Monday Motivation

Vote On November 6th!
Taylor Swift

In light of recent developments in our country today's Monday Motivation comes in the form of voting on November 6th. With one Taylor Swift finally voicing her POV on the matter. Why do I single her out for chiming in? Because of her adoring fan base, millions of young women, who look to Taylor as a role model. "Yes" her voice is gonna make a difference. You go Swift! 

I’m writing this post about the upcoming midterm elections on November 6th, in which I’ll be voting in the state of Tennessee. In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now. I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent.

I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love. Running for Senate in the state of Tennessee is a woman named Marsha Blackburn. As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me. She voted against equal pay for women. She voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which attempts to protect women from domestic violence, stalking, and date rape. She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry. These are not MY Tennessee values. I will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives. Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values. For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue, but we have to vote anyway.

So many intelligent, thoughtful, self-possessed people have turned 18 in the past two years and now have the right and privilege to make their vote count. But first you need to register, which is quick and easy to do. October 9th is the LAST DAY to register to vote in the state of TN. Go to vote.org and you can find all the info. Happy Voting! 🗳😃🌈

Taylor on IG -
https://www.instagram.com/taylorswift/?hl=en 

"Belle is a Better Role Model Than Cinderella"

Ring My "Belle"
Emma Watson

Never did I think the day would come when I would take seriously a case being made that Belle from Disney's Beauty and the Beast is a better role model than their Cinderella is.

But and however, when the person presenting the evidence is one Ms. Emma Watson I listen. Her opinions are articulate, intelligent and immaculately stated. 

Ms. Watson actually turned down the role of the glass slipper losing princess in Kenneth Branagh's film, who was ultimately portrayed by Lily Collins. She was then offered Beauty and the Beast. The character of Belle resonated with her so much more. 

Here is the reason she feels Belle trumps Cindy any given day (source E!Online):

Watson argues Belle is a much better "role model" than Cinderella. "She remains curious, compassionate and open-minded. And that's the kind of woman I would want to embody as a role model, given the choice," she explains. "There's this kind of outsider quality that Belle had, and the fact she had this really empowering defiance of what was expected of her. In a strange way, she challenges the status quo of the place she lives in, and I found that really inspiring. She manages to keep her integrity and have a completely independent point of view. She's not easily swayed by other people's perspective—not swayed by fear-mongering or scapegoating."

Well, you can't argue this now, can you? You can try, but...

Emma on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/emmawatson/?hl=en