Hillary Clinton Deals With Her Husband’s
Transgressions
In the 15 years since leaving the White House,
Bill Clinton has become one of the most beloved political figures in the
country and Hillary Clinton has been an inspiration to many women
as a U.S. senator, secretary of state and
two-time presidential candidate. But like a slap in the face, Donald
Trump’s snarling comments about
Bill Clinton’s sexual misconduct awoke Americans to long forgotten accusations
about how Mrs. Clinton responded to them, sometimes questioning the women’s
veracity
and character. Should Mrs. Clinton’s actions and statements at that time be held
against her as a presidential candidate now, when such actions are criticized by
feminists
as “victim
blaming”?
* trangression =
위반, 범죄; (종교, 도덕적) 죄/ beloved = 총애 받는; 인기 많은/ political figure = 정치적 인물, 정치인/
inspiration = 영감[감화/자극/고무]을 주는 사람[것]/ senator = 상원 의원/ secretary of state = 국무
장관/ slap in the face = 모욕; 실망시키는 행위; 낙담하거나 실망시키거나 하는 행위/ snarl = (화가 나거나 기분이
나빠서) 으르렁거리다[으르렁거리듯 말하다]/ long forgotten = 오래 전에 잊혀진/ veracity = 진실성/ feminist =
남녀 평등 주의자/ victim blaming = 피해자 책임전가
남편의 과거 행동에 대한 힐러리 클린턴의 행동과 진술이 오늘날 그녀에게 비난되어야
하나요?
1. It’s Always the Woman’s
Fault
Blaming the wife for the husband’s dalliances is an old
old story that is being given a faux-feminist gloss today.
2. Hillary Clinton’s Inconsistencies Are Fair
Game
Her method of standing by her man, by engaging in what
we would now call victim-shaming, is problematic today.
3. Americans Put Too Much Weight in Romantic
Love
While Hillary Clinton's alleged attempts to discredit
the women with whom her husband cheated may not be considered a good form of
sisterhood, it could be a reasonable act of motherhood.
4. Reasonable to Ask, If the Tables Were
Turned
What male candidate’s campaign would survive evidence
that he helped his wife and political partner cover up a
crime?
5. If It’s on Hillary, It’s on All of
Us Too
Punish Hillary Clinton if you must. But ultimately her
biggest sin is being a cutthroat opportunist, just like the rest of Washington’s
politicos.
Sample
Essay
Hillary Clinton Is
Criticized Because It’s Always the Woman’s Fault
Bill
Clinton’s sex life is back in the news, and this time it’s Hillary’s fault. She
knew. She enabled him. She covered up for him. She said catty things about his
girlfriends.
Blaming the wife for the husband’s dalliances is an old old
story, of course, which is being given a faux-feminist gloss today. If she takes
some credit for the successes of the Clinton administration, Ruth Marcus argued
in The Washington Post, she should take the blame for Bill’s personal failings
as well.
Why? The Clintons were a policy and politics team. That doesn’t
make them the Mr. and Mrs. Macbeth of extramarital sex.
Please note that
there is no evidence that Hillary actually did “enable” Bill’s philandering.
Nor, contrary to accusations, is there any evidence that she slut-shamed Paula
Jones or any of the other women who accused Bill of sexually aggressive
behavior. (James Carville and other men close to Bill did make a few choice
remarks.) Yes, Hillary told her best friend, Diane Blair, that Monica was a
“narcissistic looney tunes,” and Blair recorded that in her private diary. What
is so terrible about venting to a friend? As for covering up, Juanita
Broaddrick, who claims Bill Clinton raped in her 1978 and Hillary tried to
silence her by uttering a political platitude and pressing her hand in a
particularly meaningful way, it seems much more likely that Hillary did what she
did thousands of times at political gatherings.
What is enabling,
anyway? We used to call it by other names: love, loyalty, credulousness,
naivete, practicality, forgiveness, saving the marriage, protecting the
children, just getting on with life. Hillary was never more popular as first
lady than when she was bravely enduring the public humiliation of the Monica
Lewinsky affair.
But the rules have changed. Now women who make the best
of an imperfect marriage are not only still held to account for their husband's
behavior -- that Hillary is a frigid harridan is still a popular theme on social
media -- they are blamed as co-conspirators or doormats for not walking out the
door. And they're called bad feminists for not embracing his other women.
Before, she had to stay. Now, she has to leave.
She has to take the
worst accusations at full value, too. We will never know the real story of what
happened between Juanita Broaddrick and Bill Clinton. Kenneth Starr didn’t find
her rape allegation credible, and he had every reason to promote it. But somehow
Hillary should have known not only that something happened between her husband
and Broaddrick, but that it was rape. How would she know that?
Meanwhile, Bill Clinton has managed to weather every storm and remains
hugely popular and admired. And conservatives have finally found women whose
claims of rape and harassment they believe. Everyone wins -- except for Hillary.
it's always the woman's fault.