In the spirit of suffrage

Given that today is the anniversary of Tennessee's ratification of the 19th Amendment, I thought it would be of value to look at some of the arguments against the suffrage movement. I say this not only because, at least to me, it is interesting to see what people (mainly men) used in their arguments against women gaining the right to vote, but also because comparatively, I believe that one may see these same arguments in present day.

I thought I might start with a piece that demonstrates the overt quality of the suffrage opposition during the time. Note the language used: Danger? Irresponsible? Menace? I also find it a bit ironic that the author of this ad thought it necessary to provide the intended audience with such explicit instructions, given that they were presumably among the "responsible" voters.

 

While this ad is no more subtle than the previous example, the message is slightly different. While the advertisement above questioned women's ability or competence, the intent behind this example is recruitment. The author of this advertisement wanted to demonstrate that a woman's place is in the home and that by trying to achieve equality, a woman couldn't possibly manage to do "her job". Note the way in which the author tries to garner support from the intended male audience by catering to their perceived efforts at work. It's kind of like saying "You deserve better than this".

This one is among my favorites because I think the underlying argument is one that resurfaces in different variations from time to time. The basic premise is the same, "What are we gonna do...?" It's about power, those that have it, and the measures they are willing to take in order to preserve the fact that they have it.

There are many more examples you can find online of advertisements, posters, and photos of the anti-suffrage movement. From time to time, some of the finer points of history are overlooked. Many people today take the fact that there is a 19th Amendment to the Constitution for granted. Some have forgotten, or perhaps never heard, about the opposition to women's suffrage movement and how narrow of a margin it was that the 19th Amendment came to be.

Web Slinging Racism (Updated)

Update

Alas, it seems that now I have yet another reason to comment on this story. You see, one of my least favorite celebrity talking heads has apparently decided to weigh in on this topic. Who might that be? None other than Glenn Beck. Yep. Mr. Beck doesn't seem to like the new Spidey either. Why, one might ask? Well, to hear him tell it, it's not because he's half-Latino, half-Black, or even possibly gay...because Glenn Beck "doesn't care" about that stuff...really? Has he really convinced himself that because he invites the occasional Black or Hispanic guest onto his show that his biases don't shine through? Mr. Beck states...

“I think a lot of this stuff is being done intentionally. What was it that Mrs. Obama said before the campaign? Because its strange how so much of this seems to all be happening,” he said. Beck then played an audio file of Michelle Obama saying that “we’re gonna have to change our traditions.”

You can listen to more here

So now, not only do we have to contend with folks making overtly racist comments on virtually every internet based outlet, now we are graced with Mr. Beck's brand of sensationalist rhetoric. Now only if Mr. Beck could get back on the air with Bill O'Reilly (Another favorite talking head...note the sarcasm), they could collaborate and really make my day.

Original Post Follows

Because I have always been a huge Spiderman fan, this event holds a special place for me.

For those of you who don't know, there is a website that collects Facebook posts that begin with the phrase "I'm not racist, but..." and then compiles and posts those comments. While the author doesn't hide the profile pic, he (or she) does blur out the person's name.

Unfortunately, this is not (by far) one of the few instances in which people publicize some pretty hateful biases and prejudices.