And they say it’s a post-feminist world
From the Tri-City (WA) Herald:
Men presidents only
I think that having a woman president would be a bad idea for our country. Women are not meant to rule countries and be in charge. They are meant to make decisions but not confirm them.Our president deals with some countries that don’t respect or allow women in leadership positions. I wonder if the United States would have more terrorist attacks because we would be seen as weak with a woman leader. I agree that women can do many things, but leave the ruling of the countries to the men.
BRITTANY BAYLES, 13, Kennewick
Whatever your feelings about Hillary Clinton, that should depress you. At the age of 13 I was wearing a t-shirt that said “Women belong in the house … and the senate.” At the same age, this girl has already internalized a genderized view of the world where women only take orders and never make the rules themselves.
I don’t know whether to rage or cry.
Via Feministing
February 4th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Social change: slow, painful and rarely moves in straight lines.
Our president deals with some countries that don’t respect or allow women in leadership positions.
That’s actually an interesting point, though it also betrays a real lack of knowledge about the frequency of female leadership in other countries — India, Great Britain, Pakistan, Germany all come to mind immediately, and I know it’s not a complete list.
It also suggests that the quickest way to change minds like Ms. Bayles is to actually elect a woman and see what happens….. not that I’m strongly pro-Hillary at the moment, but it’s galling, to be sure.
February 5th, 2008 at 7:31 am
So many developed and undeveloped countries have had women leaders who have been very successful. What we have is Bill Kristol yukking it up with Juan Williams about the “white women problem.”
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=8H3uA8BS1ho
February 5th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Oh dear Lord! Madeline Albright touched on the ‘woman dealing with male-dominated countries’ thing in her autobiography. It was something folks tried to use to dissuade Clinton from naming her Sec of State. Turns out, it didn’t matter much in the long run. Those countries dealt with her just fine.
This, however, is sad. That girl’s mother ought to be ashamed. In the early 1970s, when I was a tot, I made a comment about how women couldn’t be doctors, only nurses (in response to a TV show that had a woman doctor). My mother stopped what she was doing and informed me that heck yes, women could be anything they wanted and not to ever think different. It’s a shame that almost 40 yrs later, some poor kid still thinks what I thought at the age of 5.
February 6th, 2008 at 7:06 am
Shalom Terry,
The proper response is rage.
I listened to a woman caller on WCPN this morning make the same case as the 13-year-old.
The host was quick to remind the caller that there are/have been 17 female heads-of-state around the world in recent years and they don’t seem to have had any problems dealing with the knuckle dragers.
Why should we be any different?
B’shalom,
Jeff
February 7th, 2008 at 2:43 am
Rage.
And with Edwards dropping out and my ambivalence towards both the candidates I will be caucusing for Hillary on Saturday. (Because she has more experience and they are similar to me in so many other aspects. He needs more experience in my mind. I’m sad about Edwards. I LOVE his healthcare plan.)
February 8th, 2008 at 6:40 am
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February 11th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Brittany rocks
February 11th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Brittany must be a very educated woman to know that women should not be President because they are not as experienced with polotics and they are not respected by one of the countries that we are dealing with. Iraq does not apreciate the men leaders so why would they feel a threat from a woman president. Our country would go down the drain because namely Hillary is an airhead and she is not ment to rule her own household and especially not her own country
February 11th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
I think that Ms. bayles is totally correct and just because she does not think that the Hillary retard shoud not be prez does not mean that she does not support women.
February 12th, 2008 at 7:32 am
Kendra/Barbara/Pam - please keep your comments all under one name. You’re not fooling anyone.
February 12th, 2008 at 11:57 am
I did think it odd that you got such a flurry: I thought you must have been linked to by some troglodyte site….
Not to mention the fact that they all made the same mistake of attributing to the original speaker anti-Clinton views rather than anti-feminist ones.
May 13th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
wow! I am so amazed at all the mture people that are replying to an innocent girl and her opinion. A little newspaper article and she has you all flying through the roof. I am starting to wonder who’s more mature, the opinionated 13 year old or the cranky pms women who have to criticize someone to feel good about themselves.