Which religion is bad for women?

By LeeAnn Cox 2/15/2011



“When you look at such a large range of countries and have such robust findings that religiosity consistently leads to worse outcomes for women,” says economcis professor Stephanie Seguino, “it’s striking.” (Photo courtesy of Seguino)
"Inequality has real effects on the economy. It’s not just attitudes but attitudes that translate into unequal access to resources."

Take your pick. It might seem intuitive that the more religious a person is, the more likely he or she is to believe that men are more deserving of scarce jobs or a university education and that the primary role of women is motherhood. More remarkable, however, according to a new study published in World Development by University of Vermont economist Stephanie Seguino: no single religion stands out as being more distinctively patriarchal than other major religions. Protestants, Orthodox, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and Catholics are all likely to hold more unequal gender attitudes than the non-religious.

The research, which examined gender wellbeing in up to 76 countries, controlled for a number of factors, including income. Contrary to expectation, religiosity and gender inequality are not related to whether a country is rich or poor. The study also separated splinter groups from mainstream religions, so evangelical Christians, for example, do not impact the results for other Protestants.

Despite the persistence worldwide in wage discrimination between men and women with similar qualifications, economists have not been able to find a “smoking gun” to explain it, says Seguino, perhaps until now. “When you look at such a large range of countries and have such robust findings that religiosity consistently leads to worse outcomes for women,” she says, “ it’s striking.”

This phenomenon, which runs the gamut from individual attitudes to public policy, is not restricted to developing countries. Whatever the dominant religion, there is less spending on maternal health care, for instance, in countries that are more religious than those that are less religious. The United States, which is far more religious than places such as Sweden, is the only industrialized country without any paid maternity leave.

Even where discrimination may be overtly illegal, religion has a “stealth” effect on gender norms that affect women’s access to jobs, education, political leadership and public services. Seguino’s is not the first study to correlate religiosity with gender equality, but it goes a step beyond.

“What my study does uniquely,” she says, “is finds evidence that inequality has real effects on the economy. It’s not just attitudes but attitudes that translate into unequal access to resources.”

Policy Puzzle

The implications for developing public policy, Seguino believes, are clear. First, funneling aid and social assistance through faith-based organizations should, at a minimum, be accompanied by an investigation of the impact of their practices on women. “The question is,” says Seguino, “are the institutions we are funding actually undermining our broader goals of promoting equity?”

Second, investments in women’s education, once believed to be the core issue limiting advancement, have not worked. The influence of the culture and its institutions, embedded with gender norms and stereotypes, is too ingrained.

More helpful interventions could include affordable childcare, affirmative action, presenting positive role models of working women -- normalizing in a variety of venues the idea that women can combine work with family.

Seguino, despite an equality gap she says is the widest we’ve seen since the 1930s, sounds hopeful. The organizing principle of her research is finding the macroeconomic policies that will facilitate rising gender -- and racial -- equality with rising living standards and economic growth. She feels she’s being heard. Seguino is frequently invited to speak at the United Nations and to policy organizations worldwide.

“They are very much interested in new thinking on how to move forward,” she says, “recognizing that the policies of the last 20 years have not borne fruit. I’ve given several talks (on this religion paper) and I don’t get pushback, I think because the study doesn’t condemn any one religion.”

It’s about understanding where the fundamental issues lie and then creatively addressing them.

“Once you identify that the problem of gender inequality has religious roots,” Seguino says, “then it suggests that public policy can be used to overcome cultural rigidities. Stereotypes are dynamic, not fixed.”

http://www.uvm.edu/~sseguino/ Professor Seguino's Web page

http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmpr/?Page=news&storyID=11600 Source of this article

The Boxer Rebellion

Senator Barbara Boxer is not a fav of mine although I do respect much of what she has done and is doing. When I heard that she made a polite, reasonable request that a military man testifying before her committee address her as Senator, I anticipated she would be attacked in the most vile, misogynist way. I had to look around awhile before I found anything even faintly understanding of her position.

http://alanagkelly.blogspot.com/

About time women had the pride and courage to stand up for themselves. I've watched many hearings and male senators are generally called senator and sometimes sir. Many times I have heard women senators called Mrs [husband's name].

One needs to understand that ma'am and mrs are detrimental terms. I know many women feel that having a husband is a mark of success but history and society tells us this is not so. They signify possession.

Etymology dictionary

ma'am
1668, colloquial shortening of madam (q.v.). Formerly the ordinary respectful form of address to a married woman; later restricted to the queen, royal princesses, or by servants to their mistresses.

sir
1297, title of honor of a knight or baronet (until 17c. also a title of priests), variant of sire, originally used only in unstressed position. Generalized as a respectful form of address by c.1350; used as a salutation at the beginning of letters from 1425.

I've gone through it all my life as male professionals at meetings and elsewhere were always called Dr. or Professor X but I, and other women, were called mostly by Mrs or Miss [with an occasional Ms snearingly thrown in and also by our first names.

Asking that one's title be used is asking for a load of manure to be dumped on you as I know from experience. Women are supposed to take it, after all we let them get an education but that does not mean that it is equal to any man's. Yeah, I know that some women think being one of the boys means being a good sport. If he tweaks your breast, you can just tweak his genitals - he'd just love it and you'd be fulfilling the slut profile every woman has emblazoned on her chest.

In the alanagkelly blog linked above, the author tells of instances where males are allowed to demand how they are addressed. Yeah, it happens but it is so OK that one seldom notices.

