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“Why Do They Hate Us” Redux

By Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy on November 13, 2008 at 5:10 PM in Abuse, Afghanistan, Barack Obama, GLBT, Hillary Clinton, Misogyny, Sarah Palin, Sexism

In light of the recent acid attack on school girls in Afghanistan, and the persistent sexist attacks against Governor Palin, this seems the perfect time to re-print the following:

Last night, I was reading Curve Magazine (Vol.18,#6, July/August, 2008). In it was an article by noted Lesbian activist and writer, Victoria A. Brownworth, “Why Do They Hate Us? How the Media treats Hillary is indicative of how the world sees women: as second class citizens.” The title pretty much says it all. And what she wrote included startling facts, which I will list below. They are not for the faint of heart, let me warn you right now. As is my wont, I felt compelled to write the Editors:

I just finished reading Ms. Brownworth’s piece, “Why Do They Hate Us.” It moved me to tears.

As one who has followed this election campaign VERY closely, I have been horrified, and furious, at the treatment of an attorney who worked for poor women and children, a Former First Lady of Arkansas, a Former First Lady of the United States, and a TWO TERM Sitting US Senator by the Mainstram Media, Senator Barack Obama, and the DNC. It is simply staggering how accepted sexism, even misogyny, is in this country.

It is mind-boggling that Main Stream Media can make demeaning, disparaging remarks about a US Senator because she is a WOMAN. I am a lifelong (50 yr old), straight party ticket Democratic voter, or I should say I was, until the treatment of Senator Clinton, and ALL women, by the DNC elite and Senator Obama.

I have now left the party to which I have dedicated myself, my money, and my vote. (I might add, my decision was reinforced when the RBC/DNC decided to take actual votes cast for one candidate, Clinton, and give them to a candidate who was not even on the ballot, in addition to the sexism, even misogyny, in which the above three have participated this year.)

And I am saddened. As one who actively worked for women’s equality for over 32 years, it is incredibly discouraging and disheartening to see how quickly people – men AND women – revert to blatant sexism, almost with GLEE. They act as if they have been holding back these comments and feelings, but are now free to let loose with their derogatory comments. There is not a DOUBT in my mind that if these same comments were expressed in a racist manner, they would – RIGHTLY – be decried far and wide. Yet, since they were *only* about a woman, well, haha,” weren’t they funny, and we all know they are true anyway, right? Nudge, nudge, wink wink,” it was just fine. Sigh.

And now, the more qualified candidate (IMHO), the one who has been a STALWART supporter of women, children, the LGBT community, and numerous other groups as diverse as veterans and Native Americans, has been subjugated to the less qualified, far less experienced, male candidate. It seems we have not moved very far at all…

Thank you, Ms. Brownworth, for writing what many of us have experienced, and for pointing out the cruel facts of what it means to be a woman in this country, in this world. We have much, much work to do…

Sincerely,
The Rev. Amy

And juxtapose this to Obama’s recent remarks about how Senator Clinton was “brutalized,” equating the treatment his wife got during this campaign season to the treatment Senator Clinton has endured. No apology, no acknowledgement of his, and others, horrific treatment of her during this campaign. Just deflection, and “look over there.” I’m sorry, but from where I sit, Michelle Obama has been treated pretty fairly by the MSM. The grief she has gotten has been more a DIRECT response to what she has SAID, not that she is an African American woman. There is a world of difference between the two.

And now seeing these articles and photographs of Senator Clinton and Senator Obama together, him with his hand on her back, just makes me cringe. Frankly, it makes me almost physically ill. See, I have done a lot of work in the Domestic Violence movement. And I have seen this cycle before: the man abuses, attacks, and lashes out at the woman. The woman makes excuses for, and accepts blame from, the man for his attacks. Not unlike Senator Clinton saying now that they are friends, respect each other, and support each other. I know what respect looks and feels like – Senator Obama has shown NONE for Senator Clinton. Senator McCain has, but Obama? No. Seeing these photos of her with him now reminds me of battered women wearing sunglasses to hide the bruises, and saying, “Oh, he didn’t really mean it. It was my fault, really, I shouldn’t have made him mad. He really does love me, in his own way, really! Don’t be mad at him!” Not only did Obama make sexist remarks about Senator Clinton, INCLUDING at the fundraiser the other night, but he reaped the benefit of the sexist and misogynistic remarks made by others, the veiled death threats (talking to YOU, Keith), the threats of violence, the degradation, not on her record, or on her speeches, but because she was a woman. As Ms. Brownworth wrote,

Clinton was the focal point for American misogyny, writ long and large. She was tough enough to take it and not cry foul, but why do women and girls have to take it? Why are we called bitches and cunts if we speak the truth about our lives? We are treated as less-than-human in a myriad of ways in our society. We are victims of violence, discrimination, and hate, and that diminishes us daily as human beings.

