Lynette Long

THE CUT - MOVIE TRAILER

Do not watch this video unless you want to be upset.  Something has to be done to stop this.

THE RESTAURANT

I have gotten many requests from readers and friends to out the restaurant.  My hesitancy is it is a small woman owned business.  I have met the owner at several events in town and I assure you she was not there Friday night.  If she was this would not have happened.  I will call her Monday morning and personally discuss the events with her.  I appreciate everyones concern and I am personally still processing the event.  I have seldom seen such a random and aggressive act of violence two feet from me.  I am becoming more and more convinced that the lack of safety for women in this country is underestimated.  Why can't I walk down a dark street alone? Why do I have to silence myself because I am the smaller sex? Why is it a crime to "lynch" a dummy of Obama but not a crime to "lynch" a dummy of Sara Palin? Hate crimes are perpetrated against women every minute of the day. Isn't it time we say enough?

HILLARY SECRETARY OF STATE

I have it from a good source that Hillary has been offered the position of Secretary of State but she is being coy about the position. 

THE WAR OF THE SEXES

by Lynette Long

Last night I met three friends for dinner at a popular local restaurant.  When I arrived my friends were already there.  One was sitting at the corner of a packed bar while the other two were standing behind her.  Beside them three guys would not release two seats they were saving "for friends" for at lease 30 minutes.  When I arrived, one of my friends eager to find me a seat, tried to take one of the seats held by the guys, saying she would be happy to return the seat once his friends arrive.  He pulled the seat back and yelled, "You are just a bunch of C****."  What??? Haven't we seen that word emerge during the very recent Presidential Campaign?  I was flabbergasted.  I have never in my life heard a woman called the C word. Ouch.

The women asked the bartender to take charge and ask the guys to give up one of the seats he as saving.  The bartender would not intervene.  His response was a cold, "His friend is parking the car."

The second of the four of us was infuriated and went and had a long talk with the manager.  I could not hear what she said, but the manager sheepishly asked one of the guys for a stool. No, again. Frustrated the women who had spoken to the manager, poured a glass of water on the head of the most aggressive of the guys.  He turned around, grabbed her my the hair with his left had, pulled her down, and dragged her across the restaurant floor while punching her in the face with his right hand. Three patrons pulled him off.   

As I watched, it all seemed so surreal.  I had enough of my wits about me call the police as soon as the fight started.   As we waited for the police to arrive, the three guys took off angry and triumphant.  I followed them for a couple of blocks hoping they would slip in to one of the many restaurants around the corner, which they did not. 

When the police came we stepped outside to explain what happened.  When the woman who was assaulted told the police they called us a C****, he said, "That's a part of a horse."  When she showed him her broken glasses and bruised face, he said, "You started the fight." Something is not right here, a woman's been pummeled in the face and you tell me it's her fault.  Disgusted, we left, found another restaurant and had dinner.

This morning I called a lawyer who is an expert in these matters.  After reviewing the facts her response was calling a woman a C**** is not a hate crime, throwing water on someone is considered an assault, and you're lucky the guys left or your friend who was pummeled would have been arrested.

What's my take the morning after?  I have never witnessed such hostility from relatively sober men in an upscale restaurant.   I understand my friend's frustration at not being able to get the manager, the bartender, or anyone to defend her after we were called C****.  We are a group of women, too old to trade on our sexuality, and too young to garner the deference given a senior citizen.  We also didn't understand our place.  We had the audacity to repeatedly ask for a chair hogged by men.  Did my friend cross the line by pouring a drink on someone's head?  Of course.  Did she deserve to be dragged by the hair and pummeled in the face?  Of course not. The intensity of his response was unconscionable.   

I think we cannot dismiss the election's place in all this.  The world watched as Hillary Clinton and Sara Palin were eviscerated by the main stream media.  Calling women C**** was tolerated.  Demeaning and disrespecting women was deemed OK.  A young potent male was victorious over an older women.  It was a symbolic victory on many deep psychological levels.  I am afraid last night was just the beginning and that there will be more crimes against women.  Times have changed and not for the better.  I can smell it in the air.

SCAPEGOAT

by Janis Strope
Crossposted from Four Wave Feminist

Women delivered the presidency to Obama with our votes. In a rambling
op-ed at the Boston Globe's website
(http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/11/14/for_women_its_not_the_gender_its_the_agenda/),

Ellen Goodman, provides the numbers that show how women in swing
states made the difference. Goodman's point was that women vote for
agenda, not gender. But the way she made her point is far more
telling. She devotes the majority of her piece to unnecessary
Palin-bashing, including ridiculing the way the Governor speaks and,
of course, what would a mainstream media piece be without bringing up
the clothes and restating the unsubstantiated rumors and lies
allegedly coming from the McCain campaign, about Palin. Perhaps
Goodman missed that MSNBC had to apologize yesterday for their role
in failing to verify information and instead rushing it out to the
airwaves, thus spreading out and out liesŠ

Goodman's op-ed is a classic example of how women tear down other
women, even when there is no need and it serves no purpose.

