To Whom Much is Given, Much is Expected: Letterman Lets Women Down Again

This week I have taken much time thinking about the whole Sarah Palin/David Letterman controversy. Any of you who follow me on twitter @conservativefem can see the articles I posted throughout the week about this. While I am obviously biased due to my great respect and admiration for Sarah Palin, I wanted to give David Letterman the benefit of the doubt, so I listened to his apology on youtube. I tried to see his side of the story: that he is a comedian who tells jokes to get cheap laughs and would never make jokes with malicious intent. I could kind of see this argument, but I still don't feel right about it.

The major contentions I have with Letterman's comments revolve around the way we talk about women in society, which directly correlates with the value we give to them. First, I take issue with his comment about Sarah Palin looking "like a slutty flight attendant." Sarah Palin was a candidate for Vice President; the first ever woman on a GOP presidential ticket and the second ever in American history. Because of that we owe her great respect, not just for her own sake but to honor women's history and plight in achieving access to positions of great leadership in our country and the world. The women's movement and feminists in America have long worked to stop society from dismissing women by turning them into sex objects and instead look past their gender and view them as equals. As the Governor of Alaska and VP Candidate, no one can argue that Sarah Palin has achieved a great deal for women in America and is someone to be honored and idolized.

However, David Letterman chose to perpetuate the left's constant ad campaign to turn Sarah Palin into a sex object in their attempt to dismiss her as a legitimate person with legitimate ideas simply because they are threatened by those ideas, which they do not agree with. The left's attempt to tear Sarah Palin down is truly a tragedy for women in America. Imagine if celebrities and comedians made jokes about Barack Obama looking like a slave or something equally demeaning. It would draw outrage from everyone in the country. But that kind of demeaning language is being used against Sarah Palin and it's being legitimized and excused because it's "just a joke."

This week I have heard this excuse several times. On twitter, facebook, the news, and in opinion journalism, many people ask "why do people care so much what Letterman said?" and "he's just a comedian, that's his job, his jokes were funny." David Letterman may be a driving force behind the left's ad campaign to devalue Sarah Palin in order to dismiss her from being a legitimate public voice, or he may simply be a reflection of the society we are living in today. Either way, when we continue to excuse comments like these we legitimize them, which in turn legitimizes the way we allow women to be treated and viewed in America.

Again, the way we talk about women in society directly correlates with the way society then views them. I don't think any woman would appreciate being called "slutty" for any reason, and by viewing them in that way we are dismissing them as legitimate parts of society. Sarah Palin certainly isn't slutty (I don't even need to go into why). So why are we allowing society to call her that? Why are we thinking it's funny when late night talk show hosts call an upstanding Governor and former VP Candidate a "slutty flight attendant?" People who get satisfaction from such comments do so simply because they are either threatened by or scared of the immense power Sarah Palin does have, and thus need to find any way to debase her. One thing is certain: their fears stem from the fact that she is a powerful woman, or the fact that she's a powerful conservative, or both.

Finally I must address Letterman's comments about her daughter - that she "got knocked up by Alex Rodriguez while watching a Yankees game during her trip to New York." Letterman insists he was referring to her 18-year old (Bristol) but her 14 year-old (Willow) was the only one on the trip with her that day. Quite frankly, Sarah Palin has every right to denounce this in the strongest language possible. Even though he apparently meant to make the joke about Bristol (I don't think he even thought it through before he spoke), the joke really had to refer to Willow and thus is inciting statutory rape. That's not funny on any level. Secondly, after the horrible stories about Palin and Bristol in US Weekly that came out last September (around the time of the Republican National Convention) - filled with cruel lies and accusations that were not true, I think anyone with a brain knows NOT to attack children. If Letterman made that joke about Obama's girls there would be absolute public outrage. But again, it devalues Palin herself to make a joke about her daughter getting pregnant.

Furthermore, the terminology used is very negative and displays the public shame thrust onto any young girl who becomes pregnant outside of wedlock in society today. The term "knocked up" implies that the individual is somehow broken, and for everyone to laugh at the idea implies that someone in this situation would be laughed at. This negativity and shame makes young girls susceptible to abortions out of fear of bearing a theoretical scarlet letter for the rest of their lives. And as we all know (or should know) giving young women easy access to abortions is one of worst ways in which society harms them.

Which brings me to one of my favorite quotes: "to whom much is given, much is expected." David Letterman is a famous comedian in America. He has the responsibility to be a good steward of his talent and use it to benefit - rather than throw mud on - society. Sure, it's his job to "get cheap laughs." But to do so by continuing to perpetuate vulgar lies and throw trashy labels on an honorable female leader in society so the Left will finally feel comfortable (and Letterman will get some laughs) is doing an injustice to women everywhere. If David Letterman had real talent for comedy, he wouldn't have to sink to this level. He owes it to all of us to do better than this.

