What Would Nancy Do?
Ladies, I need advice. Here’s the dilemma. What would you do if you wanted to affect positive change but you knew the change would not be well received if it was presented by a woman to an entrenched ole’ boys network? My head is telling me to get a man to make my case publicly and to stay behind the scenes for the sake of my cause. After all, isn’t the cause more important than being right?
But I don’t think it’s that simple. By remaining behind the scenes, do I risk winning the battle and losing the war? My heart is telling me to own the process and the “boys” will have to just deal with it. If I take this course of action, my proposal might fail, but at least a woman will have stepped forward and spoken up for what she believes. And frankly, I think we need to see a lot more of that going on. But then again, if I do speak out and lose the battle, does the establishment get to use me as yet another proof point for why women don’t belong in the game?
When Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was strategizing to move the health care bill through the House of Representatives last fall, she negotiated with Rep. Bart Stupak and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and struck a deal. Stupak would add an amendment to the bill severely restricting a woman’s access to reproductive services and in return his cronies would pass the bill. Following the passage of the amendment, women had to choose between accepting a bill that sacrificed their rights and supporting reform that would help so many Americans.
Obviously, my own dilemma is much smaller than healthcare reform and reproductive rights. But still it’s a compromise and the personal is political. What should I choose: stand up and fight or shut up and win?
WWND? What would YOU do?
Nancy Pelosi is really good at her job. I don’t see that the bill necessarily restricted rights in that one still (for now, at least) has the right to get an abortion, one just doesn’t have the right to have the government pay for insurance coverage that will pay for it.
I tend to be quick to compromise and would see if the man would be willing to propose the idea, but give you credit for it later.
Love it! Thanks for the advice.
Well, now, you could always have some guy propose something absolutely preposterous, radically to the extreme past what you’re proposing and that goes so totally against what the good ol’ boys want that your proposal will sound sane and rational in contrast.