The Lipstick Jungle

Let me tell, you the lipstick jungle is a dark and dangerous place.  That's right, I'm talking about sexism.  This "ism," like all other "isms," is one of those concepts that appears by virtue of it's existence.  By crying "racism" or "sexism," we perpetuate the mythical stereotype of the underdog.  What's more, if a campaign is going to sound the alarm on an "ism," it must be prepared to back up it's whine with some cheese.  Equal pay for equal work comes to mind?

Was Barack Obama's comment regarding "lipstick on a pig" aimed at Sarah Palin? Quite Possibly.  Listening to the comment in context, Mr. Obama is explicitly referring to Mr. McCain's attempt to portray his campaign as a proponent of change.  In this light, Mr. Obama's remark is clearly appropriate.  Frankly, I think the analogy hits the nail on it's head.  But when we take the comment out of context and portray it as "sexist," we not only demean the feminist cause, but we distract voters from the real point of Obama's message.  In that regard, Obama's point has been negated, which is a shame because it should have been quite effective.  I find it insulting, as a woman, that so much attention is being paid to the "scandal".  In the year 2008 we are still associating women's issues with lipstick? Can we please get back to the candidates and their plans to put this country back together? Frankly, I don't care who said what and when.  I don't want to hear another laundry list of all the Republicans who have ever used this phrase. Somewhere between all the "isms" in this campaign season, we need to find out what truly IS.  

Just for fun:  http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=lipstick%20on%20a%20pig

Ding, Dong, the Witch is Dead....Enough Already!

As I sat in a room full of female Democrats last week, all of us trading Sarah Palin insults in between voter calls, I couldn't help but wonder:  What is it about this woman that pisses us off so much?  While Sarah Palin seems to ignite the adoration of her conservative Republican fan base, something about her leaves us old school feminists with a bad taste in our mouths.  I could probably write three or four entries on the subject of Sarah Palin and how she makes me want to burn my bras, but that is not the subject of today's blog.  What I want to say is this:  ENOUGH with the Wicked Witch of the West.  Us Dem's are falling for this dirty game called "Let's Distract the Voters from the Issue at Hand" the Republican party has proven so adept at in recent years.  First, it was Terrorist Fist Jabs and Barack's (gasp!) flagless lapel.  Now, the GOP has decided to distract voters from their lackluster candidate by nominating a shockingly inappropriate woman for vice president.  Three words:  GET OVER IT.  Sarah Palin doesn't deserve the ridiculous amount of press she has been afforded in recent months.  In a brilliant stroke of campaign genius, the McCain camp has just picked up priceless free press in a campaign restricted by public finance law.  If we devote any more attention to Sarah Palin, the GOP has already won.  We all know Barack Obama and his campaign will not attack Palin in the way that she and her antics so deserve.  So why, then, are his biggest fans devoting all of their waking energy to this woman?  We get it, she's the anti-thesis of our beliefs.  But ultimately, she is not running for president of the free world.  Sure, there is a good chance John McCain could die during his hypothetical tenure.  But what if he doesn't?  The Republican Party has been re-energized in a lethargic campaign by the thought of Palin's possible ascendency.  Let's seize this golden opportunity to grab independents with the obvious:  Are you voting for John McCain or are you voting for Sarah Palin?  One thing is certain:  A vote for the McCain/Palin ticket is wrought with uncertainty about how the next four years will play out.  The Dems need to focus on attacking the candidate at hand rather than his next-in-line.  C'mon, Democrats- If we can be this mean about Sarah Palin, surely we can find it in our hearts to attack John McCain?  

They Poked My Baby!!!!!

The more doctor's appointments I go to, the more convinced I become that the health care industry is the right hand of the Devil.  And this doesn't have anything to do with politics today!  My poor baby boy, already battling a cold, was stuck with not one, not two, but FOUR gigantic needles yesterday.  He screeched and yelled for an hour straight, and I don't blame him.  His face killed me:  He looked at me as if to say "MoOOOM! How could you let them?". What's more, these evil pinpricks caused him to have a fever and feel like poo-poo (a word I am finding myself using a lot these days).  Yes, they will protect him against the evils of diseases like Pertussis and Diptheria.  But for now, my baby is sick.  He is sitting in his swing (which holds him upright so he doesn't choke on his drippage), laughing at me with a deep, throaty, hoarse voice, that is breaking my heart.  What they say is right:  the pokes are a LOT harder on Mom then they are on the baby. 

Addendum

To All Pregnant Teens Out There:  If you want to get married and have the baby, go ahead.  But make sure it's YOUR decision to spend the rest of your life with these two people.  If you want to have the baby and go to college, go ahead.  You can do it.  If you want to have the baby and give it up for adoption because you know you are not the best person for the job, go ahead.  Your baby will be loved and cared for.  If you want to have an abortion, look into it.  Think about it.  You will live with your decision, whatever it is, for the rest of your life.  Remember that your decision is bigger than yourself.

