SectionsApologies and applause for women
J.D. Garretson
Issue date: 9/11/08 Section: Opinion
First, I have to apologize for my last column, if anyone even read it. That particular piece went through several drafts - it started out as a completely fictional story where I imagined the conversation between Karl Rove and John McCain as they picked Sarah Palin.
The next draft shifted to the subject of sexism, and whether that was a factor in some of the Palin coverage. Then came the completely different final draft. The problem arose because I simply copied and pasted particular ideas or phrases I liked from the older drafts, and put them on a separate page of that same file.
I forgot to delete that page, and it all got published. I want to address a sincere apology to anyone who read that piece - the last hundred words or so were essentially notes and doodles, and a couple of the paragraphs came straight from some research materials. I think that's technically plagiarism.
It really was embarrassing. And, worse, potentially offensive. So I'd like to spend this column discussing how I'm not sexist, and hopefully explain some of those notes for anyone who read them.
After my last three columns, I've been getting a lot of questions from random people about exactly how I feel about the opposite sex. I mean, I wrote a sarcastically sexist column about the Palin pick, and then a thoroughly masculist (it's a word) screed about infidelity, and the following week random paragraphs appeared, apparently insulting Sarah Palin or, so far out of context, women in general.
I have to say, I supported Hillary Clinton without a thought as to her gender. And I oppose Palin with the same lack of consideration - I simply don't care if she's a woman. I think it's a wonderful step forward for women, and I applaud the history of the moment, but the true sexism so far has come from the very party that selected her.
When people question whether Sarah Palin can perform her duties effectively with five children - essentially six, with Bristol's pregnancy - one of whom has special needs, it isn't sexist. I grew up believing it takes a village to raise a child, and I can't possibly imagine either parent carrying on at work without such a herd being a distraction.
The next draft shifted to the subject of sexism, and whether that was a factor in some of the Palin coverage. Then came the completely different final draft. The problem arose because I simply copied and pasted particular ideas or phrases I liked from the older drafts, and put them on a separate page of that same file.
I forgot to delete that page, and it all got published. I want to address a sincere apology to anyone who read that piece - the last hundred words or so were essentially notes and doodles, and a couple of the paragraphs came straight from some research materials. I think that's technically plagiarism.
It really was embarrassing. And, worse, potentially offensive. So I'd like to spend this column discussing how I'm not sexist, and hopefully explain some of those notes for anyone who read them.
After my last three columns, I've been getting a lot of questions from random people about exactly how I feel about the opposite sex. I mean, I wrote a sarcastically sexist column about the Palin pick, and then a thoroughly masculist (it's a word) screed about infidelity, and the following week random paragraphs appeared, apparently insulting Sarah Palin or, so far out of context, women in general.
I have to say, I supported Hillary Clinton without a thought as to her gender. And I oppose Palin with the same lack of consideration - I simply don't care if she's a woman. I think it's a wonderful step forward for women, and I applaud the history of the moment, but the true sexism so far has come from the very party that selected her.
When people question whether Sarah Palin can perform her duties effectively with five children - essentially six, with Bristol's pregnancy - one of whom has special needs, it isn't sexist. I grew up believing it takes a village to raise a child, and I can't possibly imagine either parent carrying on at work without such a herd being a distraction.
Be the first to comment on this story