It is going to take prominant women standing up and protesting and the rest of us cheering them on instead of dumping on them to even begin to make changes in the way women are respected for their abilities. They must be given the same respect as men in public office, professional status and, of course, as wife and mother. Slavery of women [possession] must be outlawed and battering of her mind and body must be stopped.

RAMEY II - SAVING MEN FROM THEMSELVES

Dr. Estelle Ramey turned academia and corporate America on it's collective ear - head over teakettle. Some may think as they read about her, "Oh that was 40 years ago" and they would be right, but most thinking women and men know that things have only changed on the surface.

Below the surface, tradition fiercely battles any attempt to acknowledge the human-ness of women. Proof positive of this is how openly misogyny and sexism is flaunted with very little blow back; the continued need for battered women's shelters and the lusty slave trade in women's bodies.

Dr Ramey's pithy comments, like this one, can stop people in their tracks and kick start thought:

"The women's movement has been greatly misunderstood. It's not a cause but a symptom. A symptom of social changes instituted by -- men."

In one of her lectures she explains that the way to make a man understand what it's like to be a woman is to have him remember what it was like when he was a young teenager and completely dependent on his father. He would have to ask him for everything; wheedle, pout and manipulate just to get the use of the car or increase his allowance etc . He was reduced "to be essentially an outsized child". That's the situation women are forced to be in all their lives; our society never allows them to grow out of it without a huge struggle on their part.

As women started to get out into the work force in positions higher than secretary or nurse or cleaning woman, they found that it was necessary to tread lightly. But while being careful not to wound the male's fragile ego, their own ego was being pummeled.

Some women have networked and shared their common experiences. Every woman remembers being the only female in a group of males charged by management to come up with ideas. After grabbing her courage in both hands, she offers a suggestion and is ignored. At the next meeting, Pete or Fred offer the same suggestion and it is hailed as a super idea. Ramey never let herself be cowed by men. She went right up into their faces with science.

In a 1973 lecture, Professor Ramey flung the gauntlet at her male colleges.

"Testosterone is not a bad hormone as hormones go and is is said by some to be the `take charge' hormone. But what it does to the heart and blood vessels bears thinking about. However, very little research has been done on what testosterone does to the blood vessels - that's because men do the research.

"In order to do research on the effects of testosterone, these men would have to face up to the fact that there may be a weakness in males, so they don't do the work. Out of sheer altruism, I have put in a application to the NIH to work on this problem. I care about the men in my life; I care about my husband, my son, my grandson. I think they are pretty valuable people and I would like to know what can be done to keep them alive longer."

That challenge and the telling results of her studies of the male hormone got male scientists off their collective, egotistical asses nearly 40 years ago. It also resulted in better studies of female hormones.

"As far as intelligence is concerned, everything we know about intelligence says that women are indeed members of the species Homo sapiens: IQ's average out the same for both sexes. Women can think. It is a disadvantage to them to do so, but the potential is there ...

"If all the rare genius that resides in human brains, including female brains, had been utilized, might we have a cure for cancer, or a cure for the aging of male blood vessels? Excellent minds are so rare. Can we afford to waste any?"

In the 40 years since she wrote this, countless women's minds were wasted. How much has civilization lost by denying women's leadership, women's voices and women's creativity? Well, for one thing, sexism and misogyny deprived us of a president who would have brought women and men as equals into the White House with her.

The United States Senate Sep 18, 2006 Section 24

Sen. Hillary Clinton [D-NY]: Mr. President, on September 8, our Nation lost a great American and my husband and I lost a wonderful friend of over 20 years. Dr. Estelle R. Ramey was a respected endocrinologist, physiologist, and feminist. She was a woman of great wit and wisdom who fought gender discrimination in the scientific professions and in the conduct of medical research. Dr. Ramey died of Alzheimer's disease at the age of 89.

Estelle Rubin Ramey was born in Detroit and raised in New York City. Her mother, a wise but impoverished and illiterate immigrant, insisted that her daughter be educated. At the age of 15 in the midst of the Great Depression, Dr. Ramey was able to attend Brooklyn College for the price of a library card. [ for the rest of this tribute, click on this link] http://www.govtrack.us/congress/record.xpd?id=109-s20060918-24

Truck Accident Lawyer

MY WILD IRISH VERONICA

Veronica Guerin, right, pictured with son Cathal and husband Graham Turley

One thing we generally agree about is the lack of dedicated, or even honest, reporters in our country. It seems that all they do now is sit in their office, take phone calls and cue videos of the horrors that abound.

Although some do get off their bums during a presidential campaign, the truth seldom is in them and they are far from even-handed in their coverage of the candidates. Especially true in the recent campaign where they fell head over teakettle in love with one of the candidates. Some even admitted their bias.

Investigative reporters seem to be a dying breed so we are thrilled one did exist fairly recently. That’s part of what makes the story of Ireland’s Veronica Guerin so fascinating despite the fact that her reporting ended tragically 13 years ago followed by attempts to discredit her.

For two years, Reporter Guerin single handedly went after the drug lords in her city of Dublin. She and her family were harassed and threatened. She was beaten up but she kept on digging and reporting the facts. Her life ended in a hail of bullets.

“When the renowned crime reporter Veronica Guerin was gunned down on the outskirts of Dublin in June 1996 she became a modern-day Irish saint.” A movie was made about her and authorities vowed to punish her killers.

Two years later another Irish reporter, Emily O’Reilly wrote a book claiming that Guerin was “ruthless, devious and – worst of all – a bad mother”.

"Mrs O'Reilly says Ms Guerin blurred the line between journalist and detective in her hunt for a story and made herself and her son a target.

