Don't get me wrong. I'm sure Greg Abbott would make a perfectly okay governor. He has a few skeletons in his closet that I don't quite approve of, but that's the same with most politicians. I don't necessarily choose not to support him due to the fact that he supports laws that prevent others with disabilities from getting similar benefits to the ones he got 30 years ago, but instead that electing Greg Abbott to office will be four more years of Rick Perry and George W. Bush. Now, don't get all up in arms just yet. Rick Perry is not my favorite person on the planet (I don't like watching the governor of my beloved home state being indicted), but he hasn't completely burned Texas to the ground. And while George W. Bush was, in my opinion, not the best governor, he is still a kind man who cares about the well-being of Texas and sent me a letter when I was in kindergarden (major brownie points there). I'm not trying to say any of these men are particularly evil and I'm also not trying to say Greg Abbott becoming governor will be the downfall of our state. What I am trying to say is that if Greg Abbott becomes governor, things are going to stay the same. And THAT is what I have a problem with.
For those of you who are now thinking, "Texas is a great place to live! Why would we want anyone to come and change everything? MY life is perfect the way it is. And since MY life is perfect, I should assume that everyone else has the opportunity to have a perfect life because the other 26,448,192 people that live in Texas were born into a family just like mine and have had all of the exact same opportunities I had, so they have no reason to NOT have a perfect life!":
1) Let me be the first to tell you that this is indeed how you sound when you start spouting your personal story of how you were born into a working class family and worked yourself up to the top and walked to school in the snow uphill (both ways!) as a child, etc. Good for you. Working hard is a good thing, and I am truly happy you had the opportunity to get what you wanted out of life. Now how about the 29,615 homeless persons that live in Texas? Do you really think all of them are just lazy? Or is it at all possible that they aren't as well off as you are because they didn't have the same opportunities you did? Like maybe...being born into a loving family? Or...growing up with a roof over their head? Or...maybe having access to mental healthcare? Working hard can only get you so far. And there are several people that live on the streets of Dallas and Austin and Houston that have worked plenty hard and still are living on the streets of Dallas and Austin and Houston. Trust me. I've had the privilege of talking to some of them. So do you still think that nothing needs to change?
2) What about education? Is that perfect? Correct answer: NO. And to be fair, education's not perfect anywhere in the world, but education in Texas can be a heck of a lot better than it is right now. While Greg Abbott has said that he supports an improvement in education (duh, who doesn't?), he hasn't quite explained his plan for achieving this goal. So once again, more of the same stuff that's been going down for years now.
3) Texas' policies on abortion and sex education need to change. Point blank. Of all of the things Wendy Davis has been attacked for, this is probably the most evident. Her decision to filibuster a bill that would shut down many necessary women's health clinics was a bold move that earned her the nickname, "Abortion Barbie" which is quite simply not fair. What Wendy did was stand up and fight something she knew was wrong. That's right, she didn't sit back and let things go about as they always had, but instead she literally stood up and fought to make sure girls like me were taken care of and looked out for. Wendy Davis is not "pro-abortion", I've never met anyone that's pro-abortion. But she IS pro-choice. Just like I am. Just like anyone in their right mind should be. Because no matter the circumstances in which a woman got pregnant, it is no one else's business to tell her what to do about it. NO ONE'S. And the fact of the matter is abortions are going to happen whether they're legal or not. The real question is do we want them to take place in safe, legal institutions where it is ensured that the mother is making the decision for herself and has access to therapy afterwards? Or in the back of vans with a coat hanger and a high mother-fatality rate? Now, I hope you know the right answer. It is my dream that we will one day live in a world where abortion is not necessary. But in order to get to that world, some things need to change. Like for instance, sex education. Now, I understand if you're not on board with the whole pro-choice thing. That's fair. But it in no way makes sense for you to be anti-choice (Yes, anti-choice. Not "pro-life") and also be for abstinence only education. It quite simply does not add up. Our abstinence only education is what earned us the number three spot in highest teen pregnant rate. It is quite simply arrogant to assume these two things have nothing in common. So before you go off and preach anti-choice in correlation with pro-abstinence only education, please take common sense into consideration.
Clearly, there is a lot going wrong in Texas at the moment. And while it might not pertain to you specifically, it is our job as members of a state whose name translates to "friendship" to look out for those less fortunate than us. It's what we do.
Lastly, I want it to be said that Wendy Davis is a hero. But she is a new kind of hero. One that inspires a different type of person. The google definition for hero is, "a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities." Typically a man. It says so right in the definition. Many people would like to cut Wendy down and say that she does NOT count as a hero simply because she's not a man. And that is the most ignorant thing of all. Most indigenous cultures had a woman as the head of the family. It is foolish to say a woman shouldn't be in charge of anything because while PMSing since women's testosterone levels are highest at this point. So that's when they act the most like men. By that logic, if women shouldn't be in charge while they're menstruating, men shouldn't be in charge EVER. Just a thought.
