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Forget the issues - vote your gender!

Oct 12th, 2007 by Taylor Armerding

Where is the outrage?
I’ve been reading, in stories and letters to the editor, that “we need a woman in Congress,” and that’s why Niki Tsongas should get your vote on Tuesday to replace Marty Meehan in the Fifth District.
And why do we need a woman? It can’t be because of a need for any real diversity. This is a woman who is going to think and vote pretty much like the man who held the office previously, and pretty much like all the other male Democratic congressmen and senators from Massachusetts.
So, according to her gender-focused supporters, it is because the male-dominated government has messed up No Child Left Behind and the health care system and given us an “endless” war. And because if women ran the show, they would do so much better in these areas than men.
Maybe so. But, wait a minute. Didn’t former Harvard University president Larry Summers get fired for suggesting - just suggesting - that the reason there were more men in at the top of the hard sciences might - just might - have something to do with gender? The mere suggestion, loaded with caveats, that men might do one thing better than women was enough to give one female professor in the audience such a strong case of the vapors that she had to leave. And, Summers was doomed for violating one of the core commandments of political correctness: Thou shalt never say a man is better than a woman at ANYTHING.
But, here we are in the final days of a political campaign, featuring outright declarations that women are better than men at multiple things.
Where is the outrage?

Posted in 5th District race, Taylor Armerding | Comments

  • Tennis Lilly
    Taylor,

    I think you're confused. Larry Summers was (rightly, I think) excoriated for suggesting that women may lack an aptitude for math and science and that explains the lack of female professors in those areas. The female professor who had "such a strong case of the vapors that she had to leave" (a sexist remark if I ever heard one) left the speech in disgust because she knew all too well that even in supposedly liberal, PC academia there is still an old boys network and that sexism is alive and well. Larry Summers dismissive comments, in the opinion of many women in academia, served only to legitimize sexism and discrimination.

    Supporters of Nikki Tsongas (I am not one of them but will hold my nose and give her my vote to keep Oganowski out of congress) rightly point to a lack of diversity in congress and suggest that another woman in the House would be a good thing. There is a big difference between criticizing the president of (arguably) the most prestigious university in the western world for making sexist, offensive comments (unsupported by science I might add) and pointing out an obvious benefit (in the minds of some) of having another woman elected to Congress. I agree that ideological diversity is in short supply in Congress but I’ll take you seriously on this issue when I hear you support meaningful electoral reforms like Instant Runoff Voting or proportional representation for third parties in congress.
  • jacrlsn
    Tennis: There is very little difference between what you said Lawrence Summers was forced to resign for and what Mr Amerding said he was fired for, except that you used a lot more flowery words to describe it. You're right, sexism does exist in acadamia, although it is now practiced by women through intimidation tactics such as were exhibited in the
    Summers case. I don't see any difference the Summers beheading and the supporters of the role playing of Niki (sp?) Tsongas as an erstwhile Presidential candidate. At the risk of the guillotine myself, I believe there is scientific evidence showing that women are not as proficient as men in certain things just as there is evidence that men are not as proficient as women in certain things.
    The only true electoral reform at this point is term limits which apparenty the voters (except Massachusetts voters) will have to enact since the legislature and courts won't allow us to make it a statute.
    I don't live in that district but if I did there is no question a vote for change would be a vote for Oganowski.
  • jacrlsn
    Given this is Massachusetts, Mr Oganowski did amazingly well. Maybe there is hope yet, but until the people begin to understand how these evil people are tucking it to them, it will be as though Meehan won another term. Oh well at least another Tsongas didn't get elected President unless she thinks she did.
  • Tennis Lilly
    "Evil people" Jim? Really? And I suppose Republicans are better?
  • jacrlsn
    I call them as I see them. In case it's not clear, the evil people I'm referring to are incumbents who I define as anyone holding an office for more than 1 term. I know, by that definition she is not an incumbent, but if you relate her politic to her predesessor and her deceased husband, she is an incumbent. There are more incumbent democrats than republicans and always have been-that's part of the problem. Also, there isn't much difference between the two parties now, anyway.
    Sorry if you don't like the label I've attached but its the most realistic description I could come up with.
  • Fritz Gorman
    I'm a 70yo male and have lived thought the male rule all my years.
    Wars, Hard times, good times (really just no so hard times) scandles and thing that could be done has almost been done while males are in power.

    I'm voting for women. My mother was one, my wife is one, our four daughters have grown into wonderful people who are women.

    They have my votebecause they are women.
  • Ann Walton
    I'd say evil people was pretty accurate. Since I've moved to this state I've witnessed the democratic legislature ignore the will of the people twice - the income tax rollback, and the same-sex marriage proposal. I cannot believe the lack of outrage at the blatant disregard for the state constitution, not to mention the "we know better than the people" attitude!
  • jacrlsn
    Thank you Ann Walton for telling it as it is.
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