opinion
Opinion pieces from the left, right, and everyone in between.
Dear Mainstream Media, Conservative Women Deserve Respect Too.
It's no secret that women can do anything. Sandra Day O'Connor was the first female Supreme Court Justice, serving from 1981 until 2006. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic was elected the president of the Republic of Croatia in 2015, and she still holds office four years later. Kersti Kaljulaid has been the Prime Minister of Estonia since 2016. Katrin Jakobsdottir became the Prime Minister of Iceland in 2017. Zuzana Capitova was elected as Slovakia's first-ever female president this past March, according to Far And Wide. Although they might be from different completely different countries, all of these women have one thing in common. They have been very public about their conservative views. All of these women have made remarkable strides in history, as they have proven that conservative women can and will achieve anything that their political counterparts can. (Source: Far and Wide, Lists, "Countries Where women Are In Charge", Katherine Gallagher, June 18, 2019, https://www.farandwide.com/s/countries-with-powerful-female-leaders-68152c4b7e6c462e) Unfortunately, it hasn't been an easy ride for American women who think that way. Conservative women are being unfairly silenced, and that is seriously not okay. Heather Higgins, chairwoman of Independent Women's Forum describes it this way in a video for Prager University: "We hear a lot about 'the year of the woman', 'the women's march', and 'the war on women.' But if the mainstream media- the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, CBS, and others-were more interested in accuracy than advocacy, it would be that they are promoting 'the year of the leftist woman' or 'the leftist women's march.'" Higgins' argument is quite accurate, because conservative women are not just ignored by the left, but unfairly smeared and disrespected. If the leftist media is truly out to smear right-leaning women, what are their tactics? The tactics used by the mainstream media are quite familiar. Higgins adds, "They use three strategies. The first is: Omission. If you don't see something, you don't have to deal with it. Open up a glossy magazine. Every liberal woman is glamorized. Stylishly dressed, beautifully photographed, their personal stories are almost always an inspirational version of Joan of Arc: they have overcome overwhelming obstacles to make the world a more compassionate and tolerant place. Glamour magazine recognized eleven Democrat women among their 2018 Women of the Year. No Republican made the cut. Every now and again, the major media will do a story about a female conservative to 'balance things out.' But, let's be honest, it's not balance – it's tokenism. The second strategy the media uses to diminish conservative women is mocking: Making fun of a woman's appearance discounts what she says. You would think the major media would resist this kind of objectification. But they don't. Not if the target is a conservative woman. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, and Kellyanne Conway, the first woman to run a winning presidential campaign, are routinely belittled for their hair, their eye makeup, or their weight. Their significant accomplishments, in contrast, are rarely acknowledged. Why? Because the media doesn't like their boss. And it treats women who work for him as traitors to their sex. The third strategy the media uses to demean conservative women is labeling: Using stereotypes precludes there being a valid reason for conservative women to hold the positions they do. The major media simply can't accept that conservatives have serious and important reasons for their beliefs. So they have to come up with answers to explain this seeming anomaly to themselves: these women must be racist or self-hating or just weak-minded. Here's how Barbra Streisand put it to the Daily Mail in England: 'A lot of women vote the way their husbands vote; they don't believe enough in their own thoughts.' Labeling, like the strategies of mocking or omission, is just another way to display contempt and demonize conservative women. Its purpose is to persuade you to not treat those being labeled with respect, to ignore their ideas, and to even avoid associating with them." This bully behavior sounds straight out of the 2004 smash-hit movie Mean Girls starring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, and Liz Caplan, but it's all too real. The bullying and mistreatment of conservative women by the media has gone on long enough. What can you do to help make things right? Higgins concludes with this strategy, saying, "So if you hold conservative views, you have a particularly important role to play. You need to speak out – to your friends, your family, and your co-workers. Let them hear your thinking. And then let them make up their own minds. The media may pretend you don't exist; they may even mock or label you. They want to intimidate you into silence. That's not fair, and that's not right. Don't let them." Source: Prager University, "Who Does The Media Want To Silence?", Heather Higgins, June 10, 2019, https://www.prageru.com/video/who-does-the-media-most-want-to-silence/) Media bias is already a serious issue, and the mistreatment of conservative women just makes it more of an issue. It's hypocritical, cruel, and plan unfair. The conservative woman deserves just as much respect as the liberal.
By Devin Nassar-Reis6 years ago in The Swamp
Does a 5p bag charge do enough?
Plastics, carrier bags, the environment. We have an issue. Does a 5p bag charge do something? Eh, kinda. Yes, it helps support local environmental initiatives and raise money for local communities. But is it reducing plastic consumption enough? I doubt it.
By Joshua Kidd6 years ago in The Swamp
Climate change-Time for world wide governance to get real
Climate change- Time for world wide governance to get real Climate change is happening. What are the UN doing about it? On the 19th December 2019 – a UK newspaper -Daily Mail on line – carried a report of a scientific study on one of the ancient ancestors of modern humans.
By Peter Rose6 years ago in The Swamp
Oppression in Tradition?
There are many old traditions including, superstitions, tall tales, and myths passed down through the generations. At some point during their creation, they held value and substance. However, as time passed on, these traditions turned into campfire stories, then bedtime stories and eventually the true meaning becomes lost in translation.
By Chris Ricks6 years ago in The Swamp
The Media, Money and The First Amendment
One of the greatest aspects of democracy is the freedom of diverse thought and speech (intellectual Property). The Media is the best way of ensuring that and these aspects of democracy survive. The media is everywhere nowadays, on our phones, our TVs and every-time we go out of the house we are confronted by the message of media. It's no wonder then that media is the largest industry in the world, and only growing bigger.
By C.R. Pattison6 years ago in The Swamp
Fake News, Alternative Facts and Political Brainwashing
What is fake news? What are alternative facts? What is political brainwashing? Fake news is called such because it is seen as being reported by a non-legitimate news agency, thus becoming political gaslighting. Alternative facts are about total lies to the American people by the Machine. The mere division between Democrat and Republican reeks of political brainwashing because really, they work together to further national interest. The Machine only takes news questions from Fox News. This is the way Republicans think, even though Democrats are part and parcel of the same coin. “Fake News” is a term that undermines legitimate news sources like CNN. Supporters of the Machine are brainwashed into believing what the Republicans say. Politicians deal with many untrue news stories that are, in fact, the real fake news. Real journalists use the term “fake news” to call out news that is an obvious fabrication.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez6 years ago in The Swamp
ScAMerica
I smell a rat festering today in our American media - it's a sickly sweet, pungent funk with a reek that jolts the gut. The air of the media ether is thick like caramel-not fluid; like the good ol'days when spin was sly emphasis versus blatant propaganda. Our media viscosity no longer clear and viscous, but dark and cloudy like day old coffee.
By Douglas Brayton II6 years ago in The Swamp
Politics and Economics, Should They Ever Mix?
Politics and economics, should they ever be mixed? Definitions: Politics: the art and science of directing and administrating states and other political units—the business or profession of politics—Manoeuvres or factors leading up to or influencing decisions.
By Peter Rose6 years ago in The Swamp
