A controversial campus preacher ended up on the wrong side of a physical altercation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) after a female student confronted him over a sign implying that a woman’s place is in the kitchen, not in the classroom.
Daniel Rusk, preacher at WALKabout Jesus Ministries, was allegedly assaulted by a female student while holding a sign that reads, “Young women: you don’t need college; you need FAITH, a BIBLE, and a good cookbook.”
The student presumably took offense to the message and attacked him. The incident, which occurred on September 14th, was caught on video:
And while most can agree that violence is wrong, on-campus opinions are split on just where the line is between free speech and righteous anger.
Them's Fightin' Words
The student claims she was provoked by the preacher before the incident took place. So far, it’s unclear if the student will face any charges, but Rusk was escorted off the UAB campus and spent roughly seven hours in the Birmingham City Jail.
And according to Rusk, he was charged with disorderly conduct and he claims police are considering charging him with assault and inciting a riot.
He obviously believes himself to be the victim here, but not everyone agrees. Numerous students say he was expressing wildly incendiary views in a provocative manner, practically begging for a reaction.
When we posted about this incident on Facebook, some of our friends there argued that visiting a college campus full of women and shouting in their faces that they belong in the kitchen is, to borrow a phrase, “asking for it.”
In case you missed the post, you can check it out here:
For its part, the school says that if properly permitted, Rusk and his wife are free to espouse their controversial views on campus, “distasteful and offensive” as they are.
Spreading God's Love... and Hate
So who are the Rusks? Apparently, Daniel Rusk and his wife Mary have a habit of traveling to college campuses with their homemade signs espousing opinions on a range of controversial issues. Their beliefs include that women should not pursue education, should dress modestly, and should stay at home to rear children, clean the house, and cook food for their husbands.
“To be perfectly frank,” Rusk says, “I’m offended by the way [women] dress. As a person that grew up in a lot of flagrant perversity and filthy type of things that people allow, it seems to just get worse and worse. I think it’s offensive. I find it offensive personally, and I know that other men feel that way too… Society agreed with me 50 years ago. That’s the bottom line.”
One of their more provocative signs reads, “Stop the sexual assault” with the word “short shorts” crossed out underneath – implying that a woman’s choice of dress is to blame for her own sexual assault.
But it doesn't end there. They've also made appearances at pro-LGBT events and abortion providers to preach against gay marriage and abortion. During Pride Month, a shirt was available on their website with the words “Jesus never was a homo hugging hippie – obey the real Jesus or burn in Hell.”
“It’s a touchy subject so we tend to try to keep some humor,” Rusk says.
Well, at least they’re keeping things nice and light.
What is your reaction?
60 comments
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Gwendolyn Lord
And he belongs back in the cave.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
He belongs in the kitchen.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
What would he do in the kitchen, Douglas? I bet he's not even smart enough to make a peanut butter sandwich. His wife ought to give him a doggie bowl, and only feed him Gravy Train, in the backyard, near his doghouse, since he's probably not even paper trained.
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Ilmenheru Terikson
On the butcher block obviously as is befitting of an human that behaves like this has made themselves a perfect choice to be turned into an ideal source of meat for animals.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
I don't think he could even boil a pot of water.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Gollums cave, Gwendolyn, for hundreds of years!!!
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Cindy L Edgar
There's nothing in the Bible that says women belong in the kitchen men need to get that through their big fat heads women have the same right as men do when men figure that out and stop making women do things they don't want to do then things will be okay but I forgot it's always been a man's world it's time for the women to stand up to the men and say enough is enough
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Did they have kitchens when the bible was written, Cindy? I seriously doubt it.
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Cindy L Edgar
Well for one in the Bible words written by Julius Caesar and all he wanted was control of everybody and everything no I doubt it very much it wasn't kitchens but they did cook for the men but I believe that the men it has never had control over women for Mini at centuries but that's my belief
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Rev. RJ Levesque Jr
Depends on the interpretation honestly, as do many things in life. However, you are all missing the main point of this conversation...we are not here to judge anyone's personal beliefs. He has every right to his own beliefs, as does every being on the planet. You see, the beautiful part is no matter what this man believes you DO NOT have to agree with him. That does NOT give ANYONE a right to try to change his beliefs by force if they have a different belief.
This is a HUGE issue currently in America. People think if others disagree with their belief, they have a right to injure, hurt, or kill someone for not agreeing with them. We have raised several "ME ME ME" generations that have no morals at all, either do not believe in religion at all or have a twisted version of it, and think they are always right and everyone should believe what they believe.
