On Twitter recently, I was struck by a tweet: “@bobcesca_go When in Doubt, They Beat Up Women.” The writer, Bob Cesca, has typecast himself as “a liberal American director, producer, writer, actor, blogger and political commentator,” that blogs on the Huffington Post for free and promotes his own website called Bob Cesca’s Awesome Blog. (he never said he was a marketer or creative thinker).
Cesca’s post takes shaky aim at the recent incident in Kentucky when Tea Party candidate Rand Paul’s Bourbon County coordinator, now identified as Tim Profitt, wrestled MoveOn.org activist Lauren Valle to the ground with two men, as Profitt placed a foot on her head to keep her from…I guess any sudden moves with her dangerous sign.
Valle is certainly not the first woman activist to be wrestled to the ground by men who were fearful that she might…change someone’s mind or something. [See 1917 Night of Terror Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia], but the commentary since has been somewhat disheartening at the least, appalling at the most.
Cesca starts his post, “Whenever a particularly spazzy kid [note: I think Cesca picked on “spazzy kids” in school] who’s perhaps a little too hepped up on sugary snacks can’t articulate what he or she wants, they tend to act out. Sometimes violently. Spitting, biting, screeching, hitting. I think you know where I’m going with this.” [hint: he’s talking about tea partiers, or specifically those that are supporting Rand Paul].
So the “spazzy kids” [ie. tea partiers supporting Paul] “attacked, shoved to the ground and stomped on” Valle. With Cesca excitedly pointing out, “Rand Paul supporters, along with an actual Rand Paul campaign staffer, displayed their insecure masculinity [huh?] and newly “restored honor” [why is this in quotes] by beating up a woman [italicized for some reason] in plain view of cameras and other citizens who appeared to do nothing to stop the assailants.” [I can almost hear the giddiness in his voice].
After reading this political post, I found little in the subject matter about the issue of violence against women which seemed to be suggested in the headline When in Doubt, They Beat Up Women. So I sent a tweet to Mr. Cesca, complimentary blogger for Arianna Huffington:
“@bobcesca_go #Women are brutalized daily, everywhere. Too bad you only care when you can pick on a political adversary.”
Cesca’s response was short:
“@1000Girlfriends You don’t know me or what I’ve contributed privately so piss off.”
“Piss off.” A surprising response since he sarcastically takes Limbaugh to task in the same article, “No wonder he’s been married four times. He obviously has tremendous respect for women.”
I thought he was so “hepped up” on women. But, fair enough, let me see what he tweeted last.
“Watching the New Pornographers live at Webster Hall,NYC on the TV.Dan Bejar’s orange is supremely,weirdly awsm.”
Hmmm…that does not sound like he has some arsenal of pro-women posts.
The best part of my experience with @bobcesca_go is a retweet by @nicole473, a frequent commenter on his blog. See her comment after the slashes:
MT .@1000Girlfriends @bobcesca_go #Women R brutalizd daily 2 bad U only care WEN U can pick on a pol adv.”// r u a man hater? how do u know?”
“r u a man hater?”
Of course, any woman who stands by her GIRLFRIENDS MUST be a man-hater. Poor Nicole. My tweet back to her:
“@nicole473: @bobcesca_go I’m tired of wm being politicized”
I’m not sure she gets it though. The Associated Press reported yesterday that Paul’s Democratic opponent, Jack Conway, has released a television ad entitled “The Rand Paul Stomp” using actual video from the event suggesting that Paul is “stomping on Kentucky.” Nothing about violence against women. The reporter does acknowledge, “The release of the TV ad comes as Conway tries to make inroads with female voters.”
Every day THREE women die at the hands of an intimate partner. THREE EVERY DAY. ONE IN FIVE female high school students acknowledges being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner, according to the Domestic Violence Resource Center.
This week I received a message via Linkedin from Clifford Zillweger. He asked me to help get the word out about Streetlight Phoenix, an organization that helps teenage girls sold into prostitution find help, a place of safety, and healthy homes. Streetlight Phoenix is trying to build more rooms, but they are having trouble raising money.
Rand Paul and his opponent Jack Conway have both raised millions. Apparently, violence against women does pay if you do it in front of cameras and political organizations like MoveOn.org and bloggers like Bob Cesca can actually turn it into an issue that gains points for their party instead of exposure to a problem that continues to plague our nation every single second. In fact, for more than three decades, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Did you know this? I knew it was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. [Do Women only get October and we have to throw everything in?]
The assault on Ms. Valle was just that. Her attackers should be arrested and charged. The horrific moment that is spliced into a campaign ad is so wrong on many levels, but most importantly, it is wrong to politicize it.
Now, how long before someone says I’m nothing but a Rand-supporting, tea partier for posting this. I give it a day.
