Friday, April 06, 2007

Kathleen Parker on Eternal Truths About Women



Parker is a wingnut anti-feminist columnist whose most recent take (via feministing.com) is about sexual harassment and rape in the U.S. military in Iraq. Her piece argues, in short, that most claims are probably exaggerated and those which are not, well, they are the fault of us feminists:

This is not to say that men at war are expected to behave badly, but there are possible explanations for some of these questionable liaisons that bear closer scrutiny.

Clearly, some of what is considered sexual harassment falls into the category of harmless sport -- the usual towel-snapping that is, in fact, a way to neutralize sex.

But more overt sexual aggression may be the product of something few will acknowledge, at least on the record: resentment.

Off the record, in dozens of interviews over a period of years, male soldiers and officers have confided that many men resent women because they've been forced to pretend that women are equals, and men know they're not.

The lie breeds contempt, which leads to a simmering rage that sometimes finds expression in aggression toward those deemed responsible.

How wise is Uncle Tom Kathleen! Feeling resentment about women who foolishly think they might be equal makes rape understandable! Now if we only could confine that resentment to men in the military and then segregate the sexes! What lessons we learn in Iraq, ladies: If we only accept that we are inferior and then get the protection of gender segregation we will be safe. Doesn't this sound a little backwards in the context of the Bush campaign to liberate the women of Afghanistan and Iraq? Not that we hear about that campaign much these days.