I’ve seen a number of wonderful commentaries on the conundrum of the current GOP stance on civil liberties: we want the government out of our lives, except where women’s reproductive issues are concerned. Why this big exception for women?
For an answer to this question, I suggest that you read the 1971 essay by Naomi Weisstein, Psychology Constructs the Female, to get a view of the conservative mindset—the mindset that wants us to return to the good old days of mid-century America—the America which I, and many of you, remember very well.
Some of my English students are reading this in preparation for a class discussion next week. What would you add to the discussion?