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Obama's New Council on Women and Girls Is Another Hollow Gesture

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I also believe that President Obama is a lot of talk and very little action. And the actions he does take leave me feeling like there's some hidden agenda. Women's rights are a name-dropping tool in this case, but then, I don't see a lot of political leaders stepping up to the plate on this issue. I'm tired of appeasement and would love to see someone who actually believes in bringing equality to the table...for real.

Janet of CA 10:14AM March 25, 2009

I also think Obama's Council on Women and Girls is a hollow gesture. Obama constantly uses sexist language, he has never made a sacrifice for Michelle's career, he has never taken much initiative on women's rights legislation, he has never publicly honored the feminist movement, and so on. As a political leader, Obama is not in Michele Bachelet and Jose Luis Zapatero's league when it comes to women's rights.
Bonnie, you're one of the few mainstream feminist commentators who has voiced reservations about the Council on Women and Girls. Groups like NOW and AAUW seem thrilled with it, which I find quite disturbing. NOW and AAUW obviously need to wotk with the Obama administration, but they also need to be a critical voice. The feminist movement, like all social justice groups, has to play realpolitik, but it also needs to stay true to its prophetic vision and speak truth to power.
One thing for certain: If Obama trivializes women's rights, it will hurt his chances in 2012.

Kathleen Trigiani of TX 2:09AM March 15, 2009

We wondered all along how Michelle braved the chilling temperatures of the past few months in short-sleeved dresses. Reconciling being surrounded by four women at home probably makes a man mesmerised to the realities of prevailing social sexual imbalances and let's face it, nature has programmed the sexes to respond to certain situations in logically inexplicable and strange ways. But be that as it may, women's issues are best integrated into mainstream political considerations and decision-making overtly, intentionally and pragmatically in the manner the Norwegians have endeavoured to do statutorily if mankind can ever hope to trump over inequalities of opportunities and achieve a certain level of equality between the sexes. If the purpose of enactments is to ensure positive action backed by sanctions, it goes without saying that the same procedure will be the only most effective way to ensure that well drafted statutes designed to address gender inequalities based on missed chances takes account of the natural conditions which inescapably influence the lack of progress in proportionately accelerating the improvement of gender imbalances. But both women and men need to take cognisance of their own individually internalised negative values which hinder genuine self-criticism so that the path is kept open all the time for recognising behaviour which facilitate and nurture the perennial circle of sexual discrimination. Obama cannot be expected to rectify millennium-old human maladies with the 'magical click of the thumb' overnight but given his exemplary and unprecedented agility in taking command of the most pressing issues affecting the common good not only of the American society but of the world which is currently copying his every move (a world which is looking up to him from every nook and cranny of its corners literally), we own him that space of time necessary to tackle an area of humanity that has been classified as 'private' for time immemorial and which will always be met with deeply held subjective notions as diverse as the world itself is. Let's wait and see what will have happened by this time next year at least. There is a lot of work to be done by everyone everywhere all the times and, by the way, did he not wisely ask for everyone's assistance in doing it?

Patricia of Kenya-Germany 2:25PM March 12, 2009

For people who were paying attention during Obama's 18-month presidential campaign, he made it clear that he wasn't going to be a president who got the job done by running around Washington, frantically stomping on every toe he came across. Moreover, while he was supportive of women's issues, he made it clear that his primary goals were elsewhere: wars, the economy, health care.
As much fun as it is to criticize Obama because he hasn't magically solved every single problem in the whole whopping month he's been in office, the truth is a lot of the things people expected him to fix were either low priority issues to begin with (and anyone who *paid attention* knew that) or are simply not possible to fix in a few weeks. I feel the same way about your censure of Obama's stance on women's issues as I do about your censure of his handling of the economy. Such massive and complicated issues could not and moreover should not be expected to be resolved overnight, especially when so much damage was done before Obama even began.
Obama has been president for a moth. 30 days. Do you think you could move heaven and earth to create a utopia in the wake of eight years of one disaster after another in 30 days? If so, maybe you should run for president next time instead of complaining because one man can't perform miracles.

Katie of OR 11:17AM March 12, 2009

Did you know that the average male brain is 5 ounces larger than the female brain? The male brain contains more gray matter than the female brain. the female brain contains more white matter. The female monthly cycle can cause a chemical imbalance that relates to irrational and fickle behavior. In case you forgot women are phsically inferior to men. We are reminded of this every time a man strikes a women. So what actually makes women equal to men?
"THE LAW OF MAN"

GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE of CT 9:25AM March 12, 2009

Women should have 50% of representation in government, end of story.
All the men whining here should think about what it would be like if the roles were reversed:
From Wikipedia:
As of 2009, 441 members of Congress are male (83%) and 92 are female (17%).
How about if that was the other way around?
And never a female president in the history of this country. The overly qualified female presidential candidate with more experience was systematically pushed aside by the good ole boys in the party (those cheating caucuses were the last straw).
Obama is full of hot air and always has been.
Bonnie, you are right on the money with this: "His main pursuit seems to be political expediency, making everyone love him and not taking controversial stands."

Agnes of MD 12:00AM March 12, 2009

I was losing sleep worrying about the fact that we didn't have enough "women as victims" groups. Last time I counted there were only a few hundred.
Just so you know Bonnie - I'm sending an e-mail to the White House recommending you to head the new Women and Girls (WAG) Council - With you in charge they should reverse the letters - GAW - Gals Always Whining...

R.L. Schaefer of CA 5:46PM March 11, 2009

We need more Czars. More Federal employees and staff at every level so that we can recreate the same political machine as they enjoy in Chicago, only on a National level. We need special agencies to deal with every group? Short people, fat people, tall people, ugly people, short/fat & ugly people... Every group should have their own Czar and staff. Maybe another trillion dollars to fund each of these groups.

Enough of CA 4:49PM March 11, 2009

I say of course it is! It is started by a democrat, the original starters of the KKK.

Jeff of WI 4:43PM March 11, 2009

You need a new career. Inventing problems, no patience, whining, your column is the hollow gesture...your readers have made it clear - if you were up for a vote you wouldn't receive ANY votes. Please, patience, patience, patience and get over the need to be in critic mode all the time. How much have you ever completed in 51
days ?

Emerald O'Leary of CA 3:55PM March 11, 2009