Misogyny Is Alive But Never Well

Misogyny Is Alive and But Never Well

Gender and race in Politics: Is it real? Is it important?

Is it a distraction? Is it a way to divide and separate
people
from important discourse and meaningful discussion?

Or when someone blurts out a statement that is innocent
enough,
and then is twisted and pigeon-holed into race and gender
stereotypes , I have to wonder--are these statements
bringing
controversies out of the proverbial closet and making
people
look carefully at themselves?

Or instead of looking at themselves, allow buttons to be
pushed,
become angry and take to making self-righteous commentary,
as
Keith Olbermann did the other night in response to
Geraldine
Farraro's remarks that started by saying that if her name
was Gerald
instead of Geraldine, she never would have been chosen to
be Walter
Mondale's running mate in the 1980's.

Why does Keith Olbermann, who denies making an endorsement
of
either candidate, seem to be endorsing Barak Obama?

Olbermann didn't make a commentary when a woman on Obama's
campaign staff
called Hillary a monster.

And why? Because he wasn't angry enough. He is siding with
the
obvious media favoring of Barak over Hillary.

I was also guilty of not liking Hillary.

Again, this dislike was key for me to look more deeply
into who I
am as a woman.

Why wouldn't I support a thoroughly capable, brilliant and
experienced woman
to be our next President?

She's a woman with years and years of political experience
that spans prior
to her marriage to Bill Clinton.

Is the reason I wouldn't support her BECAUSE she is
thoroughly capable and
brilliant, and I am afraid I am not?

When I disliked Hillary, I projected these insecurities on
to her.

Now that I love Hillary, I project my own capabilities and
brilliance
outside of my self, to her.

Funny how love works.

Frank Marafiote, in the Hillary Clinton Quarterly, wrote a
great piece called:
"Women Who Hate Hillary Clinton."

Marafiote says that professional women hate Hillary
because no matter what
they've accomplished, Hillary is smarter, has earned more,
and has "mashed
more men" than they have.

Professional women feel that their accomplishments pale
beside the likes
of Mrs. Clinton.

Marafiote says that feminists hate Hillary because she is
living proof
that for women to get ahead in the world, they must
subjugate themselves to
the white male power structure, use their married name,
change their hair,
clothes and values to make it in a male dominated world.

Why do country club Republican wives hate Hillary?

According to Marafiote, these are the women with expensive
degrees from Vassar,
Smith, Mount Hilyoke and Wellesley who for years coasted
on their
inheritance or the support from their wealthy husbands.

And who are the people who love Hillary?

White, middle aged, middleclass men. These men love
Hillary's
competence, as compared to the incompetence that surrounds
them and all of
us in the work place all day long.

Hillary's the one they thought they married 20 years ago.

And she's far less threatening than their own wives who
are statistically
more than likely to leave with their children, their homes
and their bank
accounts.

So why do I love Hillary?

Because she is gutzy, beautiful, brilliant and resilient.

She will bring those qualities out for all women, if she
is our next President.

Kate Loving Shenk

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Kate Loving Shenk is a writer, healer, musician and the creator
of the e-book called "Transform Your Nursing Career and Discover
Your Calling and Destiny." The book is designed to stimulate
nurses to love their work and to prevent on-the-job-burnout.
Click here to find out how to order the e-book:
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