When I think about Britney Spears, which is not often, a very specific memory comes to mind. It's sometime in 2004, and I'm out at the Gold Mine Saloon, a bar in the French Quarter, with friends from work. We've had a few Flaming Dr. Peppers (as one does at the Gold Mine), and the song "Toxic" comes on. Obviously, we're required to dance to the song, and we do. Not long after the song ends, a co-worker emerges from the back office of the bar to say hello. None of us knew the bookkeeper from the school where we taught also worked at the Gold Mine. While we were surprised, we ended up having a drink with her before moving on to another bar. I was 25 years old; Britney would have been 22. That was a fun night.
Britney Spears has been living under a conservatorship for 13 years. Spears appeared in court yesterday, and for the first time, she asked for the conservatorship to end and for her to be able to live her life. Based on her statement yesterday, this arrangement hasn't been about protecting her. In fact, it sounds like more harm has been done than good. It's not just the revelations about the forced IUD or working while sick, Spears's privacy has been completely taken from her. There's so much that's troubling about what happened in court yesterday, but I think this opinion piece from Kara Alaimo hits on so many of the things we should be angry about for Spears and for others like her, who may also be in conservatorships that aren't serving their purpose.
This section of Alaimo's piece stands out for me:
What's happening to Spears also sends a disturbing message to other women: that we can't count on privacy when we engage with the legal system. It's not wonder, then, that other women often don't turn to the courts to help when faced with their own chilling problems, from rape to revenge porn.
This isn't about whether Britney Spears needs medial care; she may still need therapy and medication to manage her mental health. That's fine, and should be her choice. The forced nature of what she's been going through and the fact that she didn't know she could ask for this to end is horrifying. No one really has her best interest in mind. And consider that we only know about this because she's Britney Spears. Even if you don't care about Britney Spears, you should care about yet another system failing people it's supposed to help.
Today's piece is inspired by a quote from Means Girls. I can fit three other people in my car, so get in, losers. We're going to free Britney.
Details:
Stitches: back stitch
Thread palette: DMC 310, C915 (3 strands)
Inspiration: This is a take on the quote, "Get in loser, we're going shopping" from the movie Means Girls. Mean Girls was also released in 2004.
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