Mail Call #11: Through the Rabbit Hole

Boy howdy, the things people say in light of my ongoing criticism of president-elect Trump. Some people act like they ain't got no relations, I swear.

Here's a greatest hits list again, for your reading (dis)pleasure:

Why don't you just hold your breath, then? All your articles are left wing bullshit. You are obviously a lesbian liberal. Just wait and see what Donald Trump will do. It's about time that the swamp is drained. You are just a poor looser. I suppose you are also crying about young women unable to get birth control. why don't they just close their legs?

I'm bisexual, actually, but thanks. This letter was also apparently sent by another woman, which is extra depressing.

Your party has been in charge the last 8 years. Your party has been in charge of the cities forever. How is all this "racism" possible? I know it is fashionable in your circles to look down on working people who get their hands dirty, your party even wrote them off in 2011. These are the people that pay the bills and they are weary of self appointed "elites" making horrible decisions in the name of globalism and diversity.

I suggest you put on your big girl pants and go out and do an honest days work for once, if you're capable of it. Maybe you would be able to gain a little perspective, or is that beneath you ? Take a look in the mirror and stop projecting your hate on to others. Stop being a crybully. Help us to make America great again!

Ooo, "crybully" is a new one.

I asked this guy why he voted for trump. This was one of the reasons he gave:

I'm concerned about the culture of the United States. It has been kind of a Dinty Moore stew with all the different races and nationalities. I would like to keep this recipe (it tastes good) as it is which means immigrations should approximate the groups that are already here. I know you probably think I am a racist regarding Mexicans but I'm not. However ... I don't want so many in this country that it becomes a Latino dominate culture. I refuse to apologize for liking my own culture and wanting to keep it.

Frankly, I wouldn't mind living in a "Latino dominate" culture but agree to (racistly) disagree, I guess.

Face it, Emily, Donald Trump could create lasting world peace, reverse “global warming”, end all wars, do away with nukes, personally create a renewable energy fuel and cure cancer, all before he even takes office and you liberals would still hate him.


Rather than take out your vitriol against the man, why don’t you get a real job (not writing for a dying newspaper) and become part of the solution instead of bashing everything he tries. How are we ever going to move forward as a country if you snowflake liberals can’t get over the fact that America did not want a old white woman who can not tell truth if she had to. Get over it.

Dude, if Trump did all of the things listed in the first paragraph I would be STOKED. Also, you might be amazed how many people seem to honestly think that my only job is writing this column. I wish it paid enough to get by on but, um, no. Just no.

Thank God not a lot of voters think like you. if you feel so depraved living here try moving to another country see how you like it.

take ur own advice get out of ur town (Madison) from time to time see how life really is. time for u to grow up act like a responsible adult

I went to school in Madison. it is truly a fucked up community. is it bc of your generation. prolly.

Blood

I'm honestly not sure if "Blood" is this person's signature or just a vaguely threatening closing note. Regardless, I don't feel terribly "depraved" living here but I'm also going to guess that this person would look at a lot of what I choose to do with my life and disagree (if they figured out the difference between "depraved" and "deprived" anyway). C'est la vie.

The "grow up" mantra is definitely a favorite go-to of my detractors, by the way. Along with the "you stupid little girl" and "you look like a man," etc. these are all pretty clear cases of ceding the argument. If you have a valid debate point, make it. You don't need to attack someone's person to do that, so when you do, it just tells me you ain't got nothing else.

Oh Emily Emily Emily. Still spewing the same old bullcrap. Example: UNARMED black people being shot by police in disproportionate numbers. Funny, why didn't you mention about armed and unarmed black people being killed by blacks?


Why don't you mention there are more whites killed by police then black. Why don't you mention that most of these black people that are shot by police would still be living if they knew how to listen to orders. I have a lot of great examples to disclaim the bullshit you spewed, but i refuse to waste any more time trying to get you to open your eyes and see what a lot of the American people feel, but you refuse to see. DEMOCRAP POLICYS dont work, THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN! Every big city with all these killings, robbery s, rapes, car chases, and every other crime you can think of are all lead by DEMOCRAP mayors, every single 1 of them! Now you just hide in your little liberal hometown of MADISON, and stay away from Milwaukee because you know better! Why though? So repulsed by you idiots failure to admit, YOUR ALL FUCKED UP! People have spoken Emily! Milwaukee journal has lost so many subscribers because of liberal media like your self. WAKE THE F--K UP EMILY!!!!

You guys I think this person knows my name.

Mail Call #9: Michelle Litjens says hello

I am thrilled to report that none other than former state rep Michelle Litjens wrote a letter to the editor in response to my recent column making the case for why we need more women in politics, tying it to legislation over women's health and reproductive rights. Litjens, if you don't remember, was part of the Republican controlled Legislature that passed Act 10 (the extreme, anti-union measure that prompted months of protest in the state), as well as being a hardcore anti-choice, pro-gun advocate. So the ideological bent of her letter should make a bit more sense, in that context. I appreciate that she took time to respond, so I've done the same (in bold, below):

In response to Emily Mills’ article on Oct. 23, “Needed: More women in politics,” while she is absolutely correct about that statement she is completely wrong about others (Crossroads).

