Michele Bachmann, the Representative from Minnesota currently pursuing the GOP presidential nomination, is known for her controversial opinions. She firmly believes that the government should stop meddling in the lives of its citizens, except when it comes to sexuality and reproductive rights, of course.
Bachmann is anti-gay rights, anti-Planned Parenthood, anti-environmental protection and often revises American history to suit her own purposes. Here are a few brief examples:
“If you’re involved in the gay and lesbian lifestyle, it’s bondage. It is personal bondage, personal despair and personal enslavement.” — Senator Michele Bachmann, speaking at EdWatch National Education Conference, November 6, 2004.
“The executive director of Planned Parenthood in Illinois has said that they want to become the LensCrafter of Big Abortion.” – April 2011
“I will tell you that I had a mother last night come up to me here in Tampa, Fla., after the debate. She told me that her little daughter took that vaccine, that injection, and she suffered from mental retardation thereafter.” –Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Fox News interview, Sept. 12, 2011
“…we also know that the very founders that wrote those documents worked tirelessly until slavery was no more in the United States.”- Rep. Bachmann January 2011.
As strange and upsetting as those particular statements may be, for me, Bachmann’s most disturbing aspect is her belief in her subservience to her husband. Specifically, in a 2006 speech she expressed her aversion towards pursuing tax law as a career, but followed the demands of her husband anyway, believing that God was speaking through him, “Why should I go and do something like that? But the Lord says, ‘Be submissive wives; you are to be submissive to your husbands.”
The fact that a Presidential-hopeful adheres strongly enough to this concept to change her career choice is exceptionally troubling to me, primarily because Marcus Bachmann, Michele Bachmann’s husband, maintains even more controversial beliefs than his wife.
He is deeply committed to the idea that homosexuality can be cured through prayer, or “reparative” therapy, and together they own Bachmann & Associates, a Christian counseling clinic.
This type of therapeutic technique has been discredited by reputable medical authorities, including the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association.
Several of Bachmann’s former aides and associates have stated that Marcus was her main political advisor during her political rise in Minnesota.
In a July 2011 article in The Daily Beast, journalist Michelle Goldberg reported that, “Marcus Bachmann’s character and beliefs are more germane to her candidacy than those of other political spouses. He’s the head of the woman who wants to be the head of country.”
These are alarming revelations given his extreme beliefs and non-existent political background. The world is a complicated place and the mental image of Marcus Bachmann with his finger on the launch button of a nuclear weapon is somewhat disquieting.
This couple turned political tag team deeply concerns me. Hopefully we can all agree that since our country is floundering in its attempts to battle steep debt, high unemployment, and political gridlock, the last thing we should be burdened with is a right wing extremist who takes both religious and political direction from her husband.
Bachmann’s belief that wives should be subservient to their husbands seems anachronistic in light of the advances in equality made by women in recent times. Her right to vote, much less her ability to hold political office, was made possible by generations of American women fighting for their right to be treated as fairly as men.
Throughout most of history the expectations of women were defined by obedience and acquiescence.
All many female children had to look forward to was a bleak and predictable future: marry, forfeit any property rights to her husband, and produce copious amounts of children while performing arduous and labor intensive household chores.
However, during the 20th century, much of this changed. Women have fought tirelessly to gain their equality and respect in the home, the workplace, and especially on the political scene.
In my mind, Michelle Bachmann’s declaration that women should be submissive to their husbands is contradictory to her political status and insulting to every woman that blazed the path for her.
Regardless of her religious beliefs, I find it truly nauseating to think that Bachmann would expect women to simply march backward in time, returning to a time when they were treated as property.
If Bachmann were to clinch the Republican nomination and win the Presidency, I would be concerned about her ability to lead this country, not because she is a woman, but because she is a subservient woman. Her presidential actions would be ruled by her husband’s demands, which would be based on his fringe beliefs.
