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Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Riley Gaines
Read between
May 22 - May 22, 2024
Real feminism, I contend, is not a concept that should contort itself to fit the politics of the day.
I feel compelled to stand up for them, so they have the same opportunities and chances for success that I was awarded because of the women who came before me and fought relentlessly for my rights. I cannot remain silent and watch as women’s efforts and accomplishments are destroyed. I hope to encourage you to find your voice and your stance in these uncharted waters and to swim against the current.
“Success depends less on strength of body than upon strength of mind and character.”
Biology is not bigotry. Just take that low end
The last thing I wanted to do was portray my school poorly, given everything they had poured into me. I truly loved my university. Mitch’s response overwhelmed me: “Riley… I love you. I support you. I would support whatever stance you took since it’s my job, but I’m so proud of you for doing what’s right.” I will never forget what he said next. “Speak your heart, stay true to your convictions, and don’t worry about painting this university in a bad light because we’re behind you.”
The real victims of the denial of free speech are the people who are hungry to hear the truth but don’t get to, not the person speaking.
Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. The only way they can inherit the freedom we have known is if we fight for it, protect it, defend it and then hand it to them with the well taught lessons of how they in their lifetime must do the same. And if you and I don’t do this, then you and I may well spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it once was like in America when men were free.”32
choose when they cover the same high-level topics. For example, when covering abortion issues, Reason tends to use the term ‘abortion law,’ while CNN underscores its ideological position by using the term ‘abortion rights.’ On a higher level they are both talking about abortion issues, but you can feel the subtle difference in the words that they choose.”3 I can think of several instances of word choice bias of the top of my head: gun control/gun rights, illegal aliens/migrants, war in Iraq/war on Iraq. There are several ways to tell the same story, but sometimes, they end up not actually
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In times where I feel overwhelmed, I remember my race strategy that seemed to work pretty well when I needed it to: sprint when it hurts. If you sprint when it hurts, you get to where you need to be faster.
When swimmers hear the words “Take your mark” before a race, it’s an invitation to the calm before the storm. Everything goes silent because we need to hear the starter when he sounds the whistle. The pool becomes an echo chamber. You don’t hear a thing outside the rhythmic pounding of your heart. Once everyone takes their position after stepping on the block, you cannot move. Even a muscle twitch or the slightest flinch can call for a disqualification. The seconds before the beep seem like a lifetime. Tunnel vision.
A small group’s torment should not become everyone else’s burden. I believe it would do everyone a disservice, including trans athletes, to create a third category as the root of the problem is still not being attended to but rather affirmed.
For parents… Stand up for your child even if it means standing against the world. Be willing to defend your daughters. If you won’t, who will? They need you. By doing that, you show them that it’s okay to question authority even if you seem alone in doing so. We can’t allow this battle and psychological manipulation to fall entirely on the shoulders of young girls. Teach your sons healthy masculinity. Boys should learn the value of growing into a strong man and what that entails. Get involved in whatever way you can, whether that’s attending school board meetings or coaching your child’s
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should always stick up for your kids, make sure to teach your kids how to stick up for themselves. Teach them how to make their mark on the world rather than have the world make its mark on them. The best and most effective way to teach your children this is to lead by example. To do the right thing, one must know what right is. Be their firsthand source of honesty, perseverance, good judgment, leadership, sincerity, and integrity.
For coaches and teachers… Be the voice of the voiceless. Create and cultivate a healthy environment where all opinions can be voiced without fear of repercussions. Don’t let the greater powers above you intimidate you into submission. Remember why you started. I would bet it was to influence, empower, and inspire others. You have one of the most powerful platforms in a young person’s life, I know my teachers and coaches did. You can impact more young people in a year than most people are awarded in a lifetime, so use it to the child’s benefit. Be transformational rather than transactional.
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For everyone… Please don’t wait until you’re directly impacted and have to see the effects of this movement firsthand before taking a stand for truth and common sense. Be proactive rather than reactive to help minimize who falls victim to the movement.
A courageous person does have fears, but they hold the ability to face and overcome these fears while prioritizing a greater objective guided by personal values and the greater good. Mark Twain said, “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.”
Truth is not determined by a vote. A lie never becomes truth, bad never becomes good, evil never becomes moral just because it is accepted or embraced by a portion or even a majority of society.
the very essence of courage is doing the right thing, even when you are afraid.
