CALLING
ALL FEMINISTS – SAY SOMETHING!!
Ok, so I just checked the official website of the National Organization for Women.
Not a word about the Elliott Spitzer sex scandal and resignation. The lead story of their “Hot Topics”
news section is a week old fluff piece about Hillary Clinton’s primary wins in Ohio and Texas.
And I guess we won’t be hearing from, Marcia Pappas, the President of the New York Chapter of NOW either. She’s the one I recently wrote about who immediately and fiercely jumped on Senator Ted Kennedy for endorsing Barack Obama for President. By denying Hillary the nod, Marcia declared, Teddy K. had committed the “ultimate betrayal”
of all women. Funny, Marcia didn’t seem to remember the Massachusetts senator walking away from a sinking car in a place called Chappaquiddick as
a more important “betrayal” of a woman – but I digress.
It’s as if these feminists don’t think the Spitzer issue affects women!
Feminists proudly
declare that they are fighting for women’s equality and improving the status of women.
Really? Then prove it – come out and say something about a hypocritical
public servant who for at least ten years and 80 thousand dollars helped denigrate young women not much older than his own
three daughters!
Gloria? Jane? Hillary?
Somebody?
Anybody there to speak
up for subjugated young women who can’t see any other way in life except the one that demeans them into a career on
their knees or flat on their back?
Let’s be honest.
The reason we aren’t hearing from the feminists is because most of them belong to the same political party as the now
disgraced Governor. They’ve chosen to be silent lest they upset someone
in Democratic Party land. If I’m wrong about this – then prove me
wrong – say something against men like this who cheapen, defile and criminalize our girls.
I’m the mother
of a daughter and I’m sickened that young women in this day and age would still be choosing this degrading and oftentimes
violent way of life. I have never thought that a woman selling her body for sex is a “victimless” crime. The woman will pay for it. Either physically,
when some client’s desires venture into the dark side or later when she realizes she can’t cope with the leftover
psychological scars.
If feminists aren’t
there to help mentor these young women who will be?
Late last year a bill
went into effect in New York – ironically signed into law by none other than Governor Elliot Mess himself – that
increased the penalty for patronizing a prostitute from a mere misdemeanor and three months in jail to up to a year in jail.
When he signed it
he likened organized prostitution to human trafficking and “modern-day slavery.”
He was absolutely right in that assessment. Yet as he put pen to paper
he apparently was holding on to a deep dark secret. As a gung-ho prosecutor,
as the Attorney General of the nation’s largest state, as Governor of that state he himself was part of the problem. And if the reports are true he corrupted young girls into servicing him in at least
three places: New York, Washington, D.C. and Florida.
Oh, maybe “Client
#9” (as the federal indictment refers to him) didn’t think he was doing anything thing wrong because he was paying
large sums of money to these girls. Maybe he just wanted to see if he could get away with it. Maybe he became drunk with the
power of his office – after all this is a man who once warned his political adversaries that he was a “f---king
steamroller”. Maybe he thought he was simply above the laws he enforced
on others.
You know what? I don’t really care about this creep. I hope they throw the book at him. I care about the legions of girls, both here and worldwide, who are forced to earn
money this way. I care that there is no unified voice out there to help them
realize it’s no way to live their lives and that there is escape down a path that’s more rewarding and satisfying.
Helllllloooo? Any feminists listening? I thought your
creed was to help improve the lives of women. Hypocrisy comes in both sexes.
Enter your comment
here
Morgan from Nova Scotia writes:
As
pathetic as the Spitzer affair has proven to be, calling on feminists to come to the defense of this particular woman might
be jumping the gun.
“Kristen’s”
reckless behavior through much of her young adult life is only now coming to light. This, coupled with the inevitable
“offers” from various publications and other sources, is further proof that the less said about her and her questionable
decisions the better. With thousands of women in legitimately exploitative situations continually let down not only by feminists,
but by countless lobby groups, agencies, families, churches and alike, a sleazy political scandal can provide only endless
distraction and little more.
