Today as I was leaving the mall with my daughter, a car pulled up beside me with two men inside. As we walked to our car they followed, whistling and hollering. I tried to ignore them, "Think of her, think of your kid. Don't respond. Ignore them." I began to get angry. I have put up with harassment since I was 10. I have always ignored them, because I was told that's how I stay safe... But no one had ever done it in front of my kid. I was staying quiet because I was worried about how it might impact her if she saw me get angry. And then it hit me. No. Say something. Show HER it's okay to stand up for yourself. Show her that what they are doing is not okay. That it should not be ignored. And so I yelled. I yelled, "Piss the fuck off! Can't you see I am with my child?!" And one of them laughed back, "Yeeeah sexy momma!" We had reached our car and they drove off. I was shaking. And my daughter asked, "Why were they doing that? Why did you yell at them?" And I looked at her, wanting to cry in frustration because I now had to explain to my almost 5-year-old about catcalling. I said, "They were doing that because they are insecure. Because they want me to like them and I don't want to, and they are mad about it." "And I yelled at them because that's not okay. No one can make you do anything you don't want to do. And if someone does something to make you uncomfortable you have a right to be upset and a right to say something to them. Yell at them. Just don't ever let anyone treat you like that. Don't ignore it." Before I could finish my rant, my sweet girl put her hand on mine and said, "They should know that's not how you make friends. And if anyone ever does that to me, I would tell them to leave me alone or I will call the police." And I've never been more proud.
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amandla
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