Sorry, Sarah! Real Women Don't Shoot Wolves

An Editorial by Nancy Nehlsen, Editor-in-Chief, Boomerful.com

The day after the Republican Convention, I fully expected to awaken to an entire country of women who were either chuckling to themselves over the silly choice made by John McCain, or outraged by his insulting attempt to manipulate women in order to gain their vote for the Republican ticket.

"Women aren't stupid," I told myself. "We have waited a long time to see a woman in one of the top two positions of power in America. You can't exploit our craving by giving us a woman totally incapable of doing the job."

I was wrong. It seems the country is totally enthralled with a woman who is pretty, has five children and shoots wolves from a helicopter. None of which I find to deserve admiration – especially shooting wolves. I know a lot of pretty women who have given birth, can deliver a fiery speech from time to time, and don’t mind lying when it suits their purpose.

I have been a feminist since the seventies - raised my son alone, started my own business at age 23 and successfully resisted interference from any man in business or personal matters. I spent my twenties raging against the sexist systems of business and government. I hired only women in my business for many years to give them the opportunities they were denied elsewhere. I taught my daughter that she can do anything she sets her mind to, and doesn't need a man in her life to be complete. No one on this planet has wanted a female in power more than me.

The problem is, if we put ANY woman in power - say, one who has no experience in foreign affairs, and has only presided over an administration that governs less people than reside in the city of Memphis - we risk losing all we have fought so hard to gain. We have lost our fight to be taken seriously. Glamour has taken over as this country's number one priority, and glamour always fades.

If we are to move ahead as women, we must fight to put women in power who have proven themselves as leaders, not as lovely icons for feminine allure. The very fact that a joke is circulating that women want to be her and men want to do her speaks volumes about the lack of actual respect she commands. We need women who are taken seriously as knowledgeable, capable commanders - not mocked on the Internet with Photoshopped pictures of them wearing a red, white and blue bikini while pointing a rifle.

I was insulted by John McCain's choice. But I am more insulted by my sisters and fellow feminists falling for such a cheap trick designed to distract them from the very serious business of voting for issues that matter, and get them to fall in love with a Cinderella story.

We have two competent men running for President of the United States. Their stand on the issues that matter - education, taxes, stem cell research, the war - are the things we must weight before we vote. Whether a woman is on the ticket along with these men should have no bearing on your vote.

We'll get a woman in the top slot next time.

Comments

[Rita@Goldivas]

I agree, Nancy, except for one thing - John McCain's cynical choice of a woman who is so obviously not prepared to run this country in the event something happens to him does bring up questions about his judgement. And his initial reaction to the financial crisis - "the economy is basically sound" does suggest he is out of touch.

[SW]

Let's not get hysterical here. Sarah Palin doesn't shoot wolves from helicopters. She advocates thinning out the wolf population that way (something I grant you is distasteful), in order to bolster the population of moose and carribou for hunters. If you're going to complain, get your facts straight.

[Nancy Nehlsen]

I checked over a dozen news sources and found that I had used a slightly inaccurate news report regarding Sarah Palin personally shooting wolves from airplanes. The truth is that she approved a $400,000 state campaign to promote aerial hunting of wolves, and introduced a bill to expand the areas where wolves can be hunted by plane. I urge you to watch the video "Cruel Sarah Palin Slaughter of Alaska Wolves" and "Sarah Palin Champions Barbaric Aerial Hunting of Wolves" on YouTube. Also check out cbsnews.com for Sarah Palin stories on August 29. While I stand corrected on my statement that she personally shoots wolves from helicopters, I find it far more insidious and immoral to promote the barbaric practice for all hunters through legislation and advertising.

[Mary]

My disappointment is that women would automatically say she's qualified just because she's a woman.

She has no experience and the ones who have railed against Obama's "lack of experience" are the ones cheering her on.

It's an insult to women that she was chosen to, perhaps, fill the office of the presidency.

It also calls into serious doubt the ability of McCain to make rational decisions.

Right on, Nancy!

[Joyce]

Sarah Palin is more qualified to be vice president and second in line to the presidency than Barack Obama is to be president. She has been mayor of a city, Governor of the state of Alaska, head of the Alaskan National Guard. She was on the Alaskan Oil and Gas Conservation Committee. She was not afraid to take on her own party when she filed a formal complaint against the Oil and Gas Conservation Commissioner, who is also the chair person of the state Republican party in Alaska, accusing him of doing work for the party on public time and working closely with a company he was suppose to be regulating. He resigned and paid a record $12,000 fine. Women are not voting for Sarah Palin because she is a woman, but because she is qualified.

[Patricia]

It may be late to comment, but I just found this site today. I am so happy to post my support for Obama and feel as others do that it was an insult to my intelligence for McCain to choose Palin as his running mate. After he did, it made my choice of president so much easier! This was before I knew much about Obama. I felt ANYONE would be better than McCain. I question his JUDGEMENT as well as his AGE now. I swear I will move to Canada if he gets elected.