(Vol. 18, #6, p 34)

And now, for the facts I mentioned above. These are not pleasant. Stop reading here if you do not want to be disturbed. Okay. Here I go, from Ms. Brownworth’s article:
Vaginal destruction:

For over a decade, war has raged in the eastern province of Congo. Gangs of militia have preyed on women and girls and made rape and vaginal destruction major tools of that war. Vaginal destruction – an act so violent a woman can never again have vaginal sex or bear a child – was defined as a war crime in April…In Congo, women have been raped so brutally and by so many men at one time that some have been eviscerated. Eviscerated by rape. That is how much they hate us. (p 34)

Honor killings:

What has never made the news is that nearly all of the murders of women in Palestinian territory have nothing to do with the political situation there: They are the result of honor killings…Honor killings are a leading cause of death among women in the Middle East. Since the U.S. occupation of Iraq, the number of honor killings has risen exponentially because the once secular nation is now an Islamic theocracy. (pp34-35)

Lest you think all of this violence is only in other countries, here are some U.S. statistics:

One in six women will be raped in her lifetime. One in four has survived child sexual abuse or an incestuous relationship with a male relative. One in three has been the victim of domestic violence. Over 1.2 million women are forcibly raped by an ex-husband or ex-boyfriend each year. The leading cause of death among pregnant women is murder by a spouse or boyfriend. Four out of every five female murder victims in the United States were killed by men they knew: a spouse or boyfriend, a male relative, a co-worker…This means millions of American men – men we know, men we may love or have loved – hate us enough to rape, main, or kill us. Millions. It’s a difficult reality to face: Women and girls are so hated that our lives and bodies mean nothing to these men.

(p34)
Brownworth continues,

Perhaps that reality and the inchoate knowledge of it is why it was easy for people to refer to Clinton with the vilest of hate speech and feel no remorse and receive no recrimination from either the general populace or the media… (p34)

Wow, Speaker Pelosi – it seems that SOMEONE wasn’t too busy to document all of the sexism and misogyny, even if YOU were too busy to do so…(Ref: Pelosi’s interview with Greta Van Susteren this past week on “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren.)

As I said above, Obama did not even have to say despicable comments himself – having others do so as his surrogates was sufficient. That is the whole thing with domestic violence – the THREAT of it is sufficient to keep many women in line. Their partners may not engage in violence themselves (and psychological and emotional battery still counts as domestic violence, by the way. Some would argue, convincingly, I think, that they are worse as they are more insidious, and stay with the woman much, much longer than physical abuse), as other men engaging in this behavior is enough for the fear to be present in most, if not all, women.

More from Brownworth:

It doesn’t matter if we are siting U.S. Senators or sitting at home taking care of our children or sitting by a stream getting water right before we are gang-raped. It doesn’t matter if we are in the United States or Congo or Gaza or Iraq. The one common denominator for women, the thing that unites us, is that we are all hated equally for our gender.

“To some men – even the men who loved us before they raped us or beat us or murdered us – we are all cunts. For ourselves – and for the women and girls of Congo, Gaza, Iraq, and every other nation where women are being eviscerated in body and spirit – we must stand up and speak out against the global terrorism of women and girls. (p35)

And so, as much as I admire and respect Senator Clinton, I cannot, and will not, participate in this Party-, this Country’s- sanctioned cycle of violence. Please stop asking me, us, to do so. I deserve better. YOU deserve better. We all deserve better than to keep feeding into this cycle. I, for one, will not.

UPDATE: The following was left in the Comments Section under the article on the Afghan girls. It has a link to which you can go to see what they are doing, and to help in their endeavors:

About Us

The University of Nebraska at Omaha began its involvement with Afghanistan in 1972. In 1974, the Arthur and Daisy Paul Afghanistan Collection was donated to the Center; in 1975, an institutional linkage with Kabul University was established. The Center has obtained nearly $60 million in grants and contracts to support technical assistance programs, training, and educational exchanges, including the Education Sector Support Project (ESSP), Afghan Scholarship Program (ASP), Weber Scholarship Program (WSP), ARRENA Project, the Afghanistan Teacher Education Project (ATEP), the Japan International Cooperation Agency Afghanistan Community Development Study (JICA), and the Fulbright Program.

In addition, the Center publishes self-study and classroom language materials for Dari, and a Dari-English Dictionary. Research Associates of the Center are engaged in an ongoing Atlas of Afghanistan Project .

For more than 30 years, members of the CAS staff have regularly responded to requests for consulting services from federal agencies, the media, the private sector, and citizen intiative groups. In the six months following September 11, 2001, the Director and Assistant Director of the Center have provided over 2,500 interviews to local, national, and international media sources.

The Center demonstrates its commitment to Afghans and Afghanistan by maintaining a Field Office in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Center continues its cooperation with the current Afghan government and its Ministry of Education.

