Time to Bring Out the Tongue Whip.

When I was 20 my boyfriend at the time asked me what I wanted him to get me from the liquor store. I told him, "whatever."

He brought me back peppermint schnapps.

At the time I was pissed, so to spite him I drank the whole bottle and of course ended up puking (which wasn't a big deal because the peppermint masked any odor.)

Even though the guy was a major ass there was a lesson to be learned.

Know what you want and don't be afraid to ask for it.

Sometimes I forget. And I think many feminists do because we are so often silenced.

It's funny because one of the main themes of any feminist class is to "speak," and I'm sure it's because we're told over and over again, politely or otherwise that no one really wants to hear it. That they "know" already. That they're "tired" of it. That they "get it."

But let me put it quite frankly: if you know, if you are tired of hearing it, if you get it, then you wouldn't ask someone else to shut up about it. You'd be speaking up too.

Because that's what "getting it" is all about. Not just understanding it, but working to change the problems, being vocal when something sexist or racist or just plain ignorant happens.

Yes it's tiring. But I'd rather get tired today than have to deal with it tomorrow and the next day and the next.

If what I want is for it to stop, I'm not going to shrug my shoulders and say, "whatever," I'm going to ask for it to stop; because if I don't, if I'm indifferent, I could end up with something worse than peppermint schnapps.