Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Blog #39 -- Is there a war on women today?


This week, we've been studying women's suffrage and the fight to get women the right to vote.  With the Supreme Court case, Minor v. Happersett, that equated women with the insane and criminals, to the anti-suffrage sentiments and the crack down on Alice Paul and Lucy Burns for marching in front of the White House, women have not had an easy road towards equal rights.

This past year has seen a variety of misinformed comments about rape, criticisms or limitations of reproductive rights, and attacks on individual women like Sandra Fluke.  http://www.wearewoman.us/p/reasons-to-march-on-washington.html

For instance, the pro-life forces have been working to restrict or end access to a woman's right to an abortion.  Texas ended funding of Planned Parenthood, an organization which is recognized as one that "delivers vital reproductive health care, sex education, and information to millions of women, men, and young people worldwide."  1  Defunding Planned Parenthood directly affects poor women's access to affordable health care.  

Here's a commercial that highlights the fears of liberal women concerning this war on women 3: 
http://youtu.be/4zCJigrTb9Q

Also, former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has a stance on abortion in which there are no exceptions, not even in cases of rape, incest, or the health of the mother.  http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/01/23/409242/santorum-to-rape-victims-make-the-best-out-of-a-bad-situation/?mobile=nc 



Also, Republican Missouri senatorial candidate Todd Akin has claimed that a woman's body knows the difference between a "legitimate rape" and consenual sex and can shut down any chance of a baby conceived by a rape from occurring.  Apparently, this is a believe that some men still believe: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/08/a-canard-that-will-not-die-legitimate-rape-doesnt-cause-pregnancy/261303/ 
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Also, the Republicans opposed the Paycheck Fairness Act which its proponents say is supposed to be equal pay for equal work but its opponents say that the PFA is the "kind of labor regulation will likely hamper the job market for women of all political stripes – unless, of course, if they are trial lawyers -- by expanding the definition of “wage discrimination,” making it easier to file class-action lawsuits, and opening businesses up to greater litigation and uncertainty." 2  Fox News reports that 74% of women find that there is discrimination in the workplace, yet they don't think that there should be some kind of government regulation about this issue.  In fact, they don't think workplace discrimination is a "burning issue" with women. 2

 

Democrats have characterized these restrictions as a "war on women" while Republicans say that this is nothing but a myth.  For instance, Mary Kate Cary in the U.S. News and World Report has summarized the following five myths that have been tossed around in the past year:
1. If you are pro-life, you are anti-woman;
2. Republican men believe that they should control women's bodies (see cartoon above);
3. Republicans are trying to take away women's contraception (birth control);
4. Republicans don't support "equal pay for equal work" laws;
5. Any cuts that Republicans call for in Medicaid, Social Security, and Medicare will automatically hurt women. 
Cary summarizes her points by saying "I and most women I know want to be empowered to pursue our own opportunities and... live our lives free of too much bureaucracy. We want to leave our children free of debt and deficits, with a smarter, smaller government."  She doesn't buy this "war on women" concept and thinks it's the Democrats who are trying to change the issues during a very close election year to attract more women voters. 

So, what do you make of these comments and quotes about a war on women?  Things to think about:
1. Is there an actual war on women or has the press latched onto something that is sensational?  Why?
2. What do you think of these comments by Republican law makers? 
3. Ask a woman in your life and ask her what is the most important issue to her.  Does this issue match up with what the Democrats are criticizing the Republicans over? 

Your response is due Thursday, Oct. 18 by class time.  250 words minimum. 



Sources: 1. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are-4648.htm  Planned Parenthood.
2. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/06/05/war-on-women-backfires-on-democrats/#ixzz29Ua4oUx6

3. http://stopthewaronwomen.com/whats_at_stake   Top 10 shocking things from the war on women and their news sources. 





19 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think that women still go through some troubles. For example when romney was building his cabinet he noticed that there were no women. so he investigated and asked if there were any and they said no. When he took matters into his own hand we was able to find a binder full of women that were good for the job. Obama had a plan for women called Taylor act where he helps for women to get jobs. I just think that people underestimate women. Jason c.