I left the following comments on the Globe website:

I came across your piece and was interested by the title. Yet when I
started reading it, I had to look up again to be sure I'd followed
the correct link. I studied journalism and know that a well
constructed story has as its lead its most powerful piece of
information. If your story is about agenda, not gender, you missed
the mark.

Instead we are treated to yet another round of Palin-bashing that
rambles on for four paragraphs, in case, I guess, we didn't "get it"
that you voted for Obama and don't like Palin.

But when you FINALLY made your point, buried in the middle of the
piece, it was a very interesting one. I find it terrible
disappointing to see that so many women are still throwing their
votes away, on candidates who aren't going to do a thing to help us,
unless there is a gun to their head of some metaphorical kind. Obama
remained silent when the two women running against his ticket were
bashed and slashed by the media, and in Senator Clinton's case, by
her own Party. He knew he could do that because he knew women were
more inclined to tear down another woman than expect a man to stand
up for sexism. And you who voted for him proved that right.

Your op-ed, perhaps unintentionally, was the perfect example of your
story's theme - agenda over gender. You embody in your own words
exactly why women are underrepresented in every area of life. It is
that need to tear down another woman unnecessarily, to ridicule and
diminish someone, while trying to elevate yourself.

I do commend you for closing with an important point about the
historic nature of Palin's run - how she has transformed the
landscape for the Republican party. It's just unfortunate that you
had to bring up the clothes again as an ending since, as everyone
knows who has been paying attention this week, she didn't ask for
them and does not possess them.

Perhaps the day will come when all women, you included, Ms. Goodman,
will realize that while we snipe at each other, and hold each other
back, men continue to dominate politics and run our country. And it
may be another 24 years before any major Party puts another woman on
its ticket. That is nothing for women to be proud of, in my opinion.

HILLARY CLINTON AS SECRETARY OF STATE

From CNN

Hillary Clinton's name mentioned as possible Secretary of State

Posted: 07:45 PM ET

From CNN's Jessica Yellin and Gloria Borger

Clinton and Obama campaigned together this fall.

(CNN) — Two sources close to the Obama transition team tell CNN that Senator Hillary Clinton’s name has been mentioned as a possible candidate for Secretary of State.

One source close to Hillary Clinton tells CNN that as of early yesterday, Senator Clinton had not been contacted by the transition team about a possible cabinet appointment. This same source tells CNN that Senator Clinton would not necessarily dismiss such an offer.

A spokesman for Hillary Clinton, Philippe Reines, tells CNN “Any speculation about cabinet or other administration appointments is really for President-Elect Obama's transition team to address.”

On Monday night, while walking into an awards ceremony in New York, Senator Clinton was asked if she would consider taking a post in the Obama administration. She replied, "I am happy being a Senator from New York, I love this state and this city. I am looking at the long list of things I have to catch up on and do. But I want to be a good partner and I want to do everything I can to make sure his agenda is going to be successful."

Who Were Those Clinton-McCain Crossover Voters?

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/11/12/politics/horserace/entry4596620.shtml?source=search_story

November 12, 2008, 4:25 PM

CBS News’ Election and Survey Unit’s survey analyst extraordinaire Jennifer De Pinto goes inside the exit polls from last week’s election and finds some interesting nuggets about those Hillary Clinton supporters who voted for John McCain:

As voters left the polls on Election Day, many were asked how they would have voted if the election match-up were between Hillary Clinton and John McCain rather than Barack Obama and McCain. 52 percent said they would have backed the former Democratic candidate; 41 percent would have voted for McCain, wider than Obama’s 7-point margin over McCain.

Interestingly, 16 percent of McCain voters said they would have voted for Clinton, the Democrat, if she had been her party’s nominee.

So who were these potential cross-over voters?

They were older: 61% of them were age 45 and above.

53% were women; while 47% were men.

43% of these voters who supported McCain but would have backed Clinton if she were in the race described themselves as Independents. 31% were Republicans; while 26% were Democrats.

84% of them were white – higher than the electorate at large. 12% were Hispanic, compared to 9% of the total electorate.

21% of McCain voters who would have supported Clinton said race was factor in their vote. 19% of McCain voters overall said race was factor in their vote.

61% of these McCain voters who would have backed Clinton earned $50K or more annually. 39% earned less. 61% do not have a college degree.

These voters valued experience over change. 47% said experience was their top candidate quality and 32% said a candidate who shares their values. Just 10% picked change. But like voters overall, the economy was the top issue for these voters.

58% of McCain voters who would have supported Clinton if she were a candidate said their candidate’s personal and leadership qualities was more important in their vote; 36% said it was their candidate’s positions on the issues.

Among McCain backers overall, voters were divided with 48% choosing issues and 49% picking qualities. But among the electorate at large, 58% said their candidate’s position on the issues was more important.

While 85% of Obama voters said they would have voted for Clinton had she been the Democratic candidate, 13% would not have supported her including 6% who said they would have backed McCain and 7% who said they would not have voted.