UNO and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) collaborate to revitalize health care in Afghanistan and improve educational opportunities for Afghan health care professionals.

The Center regularly assists scholars of Afghanistan studies, graduate students, government officials, and members of the media around the world in their research pursuits.

Over 500 Afghans have come to UNO as participants in exchange programs and other projects managed by the Center. More than 100 faculty and staff from the University of Nebraska have participated in projects related to Afghanistan.

The Center has provided training, coordination, development, and management for almost all sectors of education in Afghanistan: adult literacy, manpower development, gender equity, teacher training, and curriculum development.

  • http://budwhite.wordpress.com/ Bud White

    Not only did Obama make sexist remarks about Senator Clinton, INCLUDING at the fundraiser the other night, but he reaped the benefit of the sexist and misogynistic remarks made by others

    Great post, RRR Amy. I couldn’t agree more.

  • Arcadianwind

    Why do they hate? Perhaps it is what they do best….

    • Snickers

      Great, but oh so sad post. I, too, am a feminist who has worked 30+ years for women’s rights and equality for all, and this year’s election has certainly showcased how far we’ve not gotten. When this kind of “war against women” is allowed and participated in within our own country it demonstrates very clearly and concisely how rampant and rabid and all pervasive misogyny and sexism is. It is indeed embedded into our society and has been covered by a very thin layer of veneer, which was truly ripped off this election cycle to show us exactly what was lingering underneath: hatred of females, pure and simple. I wonder if this will ever change.

      • Ani

        The veneer was ripped off this year, very clearly. It is also shocking how many women pretend this did not happen — out of self preservation, denial, fear, acceptance (the feeling that complaining or demanding justice will not work so why bother), what?

        Thanks, Amy, for a great post. I am sure it makes some uncomfortable to read it — but too bad. This has got to stop — worldwide. And certainly it is about time we looked at the violence, of all sorts, heaped upon women in our own country as well.

        It is good to keep making noise about it — maybe we will then finally get some of the guilty parties to cry ‘uncle.’

  • Jon

    How about this more recent article by the very same Victoria Browworth, where she comes out to support Barack Obama?

    Here’s the money quote followed by the full link:

    “I will be casting my vote for Barack Obama.

    I did not originally support Obama. I worked on the Hillary Clinton campaign and then on the campaign of Cynthia McKinney, the Green Party candidate. Obama was too conservative, and his votes with George Bush, particularly on warrantless wiretapping, were disturbing. The sexism promulgated by the Obama campaign in the primary was appalling, as was the shell game played with the Florida and Michigan votes.

    So I was not an Obama supporter, and fully expected to be voting for McKinney–a strong African American leftist with a stellar anti-Bush record from her years in the Congress.

    But the events of recent weeks have convinced me that I have to cast my vote for Obama because this election has become a referendum on two things: the past eight years and racism.

    Unlike some, I don’t think John McCain and Sarah Palin are evil. I believe that they want what’s best for America. I just don’t think what they believe is best happens to be what *is* best.

    My decision to vote for Obama isn’t just about ideological difference. It’s about morality. There has been an undercurrent of racism at rallies the Republican candidates have held in recent weeks. Whether it was their intent or not, they stirred the pot that brought this tone to the boiling point.”

    http://www.nationalview.org/Newsletter08/newsletter_102708.htm

    • Snickers

      If women had stuck together and said no to misogyny, women like Brownworth and Steinem and other leaders, this travesty would never have happened. Instead, after crying misogyny during the primaries, they found it easy enough to support the perpetrator after all and speak out for and in support of him. They have, in my mind, become as bad as the abusers themselves.

      • Northwest rain

        Which is why I no longer call myself a feminist — I am NEW feminist. These old feminist have appointed themselves the gate keepers in deciding who can or cannot be called a feminist. Well screw this old hags (and young ones as well).

        The old feminists who endorsed Obama should be on a poster for the wall of shame award.

        New feminist can find common ground — which begins with the awareness of the vile hatred of women — and ANYONE who enables the haters is as bad as the misogynists. That means NOW and the women who endorsed Obama — they are mmisogynists because they have enabled a misogynist to continue the hate — those words will be translated into violent behavior toward women.

        One image I will never get out of my mine is the teen age Obama-bot at the caucus who shook with rage as he talked about the evil Clinton. That kid was seriously mentally deranged — I feel sorry for his girlfriend.

        Obama is dangerous to women — and if the old feminists could not see this simple fact — they are part of the problem.

        • Peggy Sue

          Could not have said it better, Northwest. What we’ve had is faux feminism. What we need is a new women’s movement, where all women are recognized and valued. No more litmus tests or secret passwords and handshakes. No more single agendas or pretense of sisterhood that is so easily discarded.