And....unfortunately all the posts I see here so far illustrate that. You should all be ashamed of yourselves.
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Cindy L Edgar
I'm not trying to change anybody beliefs I just believe that women should not have to be in a kitchen or barefoot and pregnant that's always been a man weigh I never understood where men thought that was the way women should be it's not in the Bible
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flugo
'sin eager': To avoid further embarrassment, you'd do well to do your homework before dispensing erroneous blather! The Bible clearly DOES define distinctions concerning husbands and wives. Wives don't have the same rights as husbands! Essentially a husband is responsible to God for his family's wellbeing and relationships and to love his wife as himself. Wives are to obey their husbands and children are to obey their parents.
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Br'er George
She must be a bad cook!
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Douglas Robert Spindler
If she can throw punches like that she doesn’t need to be a good cook. It’s Christians like this one that makes young people laugh at Christinas and not want to be one.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Considering we are what we eat, George, she must be, for his mind, and hers too, are obviously full of trash!
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Br'er George
Naw, she just mad she can't cook.
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Rev Mark D
It's an opinion, not mysogyny...look up the word if you doubt it...and it's much more hateful to commit violence against someone simply expressing an opinion...and saying that "most can agree" that violence here is wrong is even more wrong than the violence...because assault is always a crime, and that it is a crime is not subject to a popularity vote.
All I can say is for her to behave that way reinforces a certain female stereotype that says women cannot control themselves and so must have society's controls to maintain peoples' safety. In fact, doing his sign if most likely calculated to get exactly the controversial reaction she gave him, which again suggests that the lady is really not the one in control...so what does it say about someone who is fool enough to fall for it?
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Cindy L Edgar
She wasn't in control because she was standing up for her rights while women should have stood up for the rights long time ago now who's being sexist that would be so you must be one of those people that believe that men should still be in control
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Lionheart
Yes, the misogynistic Christian god has a lot to answer for. It has very poor morals, which has caused a lot of gender issues for females. Thank goodness it’s not real.
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Brien
Another fine example of disgusting organized brainwashing. It does not matter what name the group wears, brainwashed archaic beliefs serve no purpose in today's society. The fact that this person was able to walk away mostly intact was just dumb luck. The women in my family would have hospitalized him.
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The Rev. William C, Millhouse
That man is lucky to have escaped with his life. Modern women are not about to be forced back into the kitchen. I blame this on the preaching and teaching of the original woman hater, Paul a/k/a Saul.
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Gerardo Salazar
“Their beliefs include that women should not pursue education, should dress modestly, and should stay at home to rear children, clean the house, and cook food for their husbands.”
Now please tell me in what form are these two persons different from the Taliban since they pursue the same things; should they be living in the XVI Century no woman would be safe from prosecution, torture and death at their hands.
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Minister Carlos Ricardo Walls
I'm a defender of free speech.However most people should think twice before saying things they'll regret.Stop stirring the pot?
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Chaplain Shawn
Have secularists, Pagans, Wiccans, atheists, and humanists or even druids read the Bible? The whole Bible or did they take Old Testament stories from ancient times out of their original historical/literary context, and read the modern day into the ancient manuscript? When you read the whole text of Beowulf, do you do the same? Why does Beowulf use males to be knights to fight Grendel? Were there not periods of history showcasing female warriors? Take Boudica for instance. Did she not fight against the evil secular Romans? Did the late Dr. Paul Kurtz refer to the Roman Empire as secular? He did, absolutely.
So. why are nonbelievers telling others what the Bible says when they do not believe a word of it? The nonbelievers never get upset over Leviticus 19:28. If they read that passage they might. If secular or other worldviews feel comfortable insulting and debasing those who believe in something the worldly cannot, then is that not a choice made out of freedom and liberty? Are we not entitled to believe what we want without infringing on someone else's rights? If all the nonbelieving views want a total tyranny against all religions/theism, then why are the nonbelieving folks referring to themselves as good people? If you persecute others for what they believe, then you are part of the problem, not the solution. A secular replacement of Christianity, Islam, and the Jewish faith will never convince me that the secular are good people looking for an amicable and peaceful solution. The secular are looking for a fight, and they have the attention and numbers to fight. Yet when the secular have their way; they will be begging the Christian worldview to be in existence, if the banner of Islam covers them. Look at Afghanistan before criticizing and judging Christians. Christians are not perfect, and neither are any of you. If you want to criticize a sexist religion that is misogynistic, look how women, infidels, and apostates are treated under Islam. Christianity has never issued fatwas on defectors.
