Is It Sexist To Want The Person Flying The Plane To Be A Pilot?
With all this talk about Sarah Palin redefining feminism and people who don't support her candidacy being sexist, I think we could use a little clarification.
Women's progress at work and in government is critically important. We are not, after all, living in the Dark Ages. But, and this is a VERY IMPORTANT BUT, consider the following scenario.
You're about to board a plane and a flight attendant says, "Today as part of our responsiveness to customers program you may choose Mr. Jones here as co-pilot. He will fly the airplane should something go wrong with the pilot, who isn't at his best today. Mr. Jones has been a pilot for twenty years and has an impeccable record. He is, however, a man. Because you support the advancement of women in the workplace, we also have a woman here who is willing to fly your plane. She is not a pilot but she didn't blink when asked to do this and for the past week a team of experts has been talking to her a lot about how to fly."
Who would you choose? If you chose Pilot Jones, would that be sexist? Or would you simply not be a complete idiot?
Apply this to Sarah Palin. She has not spent time in Washington as a senator or a congresswoman. She has spent most of her life in Alaska. From her interview with Charlie Gibson, it is clear that she is proud of not blinking about making decisions that affect millions of lives. And she is uninformed about the workings of the U.S. government.
Personally I'd have nothing against Sarah running for a seat in the House or Senate. It's a reasonable next step. And were she blocked from this path because of her gender, disparaged and demeaned in the press, I'd be miffed for sure. That would be sexist.
But just because I'd like to go to NASA and tell them that by November I want to be an astronaut, doesn't mean they should hand over the space shuttle.
There is far too much at stake to put someone completely inexperienced in the ways of Washington and the world so close to the presidency. There's no excuse for it, really. John McCain should know that. That's not sexist; it's simply common sense.
Dr. Reardon also blogs at bardscove.
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So we need someone in chrge with pilot experiance. Your flight attendant would ask " We have McCain, Obama, and Biden who want to be the pilot. None have flown anything before (we ignore McCains Navy training) and they all were part of the crash of the US Senate, but they feel they can fly this plane. We also have Sarah Palin who spent has flown a Piper Cub with the PTA, a Cessna as a Mayor, and a Lear jet as a Governor. She has flown all well, never crashed like the other three, and always arrived on time. She feels qualified to take over if we need a pilot. Who would you pick?".
This pilot analogy makes me laugh! As a pilot I've watched other pilots get hired onto major airlines because of their gender or color of their skin. It is well known throughout the airline industry that if you are anything but your typical white American male, you stand a better chance of getting hired. I've seen pilots with thousands of hours of more flight experience competing against someone who was much less qualified, but who had the right color skin or gender get the job. Its called reverse discrimination . Does that make you feel safe? Wouldn't you rather have someone with the experience flying your airplane?
Dr. Reardons analogy not only bashes Palin, but Obama at the same time.
So I ask you, do you know who is flying your airplane?
--photchick--The people I find to be sexist are the ones screaming "sexism". I agree and ditto to the ones that are screaming "racist".
Wouldn't you rather vote for someone who makes an imformative decision;
than someone that makes a decision on a whim???
Joe Biden?
So true Kathleen..
I like to think I am an educated female voter...an
Her performance on 20/20 with Charles Gibson was like watching a Top-5 finalist on American Idol miss a NOTE. Yikes.... it was excruciating to watch her NOT answer the Bush Doctrine question. She is running for VICE PRESIDENT people...n
Plain and simple. If Sarah Palin was a MAN....we would not even be talking about her right now..since she would not be on the McCain ticket. He nominated her for one reason: She-is-a-Woman.
The biggest impression I had when she was asked about the "Bush Doctrine" was when it was so obvious she didn't know what she was being asked about, she got this smart-*ss smirk on her face and said in a voice DRIPPING sarcasm, "In what way, Charlie". It looked to me that she was p*ssed off that he had the temerity to even ask her something she didn't know. Just like Bush. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss...
Won't get fooled again!
All I can say is excellent, excellent, EXCELLENT! And one more thing--if Americans are so blind as to elect McCain four more years of the same, (a cliche, but so apt) and, almost worst, this no nothing dim wit then they will get what they deserve!
Unfortunately, the informed and reasoned voters in this election will also have to suffer through another four years of White House ineptitude and National divisiveness. The ignorant "lemmings" who would put them their (AGAIN) are really too out of touch to understand that they are voting AGAINST their own interests!
Kathleen, I loved your conclusion and I wonder if it doesn't suggest a slightly different analogy that puts the matter of sexism completely out of the picture. I've put it into a sound bite form that is familiar:
"You can dress your child like a pilot, but you'd have to be crazy to let them fly the plane."
It delivers the message about Palin's lack of qualification but also points out the reckless and even foolish lack of responsibility of McCain. It is this reckless opportunism in picking an unqualified running mate that has DISQUALIFIED McCAIN, HIMSELF.
Kathleen, Palin didn't know about the "Bush Doctrine" of preemptive war. She brags that her state is closest to Russia, she thinks we should invade if they continue to press in Georgia, and she admitted on national television that she is completely unaware that the United States has set the PRECEDENT of INVASION PRIOR TO PROVOCATION?
