A couple of points.
-"Always believe the women" is something that I have always despised. I would say "always LISTEN to the women." However, we should always listen to the men too. After all, at least 1 in 6 MEN are sexually assaulted in their lifetime and they have a hard time getting justice too.
I appreciate you saying that. Some people tend to have a more myopic view, despite claiming to value both genders equally.
- Equal opportunity versus equal outcomes - Unfortunately, women still do NOT have equal opportunities in the US workforce. The pay gap has been closing, but it still exists. Women are often passed over for promotions they have earned simply because they are women. That's a fact.
I don't deny that it's happened, and it certainly shouldn't. There's always progress left to be made, but I believe
providing equal opportunities is more important than having a balanced workforce. If people aren't being hired or are being passed over because of their gender, that's obviously a problem. But I would like to think that's less common now.
It sucks you had to file a complaint to resolve your issue, but sometimes employers are unscrupulous and engage in discrimination. It's good to know there's ways to resolve it.
- Mental health - This country has refused to confront the mental health crisis for years now. Most of our mass shootings are a direct result of mental illness. Clancy's actions were a direct result of mental illness. YES, both men and women should be held accountable for the crimes they commit, mentally ill or not, but perhaps the best way to reduce these horrific crimes is to elect representatives who are willing to do something about the lack of access to mental health care for BOTH men AND women.
I don't disagree with that. I've always supported better access to mental health services. The amount of troubled people we've had in the US for decades is staggering. Of course, I don't know which representatives are actually willing to do something about it. Republicans certainly aren't, and establishment Dems are constantly undermining the "socialists" who actually want to ensure that everybody has access to vital healthcare services. Most politicians just want to pass the buck, and people end up suffering for it.
That said, I've noticed that homicidal mothers generally tend to illicit a more sober response about their mental health than a homicidal husband (or school shooter). I know full well that mental health issues are real, but we can't treat them or undo the crimes of the people suffering with these issues retroactively. Perhaps they belong in an institution more than a jail, but either way, they certainly don't belong in society once they've crossed that line. I feel that way regardless of whether the murderer is a man or a woman.
