You're no different than I am

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/22/ellen-challenges-john-mcc_n_103016.html

I'm not really that interested in American politics at all, and I'm only vaguely familiar with this guy, but he seems like an idiot. Ellen Degeneres is amazing though.

For the link-phobic, it's Ellen questioning John McCain on her upcoming marriage to her long-term partner, whose name escapes me right now. Gay marriage is a big issue in the US I gather.

It bugs me though. He says:

"And I know that we have a respectful disagreement on that issue."

There is nothing, nothing respectful about obstructing someone's rights like that, saying that their love is just not good enough for the state. Fuck off.

I love how Ellen makes it clear that everyone is the same; she gives excellent, eloquent arguments and McCain can't seem to find a word to say in response. But then, bigots aren't known for their ability to actually justify what they're saying.

MPs back 24-week abortion limit

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7409696.stm

THANK YOU BRITAIN. I'm proud of us right now. Well done.

Of course, the abortion law in this country is still a bit archaic (two doctors? Really?) and if it were up to me people would get their filthy little noses out of an individual woman's bodily business, but whatever. It's a start.

There are some absolutely hilarious quotes though on the article. I'd advise reading through it.

Sexual Harassment Is Rubbish

My little sister is 19. She is beautiful and fashionable and friendly. She loves office work and finished a course in it quite recently, picking up an apprenticeship in a local office straight after.

She now has to leave that job. Why? Because she's being harassed by her boss.

I've been trying to make her notice that her boss buying her knickers for her birthday and sending texts saying "I love you" is highly inappropriate, but she's been saying it's just because he's nice. I don't know what's finally flipped the switch, but he's crossed a line somewhere and she's leaving as soon as she can.

Now that he knows she isn't going to pull down her skinny jeans for him, he has completely changed. She should be doing administrative stuff; instead, he has her cleaning the office. He deliberately messes it up again straight after so she has to keep doing it. That's just a textbook case of a slighted man trying to assert his masculinity and put the uppity woman back in her place, isn't it? It makes me SO ANGRY.

Luckily, she's reporting it, not that it'll go anywhere because no one cares. She brought it on herself, they'll say. She gave him the wrong idea. Or he'll say she's lying (though I hope she's kept the texts, in that case). Whatever. If I could, I would be performing some violence in his direction right now. HE should be the one leaving, the one forced to go elsewhere. Not her.

And my family wonder why I'm a feminist...