Shoot, I wish I’d seen this earlier to participate in the conversation more. Is the “magical negro” trope so often used in tv and film a variation of the mammy figure? While not always women (the non-threatening wise old black man is a popular choice), these characters are there to offer the white main character…

Very awesome. Thanks for posting; I kicked a few bucks her way.

It did. That’s what the ‘coca’ refers to.

Maybe they did. I was jazzed about it, but I saw it wasn’t a popular idea among most Root readers—and for good reason. It’s a shame we can’t have nice things.

I fretted about emergencies initially, too, but then my pragmatic side reminded me that if someone dies during the night, they’ll still be dead in the morning. Health crisis? They have access to 911, and would be better off calling for an ambulance, anyway. I think my silent mode has an option to allow phone calls to…

That was my experience, as well. Not surprising, given that I live in the deep south and this was 20-mumble years ago, but it took me years of purposeful re-learning to undo the 12 years of “states’ rights!!!” I’d been exposed to. My teachers also played fast and loose with their Christian faith in the classroom. It…

Not the best place for this question, but I’m wedging it in anyhow: Where are the Jezeroot posts? Have none been posted, or have I just missed them?

I have my phone set to silence from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am precisely because of rude group-texters. My family is particularly obnoxious about it.

Ditto. Walmart is too problematic in too many ways for this to lure me back, but it sure is fun watching their customer base’s collective head explode.

That’s a good point, and I appreciate the reminder. It’s not the case for most suburban- and city-dwelling gun goobers, though. Given that at least SOME angry customers must have other retail options, I found it interesting that none of the comments I read threatened boycott.

After Dick’s announcement, I saw lots and lots and lots of butthurt “sportsmen” saying they’ll never give Dick’s another dollar. Walmart’s announcement was met with loads of hot air “TRAITOR TO AMERICA!!!” but I haven’t yet spotted a single gun nut declare they’ll never set foot in Walmart again. Hmmm...

I mean, I get it. It’s stupid and entitled. 100% I also understand the impulse. When I lost my rescue Balinese cat last June, I was absolutely gutted. Stages of grief and everything. If someone had approached me in those early days and offered me the chance to have the closest thing possible to getting my Berkeley…

I always miss Mark.

After, when diversity of thought became a hazard to Ms Charen’s personal safety. 

I see Stockholm Syndrome name checked a lot, but it isn’t that. There’s an element of all-my-friends-are-guys Cool Girl at work, but there’s a deeper pathology, too. I would also love to hear a psycological take on this.

Yeah, that’s just as bad (maybe worse) as the heckling. Stating the factual results in a woman’s safety being at risk?! Insane.

You’re probably (sadly) right. And as PatFanda said, we don’t make room at the expense of our sisters of color, LGBT, disability, or any other group to whom we owe our allegiance. Still, it is pretty cool that she tossed that shit bomb into the crowd.

No, I don’t believe she’d renounce her whole life’s ethos, either. Maybe it would be enough if she stepped back and stopped actively pushing a narrative that is damaging to women. I guess I almost have a Nuremburg trials-type thing happening in my head, wherein there are leaders of the alt-right and religious right…

I agree she’s earned our scorn, and I don’t feel bad for her. But I’m feeling generous today, and if she were to renounce her affiliation and declare she’s seen the light and wants to come to our side, ok. I try to retain grace for people in the hopes that they can still grow and change their attitudes.

Tomorrow I…

Iiiiiiiinnnnteresting. I wonder if Ms Charen is struggling with a sunk cost fallacy. It’s clear her level-headed recognition of GOP hypocrisy surrounding sexual assailants isn’t welcome, not even at a panel expressly about conservative women’s reflections on their place within #MeToo! But she’s also built a name for…