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Conference quark::mennotes-v1

Title:Topics Pertaining to Men
Notice:Archived V1 - Current file is QUARK::MENNOTES
Moderator:QUARK::LIONEL
Created:Fri Nov 07 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 26 1993
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:867
Total number of notes:32923

190.0. "N.O.W & Kennedy" by COLORS::MODICA () Fri Nov 20 1987 15:42

    I read today that NOW has decided to oppose the nomination of
    Judge Kennedy. As usual he is called the obligatory name of "sexist".
    
    What I find disturbing is that according to the president of NOW,
    Molly Yard, NOW only reviewed 6 of his more than 400 opinions and
    then decided he was sexist. It seems like a cursory review at best.
    
    comments?
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190.1A better place?QUARK::LIONELWe all live in a yellow subroutineFri Nov 20 1987 16:233
    Maybe this would be better asked in WOMANNOTES?
    
    				Steve
190.2SALEM::AMARTINVanna & me are a numberSat Nov 21 1987 03:022
    and he also wears a grey power suit too.
    now thats sexist!
190.3NEWVAX::FILERMon Nov 23 1987 12:286
    	Let me see, Judge Kennedy is a male, not noted as a liberal.
    Yea, that should be enough for NOW to come out against him. They
    read six whole opinions!! Now that is work. But statements taken
    out of context killed the Bork nomination. I gess they will try
    it again. I wish him luck. It sure is getting to be a tough job
    to get.
190.4Rant rant, rave raveOPHION::HAYNESCharles HaynesMon Nov 23 1987 16:0127
    Re: .3
    
    Statements out of context didn't "kill" the Bork nomination. The
    Senate "killed" the Bork nomination. We can speculate endlessly
    about *why* the Senate didn't confirm Judge Bork, but speculation
    is all it would be. Now I personally believe that the Senate denied
    Bork confirmation because Bork was a bad choice.
    
    I believe that NOW has legitimate reasons to come out against Kennedy.
    After all, Kennedy has made no secret of his position on abortion,
    and NOW has made no secret of theirs. Given that they disagree on
    such a fundamental issue, it's not surprising at all that NOW is
    against him.
    
    You on the other hand, clearly have an axe to grind and are jumping
    up and down and shouting just to hear yourself talk. Justice of
    the Supreme Court of the United States SHOULD be "a tough job to
    get". The Senate of the United States Congress SHOULD be more than
    a rubber stamp for the President, especially in confirming Supreme
    Court Justices. Go back and read your Constitution, pay special
    attention to the system of checks and balances.
    
    I guess there's a check on the power of the executive that you don't
    personally like.
    
    	Sorry about that,
    	-- Charles
190.5VIKING::MODICAMon Nov 23 1987 16:067
    It seems to me that one could have pro or con views on abortion
    and still NOT be a sexist. 
    
    I don't know if it was the media or NOW but I wish the news stories
    had contained more detailed info as to how NOW came to their
    conclusions. AT least then I could understand better. Does anyone
    have details about the 6 opinions?
190.6NEWVAX::FILERMon Nov 23 1987 19:1817
re.4
	Me, rant and rave, nah. It doesn't bother me. My point is that 
the job of confirming a supreme court judge seems to have shifted from 
the US Senate to the press and to what ever special interest group wants
there view point stressed. Maybe my memory is not as good as it used to
be but as I recall prior to the Bork nomination the press covered the
Senate confirmation hearings rather than doing their own "confirmation"
in the press.
	Another point was that per previous notes NOW reviewed only 6
opinions and branded Judge Kennedy as "sexist". I understand they have
a difference of opinion over the abortion issue. If that is what it takes
to be labeled a "sexist" by NOW I guess that about half the population that
has any opinion on abortion would be considered "sexist". I'm not sure
about where I stand on the abortion issue and I don't care what NOW thinks
of me. But I do feel they do a little more opinion reading before THEY start
ranting and raving.
	
190.7and that's the truthXCELR8::POLLITZSat Nov 28 1987 05:454
    6/400 huh?  Gee even Sheer Hype got a better percentage than that!
    
                                                                   
                                                        Russ
190.8this is true, russSALEM::AMARTINVanna & me are a numberSat Nov 28 1987 06:191
    AND THAT IS THE TRUTH!  BEEEEEEEE_OOOOOOOOWWWWWW
190.9Continue in SOAPBOX?QUARK::LIONELWe all live in a yellow subroutineSat Nov 28 1987 22:315
    Excuse me if I'm being dense, but I fail to see any relevance of this
    topic to MENNOTES.  I would suggest that it be continued in
    BETHE::SOAPBOX (press KP7 to add it to your notebook).
    
