Sadly, this question is not as rhetorical as it should be in this country in the 21st century. As any of us who owe our existence to the fact we all came from the female of our species should know and respect that were it not for women, none of us would be here.

Yet as almost a point of arrogant pride and vindictiveness, those on the right not only support treating women as second class citizens, as subservient to the wishes of the males of the species and our government, as property; using outdated and quite frankly ridiculous religion ideology to support their position. They push for misogyny as  part of their party platform. Sadly, they often do it with the help of women themselves.

Misogyny: The hatred of women and girls that can be manifested by sexual discrimination, denigration, violence and sexual objectification. Any act that deprives a female of any right, privilege, status or freedom can be considered misogynistic.

What is a misogynist and how can you spot one? From PolicyMic

http://www.policymic.com/articles/31391/what-is-misogyny-and-how-to-recognize-a-misogynist

In this country today the following can be considered acts of misogyny:

Wage disparity between men and women (partially addressed by Lilly Ledbetter Act)

Voter ID laws that makes it more difficult for women who take their husband’s name the ability to prove their identity so they can vote (Currently the law in Texas)

Higher healthcare insurance costs for women opposed to men (Partially addressed by ACA)

Requiring women to pay for their own rape kits (The law in states like Alaska and signed by Sarah Palin)

Being publicly called a “slut” on air for taking political stances (Rush Limbaugh, who else)

Not inviting any women to testify at a hearing regarding issues directly impacting women (Darrell Issa’s committee)

Working to shut down Planned Parenthood clinics that only spend less than 3% of their services on abortions, the rest being cancer awareness and other healthcare and preventative treatments for women. (Texas, other states and proposed by GOP in Washington)

Working to deny women the right to choose how to respond to their own pregnancies regardless of how they became pregnant or their health by enacting draconian laws and requiring by law medically unnecessary procedures such as trans vaginal ultrasounds and charging the women for these procedures. (Throughout the country and spearheaded by religious organizations using the Republican Party)

These and more exist in this country, negatively impacting a population of 158.3 million women (51% of the country) who have 57.7% of the jobs, 41.7% of management and professional positions. Women own 7.8 million businesses in this country generating $1.2 trillion each year.

Of particular interest is that in 2010, the last midterm, 46.2% of registered women voted compared to only 44.8% of registered males. 66.6% of eligible women are registered to vote.

So with their numbers, ability to generate our economy and the fact they vote by significantly higher numbers than their male counterparts, why would a political party adopt such misogynistic policies towards women and look to people like Rush Limbaugh for inspiration?

Counterintuitive one would think, especially with what happened to the GOP in Virginia following 4 years of Governor Ultrasound Bob and his GOP administration implementing and enforcing misogyny on a scale unheard of till only recently. Yet today, there is little backing down by the GOP over these issues, little in attempts to reach out to women, even those who would agree with misogynistic acts directed at them. Speaker Boehner only appointed one Republican representative to chair a committee in the House, and then only after being called out for it and placing her in charge of the committee that literally deals with the House’s cafeteria.

Is this some sort of disease that conservatives are prone to?

Some speculate that misogyny has changed over the years especially with the use of social media and as a result, has become more public as Mother Jones speculates:

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2012/03/misogyny-bubble

Of course this isn’t limited to the United States. On October 9, 2012 Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard gave a speech in Parliament regarding misogyny which is of interest:

The fact of the matter is there is absolutely no reason why women should be denied or belittled for any reason or in any fashion in this age and time. Nothing in science or psychology justifies any misogynistic views or acts, support for misogyny or acquiesces to misogyny, especially in this country. Women and men should equally call people out for this behavior and show them for who they are, whether they’re male or female. Since the Republican Party supports the misogyny thrust upon women by their fringe right-wing religious morons, they need to learn that it comes with a cost.

Since the GOP won’t back down, won’t reach out in any serious way, still supports acts that belittle and harm women across the country, none of them should be allowed to hold office in the future elections.

So those of you who just cringe over how women are treated by the GOP let’s make sure we are all registered and committed to vote in each and every election this and future years to make sure we have no one in office who supports or tolerates any misogyny or bigotry of any form in this country where all men and women are created and should be treated as equals.