So... what's with all the weird woman hating going on in this election?
Is it just me, or are the Republicans taking a very strange approach to this election? Strike that. It's not just the presidential election that has Republicans acting batty. Misogyny seems to be trendy:
I don't get it. Did we time travel back to the 1960s? Did I blink and miss it? Last time I checked, we had this whole women's lib movement that pretty firmly established a woman's right to bodily autonomy. So why are the Republicans trying to turn back the clock? Is this some sort of weird wedge issue strategy designed to alienate one half of the population in order to galvanize the other? I was no Republican before this election cycle started, but I'm even less of one now. I'm actually a Libertarian, which usually lands me in the Democrats' camp for social issues and in the Republicans' ranks for fiscal issues - not that the Republicans have been holding very tightly to the purse strings lately. If they're trying to win centrist voters by promoting a resurgence of misogyny, I'm going to have to suggest that they rethink that strategy. I'll be voting for candidate who isn't obsessed with policing my sex life, thank you very much.
So, yeah. Color me confused. I don't understand this whole social time warp thing that we've got going on in the right wing of U.S. politics. All I know is that it's making it very difficult to take Republicans seriously. Their plan to fight the Social Progressives with a policy of Social Backwardness is befuddling at best. At worst, it's downright evil. What's next? Are we going to start extolling the virtues of racism, too? I mean, why limit the hate to just women? Let's attract voters who hate people with certain skin colors. Or religions. Or sexual orientations (Ooops; they already do!). Or disabilities. Pretty soon, we can have everyone hating everyone! I'm not sure how that will gain votes, but hey, what do I know? I'm just a walking baby factory -- erm, I mean woman.
- In Virginia, they want to require women to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound so that one may view the fetus before it is aborted. Umm, 'splainy? What's the medical reason for this, again? Also, I thought Republicans were supposed to be fiscally conservative; why would any good penny pincher want to waste time and money on a medical procedure that isn't necessary?
- In Indiana, a Republican statesman refused to sign a resolution celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Girl Scouts because he thinks it is some sort of tactical arm of Planned Parenthood. Nevermind that the only thing the two organizations have in common is a primary focus on females. I'm a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts. We went camping, caving, horseback riding, etc. We volunteered at soup kitchens. We sold cookies. I don't remember the Planned Parenthood ever coming up while we were paddling our way down rapids.
- As far as national politics go, Republicans have recruited the Catholic Church to use as their anti-contraception mouthpieces against providing contraception benefits as part of health insurance. Apparently, they want a loophole that allows your employer to leave out coverage to which he or she has a moral or religious objection. Uh huh. Like your boss won't become devout when he or she sees how much money could be saved by passing the buck to you for contraception... or care for STDs... or substance abuse... or mental health... or eating disorders... or, umm, really just about anything other than your basic checkup. I mean, moral or religious objections could cast a pretty wide net while being difficult to refute. Hell, an employer could dream up a religious objection to covering heart-related ailments for people who eat beef.
- While most Republicans have carefully avoided discussions of sexual morality, Rick Santorum even went so far as to say birth control isn't okay because it gives people sexual license. Yup. We sure want you representing the "land of the free," Rick. For realz, yo. What do we think we are, free citizens with the right to bodily autonomy or something? Pshaw. That's poppycock. We've got to learn to behave in accordance with your moral and religious views.
I don't get it. Did we time travel back to the 1960s? Did I blink and miss it? Last time I checked, we had this whole women's lib movement that pretty firmly established a woman's right to bodily autonomy. So why are the Republicans trying to turn back the clock? Is this some sort of weird wedge issue strategy designed to alienate one half of the population in order to galvanize the other? I was no Republican before this election cycle started, but I'm even less of one now. I'm actually a Libertarian, which usually lands me in the Democrats' camp for social issues and in the Republicans' ranks for fiscal issues - not that the Republicans have been holding very tightly to the purse strings lately. If they're trying to win centrist voters by promoting a resurgence of misogyny, I'm going to have to suggest that they rethink that strategy. I'll be voting for candidate who isn't obsessed with policing my sex life, thank you very much.
So, yeah. Color me confused. I don't understand this whole social time warp thing that we've got going on in the right wing of U.S. politics. All I know is that it's making it very difficult to take Republicans seriously. Their plan to fight the Social Progressives with a policy of Social Backwardness is befuddling at best. At worst, it's downright evil. What's next? Are we going to start extolling the virtues of racism, too? I mean, why limit the hate to just women? Let's attract voters who hate people with certain skin colors. Or religions. Or sexual orientations (Ooops; they already do!). Or disabilities. Pretty soon, we can have everyone hating everyone! I'm not sure how that will gain votes, but hey, what do I know? I'm just a walking baby factory -- erm, I mean woman.