No woman no cry
So, by now the entire world is abuzz with word of how Mr. Alito’s wife cried yesterday towards the end of the hearings. The pro-Alito people lose no time to call “shame” on the Democrats for making the woman cry. The antis get all defensive and redirect their anger towards the poor woman, calling her crying staged and contrived. A pox on both the houses as far as I am concerned.
First of all, the Democrats were really doing their job questioning Mr. Alito on his qualifications and abilities to function as a good justice on the Supreme Court. It is a lifetime appointment and I have absolutely no problems with the senators making the quationing as hard as they can. If Alito wants it that bad, he will keep his cool.
As for the other guys poking fun at the poor woman, shame on you all too! Why is it so easy for people to laugh at a woman when she cries? Who says a woman who is bound by tradition to just sit there behind her man and watch as he gets brutally criticized cannot react emotionally to the event? Why do the sexists have to jump on her and call her tears theatrics? Have some empathy for her whether you are on her side or not. I promise, it will not kill you. It will just not show you up as the sexist jackasses that you are, that’s all!
update: Here is a good example of reasoned criticism of Alito without resorting to cheap shots at his wife. (link via Instapundit)
update: One of the reasons why the making fun of Mrs. Alito got to me viscerally is that as a woman working in what is largely a man’s world (the IT industry), I am expected to not be womanly. I am expected to be one of the boys and any sign of femininity is subject for ridicule and taken as a sign of weakness. It is as if the minute you show a crack in your armor, your opponents can go, “Ha! I knew she couldn’t hold it together! She is a woman afterall!”. It is almost a double-standard where “be a man!” is a compliment, while being a woman is somehow seen as a drawback. It completely and totally sucks!