          Until then, I won’t donate a dime.

        • Annie Sweetie-Oakley

          Is “old feminist” an age or mentality?

          I think the problem lies with the women who define “feminism” by specific agendas, instead of focusing on the over-arching goals of equality and end to violence against women.

          I was disgusted this past year with gay & straight women alike attacking Hillary & Sarah. Yes, there were a lot of “feminists” bashing both. But I think it’s a mistake to trash that one word that signifies our fight for equality.

          Let’s just propogate the real meaning of feminism LOUDER and more effectively.

    • http://rabblerouserruminations.blogspot.com Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

      donJohn – We got it already. You don’t need to post the entire article, or the link more than once. NQ readers are pretty savvy, and will read the article if they wish. And since you have posted this at just abt every story I have seen today, I think we got it. Thanks.

      It has NOTHING to do with this topic, though. Focus.

    • HC

      Thank you Jon, for proving RRRA’s point.

      Brownworth’s earlier article in no way contradicts her later.

      Your attacks on RRRA certainly speak volumes as to your feelings on the status of women.

      Clearly sexism doesnt much bother you, but racism is unacceptable.

      BOTH are unacceptable to me.

      Seeing as we just saw two female candidates vilified by the media while the nation elected a Black male, I would say sexism is alive and well.

      So once again, thanks Jon for being honest enough to pretty much admit it.

      Now to back to KOS with you.

      • http://rabblerouserruminations.blogspot.com Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

        You know, I thought abt responding to Jon, but with your great responses, there’s no need for me to say more! Y’all rock!

    • rw

      Ha, this is so funny. There, in that self-righteous, indefensible excuse of why the vote for Obama of this so called feminist of 30 years IS the reason why women remain less than equal: Women’s own leaders turn their back on their own principles. Brownworth has no moral authority to lecture on women’s equality.
      P A T H E T I C.

  • donJohn

    BREAKING NEWS:

    Obama Selective Service records, debbieschlussel.com, Federal agent examined, November 13, 2008, Possible Federal Crime, FOIA request, Obama fraud?

    http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2008/11/13/obama-selective-service-records-debbieschlusselcom-federal-agent-examined-november-13-2008-possible-federal-crime-foia-request-obama-fraud/

  • donJohn

    Barack Obama’s Selective Service Lie

    http://www.redmassgroup.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=3F8C604DD68F3618DB7E755F951263C2?diaryId=2375

    http://www.debbieschlussel.com/

    EXCLUSIVE: Did Next Commander-in-Chief Falsify Selective Service Registration? Never Actually Register? Obama’s Draft Registration Raises Serious Questions

    By Debbie Schlussel

    **** Copyright 2008, Must Cite Debbie Schlussel and link to DebbieSchlussel.com ****

    *** SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATE ***

    Did President-elect Barack Hussein Obama commit a federal crime in September of this year? Or did he never actually register and, instead, did friends of his in the Chicago federal records center, which maintains the official copy of his alleged Selective Service registration commit the crime for him?

    It’s either one or the other, as indicated by the release of Barack Obama’s official Selective Service registration for the draft. A friend of mine, who is a retired federal agent, spent almost a year trying to obtain this document through a Freedom of Information Act request, and, after much stonewalling, finally received it and released it to me.

    But the release of Obama’s draft registration and an accompanying document, posted below, raises more questions than it answers. And it shows many signs of fraud, not to mention putting the lie to Obama’s claim that he registered for the draft in June 1979, before it was required by law.

    The official campaign for President may be over. But Barack Obama’s Selective Service registration card and accompanying documents show that questions about him are not only NOT over, but if the signature on the document is in fact his, our next Commander-in-Chief may have committed a federal crime in 2008, well within the statute of limitations on the matter. If it is not his, then it’s proof positive that our next Commander-in-Chief never registered with the Selective Service as required by law. By law, he was required to register and was legally able to do so until the age of 26.

    But the Selective Service System registration (“SSS Form 1″) and accompanying computer print-out (“SSS Print-out), below, released by the Selective Service show the following oddities and irregularities, all of which indicate the document was created in 2008 and backdated:

    * Document Location Number Indicates Obama Selective Service Form was Created in 2008

    First, there is the Document Location Number (DLN) on the form. In the upper right hand corner of the Selective Service form SSS Form 1, there is the standard Bates-stamped DLN, in this case “0897080632,” which I’ve labeled as “A” on both the SSS Form and the computer printout document. On the form, it reflects a 2008 creation, but on the printout, an extra eight was added in front of the number to make it look like it is from 1980, when it was actually created in 2008.

