Moar camping

My sister and BIL are driving their GIGANTIC trailer down to Baton Rouge, they're going to pick up my mom and drive back to the PacNW with her.

They decided they'd go through California on the way back. Dh and I decided we'd meet them down there, near Redwoods National Park. It's not a terribly long drive, and it's so beautiful, and we desperately need to get out.

So we booked a campsite last night. It doesn't appear to be a great campground but it'll do. The CA state park campgrounds around there don't appear to be great, and my sister won't be able to stay at any of them that still have openings (I don't know if there are large site available and they are just booked or what). And even if their change their trip around we don't care, it's a trip we'd been wanting to make for a while.

We will have to get a hotel on the way down, I think.

Big trees, beaches, and sleeping in a tent. It'll all be good.

The Karen Meme

There is an article today in Business Insider that I was able to read via my news app, but can't seem to find online... Anyhow, it talked about the Karen Meme, how it became a meme, and how, now more than ever, a Karen is a middle aged white woman who is being racist in public, and thus has the potential of harming Blacks or other minorities.

First, to be very clear: I am not, and will would, dispute the existence of racist and very racist white people in general and white women in particular. The fact that there are Karens out there doing serious harm or threatening serious harm is horrific. I am not, either, disputing the fact that White Feminism is often toxic. Want a good example? Look at some of the threads promoting Elizabeth Warren as VP on twitter.

That isn't the point I want to discuss. It's the sexism.

Note that the embodiment of racism in the US has become... a white woman. Not a white man.

There have been pages written, legitimately, on how white women profit from white supremacy, and how we can use the power of white men, both literally and in the institutions white men have created, to further our needs and wants at the expense of minorities.

What I am concerned about is the fact that white men (#NotAllWhiteMen) use the Karen thing to hide behind. Racism now has a human face, and it's a blond woman. I see men on twitter, white men, constantly pushing Karen memes. Mainly liberal white men, of course.

There is a segment of society where being a racist is perfpectly acceptable. These people were always there, they did not suddenly become racists when Trump came down that escalator. However, they were still, for many -not all- slightly ashamed of that racism, aware that it really wasn't ok. Now, they're loud and proud about.

But they're not the ones I'm talking about, with the Karen-as-the-face-of-racism. I'm talking about liberals. MY people, ya know?

Some of these people wouldn't describe themselves as racist. I get that. All I can say is that I try not be let my racism take over, and I try to act in an anti-racist manner. I work at it.

The issue I'm seeing how is many men are hiding their own racism behind ours. These are people who decry "identity politics" (note, liberals) but who are more than happy to heap all racism on top of women, leaving liberal men unscathed.

I have a bit of a problem with that. Own your own racism dudes!

Yay!

AC has a job offer, and she's going to accept. She'll be working with the UW medical center to process Covid-19 samples. Part time, which she wanted (she didn't want to leave her accounting/tax job person in the lurch), work from 3pm-11pm.

I'm excited for her. It was her first time interviewing for a job "cold", every other thing she's done, she got via word of mouth, so I'm glad it was a good experience. She sent in her application Wed, got the offer today. I may apply too. I mean, they seem desperate and it would be a job. OTOH, there is that thesis.

A small twinge of "ugh, Covid samples", but, well.