Originally Posted by Teri B.

Gender bias is very acceptable all around the world, and it's been rearing it's ugly head in the democratic primary.

Generally, I think it's a good thing for the most part, that our society has an open, friendly, often humorous dialog about gender. It's better that tip-toeing around our differences, as we often do on racial and religious issues, afraid of saying the wrong thing and causing offense. Most of the time, I wouldn't find a lot of this stuff offensive.

On the other hand, we have allies, such as Saudi Arabia, where women are beaten for being raped, aren't allowed to drive a car, or attend school. There are practices like arranged marriages, honor killings, forced abortions, sexual slavery, and female castration that we, as a world power, should be more outraged about, more proactive to end than we are.

I wonder how many people know the percentage of women who are raped and/or victims of domestic violence during their lifetimes? 1 in 3 women will be victims of sexual assault during their lifetimes. Women in some countries are still treated as property.

Women have had to fight for the right to vote, own property, and a lot of other rights men took for granted and still do. You can say a lot of things about Hillary Clinton, but you can't say she hasn't been an advocate for women and children her entire life.

So, yes, I take gender slurs against the first woman to have a serious shot at the presidency of this country seriously. I don't think they have a place in the discourse any more than racial slurs against Obama. Denigrate her for her policies or her integrity, but not because she's female. Not this women - not at this moment. It denigrates all women. Like her or hate her, all women deserve this one small concession in the dialog. Women's suffering is usually the last to be acknowledged or addressed.

I'm not some rabid feminist, but I am extremely proud that a women has broken through and come so close to leading this country, but just like there are ignorant people who won't vote for Obama because he's a black man, there are people who won't for for Clinton because she's a woman, and I've encountered quite a few of them. They call me "honey" and "babe" and tell me not to get emotional, while lacing their remarks with references to shrillness, pantsuits, and crying for votes.

In this election, for once, we should be as sensitive to gender slurs as we are racial slurs and be proud of these historic candidates we've selected.

Originally Posted by Teri B.

Gen

You can say a lot of things about Hillary Clinton, but you can't say she hasn't been an advocate for women and children her entire life.

snip

In this election, for once, we should be as sensitive to gender slurs as we are racial slurs and be proud of these historic candidates we've selected.

Originally Posted by lucytalk

it pisses me off when people disrespect real accomplishments.

they do it to hill and they do it to mccain re his service and imprisonment. they write it all off as if it were nothing. pretty easy to do on a keyboard eh.

serious question but i'll understand if you decline to answer

what if obama was a black women ?

Originally Posted by Teri B.

Frankly, I'm not supporting her because she's a woman. I just think she will do a better job, and we need someone right now who can right this ship. I don't care if that person is green, purple, male, female, or a Muslim, transsexual of Russian decent.

However, the fact that her gender is so casually used against her really PISSES ME OFF, just as it pisses me off when Obama's race is used against him. These things have no place in rational, en-lighted political discourse.

BTW, on McCain, there's a nasty little "swiftboating" effort afoot to discredit his military service that just makes me SICK! John McCain, the Admiral's Son

I want no part of anything like this. They guy went to war, was a POW for years. That's enough for me. Being a war hero doesn't make him untouchable, or correct on every subject, or the right person to run the country or our foreign policy or economy. It makes him a guy who sacrificed and suffered in the service of his country. I think he's due some respect for that.

Originally Posted by Kana

Although I'm a Hillary basher, and will probably continue to be so long after it has gone out of style in left wing circles, I appreciate your sentiments, Teri. I certainly don't disagree with Hillary on everything. If it wasn't for the lying and her stance on war and foreign policy, I would probably prefer her to Obama. Although, at the moment, I can't stand to look at any of them.

Originally Posted by lucytalk

of course you are not supporting her because she is a women

i meant if you were an obamamaniac

i think hillary would have had the nomination by now if obama was a black women

lol ~ i am so gonna get bashed for that but i believe it to be true

Originally Posted by Teri B.

I want no part of anything like this. They guy went to war, was a POW for years. That's enough for me. Being a war hero doesn't make him untouchable, or correct on every subject, or the right person to run the country or our foreign policy or economy. It makes him a guy who sacrificed and suffered in the service of his country. I think he's due some respect for that.

Originally Posted by OldManOnFire

Speaking with a friend recently, I commented that this election seems to be boiling down to NOT VOTING for a woman, or NOT VOTING for a Black person, or NOT VOTING for a Republican.

If this possibility rings a bit of truth about our society, then the winner of the '08 election will be the candidate who seems to be the LEAST-HATED in our society where we just don't seem to be able to stop our discrimination towards others; maybe in another hundred years we will figure this out...