The Feminism Sham
After struggling with quitting my job and hating the fact that I didn't feel like a good Mother, I wasn't sure what side of the feminism issue I fell on. Now, with the Sarah Palin drama and the old feminists trying to paint the picture that they want you to see by cherry-picking the parts of their cause they want you to see, I have to wonder still where I stand. I feel like someone has punched me in the gut.
Politics shouldn't matter in this case. What side of the aisle you follow is a non-issue. The media is trying to paint a picture of this woman that is unfair. Feminists have long said that what a woman chooses to do with her career and how she raises her family is no one's business but her own. So why now are they raising these concerns? Because the candidate they wanted didn't make it? I thought their cause was supporting women.
I can't tell you how many often I was asked why I wouldn't vote for Hillary when she was in the running. Why? Didn't I support women? The answer was always simple for me. Yes, I am all for a woman being in that office. Absolutely, but it has to be the right woman. And, in my opinion, Hillary wasn't it.
Look, I'm not even saying Sarah is. I'm just pissed that the feminists who told me I had to vote for Hillary because she was a woman are now telling me NOT to vote for Sarah because she's got all these kids that need her. I shouldn't care if her morals and beliefs are worth a damn, I should only care that she's got these kids that need her. I wouldn't vote for Hillary because I don't believe that any woman who will allow her husband to behave the way Bill has behaved, who has affairs over and over and is so willing to not even hide it, is a woman I can feel good about. What does it say about her morals and values and her self-respect! Isn't that what feminism was (is) about? Self-respect?
I'm confused. I don't understand. No one says it better and more beautifully than MamaPop...
http://www.mamapop.com/mamapop/2008/09/what-the-hell-i.html#more
Politics shouldn't matter in this case. What side of the aisle you follow is a non-issue. The media is trying to paint a picture of this woman that is unfair. Feminists have long said that what a woman chooses to do with her career and how she raises her family is no one's business but her own. So why now are they raising these concerns? Because the candidate they wanted didn't make it? I thought their cause was supporting women.
I can't tell you how many often I was asked why I wouldn't vote for Hillary when she was in the running. Why? Didn't I support women? The answer was always simple for me. Yes, I am all for a woman being in that office. Absolutely, but it has to be the right woman. And, in my opinion, Hillary wasn't it.
Look, I'm not even saying Sarah is. I'm just pissed that the feminists who told me I had to vote for Hillary because she was a woman are now telling me NOT to vote for Sarah because she's got all these kids that need her. I shouldn't care if her morals and beliefs are worth a damn, I should only care that she's got these kids that need her. I wouldn't vote for Hillary because I don't believe that any woman who will allow her husband to behave the way Bill has behaved, who has affairs over and over and is so willing to not even hide it, is a woman I can feel good about. What does it say about her morals and values and her self-respect! Isn't that what feminism was (is) about? Self-respect?
I'm confused. I don't understand. No one says it better and more beautifully than MamaPop...
http://www.mamapop.com/mamapop/2008/09/what-the-hell-i.html#more
posted by MB @ 5:49 AM
7 Comments:
At 12:02 PM ,
Kathy McC said...
My issues with Sarah Palin have nothing to do with her being a woman. I just take offense that someone who believes that if you don't have a traditional family, you can't get married or addopt children is asking for family privacy. I also am offended that she uses her family to paint herself as a good christian woman...but then she wants them left alone. It's a double standard. If we are to agree that family matters are private, then they should be private for EVERYONE. Not just God-fearing conservative heterosexual people who are married.
I didn't like Hillary and I didn't vote for her. But it didn't have anything to do with gender.
P.S. Yes, we definitely need to get together before Christmas!!
At 4:37 PM ,
Jillian said...
Well I really don't care about the politics of it all but the feminism part? Yeah. This story has just ripped open the stitches to reveal the infection underneath IMO.
As someone who is struggling to take advantage of all the 'choices', to do anything I choose to because no man can stop me, all I have to say is that the girls who are brought up with the mantra 'girls can do anything' will get a rude shock when they realise it should state 'women have to do everything'. Feminism just adds the full time life of a working man onto the fultime life of pre-feminist woman. That's a lot of work.
Sure, the men do more than they used to, but not nearly enough to say that feminism is not a sham. There are no choices. All or nothing. And it's bloody exhausting.
On another note, I find it interesting that they are attacking this woman for returning to work so quickly post partum. Your average American woman (from what I can see) seems to be back in the work force within 6 weeks of the birth anyway which is still really soon. And her baby is 4 months old.
And I wonder why no one seems to think that the disabled child's father is able to take on the parenting duties? A vagina does not bring an inherent talent for caregiving any more than a penis precludes it.
And Dr Laura is a tumor feeding off other women. She needs to be sent into exile!
Sorry for the novel - all that to say I agree with you!
At 4:52 PM ,
Rachel said...
I think it is great Gov. Palin can do all she does with 5 children including a special needs infant.
There does seem to be a double standard in dems vs. reps. and men vs. women. It's too bad.
At 2:30 PM ,
Heather said...
I wholeheartedly agree. I'm not sure what I think of Sarah Palin yet as a potential VP because I'm still deciding who I'm voting for this year. But, I don't understand this whole "you have to be liberal to be a feminist." I think all of us women need to pat ourselves on the back for the amazing things that we do, whether it's working outside of the home or not. BTW, I agree with you on the Hilary thing. That whole "stand by your man" thing I think was just a political stunt. I'm not sure that they have anything but a political merger for a marriage.
At 8:57 PM ,
Unknown said...
I SO SO SO SO SO SOOOOOOOO agree. If she were a man no one would breathe two words about her children needing her.
Whatever.
At 7:54 PM ,
Midwest Mom said...
Hey Michelle, Thanks for your 2 cents over in my journal at TLOL under IVF. This whole freaking situation sucks but I was actually very comforted in knowing that this similar crappy situation with over stimmed ovaries happened to someone other than my pathetic ass! Its all very frustrating and while I don't wish it on anyone EVER, it certainly helps to know that someone else has had to put off an IVF cycle for similar situations...and with a very happy ending. Thanks for the support! AmyW.
At 10:32 AM ,
KB said...
You need to post.
Happy Birthday Audrey.
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