I am devastated by the news that Taylor Swift had to cancel three shows in Vienna due to a threat of a terrorist attack.
This comes right after the horrifying news that children were targeted and murdered during a Taylor Swift dance class in the UK recently.
And yet, as I sit here, dwelling in the devastation of it all, I know exactly who to blame.
I don't blame the swifties, who waited for so long and travelled so far to go see her in Vienna. I don't blame them for spending a probably tremendous amount of money (no matter how much) to be there.
I do not blame the families or the children or the teachers involved in the absolute tragedy in the UK.
I blame the perpetrators. But I also blame the media. I blame the culture.
I blame the fact that we currently live in a world where it is okay to not only hate (especially female) artists to a degree where you want to harm them and their fans, but where it is okay to hate women to such an agree that you would act like this.
I have, to my enormous outrage, seen comments on how Taylor somehow deserved this. That its a "shame they caught" the people intending to harm and kill possibly thousands of concert goers. Human beings.
I have seen comments blaming Taylor for the deaths of three innocent children in the UK stabbings.
How can you wake up in the morning and look at your own reflection in the mirror?
How can you face your family and friends?
How dare you pretend to be normal, to be a well-adjusted person while harboring these outright evil feelings.
What's wrong with this world is NOT that women and girls of all ages gather to celebrate a female artist.
What's wrong with this world is the fact that there are people out there who not only think they should not be allowed to do so, but violently try and do keep them from doing so.
I want to tell you what, and who, the common denominator in 99% of the issues the world has, are.
But I fear you're not ready to hear it.
Perhaps my opinion and response to this would be different were I not born a woman.
And because of that, it is my eternal curse and burden to suffer under the rule of men.
To suffer under the violence of men.
To suffer under the opinion of men.
To suffer under the volatility of men.
To suffer under the oppression by men.
Every single day, I hear another story.
I will hear another story of how a man ruined a woman's life. And a lot of the time, they are never truly punished for it.
I am sick. and. tired. of men ruining the world. I am sick and tired of men running the world. I am sick and tired of men ruining women.
Call me a misandrist. Do so rightfully. I am one.
Call me a liberal radical feminist. Do so rightfully. I am one.
Call me a social justice warrior. Do so rightfully. I am one.
But do also call me a liberal. Do also call me a feminist. Do also call me a fucking JUSTICE WARRIOR.
I refuse to diminish this, I refuse to live quietly among humans who behave this way.
My sister's boyfriend once asked me if I "could truly kill a man if it came to it."
The argument was regarding someone breaking into my home and/or rape. He did not believe I would be able to if it really came to it.
I told him, without hesitation, that I absolutely could and would.
If you try to take from me, I will snatch whatever you try to take right back. You try to rip away my dignity? My feeling of safety? My feeling of being? My right to existing? My right to living?
I will rip away yours thousandfold. I would rather die trying than give in.
I am sick and tired of men actively, aggressively and purposely ruining safe spaces for women.
And the fact that we cannot EVER keep them safe says everything we need to know about how much men in general value women.