Veronica had a child-like ignorance of danger. No Gardai would have done what she done without back up from six squad cars and a direct phone line to the commissioner of police _ I think it was done to disarm these hard men she was interviewing."

While reluctant to criticise Ms Guerin outright she says: "It's always difficult for journalists but (former BBC war correspondent) Martin Bell didn't bring his children along to the frontline in Bosnia. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/86191.stm

It’s not difficult to see the pattern here, a pattern of squelching the important work and life of a woman who was doing what no man dared to do. And of using a woman to do it so hopefully no one will notice the blatant sexism employed to rob a brave woman of her rightful place in history.

Expect more of this kind of reporting as SoS Clinton continues to be extreamly effective.

"NBC's Andrea Mitchell utilizes the International Women of Courage award ceremony to compare the First Lady careers of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and current First Lady Michelle Obama. Andrea presents Michelle as clearly more traditional, or wifely, than Hillary." TGW

STICKS AND STONES

Sticks and stones may break our bones but words will never hurt us - Baloney!

"Turning a person into a thing is almost always the first step in justifying violence against that person."
- Jean Kilbourne, lecturer and keynote speaker focusing on violence, women, and the media.

Turning a thing into a person hardly gets a second thought or consideration.

So why do women themselves contribute in many ways to being considered objects?

Why do they follow the male dictates of impersonal objects being possessions and FEMALE? Boats are she; most countries are she; cars are shes and it goes on and on with most women hardly batting an eyelash.

The male child is often referred to as a man, a big man, a young man; the female child, never as a woman, although the conditioning intent is clear when we hear her called "a young lady". Mostly though they are called objects and often named the same way. Cookie,Sweetie-pie anyone? Or the song, "Candy, I call my sugar, candy...".

Thus the male child is strengthened and identified and the female is weakened and objectified. And we wonder why it continues. Oh wait. It is mostly women who teach children their language; men teach them their social order - first class or second class. And men do this using the language taught by the mothers - the mother tongue, get it?

Another month is here that is given short shrift by media and by women. A Month called Women's. So who really cares? The media's focus and headlines is on Michelle - emphasizing her body, especially her bare arms and her clothing.

Women have let themselves be reduced to obsessers over fashion, grooming and related cattiness while ignoring how they contribute to the programming of our youth with our language.

It is so cute to be thought of as a barnyard animal that some women actually call themselves and other women, chicks, and continually refer to themselves as pre-pubic ie girls.

A small article in today's paper stated how the number of rapes has increased world-wide. The last line reminded us that most rapes are unreported. Our society still projects that it is the woman's fault so shame, awa fear, keeps the rapist in business.

And it is just too much trouble to say Chairperson. Sticks and stones, sticks and stones.

"all men are created equal" No later amendment changes those words any more that laws concerning equal pay do.

RUSH AND WOMEN

Yesterday I watched and listened to Rush Limbaugh give his speech to the faithful of CPac. Since it was covered by FOX, he jokingly announced that it was his first address to the Nation and later on he called it his first International address, slyly noting that he was not using a teleprompter. I can remember when I'd turn off the radio if he came on but that was when there was a Democratic Party that I could identify with.

Full of himself with his usual bravado, the big guy seemed really nervous and coughed a lot. Like most of us he is much more confident alone behind his radio mic but despite all that he was his usual megaphone self, blasting away at the current administration and rallying the Conservatives to take back the country.

As he spoke, I was remembering his nasty misogyny, recalling a list of them I'd just read in a blog. Strangely, they didn't seem much when compared to what we endured during the Primaries from people who claimed to be Democrats, just like us.
Damn, this is getting confusing. What happened to that Party? It picked up the values I shared and slammed them into the crapper.



Rush did a great job of slapping down current Democrats in power but came nowhere near in nastiness, to what Frat Boy-speech-writer did to Hillary. I've seen just as nasty stuff against Democratic women from the Obama crowd and written in our women's blogs. This was a favorite, oft repeated and never, never denounced by Democratic leadership, [even the women].

"Never Trust Something That Bleeds Five Days A Month And Doesn't Die."

Whatever you may think of Rush, he is consistent. He's the same nasty boy wisenheimer , whether his Party is in power or out. A stark contrast to the mealy mouthed mavens of the MSM and Dem Talk. There was no tingle up my legs listening to Rush - just bewilderment that Democratic perfidy has surpassed his record for vileness.

I believe I'm on the road to recovery - but still am unable to stomach those who betrayed my trust at AARadio - that was supposed to be representing all Democrats and their values. Sadly, what made Air America attractive was that it attacked the villainous Republicans. We were surprised and devastated when it attacked Hillary. Why did we let the Rachels, Thoms, Randis, Steph and her boys manipulate us that way? More to the point and more honestly, why did we allow ourselves to be manipulated?

Like many others, if the blogs are to be believed, I am just another person without a political affiliation. The internalization of that fact was what gave me the freedom and the wisdom to listen to Rush and others who mostly do not represent my political views. No, I didn't become a fan of his nor did I instantly put on the GOP, glorious, shining mantel of ... but hold on. Those shiny robes are now worn by the Glorious one, the Precious one who represents the Party opposed to Rush.

And women's votes put him in those robes and keep him there with their adoring cries. Even some who do not worship him are quick to forgive because he appointed women or mentioned support for health care, education etc. Is this just another example of the way women are conditioned to return to their abuser? We see it every day as battered women bring their children into a help center and then recant and return to the bastards that beat the shit out of them.

