Petition Update

The petition asking the Obama administration to stop using the "wives, mothers, & daughters" rhetorical frame that defines women by our relationships to other people is now at 2,200+ signatures and counting. Keep up the teaspooning!

Yesterday, Shaker catvoncat noted in comments:

So apparently you can go [here] to share your response to the SOTU speech by highlighting a passage and commenting on it. This might be another way to get our voices heard on this issue, for those who are interested.

catvoncat shared her response, which is limited to 400 characters, here.

This was my submission, which you are welcome to borrow in part or in whole, if it's helpful:

Central to anti-violence advocacy is regarding women as autonomous beings, a concept which is undermined by reductively defining women by our relationships to other people. By referring to "our" wives et al, the President appears to be talking to men *about* women, rather than talking to men *and* women. I am part of the union, too. Why not, simply: "We know our economy is stronger when women..."

Teaspoons ahoy!