Return-Path: <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id fBJAYV027664; Wed, 19 Dec 2001 05:34:31 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 05:34:31 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <F14ffhMoQ1oLk7ZAiJx00004d4a@hotmail.com> Errors-To: alcrsb@langate.gsu.edu Reply-To: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Dana Cooper" <d7cooper@hotmail.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-WOMENLIT:1836] Re: alert -- Aside X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Status: O Content-Length: 1953 Lines: 41 Gail Spangenberg <gspangenberg@caalusa.org> wrote: <snip> >Strange for the administration not to be as resolute where American >women are concerned as they appear to be about women's rights and the >role of women in Afghanistan. Gail Gail, Pardon, the aside, but I doubt that when the administration mouths concern about the Afghani women that they care about those women's plight. I think that they are sprouting that womenconcernspeak to hit American buzzwords and to placate Americans who believe the military actions are too harsh. (Part of the bomb on one hand and feed with the other scene.) American people cannot expect to change years of Afghani sins against Afghani women overnight. A "new" cause is born. And if we are pointing out the iniquities that the Afghani women suffer, American women's suffering and problems seem less so by comparison. (At least, I imagine that that is the mindset behind some of the surface sympathy rising.) I am not trying to diminish the pains of women in other countries or to say that the problems of American women are nothing in comparison -- that depends on individual situations -- there might be American women living lives even more horrific than those lived by some Afghani women. Nor do I begrudge the Afghani women any assistance they could receive from their own people, Americans, or other interested parties. What I find disturbing is this redirection of the American attention -- See Afghani women suffer -- while there are all these unsympathetic, anti-women activities on our homefront. It's like a feed 'em, bomb 'em duality acted out. Offer "support" for Afghani women while reducing support for American women. Not so much a case of the "two" causes being in conflict, but one cause being used to distract from another. Dana _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Fri Jan 18 2002 - 11:32:25 EST