    As the retired federal agent notes:

    Having worked for the Federal Government for several decades, I know that the standardization of DLNs have the first two digits of the DLN representing the year of issue. That would mean that this DLN was issued in 2008. The DLN on the computer screen printout is the exact same number, except an 8 has been added to make it look like it is from 1980 and give it a 1980 DLN number. And 1980 is the year Senator/President Elect Obama is said to have timely registered. So, why does the machine-stamped DLN reflect this year (2008) and the DLN in the database (which was manually input) reflect a “corrected” DLN year of 1980? Were all the DLNs issued in 1980 erroneously marked with a 2008 DLN year or does the Selective Service use a different DLN system then the rest of the Federal Government? Or was the SSS Form 1 actually processed in 2008 and not 1980?
    It’s quite a “coincidence” . . . that is, if you believe in coincidences, especially in this case.

    Far more likely is that someone made up a fake Selective Service registration to cover Obama’s lack of having done so, and that the person stamping the form forgot (or was unable to) change the year to “80″ instead of the current “80″. They either forgot to fake the DLN number or couldn’t do so.

    And guess where the Selective Service registrations are marked and recorded? Lucky for Obama, it’s his native Chicago. From an article entitled, “Post Office Registration Process”, on the Selective Service website:

    When a young man reaches 18 he can go to any of the 35,000 post offices nationwide to register with Selective Service. There he completes a simple registration card and mails it to the Selective Service System. This begins a multi-step process which results in the man’s registration.
    Each week approximately 6,000 completed registration cards are sent to the Selective Service System’s Data Management System (DMC) near Chicago, Ill. At the DMC these cards are grouped into manageable quantities. Each card is then microfilmed and stamped with a sequential document locator number. The processed microfilm is reviewed to account for all documents and to ensure that the film quality is within strict standards. After microfilming, the cards are keyed and then verified by a different data transcriber.

    The Document Locator Number (DLN) is an automatic function (Selective Service record-keeping, specifically the DLN is described on pages 7-8 of this Federal Register document), with the first two digits comprising the year, and it was not changed to “08″ in error. So if the form was filed and processed in 1980, how did it get a 2008 DLN?!

    * Obama’s Selective Service Registration Form is Apparently 1990 Form Altered to Appear Like 1980 Form

    On the SSS Form 1, in the lower left hand corner is the form number (SSS Form 1) and the month and year version of the form, labeled as “B”. On this particular Form 1, it clearly shows the month as “FEB” (February), and the year is either “80″ or “90″. The retired federal agent investigated further:

    Magnification of the form both physically (with a 10x glass) or with different image software does not reflect a clear cut result of either a “80″ or a “90″.
    But, checking the history of SSS Form 1 (see http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=198002-3240-001#), it’s apparent that in February 1980, the Selective Service agency withdrew a “Request for a new OMB control number” for SSS Form 1 (see also, here)–meaning the agency canceled its previous request for a new form, and one was never issued in “FEB 1980″.

    Since under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, Pub. L. No. 96-511, 94 Stat. 2812 (Dec. 11, 1980), codified in part at Subchapter I of Chapter 35 of Title 44 a federal agency can not use a form not approved by OMB (Office of Management and Budget), it’s nearly impossible for Senator/President-Elect Obama’s SSS Form 1 to be dated “Feb 1980.” And since that makes it almost certainly dated “Feb 1990,” then how could Barack Obama sign it and the postal clerk stamp it almost ten (10) years before its issue?! Simply not possible.

    The lower right hand corner reflects that the Obama SSS form 1 was approved by OMB with an approval number of 19??0002, labeled as “C”. The double question marks (??) reflect digits that are not completely clear.

    * Barack Obama’s Signature is Dated After Postal Stamp Certifying His Signature

    Barack H. Obama signed the SSS Form 1′s “Today’s date” as July 30, 1980, labeled “D”. But the Postal Stamp reflects the PREVIOUS day’s date of July 29, 1980, labeled “E”. Yes, Obama could have mistakenly written the wrong date, but it is rare and much more unlikely for someone to put a future date than a past date. (Also note how Barry made such a “cute” peace sign with the “b” inside the “O” of his signature. Touching.)

    * Postal Stamp is Incorrect, Discontinued in 1970

    Then, there is the question as to whether the Postal Stamp is real. The “postmark” stamp–labeled “E”–is hard to read, but it is clear that at the bottom is “USPO” which stands typically for United States Post Office. However, current “postmark” validator, registry, or round dater stamps (item 570 per the Postal Operations Manual) shows “USPS” for United States Postal Service. The change from Post Office to Postal Service occurred on August 12, 1970, when President Nixon signed into law the most comprehensive postal legislation since the founding of the Republic–Public Law 91-375. The new Postal Service officially began operations on July 1, 1971.

    Why was an old, obsolete postmark round dater stamp used almost ten (10) years after the fact to validate a legal document . . . that just happened to be Barack Obama’s suspicious Selective Service registration form?

