Mad, Bad, Sad Little Babies

We’re noticing a trend that we don’t like, that no one should like. In almost every headline we see regarding the Punk administration, we’re also seeing a thread, and often a whole sweater full of misogyny that is the fuel behind whatever stupid thing that has slipped into their brains. Not only is the President a known misogynist, but so are many of the men around him, especially VP Fuxacouch. Even the women in the President’s cabinet downplay the role of women.

One of the ways they’ve done this is to vilify certain emotions, especially focusing on empathy. The President has no empathy. Muskrant has no empathy. And Fuxacouch’s diatribe was enough to receive a stern lecture from the Pope, even while the latter was still in the hospital.

Just this week, Justice Amy Coney Barrett was the only conservative on the Supreme Court to agree with the three liberal justices that Punk has no right to send innocent Venezuelan immigrants to a torture prison in El Salvador. The four justices who dissented against Trump are women, so William Wolfe, former aide to Al Mohler, used it as evidence that women cannot be trusted with power. “Illegal alien criminals don’t need to be ‘mothered’ by the women on the Supreme Court,” he screeched. Never mind that few of the men sent to the Salvadoran prison had any criminal record at all. The right seems to be of the mind that it is okay to just slap large labels over large groups of people and pay no attention to the details.

The misogyny that we’re seeing on display by the men in power is disturbing. Part of me feels that perhaps not enough people understand what WE are trying to say when we call them out for their inappropriate behavior. Ya’ll aren’t children. I shouldn’t have to dumb everything down for you. But it seems that’s the only way to get some people to pay attention.

Okay, let’s break this down. It involves some important ideas about fairness and respect. Think about it like understanding different players and rules in a big, sometimes complicated, game called society.

First, let’s talk about misogyny. That’s a big word for some people and it gets batted out of context in a lot of media, but it basically means holding unfair, negative beliefs about women simply because they are women – thinking they aren’t as smart, as capable, or as important as men, or that they should only act in certain ways (like staying quiet or focusing only on family). It’s a form of prejudice, like judging someone based on their gender instead of who they are as a person.

Here’s where we have to deal with the politically and religiously far-right. These are groups with very strong, traditional ideas about how society and government should work, often based on specific interpretations of politics or religion. Not everyone who is conservative holds misogynistic views, but within some far-right groups, you find ideas rooted in misogyny. These might include beliefs that men should be the primary leaders and decision-makers and that women should mainly focus on roles within the home.

So, how does this connect to empathy? Empathy is about understanding and caring about how someone else feels – putting yourself in their shoes. It helps us connect with others and treat them kindly. Why would some groups villainize empathy (make it seem like a bad thing)?

If a group believes strongly in strict, traditional roles (like men leading and women following), empathy can seem like a threat. Why? Empathy might lead you to understand and support people challenging those roles – like women seeking equality or leadership positions.

They might argue that decisions, especially important ones made by leaders or judges, should only be based on cold, hard logic or strict rules (as they interpret them), and that empathy makes people “too emotional,” “weak,” or “biased.” They paint it as a negative quality, especially for leaders, instead of a valuable human trait that helps understand the real-world impact of decisions.

This leads to marginalizing women, especially those in positions of power like female judges. “Marginalize” means pushing someone to the sidelines, making them seem less important or making it harder for them to be effective. This happens when:

• Their qualifications are unfairly questioned because they are women.
• They are criticized for being “too emotional” if they show empathy, or “too cold” if they don’t – a kind of no-win situation.
• People focus on their appearance, family life, or tone of voice instead of their legal arguments or rulings.
• Their decisions are attacked not just on legal grounds but with suggestions that their gender somehow made them biased or unfit. This undermines their authority and the trust people have in the justice system.

Finally, why is this a negative example that shouldn’t be emulated?

• It’s Unfair: Judging people’s abilities or worth based on their gender is simply wrong. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and judged on their character and competence.
• It Holds Society Back: When women are discouraged or prevented from reaching their full potential in leadership, law, or any field, society misses out on their talents and perspectives.
• It Promotes Disrespect: Attacking people based on gender, villainizing empathy, and trying to sideline entire groups create a more hostile and divided world.
• It’s Poor Leadership: True leadership involves fairness, understanding diverse viewpoints, and valuing qualities like empathy to make sound judgments. Trying to exclude or diminish others based on prejudice is the opposite of good leadership.

Seeing these kinds of attacks based on misogyny serves as a clear example of what not to do. It highlights the importance of respecting everyone, valuing empathy, and ensuring fairness for all, regardless of gender.

I fear that we should have been a lot louder, more aggressive in being seen than we have been. Misogyny isn’t a disease, though at times it feels like the whole world is sick. Misogyny is a willful choice that one makes, intentionally deciding that women are a lesser version of the human species. To consider this approach anything short of vile and contemptable is like placating a baby who doesn’t want to go down for his nap.

Perhaps we need to put more men in ‘the crib’ and let them sleep it off.