How sex plays a role in this election (and probably not what you were thinking)

Part  II of my little "We DO get what we want" election series.
How sex plays a role in this election
(and probably not what you were thinking)

If  you read yesterday's post, you know what I think of the choices we have made as our party representatives for President, so I will just start with ... And finally (well not finally, but I've had enough) ...

Why are we surprised that there are some powerful men (including a presidential candidate and a candidate's husband)?:
1. Have a history of (or history of accusations of) objectifying women;
2. Would try to avoid talking about it; and
3. Have women in their lives who stand by them.

We are also oddly surprised that some women who have been objectified or used sexually:
1. Would not come forward right away;
2. Would only do so years later and in the safety of numbers;
3. Had even possibly hoped to get something out of it - whether defensively, like keeping their jobs, or actively in hopes of getting ahead.

Neither of these should be a surprise when our culture is shockingly full of women competing and begging for male attention, or attempting to get ahead in life using their sexuality - I mean that's what advertisements and pop culture (music videos, concerts, movies, TV, news stories)  try to teach us in necessary, isn't it?

Of course in real life many women (even most, go figure) actually get ahead by being smart, talented and educated, having connections, friends and determination. But at the same time, perhaps because of wanting a dream at all costs, or the economy making it hard to get a job, or single motherhood and costs of childcare, or inequitable pay for equal work, or pressure by a boss to give in or keep quiet, and many other reasons...some women may feel they need to do whatever it takes to get or keep a job.


Many women know that it means pretending not to notice a brush of a hand against a body part, or competing with coworkers for the bosses attention in ways that may put other women down.

And then whether they fit that stereotype or not - women who are groped or assaulted or even have sex because they feel it is required, or at least very helpful, to keep their jobs, fail to come forward for fear of being blamed or not being believed.

So again I say this is, at least in part, our own fault.

We apparently think it is okay to have Victoria Secret's fashion shows on TV, with commercials running during prime time family programs. We let our girls wear short shorts because they insist their friends are. We take or send them to concerts with women wearing hardly anything, or men simulating sex on stage. We tell our adult friends to suck it up at work or dress hotter or go ahead and have that affair with the boss - it will be worth it. And so on...

We say boys will be boys. Men don't call their friend's on their behavior because they don't want to be seen as wooses or 'homos" or disloyal to the "male race". We say our athletes, movie starts or musicians wouldn't "need" to pay or force women to have sex. We shut our eyes when we see women who are repeatedly 'walk into doorknobs". And so on... 

Why then are we surprised that we are all messed up sexually as a nation.

Oh, some of you think I've gone too far now... And why? Because I've stopped talking about the candidates and slipped into what we accept as acceptable...or do nothing about. Because I am saying that we explain away too often others behaviors by saying 'to each his own'.

So, if you want to get back to the candidates, fine. One is a wealthy powerful man who many women have come forward to say they were treated like a piece of meat or sexually assaulted. One's husband, as President of the United States, used his power and position to manipulate at least one young female intern, and paid off several lawsuits to keep other women quiet. And this candidate did not appear to hold him accountable. Or her own ambition was great enough to stick with him anyway.

So in my opinion, the lesser of two evils is a terrible way to choose, but at least one has not already played a role in defiling the Oval Room.

What women rightly long for is spiritual and moral initiative from a man, not spiritual and moral domination.- John Piper, Chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary

Blessings to My Purposeful People, Heather J. Kirk

Wearable Art - Heather J Kirk's VIDA Collection: http://shopvida.com/collections/heather-j-kirk
Art by Heather J. Kirk http://heather-kirk.pixels.com and http://AEC.pixels.com
Literature by Heather J. Kirk http://www.photographicartistry.citymax.com/Books.html

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#election #responsibility #vote# women #sexualassault #victim #popularculture #hillary #bill #clinton #thedonald #trump #equalpay #sexuality, 

If our nation has chosen what we admire then the only answer is to humble ourselves

If it's true that a nation can suffer the consequences for the things that we as a whole have done, we are getting what we deserve. Too many people I know feel they have not even "the lesser of two evils" as a choice for President, but no choice. And to be honest in other political positions as well. But WE DID CHOOSE, and we chose these. (Some may say they voted for someone else in the primary... then divided we fall.)

Let me say also that it is not just in the Presidential race that we have a lack of great choices, but it seems to be exaggerated there. We need to ask ourselves overall what have our votes (or the choice to not vote) brought us?

How true is this? "When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, But when a wicked person rules, people groan"Proverbs 29:2

In our Presidential candidates we chose pridefulness. We chose those who have had both great success and great failure (though the truth is a willingness to take chances and fail often comes along with anyone who has achieved much - still a President is not the place to be taking too many chances.) We chose people with lack of facial control - and negotiations and leading a nation requires that every thought that passes through one's mind does not show up in a laugh or a smirk. We have people who shirk responsibility. We have people whose staff or supporters keep getting in trouble, being fired, or leaving of their own accord.And when I just did a spellcheck on the word pridefullness because of a red line under it, the option it gave me was 'spitefulness,' and yes, we chose that too.


And if you disagree that you chose these qualities or people, then...if we have not gotten what we have chosen, then we have gotten what we have allowed.

IF you are still saying that YOU did not choose this, others did, then oddly you are part of the problem. The solution takes accepting the situation as it is and problem solving, deciding what to do about it, what to do differently now and next time. And we can only change what we feel we have some power over!


