old, white male. I have been saying that this along with misogyny are our largest obstacles! I am more informed of racism than most! From the country clubs to the trailer parks, I have seen it my whole life! It went underground during the eighties and nineties, but it was always still there. It has resurged with a vengeance as non white people have gained more attention, whether in athletics, music, social endeavors, or politics. Our diversity is our greatest strength! Human diversity is the greatest strength of humanity!
I am white; I had hope. After 6Jan, I was shattered. I feel totally unmoored now after the election. I thought after the 60’s that we had turned a page to a greater country. We were so wrong. For me, time is getting short. But I guess I have to try again.