To All Teenage Girls Who Are Thinking About Having Sex:  Don't do it.  And if you do, don't be stupid.  Be ready to deal with the consequences of your actions.   

It's Okay, They're Getting Married

Is it just me, or is there a rash of high-profile teenage pregnancies sweeping America?  From Jamie Lynn Spears to Bristol Palin, these girls are being turned into role models for the simple fact they are "keeping" their babies and marrying the father, however much he resembles Beavis from that much-loved 90's cartoon.   Young women in small towns are allegedly pledging to become young mothers in order to escape the despondency of what they perceive as their inevitable fate.  Ironically, most of these girls come from small towns or socially "conservative" families.   What on earth is conservative about having unprotected, underage sex?  These girls and their paramours need a trip to a juvenile detention facility, not Baby Gap.

As a young mother myself, I understand (perhaps more than most) how grave this situation is.  Having a child changes more than your figure, believe me.  What I find hard to fathom is, how can a 16 or 17 year old girl understand this?  Even I, an educated 23 year old woman in a loving and strong marriage, did not fully understand the repercussions of my decision until I was holding my darling baby boy in my arms.  While I am happy with my life as a mom, I can't imagine a 16 year old girl will be content waking up at 4 am to feed a fussy baby, or stay in watching reruns of John & Kate Plus 8 while her friends engage in the normal college shenanigans.  How is a girl who hasn't even taken the SAT equipped to raise a child? What's more, I find it even harder to believe that the studs in this equation will take kindly to fatherhood.  Let me get this straight:  A boy who can't even get through a soundbite without cursing is allowed to raise a child?  Riiiight.

But all this is strictly conjecture; a liberal baby-eating woman's strong and perhaps unfair judgement.  What is more concrete is this:  As American women, we should be doing something to prevent teen pregnancy, not lauding these girls' decisions to marry a bum and raise their own little miniature delinquent.  How can social conservatives seriously advocate abstinence-only education, when the result is clearly unwanted teen pregnancy? How can they reconcile this antiquated stance with their restrictive, insulting "pro-life" views?  Never have I felt pride swell up in my heart more than when Barack Obama discussed the issue of abortion with Rick Warren a few weeks ago.  This, I thought, is a man who holds respect for the women of this country.  Respect great enough to understand that the decision to have a child is the most important decision a woman will ever make, and it will not be made lightly.  I hold this adorable baby boy in my arms not because I was backed into a corner and forced to bring him into this sometimes messy world; but because my heart skipped a beat when I saw the positive sign on that home pregnancy test.  My son is my greatest joy; and my solemn wish is that every woman, no matter their age, gets to experience this elation.  Do I think 16-year olds should be granted free access to late-term abortions?  Of course not.  Do I think abortion is morally correct?  Heck no.  But it is not my job, nor is it an politician or legislature's job, to impose my moral compass on something as personal as a woman's reproductive health.  Conservatives claim they are for "small government," and that the "angry left" want to bring their government right into your living room.  Excuse me, GOP, for wanting to keep social law out of my uterus.  

All of this opinion is fine and dandy, but it will never effect the voter whose opinion is different from my own.  What I can do is plead with my conservative friends:  In the words of my mother's NOW chapter leader, on the day Roe vs. Wade was handed down:  "Alright ladies. We've made abortion legal.  Now, let's make it uneccesary".  As long as society continues to glamorize teenage pregnancy and downplay the very real implications of having a child, left and right will be at odds.  Ladies and gentleman, I propose we work together to find real and workable solutions to this problem.  We all pay the price for unplanned pregnancies.  Let's present our young women with a broad spectrum of options, not force them into a shotgun wedding.  Let's nip the problem in the bud with comprehensive sex education and access to preventative measures.  Let's make it universally legal for our GLBT brothers and sisters to marry and adopt so these "unwanted" babies can be given a shot at success rather than foundering in our overflowing foster care system.  Let's avoid the stereotypical Jerry Springer-esque story of the terrified young mother who doesn't realize she's pregnant until she poops her baby out in the football stadium restroom.  Let's spend federal money on childcare, health care, and education programs that cater to young mothers. The answers to the problem of teen pregnancy will not be found in the candidate that opposed proposals to spend federal money on teen-pregnancy prevention programs and voted to require poor teen mothers to stay in school or lose their benefits.  The answer will be found in a change of regime, in a celebrity of a candidate whose respect and love for the women in his life is obvious.  That, Sarah Palin, is what we lefties mean by change.   THAT is change I can believe in.