    				Steve
190.10White WeddingXCELR8::POLLITZFri Dec 11 1987 21:1433
    re .9  This is a topic that can be discussed here. NOW, whether
           we like it or not, is an important organization 'for' men
           and 'for' women. The organization's influence was all the
           rage thru the 70's, some 'wars' won/lost. They continue
           to make their views be seen nationally and have established
           themselves as a powerful political body that can influence
           voter's perceptions of Issues, along with influencing a
           politicians' decisions on Issues. 
              NOW raised the consciousness of people with the Women's
           Movement. Women today think nothing of having a business
           career, while 15 - 20 yrs ago, the conflict between choosing
           motherhood (and staying home) and having a career was still
           a hot matter. Enlightened men do not expect the woman not
           to work, or (necessarily) have children early. If at all.
              There are times when NOW seems to stray. More than once
           I have seen newscasts where a spokesman says "Well, women
           will vote Him out of office if he continues to oppose/support
           X Issue." ERA and Abortion are the topics that come to mind.
              In the case of Judge Kennedy, 6 reviewed decisions (of
           400) does not indicate a Professional, Thorough, Research
           of Judicial Decisioning. Nor of Judicial Conduct. Much less
           the Man's Character. There is a need for thorough research
           by groups of all kinds before making emotionally charged
           accusations like 'Sexist'. Intimidation tactics and shoddy
           research never get an individual or group too far. Small
           wonder NOW's MS magazine advertising revenue's have fallen
           sharply over the past decade. And many articles are unduly
           hard on the men, with few such attacks on women. 
              Whatever the supposed 'sexual inequality' ratio is, such
           type articles and attitudes have only a negative effect.
           It's time to clean house.
    
                                                     Russ
190.11what's the story?OPHION::HAYNESCharles HaynesSat Dec 12 1987 21:0413
    Come on folks, how many of YOU have made up your mind about Judge
    Kennedy? How many of his decisions have YOU examined? How many do
    you expect to examine before you make up your mind?
    
    I expect that NOW didn't just use the decisions as a basis for their
    position, that there are other things they used to decide. Besides,
    how many of Judge Kennedy's decisions had to do with women? I can
    well belive that four or six decisions are enough to base an opinion
    on, if those six are specific to the issues you believe in.
    
    Or is the real issue here, NOW bashing?
    
    	-- Charles
190.12a little research never hurtsXCELR8::POLLITZSun Dec 13 1987 01:1138
    re .6      Well said. I say rant and rave.
    
    re .11     I'll read up on him. Will call local Rep w/pro or 
               con vote. Of course the Public can't be up on (or
               activists plus) everything ( would require superb
               organiz/interest/info sources). That's why we have
               Rep's and the press. Our info on organiz's like Now,
               do depend a lot on how the press presents what the
               leaders say. Unless we're inside (local chap, mag,etc)
               we go on a lot that the press tells us. 
                  Of course the leaders of NOW do say things, and
               are as opinionated on a vast # of Issues as any group
               of individuals. OK, I responded to what I perceived
               as another NOW criticism of a man. Their MS magz does
               it EVERY ISSUE. Have YOU READ MS today??
                  Also, it doesn't seem NOW endorses many Republican
               Politicians. Seems natural a Republican Supreme Court
               Nominee would have similar difficulty getting a NOW
               endorsement, especially if the Nominee differed in a
               single priority issue. Perhaps the Unitarian Elliot
               Richardson would have a chance. Would Richardson's
               '87 defense of Bork's (being) right to Fire Nixon's
               Spec Prosecuter Archibald Cox come under NOW's scrutiny?
                  NOW exercises Considerable influence in the Nat'l
               Dem Pres Conventions, and I've read that a third of
               the delegates are under considerable pressure from them.
                  Let me go over the past year's *worth* of NOW MS
               mags, and give a count of male/female criticisms. That
               ratio of criticisms will no doubt reflect the actual
               Sexual Inequality Ratio that exists between the sexes.
               Better, let's BOTH make a count and match notes. I'll
               even take your figure if we can't compromise on one.
    
    
    
    
    
                                                       Russ