Thursday, May 31, 2012

Acid Attacks



In Afghanistan, one of the most horrifying elements of the Taliban's war on women is the use of acid attacks. Women who attend school, play sports, or otherwise behave in ways offensive to the Taliban's fundamentalist religious ethos are splashed with acid, causing excruciating pain and permanent disfiguration.

Most of us are appalled. But a spokesman for Rep. Nan Hayworth (R-NY) sees a metaphor. Posting on a local Democratic facebook page, Hayworth spokesman Jay Townsend said:
Let's hurl some acid at those female democratic [sic] Senators who won't abide the mandates they want to impose on the private sector.

Sickening.

Rep. Hayworth's office has not yet commented on the story.

1 comment:

PG said...

I assume this will be dismissed with "But some union folks whacked a Nikki Haley pinata" by conservatives. Their capacity to distinguish between that which is gendered or racialized, and that which is in just general bad taste, is not good.