Angry New Yorker

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"As I know more of mankind I expect less of them, and am ready now to call a man a good man, upon easier terms than I was formerly." - Dr. Samuel Johnson, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Sept. 1783

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Monday, April 26, 2004
 
Whoopi's War on Women?

What is Whoopi talking about? Really. A war on women? The population of the U.S. today is more than 51% female. Women have the right to vote -- whether they exercise that right is another matter. So, therefore, not only are women as a group not disadvangated at the present, they are extremely powerful. (Women previously have been disadvanted no doubt -- but that historical fact is a different matter, as are situations where women are discriminated against individually for various fact-specific reasons.)

Yet, listen to the level of rhetoric from speakers at the Anti-Life, err, "Pro-Choice" rally in Washington, D.C. this weekend and you'd think armed mobs were hunting women down in the streets. Indeed, that happened where Islamacists in the Taliban and related sects held sway -- and. oh yeah, it just so happens we are at war with them.

A bit of perspective is in order. You want to see a real war on women, Whoopi? Take a gander at this article "The Enemy is Not America" by Pamela Bone at
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/25/1082831434046.html, an exerpt of which notes:

"I am sent a newsletter from a women's rights group in Pakistan, which lists items from Pakistani newspapers. The following is a recent selection (I checked the items on the newspapers' websites):

Lahore: A girl, Kauser, 17, was strangled by her elder brother because she had married of her own will. She returned home and asked her family to forgive her but her brother strangled her with a piece of cloth. - The Daily Times.

Ghotki district: Two women were killed over Karo-Kari (honour killing). One Nihar Jatoi tied his wife to a bed and electrocuted her. One Bachal axed his wife Salma to death and fled. No arrests were reported. - The News.

Sargodha: A woman is in hospital after having both legs amputated because of severe injuries inflicted by her brother-in-law and mother-in-law, who clubbed her for her alleged illicit affairs. The woman, who was fighting for life, said the real reason was that her brother-in-law was trying to force her to arrange his marriage to her younger sister, but her sister had instead eloped with her paramour. - Dawn.

What chance of this woman becoming an international symbol, as has the boy who so tragically lost his arms during the invasion of Iraq?

Why is international public opinion not outraged at the treatment of women in Islamic fundamentalist societies? Why is it easier for millions of people around the world to see America as the great evil, rather than the countries in which governments ignore such horrific abuses of women?"

posted by anonymous at 12:23 AM

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