_______________ HILLARY CLINTON IS A TRAITOR BY NEERA SOHONI (03/04/98)

Apparently Neera Sohoni doesn't understand the power of the mass media to seduce minds with falsehoods and subvert the concept of "innocent until proven guilty." Because women in India "experience oppression almost entirely in their private life -- in their intimate relations," she assumes the same is true for Hillary Clinton. The "emptiness in her eyes" and the "distinctive aloneness" are evidence of her weariness at the nonstop political attacks that she and her husband have been under since Day 1 in the White House. Hillary is standing by her man because the allegations against him are total fabrications, a yarn spun by a star-struck Monica Lewinsky to impress a treacherous Linda Tripp! If feminists feel let down by the presidential scandal, they have been duped by the boob tube and are falling right in line with the divide and conquer tactics of the vast right-wing conspiracy in this election year! Neera, you've got a long way to go, baby! -- Tom Pedersen Am I the last feminist on Earth? Sometimes I think I am. I thought being a feminist meant that a woman could make her own decisions that affect her own life (no matter how unpopular they might be). Why should a woman leave her husband just because a group of sheep thinks she should? Who is Neera Sohoni to question Hillary Clinton's feminist principles? Our first lady is intelligent and capable enough to handle her own affairs. Saying someone can't be a feminist unless she follows a set of predefined ideals is just as stupid as saying a woman's place is in the home. -- Reb Livingston Neera Sohoni is missing something in her criticism of Hillary Clinton for not publicly taking Bill to task for his "wandering." First of all (and most importantly), the allegations are still just that: allegations. Isn't it possible that (at least in this case) she is standing by him because she believes the allegations to be false? Even if the accusations are true, isn't it possible that she doesn't consider issues within their marriage a subject for public airing? What does Sohoni expect -- that Hillary will hold a press conference to announce that she and Bill had a four-hour screaming match over his infidelity? It is possible for a woman to value her relationship with a husband who has strayed without being a complete doormat or putting her own needs last. Perhaps at some point in the future, she will lose patience with his behavior (assuming that it repeats) and tell him to shape up or ship out, but in the meantime why can't we just let her manage her own life on her own terms? Sohoni's narrow definition of feminism robs Hillary of the most crucial aspect of subjectivity: the ability to evaluate and make choices about her own life, and the broad assumptions she makes about Hillary's motives (power, protecting her daughter) sell Hillary short. -- Maia Gemmill SALON | March 6, 1998