The National Organization of Women has long been considered by the political right as a bunch of bra-burning, abortion-loving feminazis. The president of one chapter, however, is looking to change that. On Saturday, Shelly Mandel, the president of the Los Angeles chapter of NOW, has seen the light and has come out in support of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, saying that she is what a feminist looks like,"" contrary to what many people think feminists look like. While Mandel's statement of support is merely a personal endorsement, we can only hope that other women associated with NOW and similar organizations follow suit.
The original intent of NOW was to aid in the advancement of women in America. Seeing as how Palin is only the second woman to be nominated for the vice-presidency, the first being Walter Mondale's vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro, and the first woman nominated by the GOP, the women of NOW should be dancing in the streets.
However, the current NOW has gone from a group that supported women's suffrage regardless of political affiliation into a political apparatus which only supports women who adhere to the far-left fringe policies and practices of the Democratic Party. As a result, they have been less than supportive of the republican vice presidential nominee and bash her whenever she makes the slightest misstep.
Instead of supporting all women, regardless of political preferences, the National Organization of Women has adopted a string of policies only a fraction of women in this country support, which is ironic because the 1919 women's suffrage amendment was passed by a republican majority in both the U.S. House and Senate. Mandel is one of the few NOW leaders who understands that if their organization wants to be true to its original commitment against prejudice, it has to stop acting as if NOW stands for the National Organization of Democratic Women. If the National Organization of Women truly advocates a stronger political role for all women, then Palin should unquestionably be its poster woman.
As Mandel said, Palin is a true feminist. In the Republican primary for governor, Governor Palin defeated the corrupt incumbent governor, Frank Murkowski, and then went on to defeat Tony Knowles by a margin of eight points, becoming the first female elected governor in the state of Alaska. It was there that she earned her reputation as a reformer - as someone who will stand up to the establishment as she stood up to her own corrupted party. NOW should be championing Palin, instead of calling her out for not supporting women's rights. Not all women believe that abortion should be legal, not all women believe there is a wage gap, and not all women believe that there needs to be an equal rights for women amendment to the constitution. However, this does not mean that these women are not feminists, and that they do not support women's rights.
Palin is a hockey mom, a wife, a governor, and now the vice presidential nominee for the Republican Party. She was able to achieve all of these great things without ""equal rights for women"" and without any support from NOW.
Feminists should encourage women to go to school, to get good jobs and to be productive members of society, but it should not discourage women from getting married, having children, and, if we choose,
staying home and raising those children.
Real feminism is being able to choose what you want to do with your life, working hard to achieve your goals, and being proud of what you have accomplished. Palin has worked hard to be a good wife, mother, governor and vice presidential nominee amidst criticisms demean her. She is proud of who she is and what she has accomplished, and like the Los Angeles president of NOW said, Sarah Palin is a true feminist.
Kristen Wall is a junior majoring in economics and political science and is the current vice chair of the UW-Madison College Republicans. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
