Ann, I have never been further south than Texas (which was plenty southern for me)!! So I don't really know what gets into women that allows this kind of male-dominant culture to be legitimized. I suspect that it is the literal interpretation of the Bible which is at the core of this going backwards movement. More and more people are becoming conservative Christians in our society. It would be logical that they would support the belief system to which they belong.
Also, I think many women have fantasies about being dominated. Maybe it comes from our primitive brains or something!! It is very nice to think about a big strong man providing for me, while I stay at home and nurture children. It also relieves me of some responsibility at the same time. The problem with this model, of course, is that all men are not kind, benevolent and responsible. Some of them are abusive jerks. I can see why the Baptist women would go along with this idea, but I think it is a dangerous message to send, especially to young girls who are still trying to decide what is healthy in a relationship.
On one of the television discussions about this a couple of days ago, the Baptists were arguing that America, and the family, were going to hell in a hand basket, basically, and that returning to the male-dominant domestic model is what would save it. I have always thought that was retrograde and very simplistic. One of the other talking heads stated that the two things that were destroying the American family were rampant materialism in the society, and the loss of time for parents and children to actually act like families because of our stressful way of life. I would pretty much agree with this.
I think it is possible to reject materialism, however, without becoming religious. In fact, while this is a concept which has much to do with an evolved consciousness and spirituality, it has nothing to do with being a conservative Christian. There are a lot of books available now about simplifying your life, and valuing time and loved ones over money.
I am not sure what I think of the death penalty, because it seems to make us as barbaric as the worst in our society. On the other hand, I have heard the argument that it is rational that healthy groups of animals destroy their predators. I am a little conflicted!! But if we are going to have it in this country, I think that ideally, murderers should be killed just the way their victims were, and that would particularly apply to those white supremacists in Texas. |
