Women: Vote for President Barack Obama!
The one issue widening the wedge between Democrats and Republicans inthis presidential election is that of women’s rights. As the gapexpands, we are subjected to increasingly more ignorant remarks aboutrape and abortion, the funding of contraception, and the need forspecial counseling and testing for pregnant girls and women weighingwhether or not to have an abortion. Also divisive is the blocking oflegislation addressing violence against women as well as equal pay,which fosters a virulent form of sexism in this country. On the basisof these current indicators, we can only predict that the situationfor women would worsen under a Romney Administration.
Would an elected Mitt Romney uphold our democratic values of equalityand inclusivity or would we expect a further erosion of women’s rightsand opportunities? Particularly problematic for women, especiallythose of us who are single, lesbian, widowed, or divorced, is ourexpected role in the U.S. as spelled out by the 2012 Republican PartyPlatform: “The institution of marriage is the foundation of civilsociety. Its success as an institution will determine our success as anation. . . . we believe that marriage, the union of one man and onewoman must be upheld as the national standard, a goal to stand for,encourage, and promote through laws governing marriage.”
Another alarming belief centers on the role of women in the Mormonfaith. Added to the Republican’s national standard promoting marriageis the Mormon tenet that the most important goal for a girl is “tomarry the right person, in the right place, by the right authority.”Mormon girls also must be chaste until marriage, thereby making themworth marrying. Being married and bearing many children are thenoblest of endeavors for girls. Of all U.S. states, Utah has thehighest percentage of children less than 18 years of age, 31.5%.Because Utahan girls marry young, the lowest median age in thecountry, and do not complete a college education, the wage gap in Utahis the largest in the nation, with women earning 55 cents for everydollar a man makes (American Community Survey in Slate.com). AlthoughMormon marriages are sealed in heaven to last an eternity, divorces dooccur, but obtaining a church divorce is a complicated pursuit. Afterappealing to male church authorities, a couple may be granted a churchdivorce, which would break the sealed celestial marriage and free thecouple.
The LDS Church and the Mormon family are patriarchal and hierarchalinstitutions, placing women in a subordinate position to men. Onlyboys and men can become priests; male bishops and stake presidentslead the local churches, which were positions held by Mitt Romney whenhe lived in Massachusetts.
What role would single, lesbian, widowed, or divorced women have inthe U.S. under a Romney Administration? Would we anomalies beostracized or considered unworthy of respect and dignity? Women are tomarry and have children, leaving the work place to men. For the sakeof all girls and women, vote for President Barack Obama.
Anne Hoiberg
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Point Loma Democratic Club of which she is a member.