SACRED RITES

Just as outlandish is the response of the Republican faithful, led by their leader, Bush, to the candidacy of Arnold S. Holy cow! They sing his praises and urge his election despite the fact that he advocates the killing of little babies.

If we didn't know it before we surely must now. Republicans don't mind liberal ideas as long as a Republican holds them. All they want is a live political body with an "R" after its name.

All their blather about "from my cold, dead hands" and "tree huggers" and "baby murderers" and the like has gone right out the window in their fervor to get an "R" in the California governor's chair.

With all this, plus the unspeakable mess in Iraq, the anniversary of August 26, 1920 appears to have passed by mostly unnoticed. It was just another meaningless, musty milestone buried in what many now call progress.

One exception was the usual great column by Ellen Goodman with her Equal Rites Awards. It is a serious indication of how little equality has kept pace with our expectations. Oftentimes a mixed message can be depressing. Why must women always be bribable? When will we stop trading respect for flowers?

The Knight in Shining Armor Prize goes to George Bush for many reasons, but especially for that moment when he referred to Laura as "the lump in the bed." Be still my heart. We send him a suggestion... to send her roses.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2003/08/24/the_equal rites_awards/

While it is true that women are doing great in positions that used to be reserved only for men, they still do not get the societal support or human respect given to men no matter how high the rank they achieve.

The greatest detractors of women are still women. Unfortunately history keeps repeating itself in this regard. Training women to be second class is deeply buried in our laws, our customs and our language and is constantly reinforced.

Women that escape this training can advance but must still suffer the slings and arrows hurled by those to whom inferiority is an accepted way of life. They see liberated women as a threat just as the bible has taught them for generations.

Fortunately there are men and women who see beyond our culture's past errors of ignorance. That gives some hope that soon more people will train their daughters and sons a better way.

The trick, if it is a trick, is for all women to be alert to the nuances of language and custom and respond. Below are two letters to the editor that illustrate this.

Both were written in response to a news item appearing in the local paper concerning the welcome given to a new hospital CEO, Dr. Melinda Estes who was replacing the interim CEO, Edwin Colodny.

The newspaper reporter, a woman, had totally drawn gender lines out of habit. Something we see in the press all of the time.

One letter responded to her article with this comment:

If [the reporter] feels compelled to write, "Estes, petite and wearing a dark pantsuit," why didn't she also add, "Colodny, portly and wearing a gray flannel suit?"

twanda@sover.net

2003-035

Copyright 2003 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@sover.net.