Sure women think they are free, liberated from the confines of the past and escaped from the dictates of society.

But the more liberated they think they are the more they mold themselves to men's fantasies thus validating them. It takes real courage to be free. So far most take the safest path and return to their abuser who promised to bring flowers of health care or reproductive freedom.

Rush, for all his warts, is The Man, a universal symbol of women's continued acceptance of her oppression. A big old piñata for them to hit with their sticks of hatred and feel they are winning their birthright while ignoring the clanging shackles put on them by a punishing society they support out of ignorance or fear.

But there is hope. Women who have finally recognized how our society conditions them and have pulled themselves free of its disastrous evils are showing what a morass of tradition they were tangled in. More and more of our daughters are DEFINING THEMSELVES AS WOMEN. They are throwing aside the traditional roles of doormat, prom queen, worker bee, sex doll [3 aps, count them!] and punching bag.

AFTER THE BRAWL

After the brawl was over
Maggie took out her glass eye,
Put her false teeth in water,
Hung up her hair to dry,
Stood her left leg in the corner,
Hung her right arm on a hook.
After the brawl was over…
After the brawl.
--- parody - author unknown [original song, “After the ball” by Charles K. Harris]

Following the recent selection, all the Maggies emerged with heart and mind still strong and vital despite yet another cruel battering by the 4th Estate that should have protected her.

Here we are again hearing from various media mavens that, oh my yes, media had been a tad biased in favor of one candidate. And perhaps even a tad sexist in its treatment of the women candidates.

Then in the very next breath they insist that Senator Clinton should not become SoS because she will set up her own foreign policy and hurt the precious. They wring their hands in agony that “she always makes things about herself.”

No apologies, no explanations, just the usual bull we have come to expect from these people who call themselves reporters and claim they and the free press they represent protect our freedom.

Oh, yes and their right to do all this protecting is protected by the Constitution. Media considers itself the fourth arm of government that polices the other three. Except for some state or local reporting, the media is financed and directed by what Ike told us to fear: The military-industrial complex.

International corporations as well as native, feed us lies and pick our presidents. They support government officials who do their bidding. They have become, because the people have allowed it, the voice of the people.

What makes it all so frustrating is that this has been occurring and reoccurring for years. Reporters on the scene of battles and wars have often omitted anything that might reflect badly on their masters. The usual excuses that it was done for national security just do not hold up.

Remember the lies of the “Embedded media” in Iraq; the government’s cover-up and fabrication of Jessica Lynch, a woman soldier who was captured by Iraqi? The story was slanted to make it appear her Iraqi captors tortured her when in effect they treated her humanly.

Remember the cover-up of Abu Ghriab and Git-mo and torture we engaged in by rendition? And these are only the tip of the iceberg.

Despite all this historical knowledge of the perfidy of the media, most Americans live by the polls and ruminations of the talking heads that make their living by gazing into their own crystal ball and never acknowledge or apologize for any mistakes.

Just amazing how they mostly all get on the same page at the same time. This week we’ve heard several assert variations on the meme that everyone is ecstatically happy with Zero, even those who at one time opposed him.

We are the most poorly informed country in the world yet we continue childishly to claim we have freedom of the press. Could it be that all the dire predictions of the economy are just so that as things turn around it will be reported as a miracle performed by the president-select?

Meanwhile misogyny continues unabated. Twisty writes:

"A black dude can get elected president, but a woman? When swine defy gravity. Racism flourishes, all righty, but it’s covert, on the DL, the embarrassing private luxury of elderly honkys and parochial-minded nincompoops . . . Misogyny, on the other hand, is bullet-proof. It’s not merely tolerated, it’s openly celebrated in the American street, the American courtroom, the American bedroom, the American internet. Except for a puny consortium of bruised and contused blamers calling blindly to the Vaginatariat through mists of dime store cologne, even the victims of this oppression embrace it."

Lest we forget, there was Jimmy Kimmel interviewing the patrons of a black barbershop to ask what would be acceptable and what off limits in regard to what he could say about Barack Obama. All agreed children were off limits but rifts on Michelle’s big ass were OK.

http://www.thelizlibrary.org/

TAG 'EM AND FRAG 'EM

What is it that keeps holding women back from uniting and presenting a true, new force for good in the world? Are all the great women bloggers out there capable of coming together to destroy the eons of bias, discontent and futility of protest?

Can we ever get rid of that posh parasol, hat and gloves, elitist “feminist” label and celebrate our woman selves that come in all shapes, colors and abilities, mostly unexpressed?

Perhaps the plethora of well-written blogs speaking to the issue of equality in fact, instead of parroting the MSM’s happy housewife meme, hurts rather than helps. Each one offers links to other blogs but the click of the mouse does not connect us together, it just gives us more reading material.

Women born early in the last century read these blogs and retch between their tears of frustration. What they experienced, suffered and worked to change for their daughters is just what the modern blogs are pissing and moaning about now.

The so-called women’s movement for equality apparently provided the daughters with the right to free and open sex, the right to keep their own name when married and the right to continue to support the status quo.

Their mother’s plea that women should not be objectified was turned on its head by daughters who just love being objectified or have taken the attitude of “FU! I’ll dress as I like, so there.” And how the guys love it.

All of the information and knowledge gained by the mothers of yore are available in women’s studies, books, on-line and from the mothers who have survived. All useless – those who will not learn from the past are not only repeating it but are also adding new wrinkles to the old patriarchy playbook.

Wake up! It’s not the individual men who are doing this to you. Many of them are supporters – they are on your side. It is the culture and the extent to which you have given in and accepted your lesser-human status.