Anonymous said...

Yes, i think that there is a war with the women. Maybe not in America but other countries like Pakistan. Women there are treated like so badly. They are not allowed to have a job, they are not allowed to show their faces, they have to be wearing the hijab all the time. They can't drive a car. All they do is sit at home and cook for their family. They are not treated nicely and i hope that changes soon. I don't think its fair for them. In my country (Iraq) some women are treated like that also, when i came here, i was actually amazed by the way people treat women, they are treated better than men. Women here have their rights to have jobs and to drive and to do whatever they want without any problem which is great. Sometimes i think about it and i just feel bad for the women that cant do anything with their life because of their husbands. It just seems un-fair.I think that every woman should be treated the same and there should not be segregation. Here in America, women are kind of treated like queens while women in Pakistan and other countries are treated very badly. I just think its very sad and messed up. The other thing i want to talk about is the Obama plan to get women jobs easily. I think that its a very good idea and i really support it. I hope it actually works.

Dina Kadadi
4th hour

Anonymous said...

There might still be a war a war on women, but I thought that most of the issues were settled when we gave women the right to vote. And with the right to vote there would be a greater woman’s voice in the votes so there would be more of a balance of votes for men and women, so there would not be more of this “wars against women” and women would still have a say in the vote. I think that there might be a war on women but still the press has given the grain to much coverage and made more people choose sides. I think that republicans are trying to control women but in different ways, I also don’t agree with some of the democrat’s Myths. The one where if you are pro-life you are anti-women, can’t you want life and still be pro women, there logic is somewhat flawed. I think that they are trying to control women’s bodies and I don’t think that is right but people are trying to push for that result. I also think and my mother agrees with me that it should be the women’s choice whether they keep the child or if they get rid of the child. If there is going to be a health problem in the mother will be killed or crippled then the child should be killed. The same goes with rape children if the mother wants to get rid of it or there will be a health problem then the child should be killed. I think that we had to make laws to make people equal is s**t and that we should know better. The fact that it will put people at risk is bad enough to not make it right to pass.

nico romano 4 hour

Anonymous said...

I don’t think there is an actually war on women but I do think there is a struggle like there always has been. Women have their rights just as much as any man does although there is some discrimination and stereotypes. For instance, some think that women all vote the exact same way. While women have certain things in common, our experiences and beliefs vary so greatly just like men. I believe the Republican’s comments were beyond ridiculous. I can’t believe Todd Akins would think that you couldn’t get pregnant form a “legitimate rape”. About 32,101 pregnancies occur from a rape annually (most rapes aren’t reported). Also, Rick Santorum, should not get a say in whether or not women can choose to get an abortion, even in cases of rape, incest or health of the mother. However, the theory about all republicans thinking like this is false, because in 2010, republicans won the women’s vote for the first time since Ronald Reagan. We also hired the Republican speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi because we didn’t like the direction of the Democrats in terms of the economy and health care. I also think taking away Planned Parenthood in Texas isn’t fair to women, just because it provides abortion services. However, it doesn’t just end abortion services, it also hurts women who need breast cancer screenings, birth control and pap smears. When I asked my mother, Jean, about what the most important issue to her is, she said her biggest thing was getting people jobs to therefore help the economy and lift us out of this depression. She also said that she thinks that banks need to start loaning money to families. These issues don’t match up with what the Democrats are criticizing the Republicans over.

Lexi Kizy

Anonymous said...