INCONVENIENT HYPOCRISY: Nancy Pelosi believes God created Earth so we must save it, but not human life?!

The hypocrisy and arrogance of Speaker Nancy Pelosi has gotten entirely out of control. Yesterday during a press conference she legitimized Cap-and-Tax legislation and global warming by saying "it honors our faith that God created this beautiful planet, so we must save it."

I must ask: is anyone else witnessing this?!?!?!? Nancy Pelosi having the audacity to make global warming claims in the name of faith in divine creation is, as Sean Hannity says, "in many, many ways, outrageous."

Outrage #1: Where are the liberal attack dogs ready to interrogate her on whether or not she believes in evolution? Republicans are always lambasted with this question by the liberal media in an attempt to introduce a red herring (or employ "logical terrorism," as some might say) in order to negate their usually accurate and compelling arguments against the global warming theory.

Outrage #2, 3, and 4: Nancy Pelosi claims that we must (a) honor our faith, (b) believe that God created this planet, so (c) we must save it? When has she EVER honored her "faith" or saved anything God created? A staunch advocate of pro-choice abortion rights, Nancy Pelosi certainly doesn't honor her Catholic faith in practice on the issue of human life. She believes that God created this planet? If so, where did all the creatures on the planet come from -- science? No. Logically, that doesn't add up -- sorry Nance. So you must be inferring that God (gasp) created human life, too. That is the only logical next step in your argument. Hmmm... finally, that brings us to her qualifier and call to moral action -- that we must save God's planet that He created. Logically, should we not then be morally compelled to save the human lives that He created as well? Think about it, Nance. Yes, I believe a trip to Confession is in order.

And I'll end on a positive note: Dick Cheney apparently scores higher in favorability with the American people than Pelosi, according to a recent Gallup Poll. Maybe Americans ARE catching on to her, finally...

If You Want to Make God Laugh, Tell Him Your Plans: What Happens When Men Try to Play God

Everyone is familiar with China's population control policies which favor male children. This is a problem that bridges the partisan gap across the board (well, maybe except for Obama, but we don't know because with crucial abortion policies he tends to vote "present" rather than taking a stand). Secretary Hillary Clinton even spoke out against the injustice of families aborting female babies in favor of having a male as their one child (although she continues to endorse abortion in general -- as long as you don't know the sex of the baby it's OK to kill it).

But a curious thing happens when men decide they can use science to trump God's will. Ever heard the quote "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans?" Well China isn't laughing now. A recent Wall Street Journal article highlights the harmful consequences in China that have resulted from their one (preferably male) child policy.

Thanks to its 30-year-old population-planning policy and customary preference for boys, China has one of the largest male-to-female ratios in the world. Using data from the 2005 China census -- the most recent -- a study published in last month's British Journal of Medicine estimates there was a surplus of 32 million males under the age of 20 at the time the census was taken. That's roughly the size of Canada's population.

Now some of these men have reached marriageable age, resulting in intense competition for spouses, especially in rural areas. It also appears to have caused a sharp spike in bride prices and betrothal gifts. The higher prices are even found in big cities such as Tianjin.

Curbing consumption in hopes of connubial pleasure is increasingly the norm in Xin'an Village, or New Peace Village, a lushly verdant spot with 14,000 people, located in central China's Shaanxi province. The village has over 30 men of marriageable age, but no single women.

As in other parts of the country, village customs dictate the groom's family pay the bride's family a set amount -- known as cai li-- while the bride furnishes a dowry of mostly simple household items.

In the 1980s, before the start of China's economic reforms, cai li sums were small.

In the 1990s, cai li prices rose to several thousand yuan (about $200 to $400 at today's conversion rates), mirroring the country's growing prosperity. But it was only starting in 2002-03 that villagers noticed a sharp spike in cai li prices, which shot up to between 6,000 to 10,000 yuan -- several years' worth of farming income.

Not coincidentally, this was also the period when the first generation of children since the family-planning policy was launched in 1979 started reaching marriageable age.

There are multiple tragedies here. The article goes on to describe a heartbreaking story of a young Chinese man who's family lives frugally in order to save up -- and ultimately pay -- five years worth of farming income for the man's new bride. Men in China are shamed if they are not married by age 25, but when their would-be wives have been killed in the womb they are at a loss for finding any females to marry, and those that they do find come with large price tags. This is tragic for the males, who want to find a companion.

