The GOP’s View of Women

To the Editor:

Just this past week, on three separate occasions, the Republican Party managed to alienate most every woman in America who isn’t walking a respectable ten steps behind her husband.

1) Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA) held hearings on contraception and religious freedom that produced the now-famous picture of a table full of men called to weigh in on access to contraceptives. Democrats requested that there be at least one woman on the panel, but the person that was recommended by the Democrats was turned down by Rep Issa because she wasn’t “appropriate or qualified” to discuss the topic at hand (the woman turned down was a Georgetown University law student). 

“She didn’t have the right credentials?” (NOW President) Terry O’Neill scoffed. “I’m thinking to myself, ‘Buddy, you and your little panel over there don’t have the right anatomy to talk about birth control.’”

2) Foster Fries, the billionaire backer of Rick Santorum’s campaign, said in an MSNBC interview:  “Back in my day, they used Bayer aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees and it wasn’t that costly.” You think I’m making this up?  You can view the actual video on YouTube — just search for: “Santorum Backer Friess Suggests ‘Aspirin Between Their Knees’ As Contraception.”

3) There was a huge controversy in the GOP this week about whether or not the “young women” who attended this year’s CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) wore skirts that were too short. Melissa Clouthier said the outfits made the college-age women at CPAC look either “frumpish” or “like two-bit whores.”  Ah yes, please don’t show too much leg, it might distract the other attendees from their solemn business. (Or worse, have them thinking about those young women clutching an aspirin tablet between their “knees.”)

Bottom line?  Women are now being told by Republicans that they’re not qualified to talk about their own sexual health, are dressed like “whores,” and probably need birth control because they’re so slutty.

I for one am outraged. You should be too.

Robert Rabinowitz

Alpine Circle, Sandy Hook                                       February 17, 2012