When talking about my feisty mother, who was born and raised in the Bronx, I always say, "You can take the girl out of the Bronx, but you can't take the Bronx out of the girl." I'd describe AOC in the same terms. Merely existing as an attractive woman on the streets of New York City, and working for years as a waitress and bartender serving drunk bros, AOC has a PhD in toxic masculinity, and she castigated Ted Yahoo on the floor of the Capitol:
Rep. @AOC: "I have tossed men out of bars that have used language like Mr. Yoho's and I have encountered this type of harassment riding the subway of New York City. This is not new and that is the problem." https://t.co/KI3pEoqEew pic.twitter.com/jgqH4KqPma
— The Hill (@thehill) July 23, 2020
It's a remarkable ten minutes on the House floor... Representative Ocasio-Cortez was brilliant, fierce, eloquent, unflinchingly repeating the foul language Ted Yahoo used to insult her from ten paces away. Her dismissal of Yahoo's false piety and hypocritical 'embrace' of 'family values' is a much-needed counter to the bullshit Republican 'Party of Values' propaganda. Yahoo represents a dysfunctional old guard of bigoted, misogynistic men (most of them, but by no means all, white), and he will be relegated to a mere footnote in the historical record of Ocasio-Cortez' career. Ocasio-Cortez is a self-made success story, unlike the creepy nepotism-hire failsons in Congress (I'm looking particularly at Florida Man Matt Gaetz here), and I look forward to following her in a long career in government. The fact that I have a familiarity with and a fondness for the district which she represents sweetens the pot- I know young women and girls who see her as a role model.
Women are just better stewards of society than men have been... just look at the successful COVID-19 crisis response in nations with women leaders. Seeing more women, especially seeing young, working-class women of color, elected to positions of authority, is a good sign that we Americans can turn a corner if we get out and vote. We need intelligent, idealistic, fearless representatives, especially ones who can muster a healthy dose of righteous rage.
All systems that perpetrate inequality: racism, sexism, the real class warfare of the elite on the workers,all diminish society. The unqualified rule by coercion and obliterate the true chance for merit- people freely pursuing their talents.
ReplyDeleteI've seen the shit dished out to AOC on twitter, and the comments made about her by GOP politicians. She is always the model of strength and intelligent resistance.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that her youth and her work as a bartender means she's stupid and dismissable is ridiculous. Of course the people who believe this crap ignore (or are ignorant of) her academic achievements and her work with Ted Kennedy and Bernie Sanders. She's fully earned everything she's achieved, which is not something Trump will ever be able to truthfully claim.
She was magnificent today, and Yoho better not open his worthless mouth about her or any other woman in such terms ever again or he'll be wearing his balls as a necklace.
Intelligent, feisty, boldly progressive, motivated, energetic... its obvious why AOC immediately became a target of the right; they are afraid of her, her potential, and what she represents. Putting Yoho in his place may be the easiest thing she will have accomplished this week. I am an elderly white guy and I consider her one of my heroes.
ReplyDeleteJust like everybody knows who Barack Obama is, not so many of us remember (or will at least have to think hard to remember) the name of the guy who shouted "You lie!" during an Obama State of the Union speech. So it will be with Mr. Yoho. Although his name may become synonymous with inappropriately angry attacking outbursts, as in; "That guy really pulled a Yoho didn't he?".
I saw the clip yesterday... Great job, AOC. I was especially impressed that bringing this to the House floor wasn't her initial move. She was going to let it go until she heard his mealy-mouthed "non-apology" apology. She was calm but firm, without giving them any ammo such as, "She's so emotional," etc.
ReplyDeleteAll systems that perpetrate inequality: racism, sexism, the real class warfare of the elite on the workers,all diminish society
ReplyDeleteTheir callous greed will imperil our planet, not THE planet, but OUR inhabitable planet. They will find out, too late, that they can't escape to Mars.
The idea that her youth and her work as a bartender means she's stupid and dismissable is ridiculous.
Doing that sort of work is more of an education than any university coursework.
Intelligent, feisty, boldly progressive, motivated, energetic... its obvious why AOC immediately became a target of the right; they are afraid of her, her potential, and what she represents
I suspect that her physical attractiveness is just as big a factor. They want to objectify her, to reduce her to 'crazy hot chick', and she is so much more intelligent and poised than they are, and it's driving them insane.
Great job, AOC. I was especially impressed that bringing this to the House floor wasn't her initial move. She was going to let it go until she heard his mealy-mouthed "non-apology" apology.
She made damn sure that Yoho's misogyny was entered into the congressional record.