The 2012
Presidential election is over and voters have decided where to put men like Mr.
Mourdock and his flagrant anti-women comments regarding rape. As a woman and a
rape survivor, the need to expostulate and add my voice to all those women who
answered his challenge with their votes against this rhetoric, it’s important
to say that the fight is not over. Not merely in America, but globally, all
women, regardless of their personal religious beliefs or non-beliefs, feel a
distinct outrage at views like Mr. Mourdock’s, not only at his comments but
that so many men have now taken the ball and run with it to justify Mr. Mourdock’s
statements. They attempt this by saying the refs were confused, took the play
out of context, and then make the monumental effort to recall the points.
I make no apologies for using the football analogy, because this is what men have been doing with women’s bodies from time immemorial, using us as the football in their game of running to the goal line. We’ve been tossed back and forth between the teams of men whenever they need to score a goal. Sadly, we are that inflatable and deflatable football; we go up and down depending on the current coach. Oh yes, they’ll use us whenever necessary, like the valiant women during WWII who picked up the ball and ran interference to get the job done. But once the war was over, men decided we must have the air let out, flop us back again into domesticity and submission because truly, women just don’t have the stuff to participate in the “real world.” Nothing changes, and now we’re told that even if raped, it’s ordained and sanctioned by god and whatever the outcome, men tell us what to do with our bodies and how we should feel about the entire business.
This issue cannot be confined to one country, one political campaign, or one religious dogma. Globally, women suffer rape every day, whether victims of war or domestic violence. Rape is a global male atrocity and an insufferable part of male domination. Mr. Mourdock and his supporters try to gloss over their statements, although Mr Mourdock does not believe he needs to apologize as he spoke from very deeply felt beliefs, but they’re the players in this issue who dominate because they are men and like father, know best. I have watched women attempt to weigh in on this debate with a panel of men, it doesn’t work; men raise their voices as if shouting out the all-important play in the last seconds will bring in the game-winning field goal. They don’t want to hear our issues, we’re merely women; we don’t know how to read maps, change car oil, or think responsibly, nor are we capable of making decisions about our own bodies. We’ve been told this for so long that without doubt it must be true, so then, naturally if a man tells us rape is ordained by god, then this, too, cannot be doubted – our coaches have spoken. And unfortunately, it’s not only men who have these unbelievably Machiavellian attitudes. One woman researcher from Texas seems to believe she’s proven that women vote with their hormones and ovulation periods. Ovulate, you’re liberal, in a stable relationship, you’re conservative, hormonal, you won’t think clearly on any issue, therefore can’t be trusted.
Ancient Greeks, those philosophers of note, felt no compunction in placing and keeping women under their power. Women, according to a star of Greek philosophy, Aristotle, possess neither the mental, physical, nor the emotional acuity for decision – making; therefore, their roles must be relegated and kept to the home. Now, over two thousand years later, in spite of the incomparable achievements by women, men still do not want to put women in as quarterbacks, coaches, or any other role which tips the balance and brings home a win. And in the few instances where a woman is given power, the scrutiny under which she comes surpasses that for men. This, too, is a form of rape, because rape takes many forms, physical, emotional, and psychological. In the Middle East, women suffer from this male attitude that women must remain as chattels. In Saudi Arabia, they are not allowed to drive or even leave the home without covering and must be accompanied by a man, even if he’s a ten-year old brother. Consider, for example, the recent incident in Pakistan where parents threw hot acid on their young teenage daughter who happened to look in a man’s direction; she died, and her family believes they are justified because they had already been dishonoured by their eldest daughter. Then, there is the very tragic occurrence in Pakistan by the Taliban as one man with murder in mind and heart sought out a young girl because she spoke out for the rights of women to be educated.
Where will it end? We cover our hair because no man can see your hair except your husband; we wear gloves, because our skin cannot touch that of a man, otherwise he will become totally inflamed with lust and of course it’s the woman’s fault. We bow our heads in submission, we do not pray in the same place with men, we are too much of a distraction. A man in prayer has a difficult enough time concentrating on god without the enticing presence of a woman. She is only there as a temptation, to lead him astray. We submit to the tyranny of male opinion, vote the way our husbands or fathers tell us because we are incapable of making a well-formed opinion. These are extreme but powerful examples of women being raped of their lives and rights to opinions, to be heard in the roaring male crowd overcome by the tensions of the game. Unfortunately, these extremes creep insidiously closer to reality every day, as witnessed by Mr. Mourdock’s proclamation, without forgetting the other very outspoken comment by Mr. Akin, that if it’s a legitimate rape, then pregnancy won’t occur. Combine this with Mr. Mourdock’s belief that rapes are god-ordained, then women have no cause to complain, everything is okay with god and with the world.
Let’s wonder, though, how Mr. Mourdock and those of his fellow thinkers might react if and when the terrible tragedy of rape is wrought upon any of their daughters or wives. If they become pregnant from this horrible event, will they still believe it’s a god-given blessing and ordained, allowed by this god they worship? I wonder what happened to the god of the New Testament in whom they declare absolute faith, the one Jesus preached about, this god of love? Did this god lose the game and drown in the deluge of vitriol wracking the presidential campaign? Has this god disappeared from the global horrors when strong men decide it’s time to exercise their right to dominate the “game” and rape the cheerleaders? And if they are raped, they better learn to appreciate the value of that rape, it is ordained by god, and they must love the consequences, not to fret or worry, because once the game is over, men return to the locker room, gloat over their wins, and go home to be the men they are, intelligent, capable, strong, and in control. Never mind the cheerleader-she got what she asked for!
