Letter: Why are feminists using the same tactics they criticize?
Tuesday, October 7th, 2008
My fellow feminists have me in a malaise over this election. More than once I have heard Sarah Palin criticized for putting her face over Rosie the Riveter’s. This criticism comes from open endorsers of Barack Obama, who once put his own face over Rosie the Riveter’s because the Spanish version uses his campaign slogan.
Where was the feminist outrage then?
Most feminists don’t agree with Palin, nor should we; she would set women back a great deal. But shouldn’t Obama’s hypocrisy and sexist tone be a bone of contention between Obama’s campaign and feminists? We feminists have not only given Obama-Biden a pass on their sexist treatment of Hillary Clinton and Palin, but we’ve sadly taken to adopting some of their sexist tactics when we criticize Palin.
We forgot that during the primaries, Obama reprimanded reporters and surrogates for speaking ill of his male competitors, but found MSNBC’s rampant sexism a non-issue. We are remised in letting all this go excused because we disagree with the person on the Republican ticket who happens to be a woman.
Certainly, I don’t endorse Palin. I disagree with her on nearly everything.
I do, however, feel that it’s a massive mistake for feminism to pardon some of the most patriarchal campaigning we’ve ever seen because we disagree with the woman on the opposite ticket.
We feminists should be content to civilly disagree with dignity and say, “I’m proud that the Republicans have caught up with Democrats and nominated a talented woman for vice president. Now let’s talk about the reasons she’s wrong.”
— Bryce Myers is a senior from Overland Park.
Discussion
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maybe obama/democrats have no real conviction to feminist issues and just see the feminist demographic as a "shoe in" in terms of votes. therefore, obama has no need for verbage that would pander to a feministic voter. such a sly dog is he.
bryce is a female?
Todd, what makes you think Bryce is a female? You don't have to be female to be a feminist.
Excellent observation, Bryce.
I have noticed an unprecedented amount of animosity towards Palin from all sides to the point that I have begun asking people why they dislike her so much after knowing who she is for such a short time. The answers I have received have caused me to suspect that Palin may be a pincushion for whatever a person doesn't like.
Nah, Bryce isn't female.
But he is a lady.
*wolf whistle*
How you doin'?
;)
Double Standard Fail.
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