The Rusk's have a misapplied worldview, and abusing free speech to incite violence is not free speech. Look at the New Testament. When the disciples (the males) lost their friend and teacher; the males cowardly hid themselves away. It was the female disciples of Christ who were strong. Jesus made disciples of women. Therefore, Jesus or God has no sexist or racist doctrine. "There is no Greek (Gentile) nor Jew; no slave nor free, no male nor female. We are all of the same God" "(Galatians 3:28). Jesus brought all people together and witnessed to all who wanted to hear, and if he was not welcomed and told to leave; he left. We all can learn a lot about humility from Jesus. In some strange way, it is the Christian worldview (no other) that transforms people into a better version of themselves removing hate for other people because of what they believe, or guarding yourself from coveting your neighbor out of envy or jealousy. Love your neighbor as yourself. None of these basic core tenets of humanity and peace exist in any worldview opposed to Christianity. Therefore, I have a difficult time with secular folks who think they know the Bible, but never read it all the way through, honesty, judging me.
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Ilmenheru Terikson
If you are not a secularist, then you are neither a minister in good standing, nor a citizen of the U.S. which is founded on secular ideals. The moment you speak as if your faith is more then a personal belief, the moment you espouse it as something real anf factual, is the moment you empower any true citizen of the U.S. to destroy you as an active enemy of our nation of freedom for all secular faiths. Insular faiths are those that represent the enemies of the U.S.A.
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Angel
Perhaps she should put on her vagina hat on and he can put his penis hat on...may the best hat win!! lmao...
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china mayhew
she didn't hit him hard enough. he's a hypocryte the same rules he wants to impose on other women should be imposed on his own wife... Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.(1 Timothy 2:11–15). The women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says (1 Corinthians 14:34 ).no standing around with her signs about yoga pants she should be home barefoot chained to the cooker making sure her mysoginist rapist husband has a hot meal and sex on demand when he gets home. i noticed she did precious little to come to his aid.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
These people must have a death wish! I bet it won't be long before they're pushing up daisies.
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Daniel Gray
Now thats just plain wrong. I have repeatedly stated that if a woman can do the same as a man under the same rules, then she should be accepted as an equal. BUT in saying this, if a woman cant do the same thing as a man under the same rules, then she should hush. Just like the so called female Rangers in the military. were they forced to go back and then wait six months before trying again? Nope, they were just bounced back to the upcoming class and let go on in direct violation of the rules. Same as in a factory, if the woman can do the same job great and welcome. BUT on the other hand if she cant, then she needs to look for another job. Just like the females who wanted to play football, and then when they got knocked down and ended up with a broken leg (football is a very rough sport) they then tried to sue the school for the broken leg as they claimed this ruined their chance of being a professional dancer.
This fool needs to go away with his ideas, and I would bet that there are females there that not only could do the same job as him, but do it better.
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Alexander Clarke
Keep them barefoot, pregnant and plant cactus in the yard. It sounds like this asshat preacher would do well in the Taliban. Right wing conservative Christians are the American Taliban.
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John P Maher
HE SHOULD STICK HIS HEAD in the BIBLE and THEN CLOSE IT, IDIOT !
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Douglas Robert Spindler
How about he stick an appendage below the beltline in the Bible and slam it shut.
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Robert S. McCann
We all belong where God has placed us. Don't fall for the trap of in equal rights. God has given us all the same right in equal value.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Robert, those who never move, never live.
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Lionheart
Which god would that be, mankind has created so many? Fortunately, there is no demonstrable evidence for any, so don’t fall for the trap that any exist until you see the evidence, which no one on earth seems able to do.
🦁❤️
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Donald Richard Starns
Life is change; how it differs from the rocks.
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Lionheart
Actually no, the life of rocks also can change, from a sedimentary form, to metamorphic form due to pressure. They can become totally fluid due to heat. Supply sufficient heat and they can become gaseous. Everything changes and is in a state of flux throughout the whole universe. Nothing stays the same Donald.
🦁❤️
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Bishop William Dusenberry, DD
The only bible that patriotic freedom-loving USA’ns, should be reading (referencing, swearing in on) is the Thomas Jefferson Bible (available from ULC ministry).
And this Jefferson Bible makes no mention of keeping females pregnant, and in the kitchen.