60% of these voters were under age 45.

They were mostly men. 59% were men; while 41% were women.

41% of these voters who supported Obama but would not have backed Clinton if she were in the race described themselves as Democrats. 20% were Republicans; while 38% were Independents.

While most of these voters were white (74%); 17% were black – higher than the share of the total electorate. 5% were Hispanic.

53% of these Obama voters who would not have backed Clinton earned $50K or more annually. 47% earned less. 58% do not have a college degree.

These voters were clearly looking for change – 57% picked it as their top candidate quality. This was followed by values (20%) and cares (12%). Experience ranked last with 8%.

60% of these voters said issue positions were more important; 38% said it was leadership and personal qualities.

MONDAY NOV. 17, TUNE IN FOR A NEW EDITION OF SINS OF OMISSION

Join me, Dr. Lynette Long for my weekly call-in show, SINS OF OMISSION. After last weeks show I realized before we can fight sexism we have to recover from the blatant sexism and misogyny we experienced in the 2008 Presidential Primary and Election.  Last week many listeners told tales of intimidation by Obama supporters.  This week I would like to bear witness to those tales and even allow listeners who share their stories to interact with other listeners. It will be the closest thing to "group therapy" on the radio.  It is important for us all to hear this stories in the actual voices of the women who experienced them.  It's not enough to read about them.  Lets make a living, breathing record.  To listen, just go to www.blogtalkradio.com/nqr at 9 PM Monday night, November 17, 2008.  To share your story and become part of the "group" call 347 677-0792.  Once you call, please be patient.  I will get to your call as quickly as possible.  We want to hear from you.  Just so you know, I have a policy of not answering blocked calls. If you don't want to participate please listen and share the show with your friends.  The show is transmitted through your computer speakers not a radio. You can listen while you do your email or blog with other listeners.  Let's record history this week.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Disclaimer:  The contents of the show are for entertainment purposes and are not to be considered psychotherapy.

P.S.  The graphic was designed by Violet Socks.  I think it's fantastic. 

TOLERANCE FAILS T-SHIRT TEST FROM THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Tolerance fails T-shirt test

John Kass

November 13, 2008

Catherine Vogt, 14, conducted an experiment in political tolerance at her Oak Park middle school and learned some valuable lessons. (Tribune photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo / November 12, 2008)

As the media keeps gushing on about how America has finally adopted tolerance as the great virtue, and that we're all united now, let's consider the Brave Catherine Vogt Experiment.

Catherine Vogt, 14, is an Illinois 8th grader, the daughter of a liberal mom and a conservative dad. She wanted to conduct an experiment in political tolerance and diversity of opinion at her school in the liberal suburb of Oak Park.

She noticed that fellow students at Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School overwhelmingly supported Barack Obama for president. His campaign kept preaching "inclusion," and she decided to see how included she could be.

So just before the election, Catherine consulted with her history teacher, then bravely wore a unique T-shirt to school and recorded the comments of teachers and students in her journal. The T-shirt bore the simple yet quite subversive words drawn with a red marker:

"McCain Girl."

"I was just really curious how they'd react to something that different, because a lot of people at my school wore Obama shirts and they are big Obama supporters," Catherine told us. "I just really wanted to see what their reaction would be."

Immediately, Catherine learned she was stupid for wearing a shirt with Republican John McCain's name. Not merely stupid. Very stupid.

"People were upset. But they started saying things, calling me very stupid, telling me my shirt was stupid and I shouldn't be wearing it," Catherine said.

Then it got worse.

"One person told me to go die. It was a lot of dying. A lot of comments about how I should be killed," Catherine said, of the tolerance in Oak Park.

But students weren't the only ones surprised that she wore a shirt supporting McCain.

"In one class, I had one teacher say she will not judge me for my choice, but that she was surprised that I supported McCain," Catherine said.

If Catherine was shocked by such passive-aggressive threats from instructors, just wait until she goes to college.

"Later, that teacher found out about the experiment and said she was embarrassed because she knew I was writing down what she said," Catherine said.

One student suggested that she be put up on a cross for her political beliefs.

"He said, 'You should be crucifixed.' It was kind of funny because, I was like, don't you mean 'crucified?' " Catherine said.

Other entries in her notebook involved suggestions by classmates that she be "burned with her shirt on" for "being a filthy-rich Republican."

Some said that because she supported McCain, by extension she supported a plan by deranged skinheads to kill Obama before the election. And I thought such politicized logic was confined to American newsrooms. Yet Catherine refused to argue with her peers. She didn't want to jeopardize her experiment.

"I couldn't show people really what it was for. I really kind of wanted to laugh because they had no idea what I was doing," she said.

Only a few times did anyone say anything remotely positive about her McCain shirt. One girl pulled her aside in a corner, out of earshot of other students, and whispered, "I really like your shirt."

OBAMA"S EARLY LIFE CALLED INTO QUESTION