Permanent Wave

Last night I called the police to report violence against women as I
witnessed it. Then I called again. And again. And again. And nothing
ever happened. When I woke up this morning, I did not feel safe. I
will never feel safe when I go for an early jog in my neighborhood, or
walk home from the subway late at night. Because I know that if I am
attacked, and even if someone does the right thing and dials 911, no
one will help me, because no one cares.

The people in the building behind me threw a party last night, and it
spilled out on to their deck. It started out with amplified music I
could hear through my closed windows, and as the night progressed,
things got even worse. I saw women being pushed and shoved, and people
doing drugs. I called the local precinct, and was told that “it’s not
illegal to push someone when you’re drinking” and that smoking pot in
your backyard is apparently no longer a crime (who knew?). I kept
calling, breaking down in tears as the night went on, and was treated
with rudeness and condescension. I saw a few police cars cruise by and
keep right on driving. To the best of my knowledge, no one ever showed
up.

I was raised a good middle class suburban girl with a belief that we
had a social contract with the police. We tolerated them giving us
tickets for going a few miles over the speed limit because we had an
understanding that when we were hurt or in danger, they would serve
and protect us. After last night, that contract has been broken.

And I don’t know what to do next. If I witness illegal activity, who
else can I call? If I am the victim of a crime, I have nowhere else to
turn. I can only write about this because no matter who I called when
I tried the police, I was dismissed. The simple fact of the matter is
that women’s safety and women’s lives are not a priority. Should women
start leaving the city, taking their businesses and tax dollars with
them, until the powers that be take the hint? What should I do if I
see another woman being harassed, attacked, raped? I’m fairly petite
and not all that strong, physically — I’m sure most men could take
me, easily. If I jump in to defend another woman, I put myself at risk
— but there is nothing else I can do.

I’m fully aware of my privilege, going thirty-one whole years before I
learned this lesson — a lesson many women learn far earlier and with
much harsher consequences. Still, I feel like the only thing I can do
at this point is use my voice to demand accountability, to publicly
call out the men (and in some cases, women) who still don’t take
violence against women seriously.

The precinct that ignored my calls last night is the 94th — their
phone number is (718) 383-3879. They are also having a community
council meeting on June 20 at 7:30 PM at Church of the Ascension,
located at 127 Kent Street, Brooklyn, NY, if anyone wants to plan any
actions. If you read this, please call the precinct and ask why calls
about women’s safety don’t matter to them.

allthebirds:

So, I wake up this morning and I start my daily Internet routine as usual. I realize it’s Monday, so Pitchfork will have new information and reviews, etc. I am glad they posted the new WILD FLAG single because I hadn’t heard a high quality version of it yet. I then look over at the reviews and I see that they typically gave Bon Iver’s new album (Bon Iver) a Best New Music stamp. I didn’t think the album deserved it after three listens (and I sort of love Bon Iver) because it’s middle section was very weak, although there are many standout songs (“Calgary,” “Perth,” “Holocene”). I was expecting them to give it an 8.4, 8.5, which is what they usually give BNM. But to my absolute horror, they gave it a 9.5. I just couldn’t believe it. This album received a higher score than anything Joanna Newsom has ever created? And yes, that is seriously always my indignant question when Pitchfork rates something higher than Ys, which received Newsom’s highest score of 9.4 from the publication. I know I shouldn’t care because it’s just a music journalism website, but I care because everyone else in the damn indie universe cares. Soon, as a result of the Pitchfork phenomenon, everyone will start talking about how Bon Iver’s pretty good album is the album of the century, just like Kanye West’s pretty OK My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, which I think are absolutely false claims. Sure, Bon Iver’s new album and Kanye West’s last album did not receive such glowing reviews from other music criticism sites, but it’s undeniable that Pitchfork is the most prominent and trusted by indie music fans.

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