The luxury was mine from 11 a.m. until about 12:30 p.m. today. I flipped to a couple of television channels, walked a friend's dog, and intermittently folded clothes. The thought crossed my mind, albeit briefly, that I "should" be doing something more focused or productive. However, I've been working on becoming more mindful of my inner dialogue, my thoughts. In doing so, I've become a bit more dismissive of the judge and jury that is ready to comment about my time and accountability.
I flipped to CNN where anchorperson Chris Cuomo was excitedly reporting that the USA had the second-largest number of ticket sales for today's match: USA vs. Belgium. Of course, as I write this, it is after 9 p.m. EST, and the USA is going home. Heads should not hang: in the time they played in Brazil it was like watching a cocoon open. No tired legs today! Congratulations to the team for representing us so incredibly well.
A few moments after a brief (funny) interview with USA soccer fan "Teddy Goals-velt," I stumbled across Fox News, my attention caught by a few moments of good, old-fashioned values reporting. This is 2014, correct? I'm just doing a reality check. The show is called Outnumbered. One man -- Jesse Watters -- "outnumbered" by four female anchors. Just the idea that a news show is based on the seeming outlandish idea that one male is lost in a sea of female intellect and will likely never get his point across is in and of itself offensive. However, Mr. Watters' comments drew me in not out of a desire to learn more about his take on Hilary Clinton or her views, but rather what he goes on to say in response to her protestations. I could easily guess that Hilary Clinton would be disturbed by the ruling of the Supreme Court yesterday in making the decision to rule against mandates for some forms of contraception being covered by employer-sponsored health care plans (that hold religious views opposed to contraception). In speaking to Clinton's supporters he said: "I call those single women voters Beyonce voters... forced to rely on government checks because they are unable to depend on their husbands." I'm sure if Beyonce ever does hear about this, she will laugh, but I hope she responds. I am just one female in the world, but I have a computer and an opinion. I am fortunate in that I have a platform to voice it. I don't know if that many will read this, but I know I'll be reading about this in other forums in the next 24 hours. That statement holds such blatant racist, sexist, outdated, intentionally classist and sensational points that it deserves to be front and center news all by itself. Gosh, come to think of it, I don't have a husband to rely on. I'm doomed!
Beyonce is a fabulously wealthy and talented entertainer, a hard-working, gorgeous black woman who happens to be married and self-reliant. I'd wager that her restaurant tabs are more than Watters' salary. What really got my blood circulating was the total blank, beautiful, tight-dressed and lip-glossed looks from the women that outnumbered Watters. They said: nothing. Silent smilers, sitting erect with toned legs crossed and a posture that suggests they may be wearing Spanx. At least a couple of them.
It is worthy that Monday's ruling marks the first time the high court has declared that for-profit companies can hold religious views under federal law. I feel the need to repeat that. This was the very first time -- ever -- that a law was voted on and passed that is the perfect example of the mixture of church and state. I believe that Fox's show Outnumbered needs Whoppi Goldberg; in the least they need women that speak.
As for the Supreme Court Justices: your job is to interpret the law, and apply your collective and extensive knowledge of Constitutional law while reviewing items that are questionable or objectionable. They review the issue within the law "in question" and then they vote. The result of that vote is a decision. They also decide what *cases to hear. Between Watters, the Justices that voted for this, and the women that outnumbered Watters on today's show and didn't have one thing to say, I went back to folding clothes. What a mess.
The world is changing at the speed of sound, children are being killed in the name of religion and politics, the USA men's soccer team just about made it to the quarterfinals of the World Cup, students are still waiting for a drop of one stinking percentage point off their student loan interest rate, and the Supreme Court decided to give the power of contraception over to employee benefit plan design. Beyonce is called out as an example of a black, single woman voter in favor of the government giving her paid contraception and a check in the mail. I thanked the G-d of my understanding that I don't have to understand most of this. I am, in fact, powerless over so much. However, I hope when someone googles terms such as: Blatant racist comments, anti-feminist news anchors with personal agendas -- or -- How can we change what the Supreme Court focuses on?, I hope that the top five responses are "Jesse Watters fired from Fox News."