Sarah Palin: Women's Rights Groups: Your Double Standard is Showing

For the past few decades, the conventional wisdom held that supporting abortion is a core tenet of Feminism. This occurs despite the fact that one of Feminism's Founding Mothers -- Susan B. Anthony was pro-life. Feminists for Life, which Governor Palin is a member of, sells mugs with this quote from Susan B. Anthony: "Sweeter even than to have had the joy of caring for children of my own has it been to me to help bring about a better state of things for mothers generally, so their unborn little ones could not be willed away from them."

Modern women's Rights groups in embracing the pro-abortion movement have strayed away from this original founding principle to the extent that the conventional wisdom holds that you cannot possibly support women's rights in any way, shape or form unless you are "pro-choice."

Governor Palin's Facebook Note, Women's Rights Groups: Your Double Standard is Showing addresses the protest by women's rights groups of CBS airing a pro-life ad during the Super Bowl.

The ad will feature Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow and his mom, and they’ll speak to the sanctity of life and the beautiful potential within every innocent child as Mrs. Tebow acknowledges her choice to give Tim life, despite less than ideal circumstances. Messages like this empower women! This speaks to the strength and commitment and nurturing spirit within women. The message says everything positive and nothing negative about the power of women – and life. Evidently, some women’s rights groups like NOW do not like that message (Palin, 2010, ¶2).

Further, Governor Palin wrote, "NOW is looking at the pro-life issue backwards. Women should be reminded that they are strong enough and smart enough to make decisions that allow for career and educational opportunities while still giving their babies a chance at life" (Palin, 2010, ¶3). Governor Palin went on to address how these groups have been putting pressure on her daughter Bristol. They don't like that she chose life. As Governor Palin addressed in this Note, and as Adrienne Ross addressed in Bristol Palin Embraces Abstinence; Oprah Suggests Retraction?, these groups seem to take issue with her pledge of celibacy till marriage so that she can focus on her maternal, education, and career responsibilities (Palin, 2010, ¶3).

Feminism is supposed to be about empowering and elevating women. Where is the choice in "pro-choice," when the only approved choice espoused by some of these women's rights groups is abortion? Is the message really "pro-choice," or is it more "pro-abortion"? It almost appears that abortion, or support of it is a rite of passage in being considered a Feminist. They subscribe to the fanciful notion that a woman who becomes a mother is somehow having her rights trampled on. Meanwhile, women are subject to unimaginable acts of violence here and abroad; and our culture has become hyper-sexualized and women are trotted out as sexual play things, and not just by men, but by other women as well.

My message to these groups who are inexplicably offended by a pro-woman, pro-child, pro-life message airing during the Super Bowl: please concentrate on empowering women, help with efforts to prevent unexpected pregnancies, stay consistent with your message that for too long women have been made to feel like sex objects in our “modern” culture and that we can expect better in 2010 (Palin, 2010, ¶4).

Governor Palin concluded by calling on CBS to do the right thing by airing the ad.

References

Feminists for Life's Covetable Stuff (2009). Feminists for Life. Retrieved January 27, 2010 from: http://www.feministsforlife.org/covetable_stuff/index.htm

Palin, S. L. H. (2010, January 26). "Women's Rights Groups: Your Double Standard is Showing." Facebook, Sarah Palin. Retrieved January 27, 2010 from: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=268722553434