It’s the choices you have made to give preference to, and adorn, your bodies instead of opening and using your mind. ”Be warriors for equality!” - Xena Warrior Princess

Despite knowing that the Primary was rigged for Zero, almost all of those so-called women supporting the one woman in the race happily jumped on the unity pony. Then they jumped ugly on their friends and relatives who would not capitulate to what clearly was the ultimate in the battering of a woman. Tag ‘em and frag ‘em – misogyny rules.

The candidate and Party that supported these atrocities received their accolades from voters singing hosanna to the tall dark and hansom of the fairy tales they were brought up on. It wasn’t so much about the kool-aid as it was about the hormones.

Women seem prone to exhibit a psychological response sometimes seen in an abducted hostage, in which the hostage shows signs of loyalty to the hostage-taker. This has been called The Stockholm Syndrome.

No wonder. Male power has only to shake the “fear rattle” and most women respond like the well oiled, well-trained Zombies they are. The culture has taught them that protection lies only with the male.

The brave woman who made the cracks in the glass ceiling and took the vicious cuts and bruises herself watched in agony as those, who had declared support, turned their backs on her.

Then these liberal, elitist, ladies, who had preached equality and tolerance as their credo, erupted when a strong Conservative woman came on the scene. Feminist leaders led their sisterhood followers into another wild game of tag ‘em and frag ‘em that still continues.

This sisterhood and their leaders are now the tip of the misogyny spear to the delight of the male power structure. They descending like a mob of Harpies to claw a woman Governor to death and found instead one strong woman person who had learned well from the elder sisters and mothers of the last century.

Below are links to two blogs with recent, well-written articles. Sadly the content is very similar to things written in the last century – we’ve gone a damn short way, baby.


Six Part Series on the Need for Feminism

1. The Right to Go Out

2. Planet of the Guys

3. Our Father Who Art in Heaven

4. The Invisible Women

5. The Female Body as Property

6. The Longest Revolution

http://echidneofthesnakes.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html#475045112303344609


Women Will Never Be Equal

http://www.partizane.com/node/435#comments

BO CHANGE = BUSH STYLE FEAR

Amid all the sturm and drang of the Primary battle of the century, there is an uncomfortable deja vous clawing at the raw nerve ends of memory. It has to do with the blogs, the pundits, the meanstream media mavins and especially with Air America Radio.

What a joy it was for many of us when AAR first came on the air. After months and years of little or no Liberal Talk, either on radio or TV, finally there were voices that echoed our own thoughts and even expanded them.

Along with this delight came hosts that were exciting and erudite. They informed and incited us to action. They united us as one voice against the Bush administration, gave us an outlet for our feelings and reported the other side of the news that had been missing for years.

Finally we had a voice after so many mute years and just in time to change things in Washington, DC. Then, even though no one appeared to set out a chair, reality sat in.

It began slowly with the start of the Primary. At first it posited each campaign in a fair manner, giving equal consideration to the large slate of candidates.

Then gradually it all changed as host after host made their choice and slanted the information. This gave rise to callers choosing the host that favored their own candidate. These shows were then reduced to love-ins and very little else in the way of discussion of candidate merits.

From simple preference came the beginning of what would quickly become full-blown prejudice against another candidate, culminating in the absolutely inexcusable rantings of Randi Rhodes.

Once Edwards bowed out and left Hillary and Barack as the sole contenders, outright nastiness inflamed the blogs with AAR hosts not too far behind as they encouraged callers to go to and beyond the limit with their comments. Thus HRC was excoriated while BO was canonized as a saint that could do no wrong. AAR became AOR- Air Obama Radio – and it still is.

MSNBC, led by Russert, Olbermann and Matthews, had long been spewing hatred toward women in general and Hillary in particular. It kept kicking it up a notch by bringing in AOR hosts, such as Rachel Maddow, who barely pretends to be without bias, and the most vicious voice against Hillary, a real crap-act – Ed Shultz.

Blitzer of CNN and his pit bull, Cafferty vied with MSNBC for the title of who could slap Hillary down the hardest. This rather backfired as it stirred up many still apathetic women and men voters. And surprisingly, Lou Dobbs became one CNN host who showed great fairness toward Hillary and even criticized BO at times – something unheard of by the majority of pundicrats.

Strange to say, FOX News became the station of choice for Hillary supporters simply because it was FAIR AND BALANCED TOWARD HER AND THE OTHERS.

Still, AORadio continues to do yeoman work for the BO campaign using the very tactics it once called despicable when the Repugs radio/TV did it; the hosts embraced the hallmark of George Bush et al and made it their own – INDUCE FEAR.

Here’s host Lionel exhorting listeners about how to whip those women supporting Hillary into line and onto the Obama-train: “Be nice and reasonable,” he cautions. “The key is to scare the hell out of them.

“Remind them of how old the Supremes are getting and how McCain would pick someone who would make abortion illegal. Women want the war to end and MacC will make war last 100 years. Women are suckers for kids, universal health care and schools so remind them of how these programs will not happen and what we now have will be under funded. Tell them Mc’ll privatize SS, etc.”

