Pots, Kettles, and the War on Women

By: American Decency Staff

Written by Lisa Van Houten You may not have been aware of it, but yesterday, March 8, was International Women’s Day – a yearly “holidayâ€Â started in the early 20^th Century as a Socialist political event in celebration of women’s political and social achievements.  Perhaps it’s fitting that within the same week as the socialist International Women’s Day, President Obama took to the podium to use his young daughters as examples of how women ought not to be treated by men. Obama was speaking about the Rush Limbaugh/Sandra Fluke controversy in which Limbaugh spoke crudely and without justification about Fluke, in response to Fluke’s testimony before Congress regarding her view that she had a “rightâ€Â to free contraception.  Not government supplied birth control (which, by the way, could be obtained at any government-funded Planned Parenthood clinic) – but a demand that her contraception be provided by the Catholic university she attended – where her so-called “rightâ€Â would supersede religious institutions’ rights to conscience and religious liberty by being forced by the government to violate their religious precepts. In response, Limbaugh did nothing to help the cause of the real issue here – religious liberty – by speaking meanly about this young woman.  However, he has since apologized.  Apology or no, the liberal media has gone into an apoplectic frenzy about their claim that conservatives have declared a “war on women.â€Â All this led President Obama to personally call Sandra Fluke to console her and is what prompted his exploitation of his daughters to divert attention from the real issue.  The following is what President Obama said in his press conference: "I thought about Malia and Sasha. And one of the things I want them … to be able to do is speak their minds in a civil and thoughtful way, and I don't want them attacked or called horrible names when they're being good citizens. I wanted Sandra to know that her parents ought to be proud of her. … "I don't know what's in Rush Limbaugh's heart, so I can't comment on the sincerity of his apology. All decent folks can agree that the remarks that were made don't have any place in public discourse." It all sounds well and good on the surface, but shouldn’t our nation’s leader be concerned about the treatment of all women – not just liberal women?  Isn’t civility a two-way street?  Not according to the left it isn’t. Did President Obama personally make a call to Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann, Christine O’Donnell, or commentators Laura Ingraham and Michelle Malkin – to name a few of the conservative women who have been ruthlessly and repeatedly called virtually every offensive, derogatory name in the book by liberal media?  Haven’t each of these women, acting as “good citizens,â€Â speaking “their minds in a civil and thoughtful way,â€Â also been “attacked and called horrible names?â€Â And while President Obama is concerned about his daughters and the Fluke’s daughter, where was his outrage when the children of Sarah Palin – from teenage daughter Bristol to Down Syndrome baby Trig – were the targets of incredibly vicious barbs and attacks from liberal commentators and “entertainers?â€Â I will not repeat here the truly obscene comments repeatedly made by the likes of Bill Maher regarding the conservative women mentioned above.  Yet the White House and the liberal media turned a deaf ear to these malicious assaults.   None of these defamers, by the way, have ever apologized as Rush Limbaugh did. Although, I find it interesting that while Bill Maher has never apologized for the repulsive things he has said and continues to say about conservative women, he defended Rush Limbaugh by stating on Twitter:  “Hate to defend Rush Limbaugh but he apologized, liberals looking bad not accepting.â€Â Perhaps Maher should follow suit and apologize for his past slew of disgusting comments.  Somehow, though, I don’t think Maher is seeing the light regarding civil discourse – he just realizes the pot can’t call the kettle black. In fact the misogynist Bill Maher recently donated $1,000,000 to the Obama election campaign by way of a PAC that supports Obama.  However, in spite of calls for President Obama to urge the PAC to return the “dirty moneyâ€Â, the White House had this to say we are not, and cannot be, the arbitrator of every statement that everybody makes in the policy and political arena. So, our nation’s leader can chastise Limbaugh for remarks that, as he said, ‘have no place in public discourse,’ but when someone on the left says far worse about a conservative woman – he ‘cannot be the arbitrator of every statement made in the political arena.’ Recently I saw the powerful documentary “Sarah Palin:  The Undefeated,â€Â a film  I highly recommend, which offers an inspirational look at Palin’s courageous stands against corruption and crony politics.  The film opens with several minutes of streaming video clips depicting the incredibly cruel, malevolent, and relentless attacks she’s faced from the liberal talking heads and Hollywood entertainers. Those few minutes are truly shocking as to the hatred poured out by the left upon this conservative woman.  Yet no one on the left – including women’s rights organization – decried these vile attacks. The left is now accusing conservatives for engaging in a “war on womenâ€Â because we supposedly want to “denyâ€Â women access to birth control – (again, twisting the issue – we don’t want to prohibit contraception – we want to protect religious liberty) – perhaps they should remember the counsel of Christ: “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?â€Â (Matthew 7:3) Who is really on the side of women?  Those who defend unborn baby girls who will grow up to be women or those who support their murder?  Who is there for the young women who find themselves scared, pregnant, and with no one to turn to?  Is it those who volunteer time and resources to crisis pregnancy centers, who offer counseling, support, adoption referrals in some cases and material assistance in others – from everything to cribs and clothing to lovingly hand-knit baby blankets?  Are these the ones who have declared a “war on women?â€Â  Or is it those who have made it a lucrative career of “helpingâ€Â young women “get ridâ€Â of their “problemâ€Â and then after the little unborn life is sucked out of their womb to send them out the door. Remember when President Obama also dragged his young daughters into the political fray to make the point that if they became pregnant he wouldn’t want them to be “punished with a babyâ€Â as his reasoning for the killing of more unborn baby girls (and boys). In this so-called “war on womenâ€Â within the political arena, which side has the most casualties?  Is it the left where one spokeswoman was the subject of unjust and derogatory comments from one conservative commentator (who since apologized) or is it the right, where conservative women (and their children) are the targets of relentless slings and arrows bombarding them from all sides. Mr. President, those who live in glass houses – even if it’s White – should not throw stones. ********** To urge President Obama to defend all women and encourage both sides of the political aisle to engage in civil discourse, call the White House at:  202-456-1414 or email your comments at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments ========================================================== To support our efforts please click here or mail your gift to American Decency Association (ADA), PO Box 202, Fremont, MI 49412. American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

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