THE COMFY EMBRACE OF FEMALE VICTIMHOOD

     I am old enough to remember women burning their bras.  I remember the Women's Liberations movement.  I remember the long hair, the bell bottoms and the bra-less-ness.  I watched it on television with my mom.  She was a housewife.  She married at fourteen.  She was gorgeous, compassionate, intelligent.... and spineless.  She spent her days ruled by my father who was not half the person she was.  My father was a selfish bully who was not giving up any of the power he believed he was entitled to.  I watch the women protesting the Kavanaugh nomination.  The organize, they carry signs, they scream, they screech, they protest.  They want their stories to be told.  They want their stories to be heard.  I am certain my mother wanted my father to hear her.  On occasion she told me her story.  Her dreams.  Her aspirations.  But my father wasn't listening... primarily because he was too busy talking.  And when he wasn't talking, he wanted quiet.  This is what these old white men in Congress want.  They just want the women to go away so they can sip a beer and watch the game in peace.  And you know what?  Eventually they will get just that.  Eventually, as always, the women will pack up their signs, put their bras back on and head back home.  As they always do.
     I am infuriated and disgusted by the women shrieking for men to hear their stories.  As if a man hearing their story validates them.  As if a man acknowledging their existence underlines their existence.  Like a dog waiting dutifully for a pat on the head before lying down at the feet of their master.  This attitude is the primary reason women are not in power.  Women are the majority of this country but beg for a voice, beg to be heard by the minority.  Women could rule this entire country.  Congress should be majority female.  But it isn't because of this attitude.  Black people needed the support of white people during the Civil Rights era because black people were a small minority.  Gay people need the support of straight people because gay people are the minority.  Yet women continue to beg and plead with the minority group, men, for their right to be heard.  It is utterly ridiculous.  Much of society ridicules Trump supporters because they vote against their best interest.  Women continue to vote against their best interest.  Orrin Hatch shooed away the sexual assault victims at the elevator and told them to "grow up."  He's right.  Grow up.
     Women are the majority.  Women have all the power yet the refuse to exercise it.  Women had rather the big, strong man dole out power to them like a master doles out treats to his pet.  Grow up!  If women exercised their power as the majority it would be old, white men begging to be heard in the hallways of Congress.  Women comprise 52% of the American population and hold 19 % of the seats in Congress.  This is not the fault of men.  This is the fault of women.  Old white men vote old white men into Congress.  Why can't women vote women into Congress?  You could.  But you don't.  Evidently you can take the heat of the kitchen but not the heat of Congress.  Women had rather whine for better sexual assault laws, equal pay and reproductive rights to the men in Congress, "Senator Grassley, I heard a noise outside will you get up and check it out?"  I can understand men ruling the country when physical strength was a requirement... men have that advantage.  But no one is wrestling a bear in Congress.  Those days are gone.  Come on women.... you don't think you can take out Senator Hatch or Graham or Grassley in a fight?  They can barely walk to their Congressional seat.
     But that's okay you keep crying to be heard.  You keep begging for the powerful men to give you some of their power.  I am sure that plan will be successful.  Look how well it has worked over the last fifty years.  Women can't get insurance coverage for birth control while the old white men are eating Viagra like candy on the insurance provider's dime.  Yeah, that plan is working well.  Fact is... some people are spectators in life.  Many are best equipped to Monday-morning quarterback the players in the arena.  Evidently many women are more than happy to wear the jersey to the game but few are willing to don the helmet, snap on the chin strap and take the field.  Despite the fact they have more people on their team.  It's disgusting.  It is truly disgusting to watch women beg for scraps when they could be the majority sitting at the table.  I remember the women screaming for equality as they burned their bras.  Turns out some of them found they were more attractive to men without a bra and abandoned the cause.  If women want true equality you are going to have to first play by the rules men established.  You are going to have to stop crying.  You will have to ball up your fist and strike at the ballot.  Then you can change the rules.  But stop crying you look weak.  And you are crying because you are weak.  It is your fault.  Yes.... I am victim-blaming.  Women are powerless because they refuse to exercise their power of the majority.  That is not only weak... it is stupid.  Women have helped create the country which holds them down.  I am sure some of you are crying that I am mansplaining the issue. That makes me want to cry.
     I always knew my mom was the better person and parent.  It was not even a close competition.  My mom, who married in the 8th grade, would go on to get her high school diploma.  She would go on to get her college degree.  She would go on to enter the workforce as a teacher and eventually become an assistant principal at her school.  Yet everyday, for the last fifty five years, she returns home for her treat... at the feet of my father... her master.  And we all suffer.