Quote:
Originally Posted by ladelfina
This was a terrible statement to make on its face.. when you look at it from the McCain perspective. But I think she is trying to reveal a larger truth, albeit in an awkward and unpalatable way.
I believe she was making a non-obvious reference to the MSM/right-wing treatment of, for example, Jill Carroll, who was captured and held hostage in Iraq. Another female hostage (an Italian journalist, so this got a lot of play in Italy) got similar skeptical treatment. So while their experiences come nowhere near to McCain's.. there're still a lot of angry men out there who do hold double standards when it comes to female victims, as in rape cases. Then there was the whole "Jessica Lynch is a fake" crowd. She was the female soldier towards the beginning of the war who was rescued after being captured by Iraqi soldiers. She got it from every which way: left, right, and Ron Paul supporters included. Now we have the Blackwater/KBR rape cases and likely coverups.
These things get taken up and then dropped. If they ever appeared on males' radar screens, they vanish. But most women take note, and remember.
Females get extra, negative scrutiny all around. That is the point, which is correct, though it was made in an unfortunate way. Perhaps there is no better way, though. How would you phrase it, to express this? It's not clear it was delivered as a joke, and the laughter is likely tension release and acknowledgment of a bitter truth, rather than finding McCain's imprisonment somehow hilarious.
|
Actually, the media and the army wanted to make Jessica a hero, fighting fiercely and resisting capturing. The reality is she and her fellow soldiers performed like most support personal who find themselves unexpectedly
in combat. The fought for a while found the situation hopeless and surrendered. I think most Americans were ready for a GI Jane, but Jessica was just an average soldier, much to everybody's disappointment.
As for Jill Caroll she had choices. She could have refused to make a video denouncing President Bush and praising her captives, because doing so encourages terrorist to capture more journalist. Some 30+ journalist have been kidnapped in Iraq just for this reason. She could have continued to refuse to cooperate despite being beaten, tortured and raped. According to Wikipedia she lasted a couple of weeks before making a video pleading for her life and within a couple of months she gave into her captives propaganda demands and made a video. If she had managed to survive for many months before escaping/being rescued, I'd be the first on the board praising her heroism. If she ran for public office, I'd give her credit for have a remarkable courage and the strength of her convictions.
Every POW I've ever heard speak (and I just heard a WWII Tuskegee airman speak a few weeks ) says that being shot down is no great accomplishment, far from it means you screwed up big time.
Being a POW doesn't qualify anybody for anything except sympathy.
It is the behavior while being a POW that matters. Folks like Winston Churchill, and Chuck Yeager who manage to escape capitive are properly lauded for their ingenuity and bravery. Traits that both men exhibited for the rest of their lives. What Senator McCain did is more extraordinary
since he
consciously for a period of 5 1/2 year placed the needs of his fellow POWs and country above his own self-interest by refusing early release or coperating with his enemy (except for one time).
I think ability to sacrifice your needs for others, especially an abstract concept like ones country is an important trait for a President.
Actually Ladelfina, I think there are a lot of heroic woman out there, in particular single moms who work 2+ jobs so they can ensure that their kids get a good education. These are ordinary heros in my book. However, Gloria and her ilk don't talk about them much prefering to praise upper middle class with Ivy League education, who's sacrifice consists of staying late at the office instead of baking cookies for the PTA function.