In short, Lionel and others are advocating exactly what they screamed about when they first broadcasted as Air Americans. See what a difference an -O- can make? Politics as usual – Obama style, is patterned after Bush’s success with fear mongering. Oh, brave new obamaworld.
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BLOGS MEANSTREAM MEDIA IGNORE

A rapidly growing list of sexist remarks against Hillary.
http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2008/05/hillary-sexism-watch-part-eighty.html

Women threaten Obama boycott
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/05/women-threaten.html

I do not find any qualities in Obama that indicate he is capable of bringing about this cooperation. I see arrogance, imperiousness, inflexibility, and contempt for those who do not hand him what he wants. He does not appear to want unity, only capitulation. Anglachel’s Journal

"DNC: Fractured Fairly Tales" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvuMDmqwwbI
is our (IndyRobin and GeekLove) latest video from "Shut the Freud Up" Productions.

Our last video "Mad as Hell" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcdnlNZg2iM
http://shutthefreudup.blogspot.com

How ironic is it that we internet activists have been hollering for eight years for Democrats to fight, and now that we have a fighter on our hands, so many of those hollerers are hollering AGAINST her? lambert at Corrente

Obama merely has his words, hope and the video of his wife sounding unpatriotic which will be used over and over and over again. And that's why so many Clinton supporters are reluctant to vote for Obama if he becomes the nominee. It's not because they are bitter. It is because they chose Hillary over Obama for two real reasons: experience and definition.

We know what we are getting with Hillary Clinton. We've read the label that has been on the box for years. And, yes, we may not like everything about her, but at least we know what we are getting when we support her. There are no surprises, no baggage left unexamined. Hillary has been in the public eye for years. She has a record that can be followed and seen in plain view. We know who she is. We know that she is a hard worker and a smart fighter who will never give up. And we have a pretty good idea of what she would do as president. Perhaps most importantly though, we know that she wins vital states that have proven to be essential to winning the WH.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristen-breitweiser/you-broke-it-you-own-it_b_101673.html

“… coupled with the growing list of gaffes, the Great Lakes in Oregon, needing more Arabic translators in Afghanistan, his campaign in 57 states, Kentucky being closer to Arkansas than Illinois, his future meeting with the President of Canada and yesterday, his speech of Sen Kennedy in the past tense is too reminiscent of the current White House occupant. It's beginning to look like we are being hoodwinked and bamboozled. Again.” -- From a reader’s comment on Kristin’s article above.

“Can we conclude from this that it has been policy for Mr. Obama to NOT rein in his supporters and bloggers previously? Can we conclude that even with his own very optimistic figures, Mr. Obama realizes he needs some if not all of the Clinton 17 MILLION VOTES? Does this make anyone else feel as if they cannot vote for this person? After all, some of his supporters indulged themselves—without a word of protest from Mr. Obama until NOW—with bashing Hillary, and bashing women, the older votes, lunch bucket Dems, the Appalachians, and Latinos over and over again. Many of us were taunted for being our selves—actually BEING women or older or carrying lunch buckets, etc., etc.—as if there is something WRONG with us because we ARE women or older or lunch bucket workers or from certain areas or of certain heritage. We were personally attacked. And Mr. Obama knew it.”
http://donnadarko.wordpress.com/

Solidarity Sunday (by garychapelhill at The Confluence)
We have been talking a lot lately about the “sweetie” commenters that will try to butter us up and convince us that we must “take them back”. Most women have been through this before… Women have far too many times acquiesced to further the goals of men… Many women opposed the 15th amendment which gave black men the right to vote because it didn’t include women, but in the end many deferred… Feminists in the ’60’s allied with men to end the Vietnam War, only to have the men abandon them once their goal was accomplished. See, the war did end, but afterward when women wanted to pass the ERA, support from a lot of those men evaporated… We all need to stick to our guns. Hillary must be our nominee. Promises and sweet talk will not work this time. These promises, I should add, are more and more resembling threats as they get increasingly desperate. Not going to work. Not this time. We have the power, and we’re going to use it.
http://hillarysvoice.reclusiveleftist.com/2008/05/19/from-todays-postings-51908/#more-147

There's Something About Barry [BO]...
And his adoring crowd, estimated 75,000 strong. Amazing! Astonishing! Unprecedented! Historical! Mind-boggling! Did you hear??? Barry drew 75,000 fans to his rally!!! Except...as shrewd Lambert of Corrente observes, Kerry did one better in 2004, drawing 80,000 - 100,000 people in Philadelphia -- and we know how well that worked out.
http://howlinglatina.blogspot.com/

Maps of the electoral college outcomes for all three candidates.
http://www.correntewire.com/clinton_election_juggernaut_accelerates_0

1920 - 2008 PROGRESS OR PANDERING

The Pennsylvania Primary results threw a scare into the BO campaign and its supporters. Before, callers to talk radio and TV programs warned of “trouble” if the Super delegates chose HRC over BO.

Then the Pennsylvania exit polls showed that more than a third of the supporters of HRC would NOT vote for BO. No threats here, no mob action – just a peaceful protest for good reasons.

But on hearing that, the Obambots went ballistic. There will be terrible repercussions if HRC is the nominee.” “We will leave the Democratic Party!” “Blacks will not vote in the General election” and so on, threat after angry threat.

Their point is that BO must win no matter what happens. Some callers threatened violence and anger permeated the airways. They insist that the coronation go forward.

Women are the majority of Democratic voters and have always been taken for granted. Most support HRC and most will not vote for BO, and they are angry. They differ from BO supporters in that they have reasons for their anger. You won’t hear much of this from the mean-stream media but it is all over the Blogs.

Reason # 1: Topping the list is Florida and Michigan where HRC won a majority in both Primaries. One can argue that the DNC did not allow these delegations to be seated or counted at the coming Convention.

However, Chairman Howard Dean has promised that once the candidate is chosen, he will allow the delegations to be seated and vote – but of course not for the candidate they want to vote for - HRC.

