Tonight at 9pm EST, “45” will deliver his first State of The Union address to a nation where a majority of its citizens disapprove of his job performance. If there’s one thing this President values, it’s doing a great job. J/k! It’s RATINGS. Rather than wasting your precious time supporting a mostly incoherent string of adjectives and lies, we, proud supporters of NARAL Pro-Choice America and progressive values writ large, thought we’d help you fill your evening with some worthwhile activities and non-alternative facts.
Before we start, you might want to pour yourself a strong drink. We recommend Rodham Rye (named after you-know-who) by D.C.’s woman-owned and operated distillery Republic Restoratives. We especially love the tagline: A collection of whiskies that are stronger together than apart.
Saw the wonderful folks from @republicrestore yesterday & came home w/this. Thanks to Pia & Rachel for all your different forms of activism! pic.twitter.com/p4VUKcdtTZ
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 11, 2017
Okay, ready?
1. While he boasts about whose nuclear button is bigger, you can put together a care package for Soldiers Angels’ Ladies Of Liberty team. The Ladies of Liberty Team (LoL) is a group of all-female volunteers who send one care package per month full of supplies for a military woman’s unique health and hygiene needs.
Non-Alternative Fact: TRICARE, the military’s health care plan, currently only covers an abortion for female soldiers in cases of rape, incest or if a woman’s life is at risk.[1]
2. When Trump tries to take on Jay-Z from his Presidential podium, and take credit for low unemployment rates within the black community — actually the result of a seven-year trend (thanks, Obama!) — you can indulge in some retail therapy and support American businesses owned by black women. We love Theresa Williamson’s Polish & Company. They’re American-made nail polishes free of harmful ingredients. Our favorite color is OH HELL NO! We also love Sanura Williams’ My Lit Box, a monthly subscription that sends you books by writers of color, and Deneen Brown’s Brown Estate Wines, a family-run winery in Napa Valley. Yum!
Non-Alternative Fact: Now that Omarosa Manigault Newman got the “you’re fired”, there are zero black senior advisors working for the White House.
3. While he misleads viewers about his party’s commitment to improving the healthcare system, you can catch up on some important self-care. Boil your menstrual cup! Do that oft-ignored breast self-exam! Bedazzle your birth control case while it’s still covered by your employer’s insurance!
Non-Alternative Fact: The Trump administration recently released two interim final rules (IFR) expanding the types of employers who can refuse to cover birth control. That means non-profits, private for-profits, and colleges can start claiming a “moral objection” to covering contraception, effective immediately.
4. While he talks about building a wall on our border that he still thinks Mexico will pay for, check out other famous walls and how they worked out. Spoiler alert: They didn’t.
Non-Alternative Fact: The Berlin Wall, built by, ahem, Soviet-aligned East Germany to keep their citizens from defecting to the West, was breached by thousands who climbed over it, tunneled under it, and even some who flew across it.[2]
5. While he proclaims his unwavering support of the anti-choice doctrine (which includes putting doctors and patients in jail – just look at the bill he wanted to pass yesterday), put on your best eggshell coat, pour yourself a mean glass of Merlot in an Olivia Pope wine glass and turn on Scandal, where you can watch a responsible, accurate portrayal of abortion care. Thanks Shonda, for showing the world that abortion is a normal part of women’s healthcare, and for years of Fitz (who we wish was delivering the State of the Union tonight…sigh). Keep it interesting by donating a dollar to your favorite pro-choice candidate every time Olivia Pope claims she can fix something!
Non-Alternative Fact: Even though 7 in 10 Americans support abortion access, 26 states enacted 56 anti-choice measures as recently as 2016. And just this week, the Senate tried — and failed! — to pass a 20-week abortion ban that would have put women’s lives at risk.
6. While he remains silent about the 3.7 million American citizens in Puerto Rico whose lives were upended by Hurricane Maria, you can support recovery efforts by booking a vacation to San Juan. As a sunny, perpetually-warm Caribbean island, tourism is an essential part of the Puerto Rican economy, and over 75% of its hotels and resorts have now reopened for business.
More of an armchair traveler? Download Lin-Manuel Miranda’s superstar collab “Almost Like Praying” to set the scene as you check out images of Puerto Rico’s beautiful landscapes. All proceeds from the song go to the Hispanic Federation to support Puerto Rico’s recovery.
Non-Alternative Fact: Four months after Hurricane Maria, there are still 450,000 citizens without power on Puerto Rico.
7. While Paul Ryan and Mike Pence silently encourage this charade to continue, use this opportunity to spend some extra time reading to the kids before Maxine Waters delivers her rebuttal on BET.[3]
Have younger children? Try the Ordinary People Change the World book series. Older kids will love Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls. Both profile inspirational leaders throughout history like Michelle Obama (we miss you!), Malala Yousafzai, and Sacagawea. Once you’re done with storytime, cuddle up to watch Auntie Maxine reclaim both her time and our nation.
So, that’s it. Do something good for yourself and everyone else with your Tuesday night. And don’t worry about missing out on anything important. We’ll provide a translation on Wednesday after the speech of what it really means for Women in America.
Written by:
[1] Source: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/military-women-abortion_us_5a0b5d42e4b00a6eece4e999
https://soldiersangels.org/ladies-of-liberty.html
[2] Source: http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/7-famous-border-walls
One thought on “Seven More Productive Things You Can Do With Your Time Than Listen To Trump’s SOTU”