Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Rickey Cole issued the following statement in response to Speaker of the House Phillip Gunn's remarks about female legislators*:
"By now many Mississippians have seen the true colors of the Mississippian Republican Party and Speaker Philip Gunn. Throughout the campaign season, Gunn made it abundantly clear through word and deed that he intends for Republican men to control all the power and influence in the Mississippi House. His recent statements, where he added female Republican House members only as an afterthought, and then insisted that they preferred to be called 'girls' because they 'think they are younger,' should not be considered a misstatement, nor should Gunn be called upon to apologize. When a man repeatedly says what he really means, the rest of us ought to listen, learn and act accordingly."
"Instead, we call upon the women of the House of Representatives, especially the Republican women, to unite across party lines and defy the antediluvian sexism and partisan power plays of the 'boy' who is now speaker (I call him boy because of the immaturity of his ideas, and so he will think that he is younger) and vote as a group for a new Speaker in January who will respect all members of the House equally, regardless of party, race, gender or age."
*The Clarion-Ledger published this passage Sunday:
“If you send me a Democrat, then he’s not part of that conversation,” Gunn said. “He has every right that any other member does on the House floor, but they’re not going to have as much of an input. ... And I think the people, the voters, need to realize that. They just need to contemplate, ‘Hey, is my district being represented? Is my man having a voice, or is he not?’ ”
The Associated Press asked: “What about the women?”
“Man or woman,” Gunn said. “Whatever. I should have said, ‘the member.’ ”
Wrapping up the interview moments later, Gunn circled back to referring to legislators as men.
“I didn’t mean to not include the girls,” he said.
AP: “The women?”
“They like when I call them girls,” Gunn said, “cause they think they’re younger.”
Kingfish note: " Gunn made it abundantly clear through word and deed that he intends for Republican men to control all the power and influence in the Mississippi House."
How many women have held leadership positions under the Democrats in the legislature in past years? Who was chairing a committee or sitting in the leadership? Just curious.
Is Emily practicing some "gotcha journalism"?
29 comments:
Lord help us!
Since you didn't mention how far back in the past, might I remind you of Evelyn Gandy?
There are over 20 women in the legislature ( most of whom are in the House) and many of them have far better educational backgrounds and career experience than their male counterparts who do have " leadership" roles.
I think it rather plain that we have a problem with chauvinistic males whose judgment that is so poor, they can't pick the most qualified person for a position!
Since Mississippi has hardly soared with decades of male dominated leadership, it's hard to imagine female leaders would have done a worse job!
I challenge Mr. Gunn and other male State office holders to take an IQ test and mental health exam and let's see how the men fare against the women!
Memo to Phillip Gunn and other males like him: When you call us " girls", we don't object because it'd be a waste of time and energy. If we pretend we are flattered, it's because we are hoping to manipulate you into giving us what we want from you. We know some of you have egos that are so fragile that you get immediately defensive and combative when confronted at all by a woman. It's is NOT because we are oblivious to the lack of respect "girl" or are unaware of how youthful looking we are or aren't compared to our peers. And, by the way, terms are endearment are appreciated from males with whom I have an established friendship or to whom I am related , but when a male stranger, or acquaintance calls me " honey" , " sweetie" or such, I am smiling because I know I can outsmart him!
That's awfully rich of Rickey Cole. I wonder if Vicki Slater appreciates the irony of Cole's mouth-breathing defense of female honor? Perhaps Rickey should focus a little closer to home.
Much ado about nothing. Lighten up, girls.....
Gunn wants terribly bad to move onto higher office, either state or federal. That waits to be seen. However, all one needs to look at in a statewide election in Mississippi is Bryant, or for that matter, McDaniel (thwarted from statewide election simply by Haley Barbour's money going into black folks pockets) to realize that this type of candidate with this type of personality and "in your face" cultural "yeehawism" is exactly what appeals to the overwhelming majority of Mississippi voters, all 700k of them!
Footnote: Mississippi's 2nd most populous county, Harrison, that's on the Coast for most of y'all from north of I10 lacking any basic geographical knowledge of the state you currently reside in, just elected 2 more females to it's county Board of Supervisors, bringing a new composition of 3 out of 5 total members being women. Girls be runnin thangs!!!
I can't even take this seriously on a website that actually has a section for voting on the hottest reporter....
I'll be conducting the new one in a couple of weeks. Thanks for reminding me.
@1:00, it's been at least 2 years since we got to vote on the best local news T & A and, let's be honest, there's such a dropoff after 2nd place these days that it's not really worth our time.
Last one was in July of last year.
@12:05, you make good points, but can you also make good meatloaf? If so, you'll get a man yet.
Forgot about Gandy. My sincere apologies. She was a great lady.
Women get worked up over the smallest slights. Must be the hormones.
12:05, I tuned out after the 5th word, but I see you went on typing for another 20 minutes.
You're right, 1:32. But Ricky's really desperate for any attention these days.
