Noteworthy Women

The National Women's Hall of Fame distresses me. Its mere existence is enough to make me grumble, while plotting how I might go about building a Men's Hall of Fame, but there's more than that. Apparently, writing nearly-unreadable novels and agitating for the murder of children makes one a "great woman." (I suppose, to be fair, I should mention that they did induct St. Frances Cabrini, but most of these "great women" are far more like my first two examples.)

The Hall's mission is

"To honor in perpetuity these women, citizens of the United States of America whose contributions to the arts, athletics, business, education, government, the humanities, philanthropy and science, have been the greatest value for the development of their country."

A lot of people ask me what I'm planning on doing with a B.A. in Political Science, especially once they find out I don't want to go to law or grad school (that I am expected to do something more than be an educated person with my education is a sad reflection of our society, in the first place, but that's a rant for a different day). Folks are scandalized when I tell them I don't plan on having a long-term career outside the home. I ask you, though, what contributions can be greater "for the development of [our] country" than those of a woman who serves her husband and cares for their children well?

The National Women's Hall of Fame invites the public to nominate women for induction. If I didn't know that the sort of person who works for the National Women's Hall of Fame was inclined to believe that homemakers are enslaved fools, I'd encourage everyone to submit nominations for those women who have nine kids and still manage to get supper on the table every night. The more clear-headed among us know that these are the truly great women.

File Under: Loonies