But the King James Bible (which is available, for the taking, in most motels) treats all females like camel dung - and in the Christian idea of Heaven, women will still be required to clean, pick up after the men in their homes, and still provide sex on demand — when demanded by their spout.
Jesus never married, nor did any of his disciples — all because the first female the Christian God created dissed her Christian God, and refused to have sex with Moses and Abraham.
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David Arthur Lewis
Actually, you should read the REAL bible. It's called the Septuagint and it's written in Greek. It's the book Christians used before Roman Catholicism was invented.
And friend, Thomas Jefferson did not know God. I honor him as a statesman, inventor, and master gardener, but he was never a Holy Man.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
William, an even better book is called Mother Goose. You ought to try reading it. Those bibles seem best suited for being used as rolling papers. Have you ever seen a bible go up in smoke. Check it out, man! It's truly joyful to watch.
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Nicholas J Page
Crap good for her women don't belong in the kitchen.Womens equal rights.now a days.So the preacher is wrong.But you can't use violence as a means of an argument
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Maybe they're in an S & M relationship. Some people like it rough.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
At least he. Didn’t get hit over the head with a baseball bat like the other guy did… https://www.boredpanda.com/you-deserve-to-be-raped-sign-man-attacked-dean-saxton/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic
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Rev. Dr. G. Waldron
Obviously these two preacher team have some problems, I.e. master - slave relationship. They also seem a little crazy and off balanced. While Rusk’s statement about 50 years ago should have him corrected by 100 years, if he wants to live in the past, I hope he has given up on all of the comforts of today.
Having said that, this campus is a government institution and free speech is important. Hate speech on campus has been debated by the ACLU for years, with some branches coming out on different sides. But then is Rusk’s signs hate speech?
We don’t know what happened before the video started. If nothing other than Rusk holding up his deplorable sign, then the woman is wrong and should be charged with battery. If Rusk instigated the confrontation with say pushing her, then she has the right to self defense. The police will get to the bottom of what actually happened.
We shouldn’t act like Donald Trump as he suggested to punch a person who objected to his often deplorable statements. There would be fist flying all over this country,
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RevMarla
I'm reminded of Audre Lorde's 1979 address during a panel discussion of feminist perspectives on the personal and the political. Lorde stated that: "[T]he master's tools will never dismantle the master's house. They may allow us temporarily to beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change." I'm disturbed by the fact that the discussion around this event has focused on whether or not the student's actions were "justified violence" versus a discussion about whether or not violence is EVER justified. Do we want to advocate solving violence (emotional, psychological, or physical) with more or another form of violence? It seems to me that we have a number of other (and far more effective) 'tools' we can use to engage with ideologies that are different from our own if we actually care about change. I view this video and I am heartbroken for this young woman who was obviously in so much distress that physical violence seemed like her only available response. And I am sad for a society that still reflexively advocates 'justified violence.'
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
The men on my father's side of my family are by far mostly excellent cooks. As far back as I can tell, in direct lineage, including myself, as far back as my great grandfather Bernard William Elfstrom Sr., who retired from being a cook and chief steward on ships. His father founded a ship company in Sweden, with three dozen small cargo sailing ships, that my great-grandfather started his cooking career aboard. The last thing any of us would want is a woman nagging at us in the kitchen, or galley! We keep our women out of the kitchen! We do our best to fatten them up with all that good food we prepare. I guess it just depends on the family. Many of the omen on my mother's side of the family are good cooks. And my grandmother Rose Maniscalco Pistone was the best cook of southern Italian food who ever lived! And I took a lot of cooking lessons from. I'm not married, but many of my neighbors look forward to being invited to my house for dinner. I've heard that a lot of men don't know how to cook, but it's not a manly or womanly thing at all. I can see how it once was customary for a man to work all day, and his wife would stay home, and take care of the home, in many marriages but that's far less often the case anymore. And lots of men are very good cooks, who love cooking, far more than their wives. And in some cases, neither spouse can cook at all, so all the eat are TV dinners, when they aren't eating out. It all boils down to: different strokes for different folks.
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Robert Shelton
If they are real christians than their words are correctly stated in their christian faith! Something wrong with that? Now do christians just throw their Bible theology out and succumb to the modern narrative or if you don't agree than stone anyone that doesn't believe the way you do?
Seems like to much of that is in the modern times we live in! All I am saying is they have the right to voice their opinions even if you don't like it! Remember when the US Constitutional 1st ammendment was for everyone not just the ones who now follow the new narratives. Wake up from all of the distractions people, get back to what made this country great. Quit help destroying our ways of life no matter what you believe or not. We want a stable and good life again, that's just my thoughts.