We do need more women in politics. When I served in the Legislature, women were less than a quarter of the representatives. But I am unaware of any “institutional and systemic barriers” to women running for office. In fact, the common saying is true: “When women run, women win.” That's just...not a factual statement. Lots of women lose their races. I'm not even say they always lose because of sexism, but to claim that women always win when they run just doesn't make any damn sense. Also, just because you, a single human being, are "not aware" of certain things does not mean those don't exist. This is a fairly straight-forward concept for most.

Women are less likely to run for office because of lifestyle choices candidates are forced to make every day. Will a candidate attend a pancake breakfast, church picnic, fall festival or his or her kid’s basketball game? This choice is easier for a man to make than a woman. Not because society says so, but because women say so. She lost me here. This makes no actual sense. Is she arguing that men have an easier time putting work before their family? I'm honestly not even sure, this statement is so convoluted. Regardless of the details, though, those "choices candidates are forced to make every day" and how men vs. women respond to them is very much tied up in those aforementioned institutional and systemic barriers--a culture that demands completely different levels of accountability from for mothers vs fathers, pays women less for their work, etc.

My exception to Mills’ article is her comments about third-term abortions. It isn’t true that “hardcore anti-abortion activists continue to spout harmful lies” about third-term abortions. Maybe Mills was unaware that abortionist Kermit Gosnell of Philadelphia was sentenced to life in prison for murder. Aaaand PIVOT.

In the grand jury’s report, Gosnell didn’t call it murder, he called it “ensuring fetal demise.” And how did he accomplish this demise? The jury wrote, “The way he ensured fetal demise was by sticking scissors into the back of the baby’s neck and cutting the spinal cord. He called that ‘snipping.’ ” Kermit Gosnell's case is an aberration, and does not reflect anything remotely close to medical best practices in terms of abortion procedure and women's health. He was (rightfully) punished for gross malpractice. What he was doing is already illegal even with the protections provided by Roe v. Wade. And it was a single case. Litjens has long been an advocate for doing away with abortion rights, and during her time in the Legislature sponsored bills that significantly chipped away at (especially rural) women's right to access comprehensive and scientifically-based reproductive care.

Please, Ms. Mills, don’t patronize me by saying we need more women in politics because we need more abortion proponents (it was men who upheld Roe vs. Wade). We need more women in office because women bring a different thought process to the room. We contribute ideas during bill draftings that men just don’t think about because of our differing life experiences. She makes my argument for me. Though I do believe the debate over reproductive rights and women's health would be very, very different had women been at the table all along, I also don't for a moment believe all women think exactly alike on that, or any, issue. But Litjens and I are in agreement that we need more women in office because women bring a different thought process and set of experiences to the room.

Elected women are valued for far more than just their reproductive rights. And, I might also remind Mills, that many of us women would end that reproductive right at birth control.

Michelle Litjens
Former state representative
56th District, 2011-’12
Oshkosh

Again, my biggest takeaway here is that Michelle is willfully ignorant of the fact that even she is the product of systemic sexism. It's a little easier when you're a right-leaning white woman, of course, but even then I'm not keen to drive wedges between people who should be fighting to lift each other up over an oppressive system that hurts us all. The first step is learning that we all have different experiences and outlooks, and that just because you personally have not experienced something doesn't invalidate that experience for someone else. And that just because you, personally, would not make a certain decision--doesn't give you the right to dictate whether or not it might be the right thing for someone else.

Mail Call #1

So I've had the honor of contributing an opinion column to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for the past couple of years. They let me wax philosophic about any topic that tickles my fancy, and it's been a great opportunity to both expand my own knowledge and understanding of a wide variety of issues, but also to receive feedback from all across the state.

I have a separate email account set up specifically to take that reader feedback, in fact, because sometimes it's important for mental sanity to have things sectioned off a little. I've been more than pleasantly surprised to find that a good 50% of the responses I get are actually positive/supportive, and come from a wide range of people from all across Wisconsin. Of the negative/opposing feedback, too, I'm very grateful that some folks take the time to offer it constructively and seem to genuinely want to have a discussion.

There's about 20-30% of the feedback, though, that occupies its own, let's say "special" place. I've been sharing some of the greatest (see: weirdest, most out there) hits on my Facebook page for awhile, and more than a few people have no urged me to turn it into a regular archive. That brings us here. I consider this somewhat cathartic for me, honestly, because sometimes I just don't know what drives people to take time out of their days to send such ridiculous and hateful (and often wildly misplaced) bile. I have to believe that, if we met in person, we could probably find at least one thing in common and get past all this (if not ultimately agree on everything) divisiveness. But I also know that some folks are just hell bent on being nasty and feeling righteous.

These are their stories. No names/identifying information included. Enjoy?

Feb. 28, 2016 - in re: my column "Partisan Politics and the Courts"

What in God's name makes you think you know so damn much? And that only liberal thinking is hones,fair and just thinking? And that any one even slightly left of you and Madison is wrong, selfish, uncaring,self-serving -etc. well you get the point? Was is your public schooling? Your college profs? your parents? your friends-assuming you had any? Jesus woman -you haven't even been around long enuf to put you bra and undies on right -where did you get the fucking idea that you can tell educated, charity giving, job creating, church going people the kind of shit you spill every week? Was it some poor fuck at the newspaper? Well we know ho well that is going don't we? That's why so many people quit buying it. Have fun now with this bilge because I would predict it won't last long for you.
You a a fucking little twit with a large opinionated ,not quite mature, narrow minded mouth. Here's an idea-try gay parade and party planning. [sic]

(note to that final suggestion: done and done!)