I am at a Memorial Day parade today and the local republican

[driver8]

group drives by. There is a f*cking freeper youth (about 18 or 19) in the rumble seat of this classic car and he says, "Be a real man, don't be a girlie man -- vote Republican. Don't believe the 'liberal bias."

As soon as dumbass said 'liberal bias', all the people standing around me started to laugh. I hear someone say, "Ok, junior...you know what you're talking about." Someone then said, "Why aren't you in Iraq, girlie man?" and the whole crowd busted up.

The local Dems then came walking by and received a lot of applause and positive comments. You could see by the smiles on their faces that they were having a good day. The area I live in is very conservative so I saw this as a positive sign. Not only that, but the Dems had about five times the amount of people marching/riding in the parade. Russell Warner, who will be opposing David Dreier, also received a huge round of applause as he walked by. I could see today that people are getting excited and fired up. Hopefully change will be in the air, soon.

[JNelson6563]

1. Oh yeah

I too live in a conservative area and my, my, my but I see the same change in the wind as you. This "on the ground" sort of observation is very telling, isn't it?

Additionally, doesn't it give you pause when someone comes in and says "The Dems aren't likely to win in November."? Are they clueless? Practicing wishful thinking? Trolling? Who knows? What we DO know is, they are probably wrong.

:toast: Julie

[Philosoraptor]

2. All non-serving Bushwar cheerleaders are GIRLIE MEN.

If all you can do is cheerlead for war, put on either a cheerleader or soldier uniform.

[noamnety]

3. can we please not reinforce sexism here?

chickenhawk is a better term than girlie men. Just because he chooses to insult people by implying that they are women (wtf?) doesn't mean we should respond in kind.

-- a woman who's worn combat boots

[Philosoraptor]

4. Just using Schwarzenegger's words againt the repubs.

Some day I'll learn to speak absolutley correctly.

[Demit]

5. Why not try to start now? n/t

[Saturday]

7. I think the term "girlie men"

is being used because that is the term the republican used. Let's not be so politically correct that we need to change the term used.

[Demit]

15. okay, girlie.

I'll play it your let's not be so politically correct way.

[noamnety]

9. Why I make a point about this

You aren't just using the words against the repubs when you use them. You're using them against me, against my sisters, against my brothers that opt not to buy into the macho stereotypes that society says they are supposed to follow if they want to be valued as men.

I am personally insulted, in the same exact way that I would be personally insulted if you used a racial based slur and justified it by saying you meant it only against the republicans, since they used the phrase first.

We are not less valuable or less competent or someone to be mocked or looked down upon because we are women, any more than we are less valuable or less competent or someone to be mocked or looked down upon because we are black.

[acmejack]

6. Sometimes I think we are hypersensitive!

That certainly was not the image I got. I thought of the goof ball in Sacramento! Sometimes we can be too PC and play into the pub's accusations...

[noamnety]

10. "hypersensitive"

Is it hypersensitive to demand respect? I view it as a sign of strength.

[acmejack]

11. Strength and wisdom must find an equilibrium.

You refuse to even acknowledge the point several of us attempted to bring to your attention. The severe form of political correctness you would impose upon us and everyone else, proper, or not, is exactly what so many remark upon. While you feel it is "demanding respect", others see it as a ridiculous intrusion on free speech at some point, and yes, even hypersensitivity, as I said earlier, which you simply blew off, as if I were an fool. Did you hear these howls when Arnold said those words on stage at the RNC in front of a National TV audience?

I suppose "Tomboy' is a slur not only to Toms but also to boys and definitely any girls so labeled, I mean where would you draw the line, or would you? Does this process end anywhere? Just how sensitive do you choose to be? Must I simply remain mute to avoid possibly offending lwfern and any others who are equally as easily insulted while displaying their strength?

I strongly support your attempt to stand strong and proud, I know how tough it is for women in the service. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am not one to use silly hurtful terms, I ask these questions of you as it is an issue that constantly arises. "Political Correctness" is a major complaint, and sometimes I have to agree, we lose sight of the forest for the trees.

[BoneDaddy]

16. I agree

A balance is necessary and all of these "demands" on everyone to comply with political correctness isn't much different in approach to what the freepers want, everyone to think and be like them and hold their values. I get real tired of having to watch every word I say for fear that the thought and word police are either going to misinterpret it, project their own shadow onto it, or just feel a need to pick a fight. If I am wrong I will admit it but this attempt at perfecionizing everything we say is ridiculous.

[noamnety]

17. you feel that way about racist speech as well?

Do you feel that it's a burden to have people demand that you not use racist language here? Are those people too politically correct as well?

[BoneDaddy]

18. I don't think anyone is talking about racist language

We were discussing the term girle man and instead it was taken out of context for some personal crusade. As for racist language I make sure that the public sphere is free of it, but how another person expresses themselves, regardless of how I FEEL about it, doesn't matter. People are allowed to have their opinions. As do you.

[noamnety]

20. I understood nobody was talking about racist language

I was making the point that when people use racist language, we gang up on them as a group, we all know it's wrong.
When we use derogatory sexist language, a whole other set of rules comes into play. Suddenly we're hypersensitive, too politically correct if we object to it.

Why do we (and I mean this as a community, not at you personally) refuse to allow racist language but accept sexist language? There's never a "too politically correct" when it comes to racism - NO racism is acceptable, we all agree on zero tolerance, but when it comes to sexism, we refer to it as a personal crusade if someone speaks out about it.

This is a problem for DU, it's a problem for liberals, it's a problem for democrats.

Women are half the community (maybe more?), and yet it's acceptable to disrespect them over and over and over again. Doesn't it concern anyone here that there are women on DU that stay out of GD for exactly these reasons? Do you all ever extrapolate the larger implications of that politically?

[BoneDaddy]

22. Some of the most objectionable

comments I have heard on this board don't come from men or women about women but come from women about men. So if you want to be real about it, then you need to address it from both angles, and just because some women have an axe the size of Texas to grind against all men, perhaps we will agree. I have seen the most aggregious comments about men that if uttered about women would have you in a tizzy.

Hell just go to the "gender" forum to see for yourself.

I also think that racist speech is pretty up front and obvious. "girlie man" just doesn't cut it as the same type of speech.

[wiggs]

12. You are right lwfern, of course

I have two daugthers and would have a hard time explaining exactly what someone means when they use that term. Anyone want to try?

[SunDrop23]

8. That's positive.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

13. Those freepers sure are strong macho types with macho leaders

[Sugarcoated]

14. Does the Dem have a chance against Dreier?

I hope, I hope?

[SeattleGirl]

19. "Why aren't you in Iraq, girlie man?" ROFL!!!!

Perfect comeback! Wish I had been there to see that exchange! Hmmm, me thinks things ARE changing.

[Xenotime]

21. What an idiot...

the Pugs are done. LEAVE NOW!