Wednesday, July 19, 2006

I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar

Nostalgia has been tucked away for another day. This morning reality was back with a vengeance. I read Rebecca Nappi's column in th Spokesman Review lamenting the sorry place women hold in the mess that is the world today; how they agonize for their children and the fact that we are still not the "deciders".

Another item was headlined Vice and Virtues Ministry to reopen. I recoiled. With apologies to Pete Seeger I'm fearing a new worldwide anthem:

"Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young girls gone?
Back in Burkas everyone
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?"

And this will be the permanent fashion statement.

I thought about Putin's statement after being rebuked by President Bush - that he'd rather not have the type of democracy put in place in Iraq by the U.S. The democracy in place, such as it is, in Afghanistan was also put there by the U.S. Now they want to reinstate the Ministry that employed 32,000 people to enforce bans on everything from girls' schools to kite flying. Oh, it won't be as oppressive as the Taliban we're told. In your dreams!

I don't think this country under this administration can get it right. And it has nothing to do with gender. It has everything to do with competence. We wanted democratic elections in Palestine and got them. They elected Hamas. We wanted democratic elections in Lebanon and got them. Hezbollah got thirty five percent of the vote. That's more than turn out for most local elections here!

In fairness to the men folk we beat up for not getting it right I did a little research. At least eleven nations have women as heads of state. They run the gamut from Finland to Bangladesh. They are in every corner of the world. We have fourteen women as U.S. Senators. Some are effective, some not. There are sixty seven women in the House of Representatives. Eight states have women as governors. You know what? These women are all "deciders". Some are doing a good job, others dismal.

The same filters down through all levels of politics including state legislatures, counties, cities and towns. Women and men involved in the responsibilities. The problem seems to be the insistence of inflicting one's vision of righteousness upon another regardless of appropriateness. We do it all the time - the school yard bully, the cops in the convenience store, the administration upon it's own people, what's more the world.

You hear so much, "It's a guy thing" or "It's a girl thing". This all seems to be a human thing.

When will we ever learn? When will we ever learn.

2 comments:

John Dwyer said...

Maybe it is a religious thing. I have to think about this some more.

Bay Views said...

That was an awesome summary of what is happening in this screwed up world.

Asside from either pro or con, your article was very precise, well thought uot, and written well.

Thank you...