I’m not necessarily a big fan of international days of any kind, but this is a nice occasion for some wishing and a link or two.

By now, almost everybody heard about Elizabeth Warren, a US senator (D) silenced by majority leader Mitch McConnell:

Well, these were pretty impressive words that had opposite effect to what their author intended.

She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.

Damn. It will probably be carved on her tombstone. And used as a rallying cry in her presidential campaign in 2020. Meanwhile, it’s a very nice phrase used by the smarter part of American public, and McConnell probably still doesn’t understand what all the fuss is about, even as it gets thrown in his face during Town Hall meetings.

The point of me writing about it here is how TOR.com used it as a pretext for its International Women’s Day event, a special series of short stories, by female writers, all starting with this quote.

Of course, it does not change anything politically. It’s amusing to wage an intellectual war against the unarmed, but they can still whack you with a stick.

Or maybe? Maybe someone will change their mind, or, more likely, already convinced people will stay mobilised until something is accomplished. And women have even more to lose than men if the wave of right wing populism keeps winning, from Poland to America.