Even as they decry the “doom and gloom” or “fear mongering” of the Republican National Convention, Democrats have spent the past few days trying to convince women in America that they are horribly oppressed.
Speaker after speaker has talked about the gender “wage gap,” implying women are not paid equally for equal work (which isn’t true). They’re continually talking about paid family leave (because women can’t help themselves without government, evidently) and access to abortion.
Then there was Rep. Maxine Waters, who made the claim that when (if) Hillary Clinton becomes president, suddenly all of the ills facing women will disappear.
“Women of America, women of the world, oh we’re going to be treated with dignity and respect,” Waters said. “We will not be judged by our appearance or our size or our accent. We will not be denied freedom of choice. We will demonstrate our talents and we will prosper.”
Women aren’t prospering now? And there’s nothing Clinton can do to make people stop judging women (or men) for their appearance. People judge each other, people have beauty standards and no amount of “love your body” campaigns will change that. A woman president certainly won’t change that.
But do Democrats — especially successful female Democratic politicians — really think women have it that bad in America? American women have more freedoms than in any other country. Women in America can be whatever they want; they aren’t banned from anything.
Unlike some countries in the Middle East, women in America can leave their homes without a male guardian. Women in America can drive, go to school and choose the career they want. They can vote and hold office. And as for Waters’ mention of abortion, America still has some of the most lax abortion laws in the world, notwithstanding relatively new state restrictions.
Yes, people in America have problems, but to suggest that women have it as rough as Democrats do is disingenuous and harmful. When people think they can’t do something, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Maybe instead of all the “doom and gloom” being spread by Democrats, we accept that women in America are doing great, and doing better every year.
Ashe Schow is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