    * Form Shows Barack Obama didn’t have ID

    The SSS Form 1 states “NO ID”, labeled “F”. Since that’s the case, then how did the Hawaiian postal clerk know that the submitter was really Barack H. Obama, who may have been on summer break from attending Occidental College in California. How would they determine whether the registrant was truly registering and not a relative, friend, or other imposter?

    * The Selective Service Data Mgt. Center Stonewalled for Almost a Year on Obama Registration, Until Right Before the Election.

    The retired federal agent who FOIA’d Barack Obama’s Selective Service Registration Form notes:

    Early this year, when I first started questioning whether Obama registered I was told:
    Sir: There may be an error in his file or many other reasons why his registration cannot be confirmed on-line. However, I did confirm with our Data Management Center that he is, indeed, registered with the Selective Service System, in compliance with Federal law.
    Sincerely,

    Janice L. Hughes/SSS

    Then, they suddenly found the record on September 9, 2008 (prior to my October 13, 2008 request), and stated that his record was filed on September 4, 1980. Did they temporarily change the date on the computer database?

    On the previous FOIA response, they stated that it was filed on September 4, 1980. In my second request I mentioned that Obama could not have filed it in Hawaii on September 4, 1980 as he was attending Occidental College in California, the classes of which commenced August 24, 1980.

    * Other Questions: Missing Selective Service Number, FOIA Response Dated Prior to FOIA Request, Missing Printout Page

    • Northwest rain

      What the hell does this have to do with Rev. Amy’s article.

      HATRED directed towards women. Obama demonstrating the behavior of an abusive spouse in the way he put his hands on Clinton. And NOT this has nothing at ALL to do with the color of Obama’s skin.

      Obama is a sexist pig and his behavior towards two highly competent, accomplished women IS inexcusable.

      I’m calling Obama’s election — worshiping the penis. Only individuals with experience need apply. penis = experience.

      Both Clinton and Palin are far superior to Obama — and the only thing that he has that they do not — is that male thing called the Penis.

      The male shrinks used to call this penis envy — what silly fools. If all the intelligence of the male is found in his penis — then the male has a very very tiny brain!

      I want this out in the open — the cult of the worship of the penis. Looks like the old feminist have joined the cult of the penis worshipers.

      Strong language? You betcha! Murdering thousands of humans for being female is a damned strong message.

      Fact of the matter is that ALL fetuses begin as female.

      And this is LEARNED behavior — it cannot be excused.

  • donJohn

    EXCLUSIVE: Did Next Commander-in-Chief Falsify Selective Service Registration? Never Actually Register? Obama’s Draft Registration Raises Serious Questions

    http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2008/11/exclusive_did_n.html

    • http://rabblerouserruminations.blogspot.com Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

      donJohn – We got it already. You don’t need to post the entire article, or the link more than once. NQ readers are pretty savvy, and will read the article if they wish. And since you have posted this at just abt every story I have seen today, I think we got it. Thanks.

      It has NOTHING to do with this topic, though. Focus.

  • Cindy

    Thank you, Rev. Amy!! I read this last summer when you first posted it, and it had a profound affect on me.
    I wrote the following comment today on another website (“Reclusive Leftist”) that I’d like to share here. Please remember that I wrote this from the perspective of a straight, white woman; but of course, it applies to ALL American women, for whom I have the deepest respect.

    “The following I’ve written as an open ‘letter’ to Americans(from my perspective as a straight, white woman):
    We are American women.
    We have done eveything society asked of us.
    We behaved in school.
    We looked as pretty as possible at all times.
    We learned to cook.
    We learned to sew.
    We went to church.
    We dated nice boys.
    We got married.
    We took our husbands’ names.
    We gave up our identities.
    We took jobs for less pay.
    We bore you children.
    We lovlingly taught, nursed, guided, and nurtured these children.
    We volunteered at our children’s schools.
    We baked cookies for community fundraisers.
    We volunteered at political campaigns.
    We volunteered at nursing homes.
    We took care of our elderly parents.
    We have been loyal American patriots.
    What have we done wrong? Why do you hate us?
    Were we not pretty enough for you?
    Did we not scream loud enough during childbirth?
    Are we not dying at the hands of intimate partners fast enough for you?
    Why do you hate us?”

    • http://rabblerouserruminations.blogspot.com Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

      Thank you so much for sharing that here, Cindy! I really appreciate it. Very powerful, and appropriate to this topic.

      It just seemed right to re-print this after what happened yesterday – and in the election. Thanks again!

      • Cindy

        I am grateful to you, Rev. Amy. You have inspired so many of us, and have made us aware of other inspirational women.