HRC was for a do-over of both Primaries but BO blocked this solution.
He knew that she would win both again and would tie him and he wasn’t about to let this happen.

Reason #2: The collusion of the media and the DNC to derogate HRC and ignore any deficit in BO’s experience and character. This bias also contributed mightily to the huge amount of contributions coming in to his campaign.

Thanks to Blogs that kept slogging out the truth, finally, some real light was shone on BO and he reacted by whining, blaming HRC and using more negative advertising while denying that he was doing this.

He sure had the money for PA and spent $10.63/vote. HRC won 55 to 35% and spent $2.40/vote. Who would you chose to manage the money of your country?

Reason #3: The many pejorative, sexists’ remarks from the media directed at HRC. They come at us all the time and most women feel the sting and unfairness of the continuous slams against our gender. It is directed at us, our gender and it angers us. Just to mention a few:

· Clinton "look[ed] like everyone's first wife standing outside a probate court."
· "[w]hite women are a problem, that's, you know -- we all live with that."
· "a scolding mother, talking down to a child."
· "trying to run away from this tough, kind of bitchy image
· "when [Clinton] comes on television, I involuntarily cross my legs
· "sort of alternately soppy and bitchy.'"
· Then there were the many times it has been said, by pundits to raucous laughter, that if BO took HRC as his running mate, he would need a food taster. They do not say this when commenting on a BO/HRC ticket.

But the final straw was a universal misogynist slap down of women when BO publicly flipped the bird to HRC, urged on by the roars of his supporters.

“The way Hillary has been treated and sexist language affect women deeply and they will write in Hillary on the ballot if she does not get the DNC nomination." – this is a frequent Blog comment.

Much has been written and commented on concerning the high regard and loyalty of BO’s supporters. But now the DNC and media-spawn-of-Cthulhu, will be forced to recognize the regard and devotion of women for HRC and face the consequences of their unfair treatment.

*1920 - The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, also known as the Susan B. Anthony amendment, grants the right to vote to all U.S. women over 21.
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THE MONSTER VS THE PRECIOUS

We just read a definitive of what MSNBC stands for – Mostly Shit ‘N Biased Coverage. All through this campaign it has been a loyal member of the BO campaign continually ignoring his gaffes while continually repeating blown-up and often-erroneous gaffes by HRC.

CNN and other cable slant reports too. Case in point is how they show only part of the SNL skit concerning the Clinton tax returns. A large part of that skit contained very funny, very pointed and accurate slams at the media for stupidly ignoring all the information about the Clinton’s book deals and lectures, but cable carefully plays only the part that pokes fun at the Clintons.

Now that it’s obvious that the DNC is also pimping for a coronation of their Precious One, the push is on to eliminate HRC – it seems they are afraid he will lose and old Howie is out there telling women of the dire consequences of voting for McCain. So the DNC and the media’s message is to tell listeners that she cannot win and they shouldn’t vote for her.

They are also endlessly repeating a lie that they insist she told concerning a woman who was refused treatment at a hospital and died, even though the Washington Post has reported the facts - Clinton did tell the truth.
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/04/07/clinton_told_true_tale_of_woe.html

They are trying to scare HRC’s supporters into dumping her by playing the abortion card. Listen up! The committee chair that would make or break McC’s nominations is Sen. Pat Leahy who fully cooperated, even lauded, the selection of Aleto and Roberts, bending way, way over for George Bush.

Also, you can’t scare us with that crap anymore because we know that both sides of the isle want to keep that issue in play because it brings their voters to the polls even when there is no presidential election.

So bug off, Howie and the rest of you BOcrats of the DNC. We have the right to insist that everyone’s vote be counted and when they are, your Precious One may well lose the god-like luster you have reflected yourselves in. You don’t scare us because thanks to the Internet we are no longer dependent on cable TV disinformation. http://www.taylormarsh.com/archives_view.php?id=27356

Oh, we know all about the BO girls of all ages. To paraphrase the late Gov. of TX, Anne Richards, they find themselves on third base in their position or profession and think they hit a triple. We’re talking the former worker-bees for the Party, who year after year have been satisfied with pats on the head and broken promises but no longer believe in a Party that rewards the thugs who support the Wright /BO agenda.

An agenda that lauds AARadio’s, Randy Rhodes [the Left’s Ann Coulter] for calling Senator Clinton and Geraldine Ferroro “F-ing whores” – demonstrating for all to see that hate speech about women is really OK.

An agenda that encourages supporters to use disgusting language against a United States Senator; although the woman in BO’s campaign who called HRC a Monster left, the hate-filled bloggers still use this and other nasty appellations when they write their venomous tripe.

An agenda full of political dirty tricks that are covered up by the media, like Precious’ campaign calling up HRC delegates and telling them that their election has been voided; An agenda that uses its thugs and bullies to prevent free speech on the Internet blogs and continually tries to scare voters with threats that they are being racists if they don’t vote for Precious.

In a battle between our Monster and their Precious, the outcome is assured because there is no fairness in this race when the media and the DNC actively work to support one candidate. You can’t insult us, you can’t scare us and you won’t have us doing your scut work after the Primaries if you nominate a candidate who refuses to let ALL THE VOTES IN EVERY STATE COUNT.

You want a monster? Just look at the reliable monstrous total of votes from women over the years and think about the dent your actions is going to make in it.
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A GENDERGAPPER SPECIAL

Celebrating Women: A Note from Dr. Maya Angelou

by Dr. Maya Angelou
3/31/2008 11:45:30 AM

This entry is part of a series in celebration of Women's History Month.

