An Inconvenient Ideal
That said, I'm also a feminist. And I have to say, I couldn't be more disgusted with the way people have been acting lately. It seems like feminism is great, that so many women these days are really striving to uphold the ideals that women are equal with men, that women should have the freedom of choice to lead their lives how they see fit. Whether to be a mother, to strive for a career, or both, the point is that women should have the freedom to choose what is best for them and that no man, no person, no society should dictate to them the choices that they make regarding how they live their lives.
Just as important as the aspect of choice is the aspect of equality in treatment, both in polite society and in the workplace. There's that whole idea of equal pay, equal opportunity - that no qualified woman should be denied a job opportunity for which she is qualified, and that women deserve the same pay that men receive for the same job. That seems like pretty basic, straight-forward feminism, right? It seems understandable, reasonable, and fair, right?
It's such a shame that all of that gets flushed down the toilet the minute the woman in question happens to be of a different political persuasion. It's such a shame that feminism has suddenly become such a selective ideal.
As you might have guessed, this is about all the talk lately about Republican Vice Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin. I have no problems whatsoever with anyone asking questions about her job experience, her resume, or her stance on policies - those are understandable, important, and obvious questions that should be asked of all the candidates equally.
What I have a problem with is all this incredible talk that she's somehow neglecting her family because she has the unending nerve to actually pursue a career. Um, didn't we dispense with all this talk back in the 80s? Whatever happened to the idea that women can have it all, that they can have a family and a career too? Whatever happened to the idea of choice? If you're going to say that about Governor Palin, shouldn't you also be pointing the finger at all the other high-powered women out there who are also juggling families and high-profile jobs? Shouldn't we have asked this of Hillary Clinton when she ran for office? What about all the women CEOs out there? Nancy Pelosi also has five children, why aren't we asking the same questions of her?
The reason none of those questions have been asked before is that we'd progressed beyond that point decades ago. Feminism had actually accomplished something - society doesn't seem to think twice anymore about women having jobs and families too. In fact, most women are praised for it! I can't tell you how many magazine covers and episodes of Oprah I've seen and heard about, praising those successful women who juggle career and family. Why is it that all of this has disappeared overnight? Are we really that fickle? Or have we been two-faced and insincere about this whole feminism thing all along?
I couldn't be more disgusted right now with this whole mess. And here I thought politics were bad enough as of a few weeks ago; never did I imagine it would get this bad. Never did I think we'd be telling a female political candidate to shut up, put on her apron, and get back in the kitchen. This is 2008! What the hell is everyone thinking!? Can people really not think about this before the words spew out of their mouths? What about all those female news anchors who are repeating this backwards garbage - don't they have children at home? I even heard Katie Couric say it, she still has young children at home! If she's saying it about Palin, why isn't she quitting her job and going back home to her own children too? Cause come on, fair is fair, right?
I seriously can't believe everything that's happened. Is the world really so messed up, are we really all so angry, that we can't even be civil anymore? So single-minded that we can't even keep our own ideals straight? Do our political persuasions run so deep that we contradict our own sacred ideals at a moment's notice? Is getting one man elected to the office of President really worth setting society back decades, contradicting our own hopes for equality, and generally looking like a bunch of hypocritical idiots?
Perhaps more importantly, should we be asking, is it even necessary? Why are these attacks even happening? If Obama is such a wonderful hope for change, if he's truly the best candidate, isn't there a better way to show support for him and get him elected? Can't we all just handle ourselves with a bit more decorum, please?
I don't give a crap who you're voting for this election - so long as you vote for the candidate with whom you most closely agree on the issues, more power to you. That's all I hope for in an election, that everyone makes an educated vote with the most honest of intentions. If you really agree with Obama on all the issues, then I applaud you for voting and for sticking with your ideals, morals, and political opinions. Personally, I still don't know who I'm voting for, but I can say that this behavior sickens me. Perhaps the worst part is that Obama himself has decried these sorts of attacks, and yet they haven't stopped.
This isn't about whether or not you agree with the choices Governor Palin has made with regard to her own family. This is about the right to choose; the right of any woman in this country to make her own decisions about her life, her family, and her career. This is about men and women being held to the same standard. This is about tolerance and equality at their most basic level. Please, ask yourself, is this really how we want to elect anyone? If Mr. Palin were the politician, would we be asking the same questions & making the same outlandish accusations? Is this what our democratic process has sunk to? Are we, as a nation, really this petty, insincere, and childish? I sure hope not, because this isn't the America I love, and I, for one, am extremely disappointed. Please, vote for whomever you wish, but surely we can still be civil, fair, and not betray our own integrity at same time. Or is that too much like asking someone to walk and chew gum at the same time?
Jiang Yuyuan