  • HT

    Rev Amy, delurking to type “Well Done”. As a person, who happens to be female, who has survived molestation and rape, I can attest to the power impetus that contributes to the attacks on females of all ages, and unfortunately, children (first attack was age 5). It has been overlooked in recent years – swept under the carpet if you will, unless the victim was a young white woman that could be utilized to sell newspapers and magazines, but it has been disturbingly boiling below the surface for too many years, and this election has certainly allowed the magma to rise and erupt, bringing the venom into the mainstream. What gets my tonsils in a knot is the complicity of young people, particularly young women. Do they think that the venom that they parrot against other women won’t be turned on themselves if they step out of line? I am getting to the point where I’m starting to believe that the Handmaid’s Tale (written many years ago) was prescient, because we seem to have lost our way. How bleeding sad. Back to lurking.

    • http://rabblerouserruminations.blogspot.com Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

      Thank you so much, Cindy – you honor me by your words, truly…

      And HT, I think of The HandMaid’s Tale often. Here I thought it was going to happen under the BUSH Administration, not by Democrats. Wow…

      I am so sorry to hear abt what happened to you and MG-PUMA. My heart goes out to you, and all the others who have had similar experiences. But I am thankful indeed that you are here, and for your work to make sure this doesn’t happen to other women.

      Cathnealon, amen, sister…

      To you commenting here, thank you for looking at this issue, and wanting to change the narrative. We have a lot of work to do, and do it we must. We cannot allow what happened to y’all, what happened to Hillary and Sarah, to have women demeaned and treated so disparately to continue.

      • Tuppence411

        The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Required reading. I thought back to the story of the novel many times over the election…. how scary is that?

  • cathnealon

    Rev Amy
    The systemic oppression women have endured goes back thousands of years. It has only been in the last 200 years that awareness of the violence, abuse and contempt for women has come to light. Legal advancements do not change centuries old attitudes and psychological conditioning. When the powers that be are presented with a smart, successful, ambitious and confident woman they will immediately begin to attack using the old narratives. She should stay at home, she’s dimwitted, she’s too pretty, she’s like a man(the pants suit issue with Hillary) she can’t go up against the big boys( remember with Palin the Putin argument) and on and on. But these narratives are easily recognized. Where the male advantage lies is in the conditioning of young girls to compete with other young girls. This starts at a very early age so women become their own worst enemies, pretty clever of those men, heh? Without the hatred from other women Palin and Clinton would never have endured such misogyny(Dowd, Parker, Mitchell,etc). So a total rejection of this competitive crap,eduaction of very young girls to not engage in such a destructive game is the only answer.

  • MG-PUMA

    As the survivor of an attempted rape, I would simply like add to Rev. Amy’s article, Sarah Bernhardt’s threat, that Sarah Palin, a sitting Governor, would be “gang raped by my black brothers if she came to New York” to campaign.

    A woman threatening gang-rape against another woman. I never thought I would live to see the day, but I have.

    Sad, thoughtful topic, Rev. Amy.

    MG-PUMA

  • EightBelles

    During this week’s interview with Greta van Susteren, Gov Palin described her teenage daughter Willow’s reaction upon happening to see those despicable t-shirts worn by women that said “Sarah Palin is a c**t”. Willow asked her mom, Gov Palin, why someone who doesn’t even know her would wear such a disgusting item of clothing. I wish I knew the answer.

    Women like Gloria Steinem, Cameron Brown, Andrea Mitchell and others of their low life form are enemies of their own gender. Brown and Mitchell were in unique roles to passionately defend Sen Clinton, and later Gov Palin, but their sins of commission and omission toward these two outstanding female leaders speaks volumes about Brown and Mitchell’s pro-Obama/male agenda. Is such bias against one’s own gender born of self loathing or what?

    Perhaps a third party should be organized solely for the purpose of championing females and insuring that the RBC/DNC debacle never happens again on our watch. Sen Clinton and Gov Palin have more dignity and integrity in their pinky than Pelosi, Brazille and the DNC have in their collective body of misogynists and crooks.

  • http://lesstalkmoreactivism.blogspot.com/ whoframedrudy

    I was absolutely amazed when Hil’s Senate opponent Rick Lazio charged at her like he was going to hit her when she laughed at some stupid thing Lazio said in a debate. I thought, “That’s the First Lady of the United States!”

    If my father ever hit my mother they’d be pulling shards of glass out of his forehead in the ER. And if Lazio had hit Hillary, she’d have knocked his teeth out right on there on TV.

  • hootnannie

    Pro-Bobo media, whether misogynist, sexist, or neither, used anti-female attacks because they are still acceptable–unlike the mocking of blacks. Hillbillies, Christians, and old people are also still acceptable targets, and thus McCain and Palin were attacked in these regards.
    And as for Bobo’s selective service records, the whole issue will probably resonate about as well as the missing birth certificate. Look at what we know about this man–an associate of Chicago crooks, terrorists, racists, and anti-American Marxists–and what we suspect him of doing! Millions of Americans apparently didn’t care. I told my husband that the cops could probably find Michelle’s body in their basement with his fingerprints on a knife protruding from her back, and nothing would be done!

