Jackie Robinson – Not Standing for the National Anthem

In this experiment in diversity that is the United States, we still have many hierarchies that we must overcome, though we have come a long way.

In sports, very few people exemplify this struggle more than Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play major league baseball.

We are reminded of his feelings about standing for the national anthem at a time when Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for a rendition. The presence of strong hierarchies in this country eventually led Robinson to feel the same way.

http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2016/08/29/jackie-robinson-i-cannot-stand-and-sing-the-anthem-i-cannot-salute-the-flag/

Women Can't Drive, but They Can Fly Commerical Airplanes

Three women piloted a commercial plane into Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a place where women aren't allowed to drive a car.

The first ever all-female flight deck crew for Royal Brunei Airlines flew a plane from Brunei to the country that greatly imposes a gender hierarchy.

In a country that would never consider imposing such limitations on men that they do on women, obviously women are perfectly capable of doing more than their hierarchical religion with rules made by men dictates.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/royal-brunei-airlines-first-all-female-flight-deck-crew-lands-plane-in-saudi-arabia-where-women-are-a6931726.html

United Methodists – First Non-heterosexual Bishop Elected

With our roots in the United Methodist Church, we are watching what will happen with the election of Karen Oliveto as resident bishop for the Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and part of Idaho. She is the first openly gay bishop, and was elected in July.

The United Methodist Church tenets state that homosexuality is "incompatible with Christian teachings," and bars homosexual people from ordination. Some members have asked that Oliveto's election be ruled invalid, and a ruling is expected possibly in October.

http://www.cpr.org/news/story/methodist-churchs-first-openly-gay-bishop-prepares-move-colorado#st_refDomain=www.facebook.com&st_refQuery=/

Andy Murray Corrects Interviewer – Women are People Too

 "You're the first person ever to win two Olympic tennis gold medals. That's an extraordinary feat, isn't it?" BBC interviewer John Inverdale asked gold medal winner Andy Murray.

"Umm," Murray said. "Well."

He then stated that Serena and Venus Williams have each won four gold medals.

Guess "people" only means men, and only men are important in the scheme of things, according to Inverdale. Benefits of being on top of the hierarchy, we suppose.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetorch/2016/08/15/490056480/watch-andy-murray-reminds-interviewer-that-women-win-gold-too

Most Racially Diverse Gymnastics Team in History

This year, the Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio noted that gold medal All-Around winner Simone Biles, Olympic medalist Gabby Douglas, and Olympic first-timer Laurie Hernandez make up the most diverse gymnastics team in United States history, a group that won the gold medal in the team competition.

Sure is a good thing our country is so diverse, as we work so hard to break down our hierarchies and become more inclusive. Looks like one of the many benefits is Olympic Gold!

http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/12/health/simone-manuel-simone-biles-olympics-make-history/

No More "Honey" and "Darling" In Court

All women know how easy it is to demean or discredit women, just by a look or a comment. The American Bar Association is finally catching up with many states in addressing tactics against female lawyers.

Now, one of the ways lawyers try to discredit female lawyers will no longer be tolerated. The American Bar Association has now prohibited sexual harassment including demeaning terms for women, spoken under the veil of "niceness."  It will now be ruled as professional misconduct to discriminate against or harass opposing counsel.

Those settings not only include the courtroom, but also “interacting with witnesses, co-workers, court personnel, lawyers and others” and “managing a law practice or law firm” or “participating in bar association, business or social activities in connection with the practice of law.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/10/business/dealbook/aba-prohibits-sexual-harassment-joining-many-state-bars.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur

The Atlantic: The Men Who Support Trump

Patriarchy as a form of hierarchy (gender based) is alive and well, but perhaps faltering: From James Hamlin, M.D., in The Atlantic:

"Still the foundation of Trump’s base is white men without a degree. The dominance of white men is being challenged on many fronts, including the code by which they fraternized with and identified one another. If their dominance is shrinking, it is a regression toward parity, an undoing of entrenched inequality, but not an outright attack. Not oppression.

"The fact that Trump’s impetuousness and thoughtlessness are rewarded rather than punished only further evidence the boys-will-be-boys system. His weakness is not in “speaking without thinking,” as apologists have offered, but in being unable not to speak when challenged. Trump is both a product of a masculine culture and a beneficiary of its musky tenets. Rather than criticize him or lose faith, his fans forgive and apologize for his words.

"Masculine culture is both a reason that Trump does what he does and a reason that people accept and trust it. To watch Trump is to appreciate that “fuck the patriarchy” may belong in everyday use, possibly in place of “what’s up?” His classical brand of masculinity becomes toxic and feeds tribalism and violence and entitlement among his followers—those who prefer fighting to talking, walls to bridges, grimaces to smiles. But it can stop holding sway whenever we stop valuing it, stop accepting it at all."

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/08/trump-masculinity-problem/494582/

President Obama - A Feminist

In an article in Glamour, Barack Obama writes, "This Is What a Feminist Looks Like." Very good analysis coming from our president. He says that for his daughters, it is important he is a feminist, because that is what they expect of all men.

Obama says that everywhere he goes across the country, and around the world, he sees people pushing back against dated assumptions about gender roles. We need to keep changing the attitude that punishes women for their sexuality and rewards men for their theirs.

He admits that as he looks back now he can see that when his daughters were young, he "helped out," but it was usually on his schedule and on his terms. The burden disproportionately and unfairly fell on wife Michelle. 

He notes that two hundred and forty years after our nation’s founding, and almost a century after women finally won the right to vote, for the first time ever, a woman is a major political party’s presidential nominee – an historic moment for America.

http://www.glamour.com/story/glamour-exclusive-president-barack-obama-says-this-is-what-a-feminist-looks-like

How Trump Supporters Act - Video

Want to see how people act who want to support hierarchies that Donald Trump pushes? Just listen to responses from people who support Donald Trump.

New York Times reporters have covered Donald J. Trump's rallies for more than a year. His supporters at these events often express their views in angry and provocative ways. Here are some examples.

Warning – vulgarities and racial slurs.

http://www.nytimes.com/video/us/politics/100000004533191/unfiltered-voices-from-donald-trumps-crowds.html?smid=fb-share