Don't let the title fool you, this is a serious diary to me.
When Rush let loose his tirade it angered me as a male more than I could have ever imagined. I've always thought that women in this country do not get a fair shake or even close to fair treatment. They often work the same hours, for less pay. They often deal with derogatory comments, to keep their social status and or location. In short, women in this country and the world often give up quite a bit, just so they are not relegated to the back of a bus, in the kitchen, or insert your 'cliche' here.
Join me after the fold for more.
Let me give you some background on my marriage.
I married an amazing woman. A woman I am proud to call my wife and someone I could call a proud warrior woman. A woman not afraid to stand strong for what she believes not someone who is afraid to say what is on her mind. A strong amazon in my mind and this among many reasons is why I married her. That said however, our ideological paths are pretty divergent.
I consider myself a progressive while she considers herself a social conservative. I have zero stance on religion, while she was raised in a very baptist family. She thinks government needs to be small and efficient when possible, while my views are different very often on many topics. Don't let me fool you however, she's not anywhere near the crazy right we have in the GOP now. She thinks Mitt is an idiot, dislikes Santorum despite his unwavering idiocy, and despite voting for a number of republicans in her past thinks that equality in Gay Marriage is long overdue. She agrees with social safety nets and thinks very often that the now shrinking middle class get the raw deal in this nation.
In short, she's reachable on many progressive issues.
So it was with amusement that we started discussing this latest Rush debacle, funnily enough while we were both watching the Maddow segment on it.
I asked her "How does his comments, and the rights very obviously timid response make you feel"
Her response, not verbatim mind you but pretty close.
"I think its ludicrous that these men rail on this woman who only testified for basic women's health when things like viagra and other mens sexual health items are often covered. It angers me when I hear these comments because we personally could not afford the birth control I required. Though while I think Rush has a first amendment right to say how he feels or what he is thinking, he also has the responsibility to own up to his comments. Those who associate with him also own a responsibility to reject or accept his statements."
So there you have it folks. A very staunchly conservative woman that as of right now, the GOP and the right wing echo-sphere has effectively alienated. I had asked her later if she would vote for any of the GOP candidates to which she replied "NO, at this point Obama will get my vote because of the crazies that are the other options"
And all the while during the conversation the progressive in me is doing the frabjous day dance. My inner mind was literally thinking like Annie Pots in Ghost Busters as she got that first call.
"WE GOT ONE!"
Now don't get me wrong, we still stand at polar opposites on a marked number of issues. But this most recent moment cemented in my mind as a progressive, and an occupier that consensus and middle ground is possible. Not only is it possible, but a great many people are waking up to this reality. A great number of people are waking to the fact that the right has literally gone off the cliff and is trying to drag us down into the pits with them.
But we're winning that tug of war!
And at least for now....They just had a casualty with my wife.
7:12 PM PT: Wow..spotlight.
Never thought this would make that, I honestly just wrote from the heart on an issue that has hit me on a personal level. Access to BC is something that resonates very large with myself and my wife.
Thank you Kossacks, I'm happy to contribute to what is truly a community here.