I make no apologies for using the football analogy, because this is what men have been doing with women’s bodies from time immemorial, using us as the football in their game of running to the goal line. We’ve been tossed back and forth between the teams of men whenever they need to score a goal. Sadly, we are that inflatable and deflatable football; we go up and down depending on the current coach. Oh yes, they’ll use us whenever necessary, like the valiant women during WWII who picked up the ball and ran interference to get the job done. But once the war was over, men decided we must have the air let out, flop us back again into domesticity and submission because truly, women just don’t have the stuff to participate in the “real world.” Nothing changes, and now we’re told that even if raped, it’s ordained and sanctioned by god and whatever the outcome, men tell us what to do with our bodies and how we should feel about the entire business.
This issue cannot be confined to one country, one political campaign, or one religious dogma. Globally, women suffer rape every day, whether victims of war or domestic violence. Rape is a global male atrocity and an insufferable part of male domination. Mr. Mourdock and his supporters try to gloss over their statements, although Mr Mourdock does not believe he needs to apologize as he spoke from very deeply felt beliefs, but they’re the players in this issue who dominate because they are men and like father, know best. I have watched women attempt to weigh in on this debate with a panel of men, it doesn’t work; men raise their voices as if shouting out the all-important play in the last seconds will bring in the game-winning field goal. They don’t want to hear our issues, we’re merely women; we don’t know how to read maps, change car oil, or think responsibly, nor are we capable of making decisions about our own bodies. We’ve been told this for so long that without doubt it must be true, so then, naturally if a man tells us rape is ordained by god, then this, too, cannot be doubted – our coaches have spoken. And unfortunately, it’s not only men who have these unbelievably Machiavellian attitudes. One woman researcher from Texas seems to believe she’s proven that women vote with their hormones and ovulation periods. Ovulate, you’re liberal, in a stable relationship, you’re conservative, hormonal, you won’t think clearly on any issue, therefore can’t be trusted.
Ancient Greeks, those philosophers of note, felt no compunction in placing and keeping women under their power. Women, according to a star of Greek philosophy, Aristotle, possess neither the mental, physical, nor the emotional acuity for decision – making; therefore, their roles must be relegated and kept to the home. Now, over two thousand years later, in spite of the incomparable achievements by women, men still do not want to put women in as quarterbacks, coaches, or any other role which tips the balance and brings home a win. And in the few instances where a woman is given power, the scrutiny under which she comes surpasses that for men. This, too, is a form of rape, because rape takes many forms, physical, emotional, and psychological. In the Middle East, women suffer from this male attitude that women must remain as chattels. In Saudi Arabia, they are not allowed to drive or even leave the home without covering and must be accompanied by a man, even if he’s a ten-year old brother. Consider, for example, the recent incident in Pakistan where parents threw hot acid on their young teenage daughter who happened to look in a man’s direction; she died, and her family believes they are justified because they had already been dishonoured by their eldest daughter. Then, there is the very tragic occurrence in Pakistan by the Taliban as one man with murder in mind and heart sought out a young girl because she spoke out for the rights of women to be educated.
Where will it end? We cover our hair because no man can see your hair except your husband; we wear gloves, because our skin cannot touch that of a man, otherwise he will become totally inflamed with lust and of course it’s the woman’s fault. We bow our heads in submission, we do not pray in the same place with men, we are too much of a distraction. A man in prayer has a difficult enough time concentrating on god without the enticing presence of a woman. She is only there as a temptation, to lead him astray. We submit to the tyranny of male opinion, vote the way our husbands or fathers tell us because we are incapable of making a well-formed opinion. These are extreme but powerful examples of women being raped of their lives and rights to opinions, to be heard in the roaring male crowd overcome by the tensions of the game. Unfortunately, these extremes creep insidiously closer to reality every day, as witnessed by Mr. Mourdock’s proclamation, without forgetting the other very outspoken comment by Mr. Akin, that if it’s a legitimate rape, then pregnancy won’t occur. Combine this with Mr. Mourdock’s belief that rapes are god-ordained, then women have no cause to complain, everything is okay with god and with the world.
Let’s wonder, though, how Mr. Mourdock and those of his fellow thinkers might react if and when the terrible tragedy of rape is wrought upon any of their daughters or wives. If they become pregnant from this horrible event, will they still believe it’s a god-given blessing and ordained, allowed by this god they worship? I wonder what happened to the god of the New Testament in whom they declare absolute faith, the one Jesus preached about, this god of love? Did this god lose the game and drown in the deluge of vitriol wracking the presidential campaign? Has this god disappeared from the global horrors when strong men decide it’s time to exercise their right to dominate the “game” and rape the cheerleaders? And if they are raped, they better learn to appreciate the value of that rape, it is ordained by god, and they must love the consequences, not to fret or worry, because once the game is over, men return to the locker room, gloat over their wins, and go home to be the men they are, intelligent, capable, strong, and in control. Never mind the cheerleader-she got what she asked for!
Please note that LKordus is the poster, not the creator, of these blog posts!!!
ReplyDelete