In closing, I am
amazed that not one news agency did any investigative legwork into The Emperor’s Club itself. Who is exploiting
whom here?
Gail in Atlanta writes:
Diane, personally
I find this a tough one. I feel terrible for his family. But part of me thinks they are only victims here. The old expression
"its all a matter of price" may be true. I want to be enraged, but honestly I'm agrier at Ted Kennedy than I am at Elliott
Spitzer. Convince me I'm wrong. I'm not happy I feel this way, but I do.
Ray in Santa Barbara writes:
No
excuses for Spitzer, but maybe we need to take a more in-depth look at the problem. Several European countries have legalized
prostitution and don't seem to have the problems we have here in the States. The business are licensed, prostitutes
have regular physical exams, receive treatment when needed and pay taxes. I wouldn't recommend it as a livelihood to any woman,
even it was legal. But a lot of the danger from disease and abuse by pimps and johns could be eliminated if it was legal. Like it or not, prostitution has been around
for thousands of years, and like illegal drugs, law enforcement has tried every which way of stamping it out without success.
Perhaps it's time to try a different approach.
Jaime
from Brooklyn writes:
Well, Hillary is
staying upwind of the stink for pretty obvious political reasons ... there's no percentage for her in getting involved in
this in any way. And while I can't speak for other big-ticket feminists,
I will say that none of the progressives or democrats I've spoken to about this has been particularly interested in defending
him.
The wider issue of prostitution is an interesting one and certainly there's a case
to be made that we'd be better off with legal, well regulated prostitution than with the current prohibitions, just as the
effectiveness of the current drug prohibition might be debated. But IMO the reason
this story is being framed in terms of Spitzer's fall from grace and not around the larger story of prostitution is that the
Spitzer governorship has come to a crashing end, while in Spitzer's absence, prostitution in America will continue, largely
unaffected.
Bob
retired cop from Long Island, New York writes:
I also agree that prostitution is exploitive of women and is far from a "victimless" crime no matter what Allen
Dershowitz (Spitzer's legal mentor) says on NPR. I knew all about Spitzer's overly aggressive reputation while still on the
state police and predicted it would get him in trouble. While I do not have much sympathy for Spitzer, I feel incredibly
awful for his wife and daughters. I do not believe that "Kristen," the hooker he involved himself with made a very wise
career choice and was easily misled by what seemed like easy money. She certainly didn't think things through and her
parents could not have instilled her with moral values. She is a far cry from women was are trafficked and forced to
perform sexual favors by brutal physical force. "Kristen" will pay dearly; physically and psychologically, when
consequences of her life style choice manifests itself. God does give us a free will.
Being a child of the 60's, I am not a fan of Gloria Steinem who has demonized men for displaying even positive
masculine qualities. I do, however, think it is unfair for you to single out Hillary Clinton (who I support for president)
who is an incredibly competitive battle for the Democratic nomination. I do not know why she should commit political
suicide for Elliott Spitzer. I realize that there are many "Hillary haters" out there just dying to derail her historical
bid for the presidency.
Doug
from Manhattan writes:
My take now that I've digested this is that the Mr. Clean stuff and the Mr. Integrity stuff was an overkill presentation
to mask his obvious moral failings -- most people have said it's either arrogance or self-destructiveness -- I go with the
former -- thinking you're above the law.
When I first heard about it I thought he slipped up on a business trip -- and my first thought was that it was like
the Frank Gifford affair, i.e. a private set up (not entrapment). When I learned the depth of it, I was blown
away! It is beyond science fiction that ES did this as long as he did, paid that much money, and moved money around
-- and you mean to say his wife didn't know about it on any level? Just doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense -- also, when
you have children it's a whole different ball game and that's what makes it a disgrace.
I think you're following an obvious and valid theme which is that political viewpoint is central to people's views --
the Clinton "oh, that's private" stuff was really political hypocrisy also.