But Who Stands for Women?
(August 28, 2001) It should come as no surprise that the National Organization for Women and the American Civil Liberties Union are staunchly anti-gun. And it should come as little surprise that they are as crassly hypocritical as can be. But NOW's latest move, in conjunction with their pals at ACLU, is simply over the top. I resigned my membership many years ago, and for just one minute this morning regretted it, since I could not resign over this.
It seems - or at least the Associated Press says - that NOW has started a legal defense fund for Andrea Yates, the Texas woman who admitted that she drowned her 5 children in June. Nobody will deny that our Constitution grants the right to have an attorney at trial to all criminal defendants, and the state provides for that defense should this woman prove to be indigent. But for an organization that presents itself as a civil rights organization to take the side of a woman who freely admitted to methodically drowning her own children one at a time and then arranging them neatly on the bed, it is more than a silly liberal travail.
For those of us who were around when NOW did good work for the rights of women, it is a painful reminder of just how our rights are slowly eroding and changing. When an organization that claims to stand for good takes the side of a confessed criminal and raises money to mount a huge criminal defense while women are being beaten, raped and killed every day is almost criminal in and of itself. These self-righteous women seem to think that they now have the power to absolve multiple infanticide. They were certainly eager to condemn Monica Lewinsky, and they have yet to speak up on behalf of Anne Marie-Smith, the flight attendant that Gary Condit went out if his way to trash in his Connie Chung interview. And not a sound of concern for the fate of Chandra Levy and the several other DC area women who have disappeared. But they cannot wait to get to the podium to declare their total support for a woman that quietly murdered 5 children with her hands.
Remember when NOW would leap to the defense of a woman that was as thoroughly trashed as Ms. Smith? Remember when they screamed for the ouster of Senator Bob Packwood for what amounted to clumsy - and totally inappropriate - groping? Remember when at the very least, the law mattered to them? I remember. And that is what makes me so damn mad at these women. Here is what Deborah Bell, Texas NOW president had to say:
"It gives us a platform for something that obviously needs education. One of our feminist beliefs is to be there for other women."
Who the hell is she kidding with that clap-trap? First off, Andrea Yates was already under treatment for severe postpartum depression. And I certainly agree that there is a need for some awareness, but all the education in the world would not have mattered to a woman that was already under a doctor's care. She was educated. Apparently very educated. Holding her up as the postpartum depression poster killer is not exactly going to help any woman anywhere.
Women are already tagged with PMS whenever a temper flares thanks to some brilliant marketing by the drug companies. Based on that, new mothers can now expect to be regarded with the same scrutiny as postal workers. Perhaps "Going Postal" will soon become "Going Pregnant." By raising up this woman as a fund raising tool, the vampires at NOW have actually surpassed Sarah Brady for the poor taste award. All Sarah did was drag her crippled husband around in his wheelchair. These women want to paint a rosy picture on a criminal, and to try to make you feel good about it, too.
And which other women? Katharine Harris, who as called pretty much every offensive name short of foul language by the press? Nope, not that woman. Paula Jones, who had an entire White House attacking her? Nope, not her either. Or that woman in the inner city whose was just raped and beaten senseless because she went to get baby food at night? Certainly not her. Seems the only other women they are interested in are those that have profit potential or media value for future fund-raising. Sadly, the many women that are being victimized while I type will get no help from Deborah Bell. They probably can't even get the time of day from her. No media value, no dollar value, no help.
And all the while, women are victimized virtually hourly across this nation for want of a reasonable means of self-defense. A means that NOW and their fellow travelers adamantly wish to deny you. So, on the one left hand, the high priestesses at NOW want to punish and put at risk the law-abiding woman by denying her the right to carry or even own a firearm, and on the other left hand, these same priestesses wish to reward the criminal by paying for their legal defense and subsequent other costs.
By way of balance on the universal scale, the same day that I read the news story that prompted the above, I also received an e-mail from Women & Guns Contributing Editor Lyn Bates, who also serves as Vice President of Arming Women Against Rape and Endangerment (AWARE), informing me of their new web site. Here is what Lyn sent:
If you are interested in self-defense
options for women, check us out!!
AWARE's new, expanded web site:
http://www.aware.org
AWARE (Arming Women Against Rape and Endangerment) is a highly professional, non-profit organization dedicated to teaching women about effective self-protection options. Our web site has
That is an organization with the well being and progress of women at heart. Unlike NOW, AWARE actively advocates a woman's complete freedom and independence by advocating her right to protect herself. It is rape, domestic abuse and assault that are the true victimizers of women. And raising money to pay some overblown full of crap defense lawyer for a mass murderer will not even slow the victimization. In fact, it is the opposite. By raising the Yates woman up as they are, NOW creates another inequity, another excuse, another 'woman's problem.'
At the same time, AWARE raises up the law abiding, independent, free thinking woman and encourages her to stand as an equal because she can. No excuses, no pity, no weepy little fund raisers. And no criminals. By their actions, the good folks at AWARE eliminate a 'woman's problem.' They eliminate the need to rely on others for protection. Oh, AWARE is not just for women. Men can join in, too. And they should.
Next time a mailer from NOW arrives in your mailbox, stop for one moment, thank Nancy Bittle, Lyn Bates and the rest at AWARE, and then tear it up, because we don't need NOW anymore. The law-abiding woman has a friend.