Some females, however, have taken it upon themselves to take advantage of the aftermath of these policies, taking the large dowry and running - leaving their new lovestruck husbands and family devastated. Not only is it wrong that men pay for their brides to begin with (that's a topic all to itself) -- but this wouldn't be happening if there were enough women of marriageable age in the country. Chinese policies and abortion of female babies have devastated the social makeup of the country leaving men lonely and shamed and women with no recourse to begin with. Their simple existence in China is miraculous and against all odds.

How this will continue to play out is uncertain, but the outlook does not look good. I truly feel sad for the men and women in this first coming of age generation in a country that has farmed the gender of the population and controlled the male to female ratio. Let this be a lesson to all people: trying to play God and using science, government control, and "legitimized" murder to trump His Will results in tragedy for all.

Sarah Palin Makes TIME's Top 100 List

I usually think Ann Coulter goes a bit overboard (she has to sell her books!), but I read this in TIME and it is good. Check out, "The TIME 100: Sarah Palin."

My favorite part is at the top:

The biggest red flag proving her popularity with normal Americans is that liberals won't shut up about her. Palin is a threat to liberals because she believes in God and country and family — all values liberals pretend to believe in but secretly detest. There's a reason there's no "Stop Olympia Snowe before it's too late!" movement.

Ain't that the truth? I couldn't have said it better myself.

Obama Turns A Blind Eye to Iranian Crimes Against Women

President Obama needs to realize that actions speak louder than words. The Iranian Administration has again committed a hateful injustice against women, and while Obama gives lip service to women's rights he has again turned a blind eye towards their actions.

Today the Iranian government, acting under the radar because they knew the international community would condemn them, chose to execute a woman named Delara Darabi who had been tried for a crime as a minor in 2003 (but not necessarily proven guily). Ironically, the joke is on us. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Iran has signed, bans capital punishment for offenders who committed crimes before their 18th birthday. In fact, Zama Coursen-Neff, deputy director of the children's rights division at Human Rights Watch is quoted as saying:

Iran continues to deny that it executes juvenile offenders, but the secret nature of this execution demonstrates that the government knows that these killings are illegal and shameful in the eyes of the world.

And yet to no one's surprise, Obama hasn't condemned them (don't hold your breath). When will the Obama Administration understand that Iran grossly violates human (and women's!) rights and thus we cannot legitimize them by giving them a seat at the negotiating table? By continuing to treat them as an equal the Obama Administration is making a joke of the importance America has always placed on human - and especially women's - rights. Inaction in the face of injustice speaks louder than all the teleprompted words women have gotten from Obama throughout the past year.

Just this past month Iran jailed an American woman for eight years under vague charges of espionage after a hasty one-day trial behind closed doors. Meanwhile, the woman told her father she was arrested while buying a bottle of wine. There is little her family can do to help her and meanwhile the U.S. and Obama have complacently sat by and done nothing. The woman, Roxana Saberi, has gone on a hunger strike and still we hear no condemnation of the Iranian government by the Obama Administration. If the Iranians could arbitrarily decide to execute Darabi as a minor what is stopping them from executing Saberi in an equally unlawful manner? And where is our leadership, who should be doing everything in it's power to help not only women but also one of our own? My prayers go out to both women's families during this trying time.

Finally, this brings us to the larger issue of Obama's false promises to women both domestically and abroad. While claiming to stand up for women, his international policy so far has ignored them and his domestic policy has treated them as victims and worked to make them ever reliant on the government as their savior.

Thanks but no thanks, Obama. Hoping won't get you out of this one.

New Poll: Public Takes Conservative Turn on Guns & Abortion

For those of you interested in polls. This is just an eye sore for the mainstream media and the Obama press team. But I think some of these numbers are interesting to follow...


The poll story starts this way...

Public attitudes on a pair of contentious national issues -- gun control and abortion -- have moved in a more conservative direction over the past year. In both cases, the changes have been driven in part by relatively large shifts among men, while opinions among women have not changed very much.

Check it all out for yourself at Pew Research.

A few good articles

Some good articles I got to today that are worth checking out if you have time:

"A Matter of Conscience" in the Weekly Standard by Marilyn Musgrave & Marjorie Dannenfelser

"The Folly of 'Equal Pay' Laws" in Real Clear Politics by Diana Furchtgott-Roth

"Michelle Obama Wears $540 Designer Sneakers to Feed the Poor" from Fox News

Lots to think about in these three articles.

On another note, it is hard to wrap my head around the thought that President Obama wants a Supreme Court Judge that has "empathy" while his wife is wearing $540 designer shoes. What does it mean to be empathetic anyways? What a farce.