The Pointer UW-Stevens Point Student Newspaper
Many people have hated on Rush Limbaugh for making unpopular remarks about women, especially when he called Sandra Fluke a slut. I’m all for the freedom of speech, but Limbaugh should not be surprised that there has been considerable backlash to his aggravating remarks. Rush Limbaugh wants an America of the 1950s, what he would probably call the “good old days.” He wants women that are repressed and constricted to fulfill certain roles. He thinks that the only roles that women should have in society are the mother, the homemaker, and the wife. During Rush Limbaugh’s “good old days” a wife was only considered “good” when she carried out her man’s every whim and agreed with everything he said. Rush Limbaugh wants this way of life so badly; he is probably willing to do anything to go back to the days of old when women had to wait to get married to do anything. In those days women couldn’t choose their careers, and were forced into being homemakers.
Does any sane person really want that? I don’t think that anyone really wants all women to once again take up the mantle of second-class citizen. For centuries women have fought tooth and nail to gain an equal footing with men. I suppose it is only natural that a few extremists would want to tear it all down. It is true that there are extremists on both sides, but the ones that really want to repeal civil liberties are on the right. I’m glad I live in a society where the women I know can choose how they want to live. If they want to choose to be a homemaker and good wife then they should be able to do that. If however, they want a little more, and want to go to college, or choose a different career they have that option. Equal opportunity should be a goal that is attainable by anyone that wants it. I am not sure that conservatives could get the cat back in the bag even if they wanted to. This war by conservatives against women needs to come to an end.
I have to admit, though, it does seem like kind of a nice dream, waking up to towering stacks of pancakes, piles of bacon, and a big bowl of eggs. After work I could come home to a clean house with dinner waiting on the table. I could then relax on the couch after a hard day’s work, and be served cold beer by my compliant wife. It kind of gives me a warm fuzzy feeling like it could happen; well, if I ask nicely.
Matt Pagel
Contributor
