Readers misuse the word "sexist"

Not too long ago in this election season, one of the common reader complaints against Barack Obama and his supporters in the Top of the Ticket comments section was their supposed eagerness to play the race card. 

Anna wrote: "I have noticed that everyone who disagrees with Obama's views are called racist."

frank wrote: "If you say something negative about Hussein Obama, you are racist, if you vote against him, you are racist."

Windfall wrote: "Are we about to lose our First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech under the reign of an arrogant and pompous president who considers anyone who criticizes him to be a racist?"

MadMax wrote: "It has been very disillusioning for some of us registered Democrats who have noticed from the very beginning that BHO & his advisors have run a race baiting/racist campaign."

Fast forward to Aug. 29, when McCain announced that Sarah Palin would be his running mate.  After readers questioned McCain's decision, many others responded by playing the gender card. 

Lisa wrote: "These Palin attacks are transparent and SEXIST."

jt wrote: "Liberal sexism rears its ugly head."

julie made a list: "CNN = Sexist
NYTimes = Sexist
Obama (just call them sweetie) = Sexist
US Weekly Magazine = Sexist
DNC = Sexist"

Ann wrote: "Obama is an affirmative action beneficiary who is not experienced, but Sarah Palin is exsperienced. WOMEN, we are being insulted by Obama and the media."

After a portion of Gloria Steinem's opinion piece was posted right below in this blog, hundreds of more readers weighed in, many of whom continued to complain of anti-Palin sexism. But as a few readers have already pointed out, some of those who disagreed with Steinem's opinion went on to make their own sexist remarks. Steinem didn't resort to petty name-calling in her article, but many angry readers sure did, some going so far as to falsely accuse Steinem of doing just that. 

But Pamela stood out for her ability to see the hypocrisy in may of the "sexist" claims. 

"A guide, for my Republican peers:

Sexist

Insinuating that a woman is a 'feminazi'
Calling a woman 'emasculating' without irony
Using 'lesbian' as an insult
Applying double standards to mothers vs. fathers
Calling a woman's voice 'shrill'
Suggesting it's a woman's fault her husband strayed
Calling a woman 'ugly' in an effort to belittle her

Not Sexist

Calling a woman's policy positions into question
Asking a woman for additional details re: her policy positions
Challenging a woman on her hypocricy or lies."

Hopefully, Pamela's argument should stop readers from dismissing valid viewpoints as "sexist."

-- Amy Silverstein

Photo of Gloria Steinem by MY:Mitsu Yasukawa/Freelance

Comments

[Peter]

I think that the coverage of Palin has been fair, not sexist at all.
Sarah Palin is the new Obama, The new most famous person in the world. Oh No, Wonder if she is a Muslim too? Or worse, the anti-christ?

This site has background info on sarah Palin Bio Pics Videos http://www.theveep.com

This site has everything about her scandals and Levi BF of her daughter http://www.hotpres.com

This site has the inside scoop about the Palin Dui Secret http://www.duihelpguide.com

Its all about Palin for the next few weeks. It might be a bad thing that she is more Popular then McCain.

[Persephone]

Thank you so much, Amy! I'm grieved by the number of people who still, in 2008, have absolutely no idea what racism and sexism really are. These words are thrown around absentmindedly by people who have no real argument based in fact or reason. We like to think we've come so far, but I think we're seeing very clearly this election year just how far we still have to go.

[Jeugenen]

PALIN WITH A FLAME-THROWER GOT STEINEM OUT OF HER HOLE
Neo-Marxist Steinem, notorious for her leading role in the human sacrifice of over 40 million Christian children, had gone into hiding. Palin with a flame-thrower brought her out screaming, to be bayoneted by the Reagan Conservatives.

[Jeugenen]

ABORTION EUGENICS AND CHRISTIAN HOLY WAR

Women who can sacrifice the lives of their sons and daughters should eugenically do so; so that the progeny of women who could never sacrifice the lives of their sons and daughters shall inherit America.

But Crypto-Neo-Marxist refugees from Nazi Germany and Marxist Soviet Union shall not use the government to corrupt Christian culture, by promoting licentiousness and human sacrifice by women.

Christian Fundamentalists and Evangelists are leading the Holy Cultural War Crusade against these subversive Crypto-Neo-Marxists abortion mongers, and their following of morally depraved Christian heretics, because the Protestant and Catholic leaders have been slower to go on the offensive.

[Leila]

I think the McCain Campaign are not only misusing the word sexism. They are also using women and people of faith for money. They obviously think that both groups are too stupid to figure this out. Especially when Karl Rove is an athiest. John McCain has sold his soul to the devil by wanting to win so badly he has given up any sense of decency he once had. You have to question weather he had any to begin with. Maybe Palin is the devil. She certainly full of hate and has left this country more divided than ever before. If McCain is a human being with a conscious he will publicly apologize for this lie. Everyone in his campaign should apologize for their actions publicly. They are despicable.

[Marti Laney]

Hi, I hope Gloria S. will update her ability to see that both men and women can function from their Lizard Brain. The Lizard Brain sees threats everywhere and it behaves based on daps of information with fear, aggression, grandiosity, lack of thought for others and it only sees simplistic solutions. We need both male and female leaders who are using their Mature Brains. Dr. Marti L