If there's one big thing I regret about my life it would be the seven years I spent taking undergraduate and graduate degrees in Sociology. I wish so much that I had taken something more intellectual, more grounded, more truthful. Instead, all we heard about was anti-capitalism, anti-male, anti-conservative, all the time.
When I was immersed in it I largely believed it. I may not have bought the "family and marriage are patriarchal institutions" garbage, but I did a lot of research on woman abuse and the portrayal of women in the media.
And I did largely believe most of the tenets of feminism. I don't anymore; I'm more a Christina Hoff Sommers equality feminist, not an identity feminist. I think women and men should have the same opportunities, but not necessarily the same results. But I definitely am concerned about the sexualization of women in the media.
Of course, in university we are told that it is the left--and socialism--that protects women, while it is the right and Christians which denigrate them. But after what David Letterman said on his show the other night, I think we can pretty much put that to rest.
I won't even bother with the full quote, because it's so vile, but basically he made fun about a ball player raping Willow Palin, who is only 14. He now claims that he meant Bristol, who of course is 18, as if making fun of her sexuality is somehow okay.
I have a 14-year-old daughter. If you joke about her having sex, I would send my husband to punch your lights out. I would have a very hard time keeping my cool.
But people want to attack Sarah Palin, and the way they do this is by attacking her daughters using sexual innuendos. Who's next? Piper, who is 6, I believe?
They may not like Palin's policies, but why do they think that because she is a conservative it's okay to make fun of her daughter? It's not okay to make fun of Chelsea Clinton, or Obama's daughters. They should be completely off limits. But this tendency to attack conservative women and their families in sexual terms is absolutely despicable, and shows that liberals aren't into feminism at all. They just simply want their own version of the world to triumph, and that version leaves room to attack women who aren't of their political persuasion.
How about standing up for decency for all women, no matter what the political spectrum? What about standing up for Afghani women or Iraqi women, even if you disapproved of the war there? Shouldn't those women deserve our support? What about standing up for Muslim women who don't want unequal rights under sharia law? Why don't we stand up for them, instead of ignoring their plight because it's easier to bash Christians than it is to attack Islam?
Misogyny is alive and well in the world, but it is just as alive and well on the liberal side of the spectrum as it is anywhere else. I'm not a Letterman fan, but I will never ever watch a show of his again. What he said was beyond the pale. It was inexcusable. And we need to stand against it; not because of politics, but because women and girls deserve better.
Well put. It's a shame that because someone is conservative, makes her fair game for any pot shots the media wants to take. The phrase "all men are created equal" seems to qualify as long as you are a liberal according to mainstream media.
Thank you for your blog post. I have been so upset and outraged by what he said (I don't watch him, but heard about it the next day). I am also upset about his so called apology. It was not an apology, not was it sincere. He continued to make light of his comments. Thank you again for your thoughtful post.
The way some people behave, and the excuses they make, it is okay to make sexual comments about a 14 year old girl,if you are a bad comic, and her mother is a politician. I guess that makes it all okay.
I was flipping channels and actually there were commentators defending his actions and comments,because she took her family on the campaign trail. Disgusting...put the comments toward Mrs. Obama, and their daughters, the press would be foaming at the mouth...
About Me: I'm a Christian author of a bunch of books, and a frequent speaker to women's groups and marriage conferences. Best of all, I love homeschooling my daughters, Rebecca and Katie. And I love to knit. Preferably simultaneously.
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Well put. It's a shame that because someone is conservative, makes her fair game for any pot shots the media wants to take. The phrase "all men are created equal" seems to qualify as long as you are a liberal according to mainstream media.
Thanks for the thoughtful post!