I'm a 65 year old woman. A successful business woman. It doesn't even register with me when a man refers to females a "girls". We are. And we REGULARLY refer to the male gender as "guys" or "boys". Its just what we, as people, do. And I don't get all bent out of shape when, in speech or in writing, someone says "he" or "man". I am NOT going to say or write "he and/or she" and I'm not going to say or write "man and/or woman" every time I need to reference "people". If I am not going to be so precise with my own language, why would I require any one else to be?
Bottom line: I am so tired of people trying to win political favor through accusations of sexism or racism simply because a member of the opposing party uses centuries-old, generic terminology in an all-inclusive manner. It's ACTIONS that matter. Not WORDS. So, give it a rest. And,if anybody needs to borrow some big-girl panties, I'll be happy to loan you some.
Ricky shoulda run a girl for governor this time around. Instead, he ran a multi-racial truck driver who admitted he had never set foot in the state capitol building and was not sure which building it was. And on election eve, his consolation speech consisted of, "Well, I guess we lost", wearing a t-shirt.
Ricky be spendin' a lotta time these days defeating a republican girl down round Natchez. You go Ricky.
I'd follow 1:51 any day.
Ditto to 2:11. I don't know who 1:51 is but I like you.
There are a lot of women justifiably angry about Gunn's phrasing, because it is indicative of an attitude of superiority and dominion, likely Biblically-based. It's not just words, in other words. It is substance. Gunn is a mediocre, hypocritical, adolescent boy.
2:46 needs to read 1:51. Everyone needs to read 1:51. 1:51 is my hero! (And when I say HERO, I intend it in a totally generic, non-sexist, non-racist, non-offensive way)
Democrats don't have female leadership---their failed campaign team is an "All Boys Club" if you get what I mean...and an "All Boys Club" without jobs now that they lost every race they were involved in. Gunn, Tate and Phil are back for four more years---deal with.
I can't even take this seriously on a website that actually has a section for voting on the hottest reporter....
Just seriously enough to read it and comment.
How can you even criticize the vote on "hottest" reporter when the networks go to great lengths to have abundant hair females (even if its a wig), large mouths, and basically sexually attractive women reading and commenting on the news. Get real.
Regarding Cole, who could ever take anything he says seriously after he didn't even make it a point to at least visit and know his candidates running for Governor. He got caught flat-footed on primary night and the election will be studied in Poly-si classes for quite some time.
I am so very tired of political correctness and liberal gibberish. It is ruining what was a free country with reasonable debt and now will be a pitiful one we hand over to our grandchildren because of their ideas and ideals.
Ricky Cole is a Colonel Sanders wannabee who spends most nights imagining himself sitting on the veranda in Gone With The Wind. He's a self-absorbed windbag, an elocutionist totally enamored of himself and unable to separate his real life from an imaginary likeness of a bad Mark Twain.
Google the word WINDBAG.
I've had a man for nearly 50 years now...same one and I can do meat loaf but also soufflé.
I'm not surprised 1:41 pm " tuned out"...a Cliff Notes kind of a guy.
Unlike 1:51 pm, I'm aware that when I refer to men as boys, it's usually because they are acting immaturely or are so much younger than I that I see them as lacking experience.
I would remind 1:51 pm, also, that I specifically mentioned who could or could not call me a " girl" or use endearments.
I seriously doubt you refer to men you've just met as " boys" or an entire group of men as " boys" unless you think they are behaving like children or you know them extremely well!
And, while I agree it can be tiresome to accurately use language in descriptions, and that behavior trumps words, context also matters.
In this context, you missed the suggestion that women have not been leaders due to a lack of ability and not because men did not allow the opportunity.
And, if you are really near 65, you should remember when a woman getting into law school, med school, or an MBA program was a rarity and that women with superior qualifications were turned down in favor of men with lesser qualifications. It was 1972 before graduate programs were generally gender blind.
And, if you don't understand that you have benefitted from " picky" women and it's why you are not a secretary/administrative assistant, teacher, nurse or social worker, I suspect you are rather unobservant or getting forgetful in your old age!
I've had a man for nearly 50 years now ...
LORD, have mercy on that man. Release him from his bondage.
I appreciate all the kind words about my cousin Evelyn Gandy, but more recently we also had Amy Tuck (and her truck)....
9:23 am I expect that woman's husband is happy to have an equal partner in and out of the bedroom rather than a dependent! And, if her husband is her equal, she's happy not to have to manipulate him to get her needs met and he enjoys watching her manipulate unsuspecting men like you in their behalf. He probably gives her information about other men to make her job easier.
Wait! You're one of those men who believe beautiful, smart women married to homely men or men old enough to be their father aren't there for the money and security, right? ROFL!
1:18, If you have a woman, she must be stupid to put up with your attitude. If I made you meatloaf, I would advise you to not eat it because it would be your "last supper."
While I don't agree with Gunn's politics, I know him and has worked with him through the court system. I don't think he meant any harm in his choice of words. Sometimes we open our mouths and dumb things just jump out. He's really a nice person once you look past his way-to-serious outer persona. Philip just needs to smile more. And then he needs to stop being so staunch Republican about EVERYTHING.
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