Wednesday, May 11, 2011

“We know what we are, but know now what we may be.”


Very strange… very strange indeed….







Now, I try very hard to respect other people’s beliefs. Really I do. And I genuinely find a lot to admire in most religions. But sometimes I just gotta wonder…..



The thing that’s bothering me today has to do with sexism. I’m having a hard time with the fact that in 2011 some groups still view women—half the world’s population, and the beings from which all men are born—as second-class citizens. Or worse, as possessions.



What got me going on this was the news that a Brooklyn-based Hassidic newspaper airbrushed Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Counter-Terrorism Director Audrey Tomason from the iconic “Situation Room” photo of the President, Vice-President and administration officials watching the raid on bin Laden’s compound. The publication, Di Tzeitung, based this decision on centuries-old tenets of their faith; they do not publish photos of women in their paper ever because of issues of “Female modesty.” Apparently they feel any images of women may be sexually suggestive/stimulating. As a female who went thru the Catholic school system in the 60s, I can relate. The Sisters (hello—all women) often referred to girls as occasions of sin. Yeah—it’s always our fault if a guy gets a chubby. (And people wonder why I’M SO WARPED….how would you feel being told that?)



First the paper trotted out the ol’ “Freedom of the press” thing to justify their editing of history. Then they brought in the religious reasons. Um, if you are hanging on to such antiquated ideas, why not just write about the event and not publish any picture at all rather than play fast and free with the facts?


It’s the equivalent of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denying the Holocaust.



Sorry, guys—Hilary Clinton was there—as was Ms. Tomason. Women are in positions of power—we keep cracking that glass ceiling bit by bit.



I guess it’s bugging me because there are still so many inequities in the world. If you stick that closely to the Bible, consider the fact that it says God made Eve from Adam’s rib—his SIDE. To me that says we’re equals.

2 comments:

  1. Yes I too am disheartened when I read of news in the world of sexism. It makes me sad.
    And you are so right...God made Eve from Adam's rib...so equal we are!!!!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your post is some good food for the brain!

    Hope you have a great week.

    ReplyDelete