Ok, so I’m new here, one of the many refugees from the pie wars. But this is not going to be about pie wars, I promise! Of course since the great pie wars of ’05, gender and the socialization surrounding biological sex seems to have become the topic du jour, and no less so in this story I just came across.
From the Feminist Majority foundation: http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=9093
Just to summarize, a Kansas State Senator is running for secretary of state who has gone on public record as being against the 19th Amendment . . . A woman’s right to vote. My favorite is the direct quote from the senator in question,
“Men should take care of women, and if men were taking care of women (today) we wouldn’t have to vote.”
It amazed me that today, in 2005, someone feels that women should have their voices taken away in the political process that makes (or at least used to make) this country great. And this person is a woman! Who is running for political office!! She does not feel she should be allowed to vote for herself!! Ok, so I extrapolated the last point, but the basic message is there.
I supposed there is something rather strangely idealistic in the notion that men should be able to handle this important duty themselves and should be trusted to do what is in society’s best interest. But if history has shown anything, this is not the case. Women have their own minds, thoughts, and should never, ever have their political voices silenced. So although we in this community think that some basic points are agreed on by all or most in our soceity (such as the 19th amendment), this shows that nothing can be take for granted.
On one hand, I feel that we in this community have to work even harder to have our message heard. On the other, I wonder if it is even possible to get progressive ideas accepted in our society if this is where some people are coming from. Any thoughts?