The View Just Got Brighter

From Anne Hutchinson and Mary Dyer, to Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, to ‘Rosie the Riveter,’ American women have stepped up and made great noises to gain representation, equality, free speech, and recognition. However, for her efforts Hutchinson was convicted of treason in 1637 and cast out by the divine commissioners of her Massachusetts colony because her feminist initiatives did not align with those of the men. Mary Dyer attempted to pick up where Anne had left off and was hanged by the same ecclesiastical authorities.

From the beginning, traditionalists associated feminism with mental illness, neurotic behavior, hysteria and even sadism. (It was easier to label such audacious women with epithets than to brazen out their contentions, which goes hand in hand with ‘If you ignore it, it will go away’). The woman, however, would not be ignored, and she didn’t go away. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony didn’t give up or cave in, and neither backed down from their determined goals; they pushed on with righteous indignation.

It is common knowledge that every historic endeavor has a critical turning point, such as with the women’s movement. When it peaked it did so loudly, brashly, and somewhat hysterically. It began to take shape at the height of the Cultural Revolution, when women of every age, race, persuasion and class underwent sweeping metamorphoses: they became independently outspoken, aggressive, demanding and, to a large measure, fanatic.

At the time, the term ‘radical’ grew to be one of the most overused expressions in all the languages of the world. It remains no less drawn on today, and can be applied without second thought to certain women who are ensconced in high-profile stations -- who have manipulated and sullied those stations with reckless abandon.

As we all know, and must accept, Islamic terrorists promise to wash America -- indeed, the world -- in blood. They wait for the instant an avenue is open to another invasion. We therefore live each day anxiously treading dangerous waters. Adding insult to their pledge to cause injury and death have been the tactless and demoralizing missives of homegrown critics, specifically by another Rosie, but of a much lower esteem:

Rosie O’Donnell -- whose un-tethered and gross outspokenness against our country and our President, as well as her overall behavior, turned intensely macabre.

She proved daily that she is discombobulated by her so-called ‘star’ status and that she is struck senseless with hatred. She overtaxed the right to speak her mind and bluntly ignored the fact that exercising such a right doesn’t make it right when she ruthlessly condemned America and Americans. The First Amendment does not equip her or anyone with the exalted power to walk on water, nor does it make it appropriate for her or anyone to cruelly harpoon and underrate the men and women serving in our military -- or our allies’ military -- who, of their own free will, are placing their personal safety in harm’s way in order to keep us safe from harm.

This person lashed out with tidal waves of anti-American smears, the likes of which hadn’t been heard since ‘Hanoi’ Jane’s carnival shows. Rosie raised the bar of spitefulness so high an Olympic pole-vaulter couldn’t clear it with a NASA booster rocket strapped to his back. Even worse, it appeared she took as hostage the American Broadcasting Company and their sponsors (or was ABC an ‘enabler’ to gain high ratings?), using The View as a launching pad for her aggravating statements.

Rosie claimed she is plagued by bouts of depression, and used this as an excuse for her ranting. Someone should enlighten her with the facts, that there isn’t a person alive today who doesn’t suffer at times from melancholy, because there is a lot out there every day to be depressed over. Simplicity is something we all want but is becoming less and less available due to the constant stress of threats by Islamic terrorists against our lives and our country. It’s the same for everyone and we’re all dealing with it all as best as we’re able -- some better than others; those others, like O’Donnell, worse than the rest.

Despite -- or in spite of -- counter criticism, she chose to toy uncontrollably with self-immolation, the cinders of which she stoked daily with her ugly and baseless comments. Perhaps she has now finally torched her credibility and appeal, as might be the basis for the announcement that she and ABC are parting ways. If so, her departure is coming just in time, because she very well could have taken down with her every breakthrough, every achieved milestone, and every sacrifice made on behalf of women everywhere by pioneer giants such as Hutchinson, Dyer, Stanton and Anthony, as well as the sweat and pride of every gal who riveted bolts into the fuselage of B‑29 bombers that aided in America’s victories in World War II.

The numbers of women heroes of the world, both known and nameless, is inestimable. For the time being that list is safe from being truncated or forgotten, as long as women such as Rosie O’Donnell are never included or associated with the names and memory of the honorable and legendary.