Women have been through a lot and still have problems that they have to deal with. There is a number of problems that they still face today such as a right to abortion and discrimination in the workplace. The press can exaggerate the issue a little but it still is a problem for women all over the world. The presidentlial candidate Rick Santorum thought that the abortion should be illegal no mater the circumstances. I believe that is unfair on women because they should have their own choice on what they would want to do in that situation. This is an example of a war on women. Also another problem that women face is discrimination in the workforce a lot of business owners still prefer men over women for some jobs which is unfair women deserve to have the same rights that men have. The comments that the republican candidates our making on issues such as abortion are not fair in my opinion. Women should not have to fight for rights like they had to in the 1900s they should have the right to make their own choices. Women should have never had to fight for the right to vote and other rights. I wonder how long this war on women will go on for I feel that it should have ended by now.But the war on women is still very much a issue in today's world and women still don't have all of the opportunities that men have in my opinion.

Patrick Mason
4th hour

Anonymous said...

i think women go thourgh troubles today. i think to many people underesatmate the working abillty of women today. people also think women cant be good leaders in the job world but they are very wrong. an example of a good women leader is oprah. oprah has done many great things for this country and women working in the job world. lenny t

Ronald G. said...

I agree that the Republicans try in some ways to control women. The women should be able to make their own decisions on what they want to do with their bodies, and the Republicans are trying to take that away from them. If there is no exception to the rule, including rape, incest, or health problems, then it’s an unfair rule. They even went as far to say that many a women’s body could tell the difference between consensual sex and rape so all babies cone from consensual and planned sex. When it comes to being paid equally though, women make approximately 23% of what men make for the same work. The Republicans are opposed to the Paycheck Fairness Act, saying it will obstruct the job market for women. I agree with that statement though because women are hired for the wage difference in some cases not because of skill, and if that advantage was gone in the job market, then women would be hired less. But that does not make it acceptable to pay women less either. Some of these things will be very hard to fix and will take some time because women won’t get the rights they deserve because men are usually the ones voting on these bills and propositions. Women in mostly republican states will also continue to be deprived because there are still going to be people voting against them. For example Texas, a republican dominated state, cut off funds to Planned Parenthood, an important role in women’s sexual education, and even birth control has been denied to women that can’t afford it because it has been said to be affordable.

Ronald Goldsberry

Anonymous said...

I think women are misunderstood. Coming from a girl’s point of view, you may think this is a bit biased, but this is all my opinion. Women should have all the same rights as men. Just because we are a different gender, does not mean that we shouldn’t get the same rights. We are all human beings and should get the same things. Back in the day, it was obviously a lot worse than it is now, but there are still things that men are against for women, like the topic of abortion. When women are raped, they are raped. There is nothing they can do about it if they get pregnant. Personally, I think that if they do end up pregnant, then they should at least have the baby and then give it up for adoption. All babies deserve the right to live. Even though I am Pro-Life, women should still be able to decide themselves if they want the baby or not. A law shouldn’t be put in place to decide for them. It’s their choice. In politics today, women need more of a voice. There aren't many women involved in politics and I think if there were then there would be as many problems with women as there are now. Men, I feel still have a lot more power than women, but we can be just as strong. And for the jobs, in some cases men are still getting paid more than women which is unfair, again, because of gender. If women can do the job just as well then why can’t we get paid the same? These are all my thoughts on women’s rights.

Elise S.
4th Hour

Anonymous said...

I think that women today are still treated unfairly. Women aren’t being treated right. The republicans won’t let women get abortions. The women don’t get a say if they can get one or not. This is unfair to women. Some women don’t get paid as much for the amount of work they do. Women get paid less than men; President Obama is advancing the Paycheck Fairness Act. The Paycheck Fairness Act is a bill the says that women and men will be paid equal amounts of money. At least 74 percent of women agreed that their workplace is a serious discriminating problem. Republicans are reducing women’s access to abortion. Republicans are also trying to redefine rape. But women won’t get a say in their work conditions or for abortion. I think that women are being underestimated for what they are actually capable of.
Jaime E. 4th Hour

Anonymous said...

bella adelman
4th hour
I believe that there are many issues that woman still suffer with in our country. The main sufferage i think is very big has to with a persosns sex. Women in our country are still dealing with issues relating to their sex. Women have been creating feminist groups to support each other and their rights. Obama's Taylor Act is slowly improving the qualities of giving women jobs. According to Fox News, 74% of women are noticing discrimination in the workplace. Some people however don't believe that workplace discrimination is an important issue. Woman are progressing to have equal rights compared to men and slowly, they are gaining it back. i believe that this is a very bigg issue because i dont think things should be based upon sex. i think that people should look at men and woman the same. Woman can do all the same things men can do. I think it is getting better and hopfully it will be fully better one day. I do believe that woman sturggel. i believe that this is the biggest thing that woman struggel with.

