OPINION & EDITORIAL
Womens issues at forefront
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Also by Emily Friedman:
- Tenure at paper teaches, changes (May 10, 2007)
- Straight or gay, hire either way (May 3, 2007)
- Tragedy provides opportunity to re-evaluate nation's violent culture (April 19, 2007)
- Anti-abortion methods go too far (March 29, 2007)
- 'Don't ask, don't tell' hypocritical (March 15, 2007)
Related Stories:
- Election Day merits campus attention (November 6, 2006)
- Get your vote on (September 14, 2004)
- Bucky says vote (October 25, 2004)
- Votes must be cast, counted (September 14, 2004)
- ASM: Vote early, vote often (April 5, 2006)
by Emily Friedman
Tuesday, November 7, 2006
With Election Day upon us, and the polls just hours away from closing, we have all been urged time and time again to vote. Showing up at the polls, they say, is our duty, our right and something we simply must do. And, in what seems to be an assertion that is made every election season, our vote in this election is more important than ever, as the issues on the ballot will undeniably affect us and are certain to alter the shape of our government.
That is all fair and even somewhat predictable, but I often find the various "Go vote" sentiments overly general, all encompassing and void of any specific reasons why we should vote. As a young woman, why does it matter if I vote? Is it really that important if I cast a ballot on Election Day? It is. It has become evident that not only is it important for young women like myself to vote on issues pertaining to the rights we maintain over our bodies, but furthermore, those "Go vote" advocates were right — it is more important than ever for women of all ages to get out and vote this Election Day.
Let's first look at the numbers. Women make up more than half of the American population. According to studies conducted by the Pew Research Center, women have equaled or outnumbered male voters in the elections held between 1996 and 2004. Despite this, women are among the last to decide to vote; women made up 63 percent of swing voters in the 2004 presidential election. Also, 25.8 percent of Wisconsin state legislators are female, ranking Wisconsin No. 18 in a list of states with the highest percentage of female state legislators.
If so many women are voting, why are there so few of us in government, and moreover, why is there still a Republican majority? The answer is simple: In the past two elections, many women have become "security moms," or voters who increasingly support Republican candidates who they believe will do the best job in keeping America (and their families) safe. These women, often residing in suburban areas, are likely to return this year to the Democratic side of the ticket, and will therefore seriously challenge the Republican stronghold so many of us are anxious to uproot. In fact, according to an additional poll by Pew for The Washington Post, women are more likely to vote Democratic in this election than they have been since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
No, most of the female UW students are not mothers, nor do we fit into profile of a "security mom." The phenomenon, though, is a powerful example of the far-reaching capabilities of women who do vote, and shows how these politically active women directly affect the outcome of elections.
With the Wisconsin election in mind, there are several candidates who should make women more eager than ever to head to the polls. Both Wisconsin Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and Wisconsin attorney general candidate Kathleen Falk are women whose political alignment favors women's rights. On the other side of the spectrum, gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Mark Green is wholly against anything that may improve or defend women's stance in society, and is so extreme that women could use him alone as a reason to vote.
More specifically, Congresswoman Baldwin has consistently voted against anti-abortion legislation, including bills that ban partial-birth abortion; she was awarded a 100 percent rating by NARAL Pro-Choice America, noting her pro-choice attitude. Ms. Falk has also openly supported current Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager's lawsuit against the FDA in an effort to make Plan B available to women over the counter. Congressman Green, however, has voted in favor of all things anti-abortion, even going as far as voting against federal funding for international Family Planning organizations that work to provide information on abortion and abortion counseling.
Certainly these are not the only issues associated with these candidates, nor are they the only ones voters should think about when casting their ballots. They are, however, issues that hit about as close as home as it gets for women. Unlike so many of the general reasons we are given for going to the polls today, these are specific reasons that make it imperative for us to vote.
Emily Friedman (efriedman@badgerherald.com) is a senior majoring in journalism and legal studies.
Anonymous (November 7, 2006 @ 7:27am):
Thanks, Emily. And we should vote for female candidates just because they're women, right? Nice try.
Anonymous (November 7, 2006 @ 9:25am):
If you give a fig about women you best vote straight Republican since the Dems would surrender to the Moslems and then women will be treated like slaves or worse. Think about female "circumcision", honor killings, burkas, etc.
Anonymous (November 7, 2006 @ 10:47am):
"If you give a fig about women you best vote straight Republican since the Dems would surrender to the Moslems..."
Seriously dude?
Anonymous (November 7, 2006 @ 12:26pm):
The Old Testament teaches women to be submissive to men. All organized religions suck.
Anonymous (November 7, 2006 @ 1:10pm):
I'm just glad women can't vote. It would ruin the fabric of our society.
Anonymous (November 7, 2006 @ 1:14pm):
"The Old Testament teaches women to be submissive to men."
Where in Old Testament?
