A few thoughts on class privilege and male dominance

The Supreme Court Senate hearings brought a few comments – here are two

No woman, of any color or creed, would come into a position of power such as a Supreme Court justice with the sense of entitlement that BK did. His and others’ supportive discourse focused on BK’s trajectory to this vaulted position. The weight lifting, the academics, the basketball practices that BK tearfully detailed, the drunken post-practice evenings when no one has a shit-ass McDonalds job to go to, reeked of private-schooled boys who compete in a sports arena completely inferior to those of public-schooled boys.

The 10 Democratic members of the judiciary committee, 3 women and 2 non-whites clearly have a lot more insight to privilege and entitlement than do 11 white men on the Republican side. But it is interesting that the most despicable three on this Committee – Orin Hatch, Lindsey Graham and Chuck Grassley, did not come from money or privilege or fortune. Bootstrap kind of guys. But nevertheless knowing their allegiance lies with other white men. Helen Vozenilek

I’m having a hard time writing about the Kavanaugh mess and I bet the others are too. We have been telling our sexual assault stories to each other and the world and we are wrung out, distraught, horrified. For me, an old feminist who’s spent my life working—often very successfully—for women’s liberation and equality, it’s a bloodying blow. I was one of many who helped women get abortions when they were illegal and then who worked to make abortion legal in Washington state before Roe v. Wade. Yes, we called for abortion on demand! But, while I was involved in the fights for reproductive rights, childcare (we lost that one), equal treatment in education and sports, my main focus has been helping women break into the male-dominated construction trades. Tradeswomen have always been on the front lines fighting sexual harassment and sex discrimination and with some success. Kavanaugh represents a class that wants to roll back all the hard-won gains of the feminist movement. I can hardly believe this but I think these guys want to see us barefoot, pregnant and back in the kitchen.

Sorry to say I can’t be more eloquent.

In sister and brotherhood, Molly Martin