Barbara Boxer, Anti-Woman
At a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing last week regarding the Iraq War, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California) said the following to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice:
"Who pays the price? Who pays the price? I'm not going to pay a personal price. My kids are too old and my grandchild is too young. You're not going to pay a particular price, as I understand it, with an immediate family."
So apparently now only those who have children and grandchildren have a right to an opinion on foreign policy and military matters? How absurd is that!
I thought that our country had moved beyond the belief that all women should be married and at home with their children. I believe that being a mom is the most important and difficult job that a woman can have. (And I know first-hand!) But there are a lot of women in this country without children who are very hard-working, in important positions, and who have a lot of brilliant insight in to what is in the best interest of our citizens.
Some women are childless by choice. For others, sadly, it is not by choice. Is Senator Boxer suggesting that those affected by infertility should just shut up and not have an opinion? Does Senator Boxer really believe that women who are childless have no compassion for the future of today's children? What about women who have no children of their own, but who are amazing Aunts, teachers, or volunteers with Big Sisters or the Boys and Girls Clubs?
I certainly hope that Senator Boxer's pathetic opinion of childless women extends to ALL childless women, and not just those who don't support her political agenda.
So Senator Boxer, please make sure that any time Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland) or Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) tries to speak out on the Iraq War, that you shut them down as disrespectfully as you did Secretary Rice.
And heaven forbid you should ever speak with Oprah Winfrey.
What a disgrace!
posted by Susan | 4:23 PM
4 Comments:
I think Senator Boxer (who typically I am not that enamoured with) was trying to point out that when decisions are made to send men and women into a war zone the decision needs to be made with exceptional care and caution. I think by pointing out to Ms. Rice that she is not personally impacted by the 3000+ and future deaths of soliders she is trying to say, "Look you and I are not in a position to lose a son or daughter over this, so we need to think long and hard before we risk 20,500 more lives in this war." I am not saying if I am for or against the war (it's far too complicated than something so simplistic, eh?), just that when we pose no risk to our own children in deciding the fates of our citizens (because soliders are citizens too), we need to be even more careful and certain in our decisions.
Just my thoughts...
Thanks for your comments Erica. I understand what you are saying.
The thing is, to the best of my knowledge, Boxer is not in a position to lose a son or daughter in this conflict either. As she said, they are either too old or too young. And even if they were of age, we don't have a draft.
So then it leaves it that the only ones who are personally impacted are those with immediate family members in the military. (PRAISE THEM!!!)
Which brings me back to the original point of, is there anyone in the Senate or in the Administration or is "personally impacted"?
That's why we need to listen to a variety of opinions from a variety of sources. And not stoop to silly comments like Boxer's. Only the mother of a solder/marine/sailor/airman has the right to say that.
It's quite a leap to take Boxer's comment pointing out that neither she nor Rice are in a position to personally sacrifice a child in Iraq and claim that she was attempting to deny Rice or anyone else the right to voice their opinion.
Also, in reference to a previous comment, everyone in this country has the right to freedom of speech regarding anything at all, not only mothers of military personel, unless that is another of our rights that conservatives plan to strip us from the Constitution.
My pointe exactly bluekat. EVERYONE has a right to express their opinion. Not just Senator Boxer with her children and grandchildren. EVERYONE has the right, including single and childless Condoleeza Rice.
And just to correct you, everyone does NOT have the right to freedom of speech regarding ANYTHING at all. There are criminal penalties for commiting slander. And to use the most common example of all, one may not yell "fire" in a crowded movie theater.
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