Op-ed piece in West Virginia newspaper
Palin's posing is a disservice to women's rights
October 5, 2008
Eva Knapp
Excerpts (emphasis mine)
The fight for women's right to vote in this country was long and brutal. Suffragists Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott and others called out our government in 1848 at a historic assembly at Seneca Falls, N.Y., but it took another 72 years for the 19th amendment to pass.
[...]
In January 1917, the National Women's Party began a peaceful protest across from the White House. Their relentless demonstration over the months became an international embarrassment for our "democracy" and police were ordered to disband them. Arrests (218 total) began on June 22 with trumped-up charges of "obstructing traffic," and culminated with a Nov. 15 "Night of Terror."
[...]
Gender politics in this election is making a mockery of this hard-fought battle for democracy, and could permanently subvert what real progress for women means.
Republican presidential nominee John McCain, in cynical deference, introduced Palin for vice president by saying he was proud it was "in the week we celebrate the anniversary of women's suffrage." This from a man who (1) voted against a measure to help women get pay equality, (2) voted against extending insurance coverage to pregnant women and infants, (3) voted against funding breast cancer research and (4) voted repeatedly against funding to fight domestic violence -- just to name a few.
Palin's record regarding women is McCain-compatible. Reports from Alaska say she's done nothing to address rampant sexual abuse, rape and domestic violence. While mayor of little Wasilla, women (mostly poor) were required to pay from $300 to $1,200 for testing to prove they were raped. More shocking, Palin opposes abortion even for victims of rape or incest. According to public-safety experts, Alaska is one of the worst in the nation for rape and sexual abuse of children, with 25 percent of rapes resulting in pregnancies.
[...]
This "pro-family" small-town woman is a fictional creation -- one her handlers hope women voters will buy.
Link to full article in Charleston Gazette.
October 5, 2008
Eva Knapp
Excerpts (emphasis mine)
The fight for women's right to vote in this country was long and brutal. Suffragists Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott and others called out our government in 1848 at a historic assembly at Seneca Falls, N.Y., but it took another 72 years for the 19th amendment to pass.
[...]
In January 1917, the National Women's Party began a peaceful protest across from the White House. Their relentless demonstration over the months became an international embarrassment for our "democracy" and police were ordered to disband them. Arrests (218 total) began on June 22 with trumped-up charges of "obstructing traffic," and culminated with a Nov. 15 "Night of Terror."
[...]
Gender politics in this election is making a mockery of this hard-fought battle for democracy, and could permanently subvert what real progress for women means.
Republican presidential nominee John McCain, in cynical deference, introduced Palin for vice president by saying he was proud it was "in the week we celebrate the anniversary of women's suffrage." This from a man who (1) voted against a measure to help women get pay equality, (2) voted against extending insurance coverage to pregnant women and infants, (3) voted against funding breast cancer research and (4) voted repeatedly against funding to fight domestic violence -- just to name a few.
Palin's record regarding women is McCain-compatible. Reports from Alaska say she's done nothing to address rampant sexual abuse, rape and domestic violence. While mayor of little Wasilla, women (mostly poor) were required to pay from $300 to $1,200 for testing to prove they were raped. More shocking, Palin opposes abortion even for victims of rape or incest. According to public-safety experts, Alaska is one of the worst in the nation for rape and sexual abuse of children, with 25 percent of rapes resulting in pregnancies.
[...]
This "pro-family" small-town woman is a fictional creation -- one her handlers hope women voters will buy.
Link to full article in Charleston Gazette.