Alternativism

The special counsel to the "President" of the United States said, “I look at myself as a product of my choices, not as a victim of my circumstances, and that’s what conservative feminism is all about.” Before we go galloping toward that big bin of "alternative facts," maybe we should take a moment to reflect on this idea. Ms. Conway touched on Hillary Clinton’s candidacy, conceding that the former secretary of state “should be applauded for her willingness to serve” but said her loss ultimately demonstrated that “many women looked past the commonality of gender.” Some numbers may back that notion up, considering more than fifty percent of white women voted for Donald Trump. She continued, “I would tell my three daughters, or your daughters,” she said, gesturing toward the audience, “that the job for first female president of the United States remains open, so go for it!” Sounds a lot like feminism, doesn't it?

As she will, Ms. Conaway went on: “I was raised to be a very strong and independent woman without anyone ever saying the word ‘feminist’ or having a political conversation.” She also said she shunned the label of feminist in the “classic sense,” because of the political ramifications, calling it “very anti-male and certainly is very pro-abortion.” Kellyanne concluded her remarks with an anecdote from early in her career, when she and a male Democratic pollster were scheduled to appear at a speaking engagement. When the speakers’ bureau asked her what her fee was, Conway said, she “totally froze. I took a line out of ‘When Harry Met Sally.’ I said, ‘I’ll have what he’s having.’ So when in doubt, just say, ‘I’ll have what he’s having,’” Conway concluded. “And indeed you’ll get it.”

Oh, you might get it, but this is where the numbers come back into play. Numbers range from seventy-eight to ninety-eight percent comparing the average woman's salary to the average man's. Even the best estimates say that women are not having what men are having. This includes having children. Men are not. Then there is that telltale phrase "anti-male and pro-abortion." I understand that I don't have access to a study of all people who identify as feminists, but I can close with an anecdote about my own upbringing. I was raised by a very strong woman who was very pro-male, as my two brothers would attest. She would not consider herself "pro-abortion," since the question of women's health an their reproductive rights are all about choices. She has lived a life very happy with her choices, even thought she is aware of the limitations that continue to exist around them. It doesn't have a lot to do with liberal or conservative, after all. It has to do with what is right. 

Now feel free to make all the alternative fact jokes you'd like.