Now he's a Senator, though I wonder why. He certainly didn't have the credentials when he ran and won under a cloud of suspicion.
That being said, however, it is interesting to note that the Democrats have someone as clueless as Republicans Akin and King on the campaign trail. It's fitting, isn't it, that Al Franken is campaigning with another famous for quips of questionable taste, Joe Biden?
So what has my dander up about Mr. Franken? The fact that back in his days as a writer on Saturday Night Live he made quips about raping Lesley Stahl, a reporter for CBS. Humor? Funny? You tell me.
"... and I give these pills to Lesley Stahl. Then when she passes out I take her to the closet and rape her."
and
"When she passes out I put her in various positions and take pictures of her."
How crude, insensitive and offensive can you get?
Yes, it happened a long time ago. So? It's an issue now and improprieties have a way of never going away. Why make yourself vulnerable to it now that it is a huge issue?
What is it with these men? Are they really that insensitive as to what rape is all about? Do they not understand it? After all, they are the ones who commit it. Are we still living in an age when women are merely tolerated, being here solely for their pleasure or sport?
Of course not. The men I know are not like this, but the last several days shows that still too many are. The idea that they sit in seats of power is disgusting and certainly demeaning. To women and to men who don't and never have wallowed at such depths.
The issue of abortion is an issue about the 'when' of life. It has it's legitimacy even though I don't believe the political arena is where the debate should be played out. Rape is an entirely different matter. It's a crime. For politicians to be so uninformed as to exactly what rape entails is pathetic. To joke about it is worse.
It makes me wonder if it's a battle women are winning or if we're just being paid lip service by those holding the most vile of attitudes that they try to veil with smiles and platitudes. Until the veil is accidently dropped and we see the truth of what's hidden.
3 comments:
Saturday Night Live was full of tasteless humor - still is. The difference between Al Franken and men like Todd Akin is that, tasteless as it may have been, Franken was playing a part and Akin is deadly serious and believes what he says, as do all of the Republican men who espouse similar views.
Unfortunately, I have encountered many men who denigrate women, many of them in high positions in big, multinational companies. It is disgusting, but it is more widespread than we can imagine.
In my opinion men should have nothing to say about abortion. I am not an advocate of abortion but the question is nothing men should have a say about. Its not their body involved.
Some one told me years ago.. that the leopard may smile at you, but the spots never change. so true..
Rape is only 1/3 or less, about sex. it is about contol, physical abuse. Which makes me wonder.. if any of these idiots were to have a more powerful person, physically abuse them.. over power them... would they cry? if they were in fear of their lives, as women are when they are being raped?
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