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Women Deserve Better

Check out this spoken word performance from Sonya Renee; towards the end my jaw was dropped and I was near tears. (And I'm not that big of a softie, believe me.) Just amazing.

Via KaeLyn at Feministe.

UPDATE: Get the transcript here.

Posted by Jessica - July 31, 2008, at 03:50PM | in Activism , Arts , Reproductive Rights , Video

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46 Comments

Wow.

[0+] Author Profile Page Shanti said:

Amazing.

[0+] Author Profile Page Femgineer said:

Also near tears. Super powerful.

[0+] Author Profile Page ElleStar said:

It's a little scary when a complete stranger can voice exactly what I've been thinking.

That was beautiful.

[0+] Author Profile Page Logrus said:

For the win.

[0+] Author Profile Page Femgineer said:

Also near tears. Super powerful.

I am speechless....that was simply amazing, thank you for posting it for all to see.

[0+] Author Profile Page chelsea said:

awesome.

[0+] Author Profile Page chelsea said:

awesome.

AMAZING!!!!!!

Tears, yes indeed from this woman. What an awesome lady she is!

I'm goose bumping all over the place!

HELLS YEAH!

Can we post this on both McCain and Obama's websites somehow or their blogs? They need to see this.

Sonya Renee succinctly touches on every last reason why I am disgusted with our government's handling of women's rights. Hopefully, I'll be commenting from Norway soon.

Skål!

I got CHILLS! Wonderful! Can we get a transcript for our bedroom walls?!

Can she please give the next white house briefing on health and human services? Holy shit, that is a beautiful, talented woman in her element.

That woman is my hero. Honestly. I know I say that every day and that every day I seem to have a new hero, but it's not my fault so many beautiful people walk this earth!

That performance is going in my Firefox auto-tabs thing, so it'll be the first thing I see every time I open the internet. It was that amazing.

I got chills. (They're multiplying.)

[0+] Author Profile Page agoodshinkickin said:

That was glorious.

She's awesome. But my gut reaction is to wonder at how many seconds McCain, any "bald old white man", or other anti-choicer would simply close their ears, or call security if this woman ever stood up at a public appearance.

[0+] Author Profile Page Hrovitnir said:

That was amazing. I want to make all the nice, middle class women I know online who are "pro life" watch this.

But it would be seen as offensive and rude and attacking the way casual references to "my choice" not being a good argument for being allowed to leave non-biodegradable plastics everywhere since hell that's the argument pro-choicers use (as per one thread on a forum I spend a lot of time in) are not.

[0+] Author Profile Page gemma said:

Wow!

..

I second the notion that a transcript would make a great poster.

[0+] Author Profile Page SailorROX said:

That... was... simply... amazing....OMG

She said it all- what a passionate public speaker! I want to meet her someday.

I just wanted to take the time to say that I visit this site everyday and, despite what some trolls have said recently, I do find at least one post everyday that empowers me or makes me lmao. You go gals (and pro-equality men)!

[0+] Author Profile Page SailorROX said:

That... was... simply... amazing....OMG

She said it all- what a passionate public speaker! I want to meet her someday.

I just wanted to take the time to say that I visit this site everyday and, despite what some trolls have said recently, I do find at least one post everyday that empowers me or makes me lmao. You go gals (and pro-equality men)!

[0+] Author Profile Page paigeash said:

This is probably the 20th time I've seen this and it still made me cry. So amazing.

Absolutely amazing. I'm going to look her up and find other pieces she has done.

That was incredible.

I've been inspired by this kind of performance before, but this is one of the few that simultaneously gives me the feeling of a sinking heart, knowing that all the crimes and cruelties she of which she speaks are true and real and intolerable, and a swelling, hearing somebody like her speak so well against it and for oppressed people everywhere.

[0+] Author Profile Page JosephLillo said:

\mm/ Too much awesome for one hand.

On the other hand, too necessary, too much to cover, possibly too little time on this world to cover it and she's still too quiet. Only with accompanying voices can there be enough of a roar. I'm favoriting this, and spreading it around, as it's the very least I can do.

I thought I'd be bugged a bit by the fact that this is for something called "Individual World Poetry Slam Finals" for 2006, but the conviction is obviously there, and that's no act, damn it.