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Jean Bakula
The U.S. is not a Theocracy. People who want to change our laws according the the Bible should move someplace else.
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Daniel F Maida
The man here is demonstrating prehistoric rubbish. I'm sure his I.Q is not ranked in the genius category.
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Daniel F Maida
The man here is demonstrating that prehistoric thinking is still present.
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LB
Why was he on campus? Did he have a permit?
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Robert N Clarkson
Intolerance is the issue here, freedom of speech and opinion, right or wrong, in US society should be allowed without fear. He might have provoked the attack but she is assaulting him! So what we’re looking at is a fanatical couple trespassing on a campus with no business there except to express their opinion in a supposedly public forum for free expression; and a physical assault with intent to cause physical harm by a dissenting student. Bottom line.
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Regulrguy
PEOPLE,PEOPLE,PEOPLE!!!!!!!! What are we saying here! I got trapped and watched the video then got trapped reading the responses. I never comment on these matters! But we are talking about a Insult vs. Assault! Defending your "honor" or "enough is enough" is not self-defense. Don't get me wrong i think this lady can hold her own but what would we be saying if the guy felt like his life was in danger and felt he had to defend himself.. REALLY! Violence is violence and it shouldn't be condoned. They both acted in poor judgement, one for being a misogynistic IDIOT and the other for taking the bait. OUT!
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James McKeown
Responding to words describing idiotic ideas with physical violence is oh so progressive. I can't believe we're not teaching our children this. Oh, wait. This guy should get a sympathetic pat on the head with a, "there there, now, it'll be alright...", but if you're SO ignorant you cannot respond to such silly sentiment by a calm, sane, intelligent, and yes, passionate ARGUMENT, well then, you go, grrrl - go punch yourself in the face for being so progressive a fascist. Krystallnacht-light. Demanding everyone else (I'm talking to you Holier-Than-Thou A-holes of the commentariat above) - demanding that everyone have the correct opinions as you, be as perfect as you - so intellectually evolved as you, so much better than everyone else as you - faaack - to so publicly virtuebate your tiny integrity and to call for the death as destruction of those lesser evolved than you... I mean, F me inna A, how many of you Holies are down with death and violence? You disgust me. Your Critical Social Justice paints a much more fascistic picture of yourselves than the, yes, entirely outdated (yawn) sign he yields. Puh-leeze. Y'all are Trump in drag, and as such, can go Trump yourselves, right in the Ivanka. I was raised by two beautiful, strong older sisters and I know how to fight like a girl, and boy do I - a feminist - want to grab his sign and shove it in your faces, not out of belief, but to fight your evil, tribally troglodyte and dangerous authoritarian, anti-enlightenment and un-American devolvement into the dark ages. See what your kind of activisming engenders? Getting a result that is opposite of your goal is a sign your doing it wrong, sweetie.
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Rev Ned
Christian Taliban!
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Robert A Stiff
How the hell women have put up with men for this long is beyond belief. The sooner we evolve into a matriarchal society, the better!
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Angel
NO THANK YOU!! I refuse to run around with a vagina hat on top of my head and casterize my own husband and male children. I like having the doors open for me, and I really like my husband killing the spider's. I'm a really cook and my kids hated my husband's cooking growing up, lol. Don't get me wrong, I'm not about old skool stupidity and gener roles, but women now adays are no matter. HAving the pendulum swinging in the opposite direction is just as bad. IT's about balance. Each relationship should be based according to the needs of the family and who can provide what. IF the woman is a better cook, then let her cook. IF she wants to stay home and takecare of the babies, more power to her. If he stays home and she works, then that's fine to. In today's society, financially, both parents have to work. But it should be them to decide what is best for their family and who does what. Women have coe a long way, but women in these days are just as rediculious as men in the past. These women's march's are a great example when men and women try to dominate over the other. Women's Lib has gone to far and quite frankly, I am embarrassed at the behavior of these femma nazi's now adays..
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Jean Bakula
Societal norms change. It's a shame some people can't change or at least be accepting of a world that has passed them by.
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Angel
LMAO!! Thanks for the morning laugh!!!
Good for her......and if she does need a legal team I say every woman who's sick and tired of being sick and tired of these creepy old misogynist's (and their female Quislings) donate and we get her the best legal team money can buy!