Anonymous (November 7, 2006 @ 1:16pm):
Title: "Womens issues at forefront"
Should have been: "Women's Issues At Forefront"
Come on, Badger Herald, you're college students! I'd hate to read your term papers.
Anonymous (November 7, 2006 @ 1:40pm):
"Seriously dude?"
Serious as a heart attack - the Christian fundies may get pissed off if their daughters aren't virgins but they don't routinely kill them to preserve family "honor".
In Moslem law a woman has to have four male witnesses to "prove" rape - otherwise she's at fault, and well, then there's another honor killing queued up.
The top Moslem cleric in Australia just declared that women without burkas were like "un-covered meat" and that the "cats" (rapists) couldn't be blamed for chewing the meat.
Seriously dude - check it out.
Anonymous (November 7, 2006 @ 2:21pm):
(Ramallah, November 7, 2006) − The Palestinian Authority (PA) has failed to establish an effective framework to respond to violence against women and girls, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
***
Discriminatory criminal legislation in force in the West Bank and Gaza has led to virtual impunity for perpetrators of such violence and has deterred victims from reporting abuse. These laws include provisions that: reduce penalties for men who kill or attack female relatives who commit adultery; relieve rapists who agree to marry their victims from any criminal prosecution; and allow only male relatives to file incest charges on behalf of minors. These laws deter women and girls from reporting abuse and provide virtual impunity for perpetrators.
Anonymous (November 7, 2006 @ 3:15pm):
Old Testament / Submission of Women:
Genesis 3:16, Leviticus 21:9 and 12:2, Deuterronmy 22:24 and 25:11-12, Judges 19. The Old Testament is simply a repulsive collection of mental filth, written by madmen for other madmen.
Anonymous (November 7, 2006 @ 4:20pm):
I don't find it proper to brag about a vote against partial birth abortions. It is a horrible practice, no matter what your views on abortions in general.
Also, I question how relevant this article is to women. Women are going to vote on what issues are important to them and what candidate is most inline with their views. I don't see why we need a condescending article reaffirming how important our vote is to our bodies and how cool it is to have women as our political leaders. Lets get past the crap and vote for the candidates that best conform with our priorities.
Anonymous (November 7, 2006 @ 5:41pm):
To 1:40pm... do you seriously think every culture in the world is "western?" People like you cause problems like the quagmire in Iraq.
Get a passport, leave "Brady Bunch" home, and get a grip on the world you live in. Life wasn't valued in our culture until 150 years ago.
What?!?! There are tribes in the Amazon who never watched TV and don't wear clothes? They're just lucky they didn't build their huts over an oil reserve.
Anonymous (November 7, 2006 @ 6:33pm):
"Genesis 3:16"
Sounds OK by me. Eve gave into temptation and led Adam into it as well.
"Leviticus 21:9"
Sounds good too. If you wanna be a slut you pay the price! Don't just lean on the guys. Lots of women play a role in the sexual degradation in society. Don't just go after the guys. Leviticus 12:2 doesn't imply sin on the part of the woman. You misinterpreted that passage.
"Deuteronomy 22:24"
Hey, they both fooled around while she was engaged! So what?! As for Deuteronomy 25:11-12, she is actually lusting after the man who is at odds with her husband. Again, you misinterpret scripture.
"Judges 19"
The actions of the man who offered the Levite the visitor's concubine and his own daughter are not condoned. Judges 19 merely illustrates the poor judgment on his part. If YOU find fault with anything in the Old Testament, chances are God would find fault with it too.
Also, you listed passages in the Old Testament. The Old Testament is used primarily by Jews and has often been mistranslated by Christians-and atheists who wish to condemn the Judeo-Christian faiths-in an attempt to turn people away from God. You need to be careful what you decide to believe. The world is full of liars.
Anonymous (November 7, 2006 @ 6:51pm):
"Should have been: "Women's Issues At Forefront""
Actually it should have been "Women's issues at forefront," only the first word is capitalized in a newspaper headline dumbass.
Anonymous (November 7, 2006 @ 7:30pm):
Ok... so what I gather is that if we want to support women's rights, we should support Republicans, who, while not actually supporting women's rights, will keep us from being overtaken by terrorists who hate our women's freedom and want to rape and kill them.
The people aren't buying your scare tactics anymore.
Anonymous (November 7, 2006 @ 8:35pm):
"The people aren't buying your scare tactics anymore."
Yeah, what's scary about rape and murder anyway?
Anonymous (November 7, 2006 @ 9:41pm):
"only the first word is capitalized in a newspaper headline dumbass."
Only as far as college newspapers such as The Badger Herald are concerned, which are written by naive idiots. You also forgot to place a comma after headline, dumbass.
Anonymous (November 8, 2006 @ 12:28am):
the only women who need to vote for democrats are sluts who sleep around and get impregnated all the time