That was simply magical to watch, extremely powerful.

[0+] Author Profile Page restlessfish said:

I don't know enough words to describe how wonderful that video was. That was extraordinary. I wanted to get up and yell and clap.

[0+] Author Profile Page Oshkosher said:

that was amazing. What a talented young woman. I am moved.

[0+] Author Profile Page Don Smith The Sequel said:

Yet another tantrum of irresponsible individuals wanting the government to bail them out and teach their children. I could say more about the type of woman who gets pregnant despite the squalled conditions (not people who get raped but the many who go about it carelessly), which is really cruel to the child, but I doubt "pro-women" sites would appreciate that. Rather, lets divert to other issues rather than the ones that don't blame us. There was some concern of the children, and that's fine, but a lot of it was whining.

[0+] Author Profile Page Miranda said:

Oh, shut up, Don Smith The Sequel. Ladies, I vote that we not waste our time on such a vile comment.

The first time I saw this video was like the first time I saw Hair performed: magical and literally life-changing.

[0+] Author Profile Page Don Smith The Sequel said:

Seriously speaking Miranda, I want to know what you disagreed with in my statement. Please don't make any premature assumptions. Otherwise if you so easily discount what I said without any shred of discussion, merely discounting my opinion as a joke, sexist, or what your reasoning may be rather than giving me any benefit of a civilized converstaion, than you are the same as those individuals who disregard others that happen to disagree with them.

[0+] Author Profile Page FemWarrior said:

First of all, FUCK YEA. The end where she talks about white older men making decisions who are encouraging war and killing other people's babies but wanting to keep their hands on our wombs... ugh. Simply, Amazing.

[0+] Author Profile Page FemWarrior said:

First of all, FUCK YEA. The end where she talks about white older men making decisions who are encouraging war and killing other people's babies but wanting to keep their hands on our wombs... ugh. Simply, Amazing.

[0+] Author Profile Page Tofu said:

Right on, Miranda. Trolls are always looking to get under someone's skin, but what really gets under *their* skin is when everyone ignores them.

Loved the video! Want the transcript as a poster, too!

Women deserve better. Women deserve choice.

Definitely gave me shivers.

I try not to be narrow-minded, but it amazes me that everyone in this country can't see the hypocrisy of right-wing politics, especially towards matters of sexuality and reproductive rights...

This one is also AWESOME:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJbWcX0hFts

"Liking Me"

That was so beautifully strong in all its terrible truthfulness. I'm in tears, that woman gives the distinct impression of suffering with those she sees, and it is so powerful. The desperation of others becomes her own.

Wow!

Am posting this on my own blog - spreading this marvel is a duty.

On the link to the site with the transcript some troll left the exact same misogynist and baiting comment as Don Smith's under the name Milky Pink.

Yeah, that was powerful. This reminds me of my friend who's daughter turns 8 in a few months. She's still waiting on that pack of diapers of her ex promised her nearly a decade ago.

Incredible!!! I would like to take this opportunity to recommend D-Lishus from Toronto, Ontario. She is absolutely amazing, and her "Patriarchy" is totally worthy of full-body goosebumps.

[0+] Author Profile Page Nikki L said:

I am stunned...and profoundly thankful she gave voice to what so many of us already know. I can't wait to share this with some of the women in my life.

[0+] Author Profile Page Merbs said:

So powerful! I love spoken word. This one brought me to tears!

[0+] Author Profile Page ctbg09 said:

I wish EVERYONE would take the 3 and 1/2 minutes to watch this. I think she sums up some of the problems and paradoxes that women face today quite nicely.

Two words: FUCK YEAH!

[0+] Author Profile Page Nana said:

Woah. Amazing. I have goose bumps.

[0+] Author Profile Page ankara said:

All those forced pregnancies only mean one thing to Bush&Co: Forced transfer of newborns from an oppressed (fertile, impoverished) group to an elite (infertile, privileged) group.

Bush&Co promote it, calling it "Infant Adoption" but it is really genocide - as described under International Criminal Code.

No pregnant person should ever be approached or coerced to 'give up' her yet-to-be-born offspring before she's had any knowledge or experience with her very own motherhood.

It's illegal to approach healthy minors begging for a kidney or hunk of liver, so why is it legal to encroach on her womb and its contents?

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