It is not just at the voter's booth ALONE that we are responsible. We must take the blame for our own actions, and yes, also for our nation's action as a very large group of individuals.  It is made up of a lot of "ME's". What have my (our) actions created in our families, in our communities? What have my (our) actions allowed to go on around us? Are we guilty of pride, deceitfulness, greed, putting our own needs above others needs, disrespecting others with our word and the looks we give, the way we roll our eyes. We often are very lenient on others guilty of the same sins as our own. And then we get what we get...in our own lives, and in our nation.

And if all else fails, we need to pray! As I write that I think that perhaps therein lies the problem - at least mine - we wait to pray until all else fails, and we have created a complete mess. 

So is there any hope? 


Only by humbling ourselves. Only by turning form the things we already know in our hearts are wrong, With humility and asking forgiveness we can obtain from God a goodness and mercy that we do not deserve but receive anyway out of love.


So late in the game, all we can count on is a MIRACLE - and I say that in full sincerity.  Maybe the miracle will be that neither Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton win the Presidency, but that, of course, is not likely. Yet the concept of miracles does not imply 'likelihood', it implies 'impossible without supernatural intervention'. But still, the miracle we may have to count on is to be surprised that God is able to work in our nation for our individual and national good through, or in spite of, whoever WE (yes we) vote in as 45th President of the United States.


"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
2 Chronicles 7:14 

Who are "my people"? The verse implies God's people. but we are 'one nation under God" who have received favor for a long time. A perfect country? of course not, we are made up of people...but a humble nation chooses, and deserves, better than a prideful people!

Be Blessed My Purposeful People, Heather J. Kirk
 
Wearable Art - Heather J Kirk's VIDA Collection: http://shopvida.com/collections/heather-j-kirk
Art by Heather J. Kirk http://heather-kirk.pixels.com and http://AEC.pixels.com
Literature by Heather J. Kirk http://www.photographicartistry.citymax.com/Books.html

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In Presidential Primaries that seem to be about Show Business, DO YOUR HOMEWORK!

CAN I BEG YOU TO READ A LONG POST? THE WHOLE THING?

Most of you know that I rarely if EVER bring up politics on my page. But I will say this: 1) NEVER vote on one or two issues alone. Especially for President, he/she had better know about (and represent you) in MANY issues. 2) DO YOUR RESEARCH! Don't believe what a politician says automatically. Increasingly, and this year especially, debates have been about PERFORMANCES and not about truth. Just because someone repeats a lie over and over, it does not make a lie true...but somehow it gets it repeated by gullible voters (and media) as if truth.
     Here is one tool I found to use. Yes, on social issues, most Democrats tend to agree with each other, and most Republicans tend to agree with each other. Still a Voter's Guide can give info in other ways. Did they answer the questions at all? If not, is the info available from the Candidates Official Record and Resources.
     Let me start with Democrats because there is little variance - but still you should look at the citations. 10 social issues / questions are addressed. Neither Clinton or Sanders answered the survey, but they do agree on the issues that the Guide could find documented answers for. There is no citation provided (found?) as to whether they believe in interpreting the US Constitution based on current situations or the intent of the original creators. This is important - and unknown - because one of the first acts of our next President will likely be the appointment of a new Supreme Court Justice. Go to the Citation sources and learn as much as you can before voting in the Primary. Sanders sources are all his own Issues page or Senate roll call. Three of Clinton's were not on her own site but available in articles or a PAC's page.

     Now for Republicans - I will go with top 3 only. Cruz and Rubio both answered all questions, and agreed. And here is where I want REPUBLICANS TO PAY ATTENTION! (Maybe I should have led with this...) Trump did not answer any of the questions. Because CAP (who puts out the voters guide) is a Conservative Agency (though they do no endorsing) Democrats tend not to answer and Republicans almost always do. So for a REPUBLICAN to not answer is a big RED FLAG. If I give him the benefit of the doubt because he has no history in politics and doesn't know better, or doesn't care, then let's look at what can be found - as is done for most Democratic candidates. The Guide could only FIND the answer to 5 OUT OF 10 questions - DISTURBING! And 3 of those 5 were found on his TWITTER page, not his website - SERIOUSLY DISTURBING! The other two sources were NBC News and Ammoland Shooting Sports News - I don't even know what to say about that... PLEASE VOTE RESPONSIBLY!
http://azvoterguide.com/  Although this is from Arizona, it's about the President so helps everyone - including Independents. (The one thing I found difficult about the Guide is that



you have to hover over the number in blue to find out the issue being cited, and then it covers the answer. But do the WORK...it's our COUNTRY's FUTURE we are talking about.)

Heather J. Kirk
Art by Heather J. Kirk www.heather-kirk.artistwebsites.com
Literature by Heather J. Kirk http://www.photographicartistry.citymax.com/Books.html

It does not go away...have the guts to leave, get help or intervene

It's time we all educate ourselves more about domestic violence and INTERVENE, because many women clearly don't know how to help or extricate themselves. This video show it is not an "every once in awhile" thing. I lost count, but 6 or 7 or 8 times in one year...and progressively rse. Once it starts, it can only get worse and end badly if BOTH parties don't get help.

This Woman Took A Photo Of Herself Every Day For A Year. I Was In Tears When I Saw The Last One.

By sharing photos of one woman’s face over the course of a year, this video conveys a powerful message that needs to be shared. “One photo a day in the...

http://www.reshareworthy.com/one-photo-a-day-for-one-year/#UtLsoX4RxvkpwAqc.01

(*Disclaimer – they did use a model and make up, but that makes it no less real. The Croatian campaign was stared after too many domestic violence deaths.)

Heather J. Kirk
Art by Heather J. Kirk www.heather-kirk.artistwebsites.com
Literature by Heather J. Kirk http://www.photographicartistry.citymax.com/Books.html