Feminism 2010: We're Going The Wrong Way Baby

Last Thursday, a milestone passed without much fanfare. On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote, became law. After nearly 100 years of betrayal, belittling, and sometime violent battle, women were granted the right to lend their voice to the governance of the United States.

During the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, as the Equal Right Amendment was passing Congress, newspapers and women’s magazines proudly announced, “You’ve Come A Long Way Baby.” Commercials celebrated the woman who could “bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, and never let you forget you’re a man…” Today’s Sarah Palin would have been a 70’s icon to the feminist movement; a woman who could run an entire State with a baby on her hip, between moose hunts.

Advancement in employment, education, financial and legal rights had certainly made a more level playing field, but true equality, especially in financial matters and in the workplace, eluded women. By the close of the 1970’s, the Equal Rights Amendment had failed to be ratified and many who had been at the forefront of the equality fight since the early part of the twentieth century, had died.

Those who stepped up to take the leadership roles in the fight for equality had a much different agenda than their predecessors. Many had come out of failed activist organizations in the late 1960’s and 1970’s and brought with them an entirely new set of objectives. Instead of continuing to fight for the Equal Rights Amendment which would have (among other things) guaranteed that women be paid the same salary for the same work as their male counter part, the new feminists shelved the Amendment fight and instead focused on a concept of equality for everyone, around the world.

The new crop of feminist leaders turned an attainable goal (the original Equal Rights Amendment only lacked three votes to become an Amendment to the Constitution) into a ragtag, loosely allied gaggle of radical organizations. The new feminist movement tied basic female equality to gay, lesbian and transgender issues, anti-military and anti-war efforts, anti-pornography campaigns, cruelty to animals issues, female treatment in 3rd world countries, environmental projects, minority issues, sexual abuse, and of course abortion. They changed the face of the feminist from a strong woman who didn’t want to BE a man, but instead wanted to be judged and rewarded in the same way as men, based on her skills and ability, into the angry, aggressive, masculine “feminist” model of today.

By adding all manner of fringe causes, the new feminists diluted the original goal of the equality movement to such a degree that it is almost unrecognizable. By adding controversial and divisive social issues to the mix, “feminist” has become a dirty word and the goal of true equality for women has all but slipped through our fingers.

The feminist movement was supposed to free women from the shadows and shackles of fathers and husbands, giving them the ability to follow their own paths, achieve their own goals, and nurture their own opinions and beliefs. Unfortunately, the domineering men of the past have been largely replaced by the domineering women of activist organizations and the left-leaning media, who deem ultra-liberal positions the only ones viable for women.

Unless a woman agrees with the opinions of the likes of Nancy Pelosi, Joy Behar, or Rachael Maddow, they are attacked for being “ignorant,” “racist,” or “white terrorists.” Conservative female voters are maligned and called “backward” while conservative female politicians are called “stupid” and “dangerous.”

While women in politics have always had a tough row to hoe, the past presidential campaign has certainly revealed that women are unfortunately their own worst enemy. I have no idea who envisioned the concept that ALL women should think alike, believe in the same things, and vote the same way. Clearly women have a wide variety of experiences, backgrounds, religious and spiritual foundations, social and financial spheres, goals, expectations, beliefs, and opinions. It is therefore incomprehensible that millions of people with such varied backgrounds would all be expected to believe the exact same thing and vote accordingly simply because of their gender.

Today, liberal media personalities have co-opted the term “feminist” for their own. They take the word to mean one who believes in abortion, unfettered immigration, gay marriage, and a complete cradle-to-grave welfare state. The modern feminist movement has rejected any woman who doesn’t agree with their concepts. Largely divided into two distinct camps, some feminists seem to embrace a coom-bye-ah attitude and believe that if we all just put down weapons, embrace our enemies and adopt an “if-it-feels-good-do-it” lifestyle, the world will be rainbows and unicorns. These activists lobby for amnesty for illegals, increasing social programs, and the dismantling of the military.

The rest have adopted a vitriolic, militant posture which embraces any anti-religion, anti-male, anti-tradition concept. The National Organization for Women, which, by virtue of its name, should be an organization for ALL women in the nation, campaigns tirelessly for gay, lesbian and transgender issues, and minority advancement. NOW takes an extremely aggressive position against pro-life groups, churches, and other advocates. Perhaps most ridiculous, they dedicate a considerable amount of time and energy into critiquing commercials and television shows for any hint of sexism or homophobia. Members are encouraged to “rate their outrage” at any sexy Burger King commercial, or Calvin Klein ad. The hint of any negativity against a female personality, in particular a lesbian personality, is grounds for a full on boycott.

The modern “feminist,” whether they are the “dippy hippy” or the angry lesbian variety seem genuinely confused when conservative, female politicians and voters refer to themselves as feminists. Outraged that any woman would disagree with their positions, the modern feminist movement has marginalized itself and outside of the media, largely become impotent at best and a caricature at worst. Any woman who embraces a traditional role of mother or homemaker is villanized. Any liberal politician (Sotomayor, Kagen, Pelosi, etc.) who is questioned about her positions and ideology is the victim of sexism. Any conservative politician is a Nazi or white supremacist. And the original goal of equality for women further dissipates.

Women have a tremendous amount of information, experience, and ideas to bring to the governance of the country. Unfortunately, much of their potential contribution is minimized by the very people who claim to speak for women. Until women in positions of power and in particular those in the media accept that women are not all carbon copies of each other sharing sex organs and an opinion, women will never occupy a position of equality in the United States. Women make up half of the electorate power in the United States. However, as long as there are women in the public eye who continue to demand fealty and require all that women agree with their very liberal opinions, the oppression of women will continue and women will be marginalized in politics and in government.

And while the iconic 1970’s woman had, as the commercial suggested, “come a long way, baby” thanks to the ultra-liberal activists who have raped and pillaged the feminist movement and co-opted it for their own radical agendas, in 2010 the best that women can say is, “we’re going the wrong way, baby.”