Comments on: For Uppity Woman, more about her story [WARNING: VERY GRAPHIC and DISTURBING IMAGES]

By: susan k (nyc)

susan k (nyc) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:40:26 +0000

yo, Saddam and his sons had RAPE ROOMS. They would pull women off the street and rape them. Women who resisted were beaten or killed.

Nat’l Geo has a good one-hour doc on Saddam’s terrorizing his people…just saw it a few days ago.

No matter how you slice it, women had it TERRIBLE under Saddam. And under the Ayatollah. It was/is all nightmarishly bad.

By: SonicNinjaKitty

SonicNinjaKitty — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:58:00 +0000

(I have thought about ‘scratching’ my face thoughtfully, if you know what I mean.)

By: SonicNinjaKitty

SonicNinjaKitty — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:55:02 +0000

Hi Northwest Rain,

I was wondering if you had a good one-line response to someone who says she didn’t vote for McCain because Palin ‘stands against everything women fought for’. I totally blew it when I heard this–had to choose between silence and screaming my head off for an hour–the shock was too much and what with my polite upbringing and all….

I’ve also heard a woman say she would never vote for Hillary because women should just never be prez. I mean, really, I wondered if I was in an alternate reality at that moment.

I have made friendship decisions these past few months based on this kind of behavior. It’s been sadly illuminating.

By: Snickers

Snickers — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:38:55 +0000

You’re right Mimi. We need to educate young women about this attitude and boycott those movies and shows and magazines that feature and perpetuate this kind anti-woman portrayal. I’m watching this Netflix series from Australia called McLeod’s Daughters and it is full of strong women, who help each other. They get angry with each other also, and there are some real great guys in it as well, but ultimately these women are there for each other.

By: Snickers

Snickers — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:25:04 +0000

NWRain,
I am very disappointed in Hillary. I was disappointed in the way she campaigned for The One. If we don’t stand up for each other and against misogyny we open the door to more vile behavior. Supporting the Fraud, IMHO, meant condoning his anti-woman behavior. What a horrible election – it certainly set women’s rights back years, and I’m too old to want to start all over again. Still, doing nothing is not an option either. The more I see religion teaching that women are inferior (there are still no Roman Catholic priests and I doubt the Mormons think women are equal yet, and then there are the orthodox jews and the fundamentalist Christians and Muslims) I’ve become an agnostic bordering on the atheist. I mean really, if there is a God, I doubt the It would want to see inequity practiced anywhere, but especially in places of worship.

By: melisa

melisa — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:45:47 +0000

Ah, shucks, I liked the give and take.
Hope I’m not trollish.
What is that anyway?

By: melisa

melisa — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:39:35 +0000

Yeah, got me there. Just still not good.

By: NoBamaNoWay

NoBamaNoWay — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:35:00 +0000

i’m afraid that you’re right. women must fight back. there must be consequences for the type of attacks shown in this article, not to mention all the other acts of misogyny out there.

By: NoBamaNoWay

NoBamaNoWay — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:32:12 +0000

hmm, maybe we should raise this issue with SoS Clinton.

By: NoBamaNoWay

NoBamaNoWay — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:22:25 +0000

you’re right that women in these places need to stand up for themselves and fight back, even at a great cost to themselves. but the rest of are certainly entitled to call out horrific misogyny when we see it, regardless of whether america is perfect. women here are a whole lot better off than they are in a lot of places.

By: NoBamaNoWay

NoBamaNoWay — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:18:15 +0000

i believe that this is the best action to take. women should completely boycott all persons, businesses, religions, countries, etc. that abuse women. when i hear about the women such as mentioned in this story, i wonder how many of them fought back. how many killed their attackers? how many threw acid back on their attackers? i’m not “blaming the victim” for the attack, but unfortunately, all too often these crimes are committed and there are no consequences for the perpetrator. they know that they can get away with it, and that is why the misogyny continues, just like it does every where else. there must be consequences.

By: Rob G in Chicago

Rob G in Chicago — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:04:19 +0000

While some might say that women may have had it better in Iraq under Saddam, at least until they had an encounter with one of his sons, I respectfully disagree. I contend that women were not better off, they were just as controlled, and lived in fear for themselves and their families. Being allowed to wear jeans and make-up doesn’t mean that you are free or that you have an equal place at the table, anymore than having a credit card makes you rich.

By: Janet in Texas

Janet in Texas — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:42:06 +0000

Many religions condone slavery, too, but civilized society stood up and defied such religious norms saying “NO– we will uphold to a higher standard.” And we can do it now with regards to women’s rights — say “NO” to abuse, murder, rape, and mutilation. “We will abide by a standard of civilization higher than that of religion.”

By: Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:39:05 +0000

And it wasn’t so long ago – two months or so – that the Democratic Party painted as victim a state trooper with a record of domestic violence, and a current restraining order. Yes, I am talking abt Sara Palin’s former brother-in-law…

I did a great deal of work in the domestic violence arena, too, including keeping a count of all women killed by their batterers in this country. It is more than you think. No doubt, it is a great thing that there are shelters available, and new laws to protect women. But when young women, and men, are wearing t-shirts calling a prominent female politician the C-word in broad daylight, and when bullying women is an accepted form of political discourse (caucuses), it does make me wonder how much ATTITUDES have really changed…

I thought things were much better for women, not perfect or without room for improvement, but better, in the US – until the past two years. I cannot believe the treatment of women that was blithely accepted in this country. If that level of misogyny is accepted here, perpetrated by our political parties and media, can it really be all that surprising that women are treated so horribly in other countries?

Thanks, Uppity and NQ, for your willingness to expose the real danger it remains to be a woman in this world…

By: Tess

Tess — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:48:21 +0000

NOW is a laughingstock after this Primary and Election. They ought to rebrand themselves: NOT NOW
Stephen Colbert’s interview w/whatsherface, NOW’s Pres. is worth watching. I think he’s the only one who wondered why NOW was endorsing a man.