Terrible

So, I have a travel post for you that I will do after this but this needs to come first.

Firstly, I want to add a disclaimer:

Please don't roll your eyes.

This is not a political blog and this is not a political post. 

My skin is crawling from hearing "Tragedy in Tucson" and people (both directly around me in this house, and also online and on tv and radio, which I just cannot deal with) trying to make comments about how much they know about everything. Stuff like "It was only a matter of time" and "Oh well I saw this coming" (that was all I heard before I had to leave the room) and other really disrespectful, shitty, voyeuristic shitty shitty shitty stuff and just acting shitty in general.

However, I absolutely am not going to let this pass by and not say anything about it.

As you all know by now (unless you are, say a superficial space cadet [fashion blogger]), this morning in Tucson at a grocery store, 18 (maybe more?) people were shot. By a 22 year old white male. With a glock bought at the Sportsmans Warehouse in Tucson. The target was 40 year old, Female, Democrat Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. 6 people have died, including US District Judge John Roll, but most importantly and I would say, tragically, a 9 year old girl, whose identity has not been released.

Gabby Giffords was shot in the head, through the brain. 

The gunman then opened fire on the crowd who were "trapped by a table and a concrete post".

At this point, I think everyone is aware that Gabby Giffords has received criticism, slander and threats for the duration of her political career, including the now infamous Sarah Palin crosshairs map on her website yesterday (? last week? I'm not sure when).

The thing I want to say about this is not to say I know everything, that I know why the shooter did it, or why this happened in our city, state or country. 

I just want to say that things like this makes me really concerned to tell my little sisters to stand up for themselves. Beyond any amount of political connotation (which we all disagree about anyway), from a female (not feminist, just female) perspective, this is the most fucking terrifying thing that could have happened. I can actually name the names of people that read this blog that don't give a shit about this topic (and I don't blame you for either not caring about our political state or just not understanding it at all) but regardless of how much you belittle a situation, it doesn't change the fact that women are totally shit upon and gaining power doesn't guarantee you any safety.

Two really important people were hurt today, one is dead and one will never be the same if she survives the night. Those people are at opposite ends of the spectrum: a strong, bold (for the political world) brave adult woman who fought for the people she represents and fought against extremists on both ends; and an innocent 9 year old girl who was never given a chance. 

This is just another absolutely miserable experience, disturbing and awful and horrible and shitty. 

And it's totally fucking unacceptable.

I want to look back on this post and take away one thing from it. I would do anything for my sisters, I would take a bullet for them. I refuse to let anyone rob them of their futures, I refuse to let anything interfere with their lives. I absolutely refuse to let a fucking "lone white male" fucking fuck with their lives. I would literally do anything to prevent that and I hope nothing ever changes the way I feel about that. Be it at age 9, 14, 17, 40, 79 or beyond. I refuse to allow a white male scare them into not standing up for themselves, or for standing up for what they believe in, or for speaking their minds or having opinions or feelings. I refuse to let anyone scare ME. I will NOT be scared of you. You can shoot up a crowd, you can shoot someone in the brain, you can kill a little girl. But you cannot stop me. You cannot stop us.

Just like I can name the people that will read this that don't give a shit and might talk shit about me for this, I can name the people that might read this that I love and cherish and adore with all my heart. My heart is with all women tonight, all mothers, daughters, sisters and friends. 

I love you,

Smog

Edited to add this info:

John M. Roll, 63, Gabriel Zimmerman, 30, Dorwin Stoddard, 76, Christina Greene, 9, Dorthy Murray, 76, Phyllis Scheck, 79.