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SIFTIN' THE SHIFTIN' SANDS OF JUNE
The
month has just started and all sorts of things have happened.
We commend Tipper Gore for her continued work on behalf of the mentally
ill. Recently she shared her OWN experience with clinical depression,
only to be accused of doing it "for political purposes."
There are few people who do not have a family member or friend who has done battle with this disease. We think that the criticisms of Tipper come from soreheads who had hoped to "expose" her condition and then accuse Vice President Gore of "covering up."
The
prime topic of the talking heads is the apparent liberation of Kosovo
and an end to the bombing. Still,
the old wars continue -- the wars of words, the wars of spin.
As the "military talks" now in progress go on and off and on, Milosevic may find the opinions of his people and parliament discouraging, but he must take great pleasure in the derogatory comments coming from Congress, presidential wannabes and many pundits.
GenderGappers nominates Senator Don Nickles for the "Giving Aid and Comfort to the Enemy Award." There are many runners-up as the pundits, some Demogrogs and most Repugnants have been highly critical all along, dissing Secretary Albright and calling it "Madeleine's war."
It would follow that if the bombing has worked and the refugees can go back under protection of N.A.T.O. and the U.N., the Clinton Administration would get the credit, right?
Well, not really. All the piggies in this political poke are bellying up to the media trough to spin the credit their way and this will continue as long as the agreement works. Any problems encountered will be laid at Clinton's door.
Hillary
Rodham Clinton just announced her plan to form an exploratory committee
to look into support and feasibility for a run for the U.S. Senate from
New York. The prospect of grilling
Hillary for all the juicy details they think are there has got the press
in a state of arousal unmatched since viagra went on the market.
We heard that money would be pouring in to the G.O.P. from the many people who hate her and likewise, will pour into the D.N.C. from the many people who love her. She certainly has the qualifications and ability to be an effective senator and us at 'Gappers wish her well.
You
may remember that Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss) refused to
schedule a floor vote on the appointment of James C. Hormel to the post
of ambassador to Luxembourg. This was
in response to the wishes of three (3) Rychus senators: Robert Smith (R-NH),
James Inhofe (R-Okla) and Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark).
Since Hormel's nomination by the President had cleared the Senate Foreign Relations Committee way back in 1997 by a 16-2 vote, it was widely expected that he would have easily won confirmation -- if the vote had been held. These men blocked it because Hormel is openly gay.
Last week, President Clinton named Hormel ambassador to Luxembourg using special appointment powers available when Congress is in recess to bypass the Senate confirmation process and you can bet he incurred the anger of those three senators.
Interesting, isn't it about how our laws against discrimination apparently do not apply to senators. Consider how different things could become for women if the G.O.P. owned the White House when candidates are nominated to the Supreme Court.
You
all know the stories about the high school prom queen and the captain of
the football team. It's the kind of cultural edict that has always
kept women in their place. Boys do worthy, tough sporty things and
girls hang around looking beautiful in their long dresses. The prom
queen becomes his "prize" for his accomplishments.
This year, in Burlington, Vermont, that stereotype got deep sixed when the co-captain of the football team was elected prom queen. We know what you're thinking, but you're wrong.
"It's a little embarrassing, I'm not really the prom queen type," said 17-year-old Kiley Thayer who thinks of HERSELF as the free safety type.
Kiley started playing football in the eighth grade. She got banged up at football camp and earned her position as defensive safety. A reporter described her this way: "She is quiet but seems more confident than most young adults. She stands erect, has pale blue eyes and an unwavering gaze."
This is not to say that all girls should play football anymore than all boys should. It is, in our opinion, a mirror event that reflects our fallacies back to us. In this case a prom queen must be chosen for beauty and becomes the reward for the accomplishments of her escort.
June,
the traditional month for graduations, brought the usual mixed bag of speakers
and their words of wisdom. This one-liner from Bill Gates amused
us for its double entendre. "Never pierce anything you can't hide
in a job interview."
:-) Maryland's second-highest court has ruled that the word "babe" is not to be used in addressing female lawyers during legal proceedings, thanks to the bravery of lawyer, Susan Green. Is this form of disrespect toward women prominent in our courts? If so, are women doing anything about it?
1999-024
Copyright 1999 Renee T. Louise and Ruth M. Sprague, Ph.D. These articles may be republished for noncommercial use only, provided that they are copied intact, and that this copyright notice is attached. Address all queries to: twanda@together.net.
G e n d e r G a p p e r s T M
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