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CULTURE

What Mark Hamill Said About Women That Pissed a Lot of People Off

Star Wars actor Mark Hamill got political on Twitter this week, in support of the record number of women who won during the midterm elections, but does the public agree with him?

Hamill posted a photo of six recently elected Democrat women to Congress, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley.

“For centuries, men have had their chance to rule government with middling-to-poor results,” Hamill wrote to his three million Twitter followers. “Who’s ready to let women take charge completely? Just women. I know I am.”

Unsurprisingly, several conservative news outlets pounced on him, deeming his tweet as simplistic, historically ignorant and inherently sexist and claimed that Twitter users “roasted” him in response.

Indeed, many of the immediate tweets in response to Hamill opposed his skewed view of an alleged female-led utopia.

DC McAllister of The Federalist noted the many contributions men have given to history while also pointing out that the women who have run governments are often just as brutal as the men such as Queens Mary and Elizabeth I of England.

“Middling-to-poor results? Men found the cure to countless diseases,” McAllister said. “Men built civilizations, created art, made scientific discoveries. Men explored space and ushered in a modern world of freedom. Is it utopia? No, but if you think women can do better, you’re deluded.”

Some regular Twitter users shared their life experiences with women in leadership roles, revealing that they could be just as incompetent as men in the same positions of power.

Only one self-identified feminist “geek”-themed website openly supported Hamill’s tweet this week in an article. Its argument was more of a celebration of the broadening representation the midterm election hinted at.

The 67-year old actor has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump since 2016 and supported the Democratic party in previous elections.

Are women just as capable as men in leadership roles? Of course, and they should at least be given the same opportunities. But along with this equality comes the admission that they are just as human as men, and therefore they’re flawed as well.

Although it was great that Hamill was supporting historically underrepresented groups in politics, his take could be viewed as a tad extreme in its own right.

In our politically correct times, we often preach equality, but as Hamill displayed, sometimes it can go past that and into a new bias at the expense of others, which contradicts its very own intent.

Great leaders can come in many forms, and we should celebrate the power of this potential diversity rather than promoting any form of exclusivity—old or new.

 

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7 Comments

  1. Tammy Rae Scott November 22, 2018

    Who cares what Mark Hamill says? You know who his father is, right? ? We have better things to learn, this is mindless bullshit.

    Reply
  2. Lois Sprankle Fohl November 22, 2018

    Smart man.

    Reply
  3. Charly Herndon November 22, 2018

    I agree, half of the human race are women and they should be fairly represented!

    Reply
  4. Vickie Newhouse Larson November 22, 2018

    Reme bet, in manyberas, women didn’t have an opportunity or men simply took the credit.

    Reply
  5. Ferne Fitzpatrick Carbo November 22, 2018

    I agree with Mark…get rid of the old ugly white men and make room for women, young blood and diversity…we will move America forward!!!!!!

    Reply
  6. Terence Voigt November 22, 2018

    I’ve been ready for a long time to give the ladies the leadership roll in all parts of the GOVERNMENT and the majority of the say in the direction of the country!!!
    The men have put this country and the planet in the toilet!!!

    Reply
  7. Shirley Hawkins November 23, 2018

    Agree

    Reply

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