Wendy Davis changed my life and inspired me to stand up and fight for what I believe in instead of being "a good little girl" and being seen instead of heard. It's about damn time someone started speaking up for those without a voice and I am honored to cast my first vote for someone that will do so. I am sick and tired of the latent state Texas has been in for years now and I hope that even if Wendy does not win, we will remember her fight like we remembered the Alamo and march forward until the injustice is gone.
For those of you who are now thinking, "Texas is a great place to live! Why would we want anyone to come and change everything? MY life is perfect the way it is. And since MY life is perfect, I should assume that everyone else has the opportunity to have a perfect life because the other 26,448,192 people that live in Texas were born into a family just like mine and have had all of the exact same opportunities I had, so they have no reason to NOT have a perfect life!":
1) Let me be the first to tell you that this is indeed how you sound when you start spouting your personal story of how you were born into a working class family and worked yourself up to the top and walked to school in the snow uphill (both ways!) as a child, etc. Good for you. Working hard is a good thing, and I am truly happy you had the opportunity to get what you wanted out of life. Now how about the 29,615 homeless persons that live in Texas? Do you really think all of them are just lazy? Or is it at all possible that they aren't as well off as you are because they didn't have the same opportunities you did? Like maybe...being born into a loving family? Or...growing up with a roof over their head? Or...maybe having access to mental healthcare? Working hard can only get you so far. And there are several people that live on the streets of Dallas and Austin and Houston that have worked plenty hard and still are living on the streets of Dallas and Austin and Houston. Trust me. I've had the privilege of talking to some of them. So do you still think that nothing needs to change?
2) What about education? Is that perfect? Correct answer: NO. And to be fair, education's not perfect anywhere in the world, but education in Texas can be a heck of a lot better than it is right now. While Greg Abbott has said that he supports an improvement in education (duh, who doesn't?), he hasn't quite explained his plan for achieving this goal. So once again, more of the same stuff that's been going down for years now.
3) Texas' policies on abortion and sex education need to change. Point blank. Of all of the things Wendy Davis has been attacked for, this is probably the most evident. Her decision to filibuster a bill that would shut down many necessary women's health clinics was a bold move that earned her the nickname, "Abortion Barbie" which is quite simply not fair. What Wendy did was stand up and fight something she knew was wrong. That's right, she didn't sit back and let things go about as they always had, but instead she literally stood up and fought to make sure girls like me were taken care of and looked out for. Wendy Davis is not "pro-abortion", I've never met anyone that's pro-abortion. But she IS pro-choice. Just like I am. Just like anyone in their right mind should be. Because no matter the circumstances in which a woman got pregnant, it is no one else's business to tell her what to do about it. NO ONE'S. And the fact of the matter is abortions are going to happen whether they're legal or not. The real question is do we want them to take place in safe, legal institutions where it is ensured that the mother is making the decision for herself and has access to therapy afterwards? Or in the back of vans with a coat hanger and a high mother-fatality rate? Now, I hope you know the right answer. It is my dream that we will one day live in a world where abortion is not necessary. But in order to get to that world, some things need to change. Like for instance, sex education. Now, I understand if you're not on board with the whole pro-choice thing. That's fair. But it in no way makes sense for you to be anti-choice (Yes, anti-choice. Not "pro-life") and also be for abstinence only education. It quite simply does not add up. Our abstinence only education is what earned us the number three spot in highest teen pregnant rate. It is quite simply arrogant to assume these two things have nothing in common. So before you go off and preach anti-choice in correlation with pro-abstinence only education, please take common sense into consideration.
Clearly, there is a lot going wrong in Texas at the moment. And while it might not pertain to you specifically, it is our job as members of a state whose name translates to "friendship" to look out for those less fortunate than us. It's what we do.
Lastly, I want it to be said that Wendy Davis is a hero. But she is a new kind of hero. One that inspires a different type of person. The google definition for hero is, "a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities." Typically a man. It says so right in the definition. Many people would like to cut Wendy down and say that she does NOT count as a hero simply because she's not a man. And that is the most ignorant thing of all. Most indigenous cultures had a woman as the head of the family. It is foolish to say a woman shouldn't be in charge of anything because while PMSing since women's testosterone levels are highest at this point. So that's when they act the most like men. By that logic, if women shouldn't be in charge while they're menstruating, men shouldn't be in charge EVER. Just a thought.
Wendy Davis changed my life and inspired me to stand up and fight for what I believe in instead of being "a good little girl" and being seen instead of heard. It's about damn time someone started speaking up for those without a voice and I am honored to cast my first vote for someone that will do so. I am sick and tired of the latent state Texas has been in for years now and I hope that even if Wendy does not win, we will remember her fight like we remembered the Alamo and march forward until the injustice is gone.