Anonymous said...

I am pro women life because the rhing that women do and thing they do not do keeps the country moving and keeps the counrty out of heams way and the extra hands we have family are making more money and getting by easier and more and more women are more inpendent and they really do not need to lean on a men to take care of them. I think the remarks that the Republicans and the Democrats are make is compleley insane to be thing that way and say a war on the women is ubsired and compeley stupid I mean the Republicans want to take away and the law makers making outragest comments like Mitt Ronmey made not a week ago about how he found women to work for him. Democarts and Republican law makers such be asamed of themsevels because they are attacking women that problem make up 30 to 40% of the working people and you take that away and they are only men working they will only be men working not that many people working and not that many people to do the things that we do now. So the things that Democrats and Republicans law makes are ubsired and crazy and I hope they do not go thoungt with the thing they call a war on women or these courty will be in big trouble.
By:Jordan B

Anonymous said...

I agree that in today's world there is a war on women. In some states the opportunity to go to planned parenthood, like Texas is not available. Planned parenthood provides women opportunities to get an abortion, have breast cancer screenings, and have the ability to get a birth control pill. For women today, health is a major concern and taking away Planned Parenthood severely reduces their options.I agree that women face many struggles are faced in the workplace. Women who do the same work still receive less money than men for the same job. Many women complain of discrimination in the workplace because men do not believe women can do a "man's" work. After talking to my mom she has told me about her own experience with dealing with rape victims. When she was younger she worked at the hospital as a nurse. In her job she had to deal with all sorts of people. Many rape victims told her their stories of abuse and how they were scared when they found out they were pregnant. They were not ready to have a child and did not have the money to have a child. At that time, they had to choice to decide accordingly about what to do with the baby with the lifestyle they had. If this choice was taken away many women would suffer the consequences of being forced into mother ship. I believe that it should be their choice, and their choice alone. I do not believe that politics should interfere with this because there are a wide variety of circumstances that contribute to the choice women make.

Laura Goo, 4th hour

Anonymous said...

Yes, i think that there is a war with the women probably not in America but in other countries. Like the women in Pakistan, the women there are treated so badly. They are not allowed to have a job, they are not allowed to show their faces, they have to be wearing the hijab all the time, and they cant even drive a car. I also think there is a struggle like there always has been. Women have their rights just as much as any man does although there is some discrimination and stereotypes. For instance, some think that women all vote the exact same way. While women have certain things in common, our experiences and beliefs vary so greatly just like men. Women have been through a lot and til this day this day they still are having problems. There is a number of problems that they still face today such as a right to abortion and discrimination in the workplace. The press can exaggerate the issue a little but it still is a problem for women all over the world. This was this man named Rick something running for presidential candidate who wanted to make abortion illegal and he wanted to do this whatever the circumstances where set, but luckily I don’t think he was elected, and franly I think it’s not right to women to tell them they can or cant get rid of their own child and some don’t and if they don’t want to they should not have to force to the abortion or no abortion.

-Davion Curry

Anonymous said...

Number 4

I think that woman still have trouble in the united states. I think this because one, some woman get paid less money then men. For example we could have a male teacher and a female teacher. One could be getting paid 47 thousand dollars a year wile the other teacher could get paid 42 thousand dollars a year because of his/her gender. Why should the average woman have to earn less money then the average male. They should be getting the same amount of money as the male.

Number 2

I believe that republican males don't have the right to keep control of a woman's body. They can not take control of there body. I believe that women should have the ability to make there own choses. Its live having freedom but at the same time doing what a man tells you to do. For example there if a woman wants to work in a factory then they should be able to do that. They should do what every they like.