If the United States were to invade Russia, is she not aware that our troops would most likely be being stationed in and DEPLOYED FROM her own state of Alaska? If she didn't know this, and she isn't thinking about it, SHE ISN'T FIT TO BE GOVERNOR, LET ALONE VICE PRESIDENT.
Obama-Biden '08
And if my dentist isn't available to do a root canal, please don't send me a recent high school graduate, even if they did graduate a homecoming queen.
Great anaolgy (sp?). The people I find to be sexist are the ones screaming "sexism". How dare they think that a woman should be treated with kid gloves because she's a woman; or that she some how should garner less scrutiny because she's a woman. Woman have come as far as they have to date because they are tough enough to handle themselves. How dare they.
I am one of that big percentage of Independent voters who was completely on the fence and who will decide this election. I dislike Obama's socialist agenda and world view. I was initially very excited about Sarah Palin because I assumed, based on her speech at the RNC, that she was American politics' best kept secret.
As it turns out, Charlie Gibson is more qualified to be vice president than Sarah Palin. I'M more qualified than Sarah Palin, as are the majority of the people I know. I have never been more devastated by any candidate's lack of qualifications, intelligence, experience, and utter lack of knowledge and grasp of any and all issues than Sarah Palin. John McCain showed complete selfish disregard for this nation by choosing her, and Palin did the same for accepting the nomination. The fact that McCain/Palin are ahead in the polls makes me absolutely terrified for this country and the world.
I am holding onto the hope that the rest of the Independent voters have been examining and following the candidates as closely as I have, and will therefore resoundly reject the McCain/Palin ticket.
Thank you, Charlie Gibson. You deserve an award in journalism.
Best headline of the political season.
Why are you worried about the qualifications of MccCain and Palin.
So what if he was 894th in a class of 899 at the Academy, and set the vrecord for the most demerits ever! He knew that his family pull would get him through.
So what if he knolws nothing of economics!
So what if his personally(?) chosen running mate needed 6 years and 5 colleges to get a 4 year degree that qualified her as a sports announcer!
Does anyone really expect McCain and Palin to do the jobs thaat we are expected to elect them for? Heck (if you will please pardon my rough language) no! They are only meant to be puppets -- managed by the same masters that pull little Dubya's strings.
And, for that, they are eminently qualified!
Touche!
For those questioning Obama's abilities:
The proof is in the public record; he sponsored 820 laws in Illinois, authored 152 bills, and co-sponsored 427 more in the U.S. Senate. While in the IL State Senate he authored a bill, which passed 35 to 0, to require that interrogations and confessions be videotaped to ensure confessions were not given under duress, coerced by beating the accused.
He also played a major role in the state's first earned-income tax credit to help the working poor and the first ethics and campaign finance law in 25 years which was recognized as "one of the best in the nation on campaign finance disclosure
Obama was an Illinois State Senator for 8 years 1996-2004. Chairman, Health and Human Services Committee.
Constitutional Law Professor at the U of Chicago Law School 1993-2004. Civil Rights Attorney - 1992-2004
Obama; United States Senator 2004-present Member, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs Member, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Member, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Member, Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Obama Education: Columbia University B.A. Political Science with specialization in international relations Thesis topic: Soviet nuclear disarmament Graduate Harvard Law School J.D. Magna cum laude 1988-1991 President, Harvard Law Review
Thanks for making the preemptive strike. I copied the info to use later. GObamaBiden!
Please provide the citations to support the above assertions. BTW the NYT is not a respectable source. Sad, since I used to look forward to reading it daily....
His accomplishments are all a matter of Public record , if you care to take the time to look them up (e.g, The Congressional Record, The Illinois State Congressional record, Who's Who in America, etc)!
I am an independent, but that had to be one of the most idiotic articles I have read...wel
In one interview Obama chose to compare his running of a Presidential campaign to her running of an Alaskan town based on income and people as to why hes more experienced (of which most of his "running" is done by handlers). Why did he not compare her 18 months as Governor of one of the top 5 states as far as budget goes to his term as senator where he abstained 100 times from even voting? Where his biggest achievement was creating a slum?
I wish I COULD vote for Obama...bu
You obviously haven't watched the Obama campaign carefully. Obama is the chief executive.
Please enlighten me as to what McCain has shown you? I'm dying to hear.
If you want some real insight to Palin's stint as Mayor of Wasilla, check out this link: http://www
It is decision time to choose person to lead this country. Sarah Palin is intellectually lazy and ambitious. John McCain chose her for political gain. McCain is also intellectually lazy and ambitious. She is compatible with him.
What have we learned about George W. Bush over eight years? Bush intellectually lazy and ambitious.
Where did Bush take the country? Into a stupid war, historic national debt, historic personal debt, historic foreight trade deficits, incompetent government.
This is the time to find someone who is competent and will appoint competent people to deal with the problems. Bill Clinton was competent and appointed competent people. His economic team was smart and knew its purpose. His was a successful administration.
Does anyone think that Barack Obama is not competent or will not appoint the most competent people? This is a no brainer.
Hint to Republicans: Don't go into any more stupid wars.
If I remember correctly, Biden, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and John Edwards voted for the Iraq War. Obama was busy "organizing a community", (creating another ghetto), at the time.
Also, the last time I checked, individuals are responsible for their bank accounts and contractual obligation
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