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

This is not the first time you have seen Hillary Clinton seemingly at her wits end, but she has always risen, always risen, much to the dismay of her adversaries and the delight of her friends.

Hillary Clinton will not give up on you and all she asks of you is that you do not give up on her.

There is a world of difference between being a woman and being an old female. If you’re born a girl, grow up, and live long enough, you can become an old female. But, to become a woman is a serious matter. A woman takes responsibility for the time she takes up and the space she occupies.

Hillary Clinton is a woman. She has been there and done that and has still risen. She is in this race for the long haul. She intends to make a difference in our country.

She is the prayer of every woman and man who long for fair play, healthy families, good schools, and a balanced economy.

She declares she wants to see more smiles in the families, more courtesies between men and women, more honesty in the marketplace. Hillary Clinton intends to help our country to what it can become.

She means to rise.

She means to help our country rise. Don’t give up on her, ever.

In fact, if you help her to rise, you will rise with her and help her make this country a wonderful, wonderful place where every man and every woman can live freely without sanctimonious piety, without crippling fear.

Rise Hillary.

Rise.

THE QUITTER-MASTER

You can tell it’s Friday when the insecure, big talk-little do pols rush to the media to say something disgusting, nasty or self-aggrandizing. So sure enough attention seeker extraordinaire, Sen. Pat Leahy, deems to command Hillary to withdraw. [Like he’d ever tell BO to, scheesh!]

Why Friday? Because he assures himself of invites on all the hate-Hillary weekend TV and radio programs. He lives to bask in the limelight. He’ll be cosseted and cajoled as he and the interviewer engage in mutual masturbation over the Hope Pope, while verbally tearing HRC to shreds.

The media will have its usual field day. All the BO lies will be unmentioned or glossed over; all the HRC accusations will be pulled out, refurbished and bronzed with plenty of lightly scented misogyny. Blogs like dailykos will go nutz with joy and tax even their ability to shovel manure.

And most everyone will forget Pat, the quitter-master giving in and supporting Roberts and Aleto to the Supremes; Or his turning his back on women’s reproductive issues after assuring voters he would not let his religion influence his duties as Senator.

Item – Condi Rice may be VP choice for McCain -

“Republicans would never stand for the media to treat Rice or any other woman on the Republican ticket with the vile disrespect showered on Hillary Rodham Clinton. Democrats have benefited from and all but begged corporate media to insult Hillary, and thus all women, with daily barrels of misogyny. With Condi Rice on the ticket, I'm guessing sexism becomes a firing offense at MSNBC…

“The view of the left seems to be, we honor our minorities but see no problem with belittling, demonizing and slandering our MAJORITY, which is FEMALE. Unless, of course, they belong to the Village standard for women-who-belittle-and-demonize-other-women in order to be admitted to the BoyZ Club, the fringe membership, that is, allotted to "women who know that their place is to (publicly at least) agree with and worship the Boyz.
Geez, is it really that obscure to the Democrats Who Matter, that women are increasingly angry about the wanton sexism and misogyny that have been revealed on the airwaves and in the campaigns this cycle? I mean, we've grown to expect this kind of thing from Republicans, but from the Democratic Party? It's become increasingly clear that the party of the little man really means it -- THE MAN, not the woman.”
http://nomoreapples.blogspot.com/2008/03/sexism-and-democratic-party.html
“Barack Obama frequently cites his impressive record as an Illinois state legislator as an indicator of his experience in running for President. Turns out, according to former Chicago reporter Todd Spivak, all of his legislative accomplishments were in his final 7th year and were handed to him by his mentor, Ill. State Senate President Emil Jones.”
http://www.talkleft.com/story/2008/3/23/224059/069
Yup, the Quiter-master won’t tell you about the sexist comments made by BO himself about Hillary. And of course the media is silent about how often BO has used the “sexist words”, males learn from the cradle, when he speaks to his audiences. Words like “claws coming out, throwing the kitchen sink, periodically feeling down, tea parties.

But we’ll hear about Bosnia and truth and Hillary while all these lies of BO are carefully kept out of the media. 61 lies have been chronicled. Here’s a sample and the rest may be clicked at this url. http://www.obamalies.org/?page_id=15
12.) I Blame My Early Drug Use On Ethnic Confusion - LIAR, you were quite content in high school to be Barry Obama, no mention of Kenya and no mention of struggle to identify - your classmates said you were just fine.
13.)An Ebony Article Moved Me To Run For Office - LIAR, Ebony has yet to find the article you mention in your book. It doesn’t, and never did, exist.
14.) A Life Magazine Article Changed My Outlook On Life - LIAR, Life has yet to find the article you mention in your book. It doesn’t, and never did, exist.
15.) I Won’t Run On A National Ticket In ‘08 - LIAR, here you are, despite saying, live on TV, that you would not have enough experience by then, and you are all about having experience first.
16.) Present Votes Are Common In Illinois - LIAR, they are common for YOU, but not many others have 130 NO VOTES.
Now who do you think is more honest? Here are a couple of U-Tube postings that the media won’t show you:

“This came out of this young woman's heart. It is not campaign inspired--that I know of. No one paid for it. She did it on her own, by herself, with only her own talent and good sense to guide her.”
http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/3/30/13319/6467

And this one just to make you laugh and be happy:
http://youtube.com/view_play_list?p=719C948584EACEEB
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A WOMAN'S LIFE MATTERS

THE PERRY'S FR...

By Marion's Family