I wrote this several years ago and whenever election time rolls around, I think of the absurdity of the email message I received from a liberal group called \u201cBetter Georgia\u201d. It implored me to, get this, ” Vote, and take at least one woman with you.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The authors (Amy Morton and Laura Benedict) prefaced their urgent message with a few platitudes intended to make me feel all warm and fuzzy. Their message began with the kind acknowledgment that that they know I\u2019m busy and then proceeded to tell me that they are busy too. That set me wondering. I don\u2019t know these people, so how do they know I\u2019m busy? And why would they think I care if they are too?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps they think we should all be happy, seeing as how busy hands are reputed to be happy hands. Or perhaps they were just citing busyness in an attempt to bond with me. If we\u2019re both busy then there we are, standing on common ground, in eager anticipation of holding hands and bursting out with a few verses of Kumbaya. And I suppose they thought, if we can both take time off from being busy to hold hands and sing, we could have other things in common too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We don\u2019t. I have absolutely no interest in making elitist proclamations and attending oh-so-enlightening seminars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although the message authors specifically mention mothers, daughters and sisters, they don\u2019t indicate that I should be particularly discerning in my choice of a woman to take to vote. They don\u2019t seem to care who that woman is, and don\u2019t specify whether I should select one with whom I have a relationship, hire a professional or just pick one at random.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The latter will take some thought. I\u2019m sure a pick-up line that\u2019s more compelling than \u201cHey baby, wanna go vote?\u201d will be required to lure a woman off to the polls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Were it not so insulting on so many levels, I would have found their request amusing. Apparently, being a man, I\u2019m supposed to don the most macho articles of clothing in my wardrobe, (with any luck, my camo wife-beater shirt will be back from the dry cleaners in time) find a woman who hopefully isn\u2019t carrying pepper spray, mace or a firearm, and proclaim, \u201cMe man, you woman. You come with me. We vote.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amy and Lauren didn\u2019t expound on whether cave man tactics should be used if the woman I select resists. Being progressives, I imagine they would abhor Cro-Magnon tactics, preferring the more enlightened approaches used during the Spanish Inquisition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the concept of a cave man dragging women to the ballot box might work as a plot for an off-beat comedy, it fails miserably in real life. At least with the women I know. I can\u2019t think of one who would not be highly insulted at the mere suggestion that they couldn\u2019t or wouldn\u2019t be able to get to the polls without masculine direction or supervision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thinking that I am of the progressive political persuasion, Amy and \nLauren were no doubt anticipating that after I selected a \u201clittle lady\u201d \nand dragged her to the polls, I would tell her how to vote. That\u2019s more \nthan a little ironic because women\u2019s concerns certainly wouldn\u2019t be at \nthe top of the list of any, \u201cMe man, you woman\u201d Cro-Magnon who would be \ninspired by an e-mail message to drag a woman off to the polls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m sure Amy and Lauren are incapable of realizing the insulting nature of their message. And it isn\u2019t only women who should be offended. I find it insulting that Amy and Lauren think, A- that I would drag a woman off to vote and B- that I associate with women who can\u2019t think and act for themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And something else bothers me. Amy and Lauren say they voted, yet they don\u2019t give credit to the men who took them to the polls. I wonder how they got there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"