Feminism
Main Entry: fem·i·nism
Pronunciation: \ˈfe-mə-ˌni-zəm\
Function: noun
Date: 1895
1 : the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes
2 : organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests
The front page of Newsweek depicts Sarah Palin as Saint Sarah Palin and an internal article identifies Governor Palin as an individual that liberal women believe represents the antitheses of feminism. Why?
I listened to an interview on Laura Ingraham's radio show Monday morning that was close to impossible to follow. It was hard to follow because the woman being interviewed would not close her mouth long enough to hear the questions being asked. Of greater concern to me was the woman's claim that Governor Palin could not be a feminist because she believed differently than she on the issue of abortion. I found the arrogance of this woman to be astounding.
As a male I will never have the empathy that a woman would have on women's issues. However, it would seem to me that if feminism is about anything it is about independence. Specifically I believed it was about women declaring their equality and independence from a world that forty years ago was dominated by men. Of what value is that independence if women are willing to exchange one pair of chains for another? This is certainly the result if all women are expected/required to believe in abortion or some other issue in order to be a part of that independence movement.
Governor Palin by her career example declared herself to be independent of the shackles of a male society or she could have never been mayor of Wasilla, AK let alone Governor of the State of Alaska. Could a woman dominated by a male have run for Vice President on the Republican ticket in 2008? Oh certainly she was required to defer to the top of her ticket but this is true of every vice presidential candidate and the very fact that Governor Palin might have found herself a heartbeat away from the presidency had that ticket won is a strong indication that the woman has successfully shed those chains and is truly free to be herself. I would regard her as a shining example of what feminism should be all about.
The problem however is that those who regard themselves as the appointed leaders of the feminist movement do not agree with Governor Palin's life choices, her faith, her moral code or her political philosophy. As such they attack her right to be the very thing they indicate they wanted most, to be independent and respected as an equal by all those in our society. Well, Governor Palin has reached a higher plateau in her fight for women's rights than any member of the "accepted movement" could ever hope to attain. She is the woman who is truly independent. Women like the woman Laura interviewed will never be independent because she will continue to base her philosophy on what she regards as the accepted norm of her movement. If she can only believe what she is supposed to believe, she will forever be in chains.
Categories: Feminism
Tags: Laura Ingraham Feminism Governor Palin
Thank you for your sentiments on feminism and the accepted feminism, where one dominant group tells every woman she has to vote a straight ticket on official positions, or she is out in the cold.
My opinion, as a woman who favors abortion restrictions, generally agreed upon women's rights, and greater care to the social problems that underlie the demand for abortion, exactly. I almost could not have said it better myself, but, then again (ha-ha), I could have and if I didn't feel oppressed by what was invented to free me (what a sad day)--but the great feminist Bell Hooks did say, "Every truth descends to an ideology"--then I would probably have come out about my disagreement loudly years hence.
I couldn't agree more that feminism is shackled by itself when we imagine a proto-woman with proto-ideas on every issue, not an organically independent woman who is shaped by her culture, her faith, her personality, her philosophy, her party, as well as her support for official NOW positions she agrees with.
We surely should not exchange patriarchal chains for matriarchal chains; it is all mind control. A feminist is indeed a woman empowered to be herself, and to be happy in that, whether she is Socialist, Conservative, Green, Evangelical, Buddhist, atheist, etc. We are not a One-Mind. Also, the woman on that talk show is subscribing to the either/or fallacy, which says either you agree with me completely, or you cannot be a feminist. You must be all this or all that.
That said, I don't agree with everything Sarah Palin stands for, or has done in office. I can find things to praise and things to censure. I'm not Palin's mental servant anymore than I am NOW's. I am overjoyed that people are having this discussion about feminism though.
I can tell you what: the multicultural movement, which asserts that we should be careful to respect other cultures and sub-cultures within ourselves, before assuming there is one linear progressive Western Enlightenment paradigm that will lead us all to justice, has already thrown serious question on assumptions that a woman must debride herself of elements of her culture in order to liberate herself.
That said, I am so entirely tired of vitriol in this country over the culture war and over politics, and I'm tired of it from everyone, the right and the left. I do not envision anything but an America in the state we were right before the Civil War if we don't sit down and smoke the peace pipe, while making tangible compromises, and actually listening to each others' warrants. We are deeply incapable of seeing through each others' eyes.
Well, what's to become of us?
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After reading your comment I come to the conclusion that there is not very much that you and I would normally agree on but on this one thing we do agree: there are too many organizations in our world who possess agendas that extend far beyond those they purport to promote.
The NAACP is the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People yet they do not celebrate all advancement of persons of color. Men and women like Clarence Thomas, Condoleezza Rice, Thomas Sowell, Larry Elder, Michael Steele and Alan Keyes are challenged as to their "blackness". Janice Rogers Brown was filibustered in her confirmation to the appellate court by democrats with the blessing of the black caucus and the NAACP and NOW who regard her conservative views as too extreme. She didn't toe the line with the extraneous beliefs of either of these two groups. Were their interests to merely support persons of color and women, there would have been no problem with this nomination nor her eventual confirmation.
The National Organization for Women promote a brand of feminism which by their definition requires conformity to a set of ideals that are outside the realm of any organization that could define all women as potential members. Women like Janice Rogers Brown, Sarah Palin and Phyllis Schlafly are considered outlaws because they do not possess the same values as those self-proclaimed carriers of the feminine torch. Yet who are they to define what women must think? Indeed who is the NAACP to define what all persons of color should think?
I believe this is common in any organization that is dedicated to an ideal that is ultimately achieved. Name for me one organization that met its political or cultural goals and then said great, we won, we can now go home and be accountants, grocers, plumbers, housewives or something, anything other than political activists? This appears as likely as the elimination of a toll road. We may all be able to point to one but it is the exception.
Unfortunately, the norm is that men and women once reaching the pinnacle of power in a political or cultural movement cannot, will not allow that movement to die. Racial equality was achieved years ago or would have been had the leaders of the movement not desired to retain their power and influence over a massive group. In order that they might retain their power they MUST constinually keep their constituents agitated by pointing toward all issues and all problems as having their base in racial prejudice.
The women's movement is the same. Women achieved parity in the office, they obtained equal access to be trained and educated as medical doctors, lawyers, doctors of veterinary medicine, etc., yet it wasn't enough. Their goals became broader and then extended beyond the argument for equal pay and equal access into things like abortion rights and the denigration of all women who do not conform to their standard political beliefs.
I am pleased that you agree with me that many of those in this "movement" have merely substituted one set of chains for another.
The Patriot
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