As a woman, I would be ashamed to have Michele Bachmann as my president. She lacks the embodiment of feminist ideals and, under the guise of religious rhetoric, actually requests women to retreat in our quest for equality. She is the worst possible woman, for the many reasons stated above, to hold the highest office in the land.
Emma Forman can be reached at eforman@spartans.ut.edu
Give up politics Bachmann and MAKE SOME PORN! The people of the world (both liberal and conservative and everything else) would love you way more if you shut your trap and start sucking and f****** ****! 😀
Like the last debate Michele did a great job tonight! She is a true conservative.
Michele Bachmann for President!
Yes, I agree that we shouldn’t just focus on one thing. It’s a simple fix: don’t vote for her.
Michele Bachmann and her husband are both very far out. Not good for the U.S. She is running on her own “gay agenda” platform. We are closing schools, laying people off. Families are being foreclosed on and being put out in the streets. And all this Republican running for President and her husband can do is talk about is “praying away the gay”. It is a good money maker for her, but we have bigger things to do, and I am hopping God has too. If you or your church has the gay agenda on your mind, all the time you may need to set down and talk with someone. We need to start looking at what is best for the country. Not our own religion’s views, that blow in the wind.
Sallie Mae,
Please do not jump to the conclusion that because I comment only on the image caption it means I feel the entire article must be incontrovertible.
In regards to your question, a woman, as does a man, must possess self restraint. If not for her own sake, then for those around her.
Really? Not discriminatory at all. If I choose not to vote for a woman, for whatever reason, that is my right. Who are you to judge me? You are not better than me, just as I am not better than you, or anyone for that matter.
I am not going to spend an hour here ripping her apart. She gave her opinion, and I have given mine. What I really wanted to get across is how dangerous our words can be. In light of all the suicides among bullied teenagers recently, we have to be cognizant of how our words may be taken by others.
Just 10 years ago, it was acceptable to be religious, or a Christian, or whatever you wanted to be. Somehow times have changed so much that expressing your religious beliefs is now considered “rhetoric”. Trashing someone for what they believe in does nothing to promote healthy conversations between people with differing views. I think if you look at the current situation in Congress, we can see evidence of what happens when two sides trash each other every chance they get rather than working together.
If I offended you by saying I would not vote for a woman because of articles like this, then I apologize and will be more careful not to say that again so I don’t hurt anyone’s feelings. Again, I don’t like Bachmann but I will not hate her for believing differently than I.
And those reasons are? Wow, what a narrowly focused discriminatory comment that was. I thought we were all equal?
Oh man, hear we go. I have a lot of problems with the content, but I wasn’t going to bash her for being a hypocrite. This type of article is what polarizes people. We have to get away from being so critical of people who aren’t like us or who have different beliefs than we do. If you don’t like her- don’t vote for her.
I can’t stand her either, but she has the right to believe what she wants to. Somehow in the past 15 years, we have lost sight of the fact that we are all equal. If someone does not agree with you, it doesn’t make them wrong. She could have chosen different wording. All the article has shown me is all the reasons I should not vote for a woman for Prez. It was pretty catty.
It is interesting that both MJ and Just Saying choose to focus on the Newsweek cover than the article. Obviously they cannot find fault with Ms. Forman’s evidence that supports her fears of someone like Michelle Bachmann becoming President. What is even more frightening is that she, Ms. Bachmann, made the cover of a magazine like Newsweek to begin with. That someone so hateful, weak, and ignorant can garner this much attention should should shake all of us to our core. And also MJ, just what type of behavior does a female need to display in order to act like a woman?
To add to what MJ said, how ironic that you used a magazine cover that even the President of the NOW said was “sexist”. For someone who is obviously all about equality among the sexes, you sure are very intolerant of other’s ideas and religion when they don’t go along with what you believe.
Quit spreading hate.
That image caption is more suited to a bathroom wall than in an article aimed to a general audience, Ms. Forman.
Unintellectual cheap shots harm your credibility and nullify the force of your arguments with nonpartisans.
If you’re going to throw around the phrase, “[a]s a woman, I…,” you should act like one first.