    • MJ

      I beg to argue, Ky dems were called “the redneck vote” (by David Gergen) on CNN for supporting Hillary. Redneck is much worse than hillbilly, and all of Hillary’s voters were called names whether it be poor, uneducated, working class….the classified us and steriotyped us in demeaning ways.

  • helenk

    I posted this before but it does fit in here.
    If we boycotted all the companies that advertise on the disinformation networks during the Thanksgiving Weekend. This is the biggest shopping time of the year. the money these companies spend on advertising would go down.
    If during the holiday season we only shopped at small businesses that do not adverise on the disinformation networks.
    If we picked one week to flood the disinformation networks with e-mails expressing our displeasure with their treatment of women, especially those running for public office.
    Maybe if enough of us do these things nationwide we could make a difference.
    to the disinformation networks it is always money before country.
    I don’t know a better time to make our outrage known and to make an effective point.

    WOMEN, MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM, AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS

    PUMAS,BUBBAS, AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE

  • New Party

    RRR Amy, thank you for staying on this. The article was disturbing but we need to know it all. In my experience, eyes glaze over when the subject of women’s rights or feminism comes up, but this crap MUST be routed out and fought by every woman and man with a shred of decency.

    I don’t give a rat’s ass why men (and obsequious women) don’t like women. I’m fed up with the excuses and psychobabble about why men abuse women around the globe. Any f’ing man who abuses a woman should suffer a stiff punishment, if you get my drift. Ouch. They might think twice. I’m serious.

  • IndieJones

    Rev.Amy,
    After I read your article, I had gone to see my next door neighbor. Our conversation was the usually chit chat when all of a sudden my neighbor said “ Oh…I’ve got to tell you this. You’re not going to believe it.”
    She proceeded to tell me how her pediatrician wanted to administer the vaccine Gardisil to her daughter, because it would protect her from getting at least 2 out of 18 strains of cervical cancer. But, being an informative mother, she told the doctor she wanted to do research on the product before she gave her o.k. First, she talked to her friends.
    Sure enough, a friend of a friends daughter had been given the vaccine….and before the vaccine she was an A+ student….very happy and a sociable teenager. But right after she was given the shot, the vaccine left her with permanent brain damage!
    My neighbor then researched on the internet. And what she found about Merck’s Gardisil
    almost made her cry.
    Since its approval, there have been at least 3,461 complaints of adverse reactions to the Gardasil vaccine.
    Side effects including paralysis, Bells Palsy, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, and seizures were also reported. And there have been deaths.
    Since Gardasil was approved by the Food & Drug Administration , its maker, Merck Inc., has undertaken an aggressive campaign to force families to subject their daughters to the Gardasil vaccine. In Texas, a mayor made it mandatory for female children, age 10 and older attending schools, to be subjected to this vaccine.
    Needless to say, the next doctor visit, my neighbor told her doctor NO!…to the vaccine.
    She feels, as many do…that the FDA isn’t protecting citizens, and especially FEMALES.
    As she said “ How dare they push this untested drug on young females”…”What the hell
    is the matter with them?”

    “Why do they hate us?”…indeed.

  • pumaforever

    Ironically Obama wrote S2125 for $52 million in aid to the Democratic Republic of Congo. (Way to go, sending our money to a horrible place.) That was one of his 3 ‘accomplishments’ in the US senate. The other was an increase in foreign AIDS research funding by $50 million and the other was about naming a post office. This guy has done nothing but spend money on non-Americans. We are doomed, truly.

  • Ohm

    Here is the promised phone call in the morning

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Sen. Hillary Clinton, who lost to Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primary, is being considered to serve as secretary of state in the Obama administration, NBC News reported on Thursday.
    http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081114/pl_nm/us_usa_obama_clinton

  • leslie

    Rev. Amy said

    “. . . it is incredibly discouraging and disheartening to see how quickly people – men AND women – revert to blatant sexism, almost with GLEE. They act as if they have been holding back these comments and feelings, but are now free to let loose . . . “

    Your entire post was so powerful! But this quote grabbed me. It described many women I know. And women who I used to respect and admire. It is just that “GLEE” that was so disturbing. And that they thought I would agree with them was even more alarming. When I disagreed with them, that was when I became “racist” and “white trash”. I am still in shock that women would actually think this way. The real shocker was when the women I used to shake my head at – my republican women friends – were the ones who may not have liked Hillary – but they never spoke of her in that “blatant sexist” way that my sister or my neighbor or other “feminist” friends did. I am still sickened by the memory.

    thank you for this post.

  • somerset

    Please be mindful of terms like “old feminists” vs. “new feminists”. It has a tinge of ageism and is inaccurate. 61% of the women who voted for John McCain were over 45 years old.