Zach Egziabher 4th hour

Anonymous said...

Jessica White
4th hour

There is no really war over women right now but woman want to have all the same rights as men do. Most of the men running for president or anything want a woman on their side not just because they are smart and know what they’re doing, it’s because if they have a women on their side then most likely more women will vote for that person and they will have more of the votes. I asked my mom one of the most important things to her as a women is that she has a job just like any other woman to support are family and have extra money to spend just like a man. She said she has as much right as a man does in this world. The comments by the republicans are extremely wrong and stupid because no woman can help if she is attractive she can’t just “turn that off”. A man can turn off his attractive needs towards her and everything will be strictly professional from there. This means that the rapes that happen to woman are just because of the men’s sexual needs not the womans. Also, the discrimination in the work area for women is a issue but it’s not that major of an issue because it doesn’t happen to every single women out there and it isn’t in every work area.

nicai sorrell said...

With the subject of War on Women, there shows a subtle growth in its existence. For years women have been suppressed but protests and movements for their rights have been answered with equal justices put on their hands. Now in today’s age it seems that women have been given a heavy amount of favoritism in terms of law and social bias as more and more settlements come in their pleasure. In a divorce case the mom usually gets the kid, for property issues the woman has a more favorable position since US believes that some can’t support themselves. Socially it’s not that frowned upon if a woman does something homosexual or acts tomboyish. What is going on today is that people are being more aggressive towards woman in some events wherever they can like at a party, online, or in the work place at times. Republicans have gone with pushing for woman to have no say in an abortion case, though it goes completely against their freedom of speech. Jeb Bush, republican governor, states that abortion should only be legal, “If resulted from rape, incest, or when a life is in danger.” In a sense that is stripping women of their rights if they wanted to get an abortion for any reason and it comes down to progressive limitations on women in the future. I think women should put their voices out there in a more demanding manor and protest for protection of their rights just like they did during the 19th century as over time, lenience causes ignorance to proliferate.

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

I wouldn't call what's going on with women a far, but I would say that there is definetely a struggle which is shown in many different ways. I think that Republicans are sort of blowing the entire situation out of proportion. I think that one of the main things that got to me about the Republicans comments on woman's suffrage was how the Republican presidential canidate Rick Santorum was saying how he has a stance on abortions in which there are no exceptions., not even in cases of rape, incest, or the health of the mother. I think that this is very unfair because it would be terrible for a child to be born into an unfit situation. I feel as if it should be totally up to the mother to decide if they think that they are matured enough to have a child. I know that it's not fair to the child because they didn't necessarily ask to be here but would you rather bring a child in the world that won't grow up in a loving home or not put yourself or the child through that trauma by not having it in the first place. I asked my mother what was the most importnant issue to her and she said that it would be that women are discriminated against when doing certain jobs. For instance if there was a man and a woman who wanted to work on cars at a shop the place would most likely choose the man for the job simply because he is a man.

Johne' Dogan
4th Hour

Anonymous said...

I do not believe that there is a war on women. The press has latched onto something that is sensational. There are struggles for women but there always have been and always will be. Yes, as a female I believe we need the same rights as men, but I also believe it does not have to big this big of an issue. One of the issues is equal pay for both men and women, I believe your job should determine your pay, not your gender. Both male and female doctors should be receiving equal pay, as for any job. Men and women should be treated equally, it is simple as that. Why haven’t women always had the right to vote? Why are men treated as if they are superior? That has changed over the years because woman can vote now and do many jobs that we couldn’t before. This shows how far women have come through the years. Originally woman could not vote because men thought they would outlaw alcohol, this is not a problem we are facing now. Women have as much of rights as any man does, everyone should be treated equal. Even though there will always be stereotypes and discrimination over any situation, there must be given equal opportunities given to everyone. Your rights shouldn’t depend on whether you are a male or female, or by the color of your skin.



Bella Hourdakis