I am woman!

Helen Reddy's 1971 classic song by the same title was embraced as a song of solidarity for women's rights and the feminist movement. "I am woman hear me roar in numbers too big to ignore. And I know too much to go back an' pretend..." I am never surprised by the issues that make it into the presidential election rhetoric. We have heard about contraception, gas prices, wealth, taxes, unemployment, the economy, citizenship, immigration, GSA spending, and a host of other topics.

Now the discussion is centered on the "war on women." I don't know which party is actually waging this war but it doesn't seem to be limited to the opposite sex waging the war (as you would expect.) Seems as though some women have issues with other women's "woman-ness."

For centuries, women were dominated by men. Religions allowed or even required it; cultures embraced and practiced it; and, even in modern times, we see evidence of inequality between men and women practiced and condoned. Laws have been passed in the US disallowing gender discrimination but, the dirty little reality is that it still exits today. While I would love to delve into this aspect of the conversation, this isn't what I want to discuss in this post. Maybe next time.

Hilary Rosen, lobbyist, Democrat strategist and pundit, made a comment about Ann Romney, the wife of the likely Republican candidate that has stirred up the conversation concerning women. Mitt Romney stated that he sought his wife's counsel on economic issues. Ms. Rosen took issue with this by saying, "Guess what? His wife has actually never worked a day of her life. She's never really dealt with the kinds of economic issues that a majority of the women in this country are facing, in terms of how do we feed our kids, how do we send them to school, and why do we worry about their future."

Ms. Rosen eventually apologized for her poor choice of words and the seeming attack on Ann Romney who is generally perceived as a non-controversial figure. The talking heads on both sides of the political and ideological spectrum have chimed in on the issue. So, I might as well join in.

Rosen may have had a legitimate argument that Mitt's wife may not really know what it is like to be in the economic shoes of most American women simply because the Romneys are very wealthy (I don't believe the Romneys have always lived the opulent lifestyle, however, the memories of Ramen Noodles for supper are probably a distant memory.) But that's not the point from which she qualified her remarks. She said that Ann Romney has never worked a day in her life. Wow. One should be skeptical when you hear people use words like all, never, always, everyone, etc. because these absolute words are often used in an inaccurate, adolescent fashion. "Mom, you never let me go anywhere!" Of course we expect more from people like Hilary Rosen...she is, after all, a professional.

Is there a perception by some women that a woman who has not pursued a professional career is somehow a lesser woman? Are people simply being patronizing when they say that they applaud stay-at-home wives or moms? What about some other possible qualifiers. Do "real women" need to eventually marry? Can you be a "real woman" if you never have children? We know that these stereotypes also exist.

In my view, the crux of Hilary Rosen's remarks were that a woman must have a career in order to be qualified to participate in "serious" conversations. Oh sure, non-career woman can discuss their favorite brand of vacuum cleaner, best spray starch and  most effective laundry detergent but don't you dare have anything to say about the federal deficit or the problem with mortgage backed securities. Sure, you stay-at-home moms can discuss poopy diapers, the best remedy for colic and sibling rivalry but you should just butt out of the adult discussions about world politics and national security. Unfortunately, feminine elitism is alive and well.

I'm a guy so, it is obvious that I am not really qualified to say what it takes to be a woman. But, I have been surrounded by many remarkable women my entire life. My grandmother was a nursing home owner and was like a mother to me, my sister is an executive with an insurance company, my daughter is a certified schoolteacher, my wife Carol was a self-employed master barber before she became a 20+ year stay-at-home Mom who also home schooled both our children and is now a media clerk at a middle school. Carol's value and standing as a competent, smart woman was not and is not determined by her marital status, her occupation or her childbearing. Being married to me simply gave her the additional titles of "wife and partner." Having Jessica and Michael added "Mama" to her titles. But, she is 100% woman with no further accreditation required by either you or me because that's what God made her to be. And she has every bit as much right to engage in any discussion she feels competent to participate in.