The Message of "Rosie the Riveter"

Earlier this week, the woman, Geraldine Hoff Doyle, who inspired the iconic "Rosie the Riveter" World War II poster shown above died at the age of 86. From CNN:

The woman who inspired the famous World War II "We Can Do It!" poster has died.

Geraldine Hoff Doyle was just 17 when a United Press photographer captured her in 1942 working at a Michigan metal factory, wearing a red polka-dotted bandanna.

Her pretty face caught the eye of artist J. Howard Miller, who had been commissioned by the government to create a series of motivational posters for factory workers.

The face on the poster was Doyle's, but the powerful muscles were not, her daughter Stephanie Gregg of Eaton Rapids, Michigan, told The New York Times.

"She didn't have big, muscular arms," Gregg said in the Times' obituary. "She was 5-foot-10 and very slender. She was a glamour girl. The arched eyebrows, the beautiful lips, the shape of the face — that's her."

Doyle abandoned the factory job after just two weeks, worried that she might injure her hands and not be able to play cello anymore, according to the Washington Post. She took a job at a soda fountain, where she met her future husband.

That poster has come to represent female empowerment for many American women. However, I think its also a representation of American women stepping up to the plate when her country needs them. As you may be able to tell from my blogging "pen name", I'm a big fan of Molly Pitcher--the woman or women who carried water to soldiers fighting in the American Revolution. The true "Molly Pitcher" has been debated, but many historians believe to Mary Ludwig Hays to be "Molly Pitcher":

Some historians, however, believe that Molly Pitcher is really Mary Ludwig Hays, wife of John Hays. She enlisted in the Pennsylvania artillery in 1778, 2 years after her husband enlisted. During the heat soaked Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778, Mary tirelessly provided water to the fighting soldiers, earning her the nickname Molly Pitcher. When her husband could no longer fight due to heat stroke, Mary (Molly) took his place at the cannon. This battle proved to be a strategical victory for the Continental army as it showed that the informally-trained Continental army could hold their ground against the British army, and it was the last major battle in the northern theater. Two places at this battle site have since been deemed “Molly Pitcher Spring.” She would later receive recognition from General George Washington.

Molly Pitcher stepped up when she was needed to serve. Many women throughout history stepped up when America called them to do so, as many women did in World War II, as Doyle was depicted, to work in factories, act as wartime nurses, and the like. Women so often serve because of a sense of calling,because they have seen women who have come before them who have paved the way, and some serve and lead for both reasons.

You see it with women like Esther and Deborah of the Bible and Joan of Arc who followed a higher calling. You see it with women like "Molly Pitcher", Martha Washington, and Abigail Adams who were among the Founder Mothers of America, serving and leading in various ways. You see it with women who lead in the sciences like Marie Curie, who won a Nobel Prize in both chemistry and physics, and Rosalind Frankin, who was the woman who discovered the structure of DNA (although she was not appropriately credited). You see if with women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B.Anthony whose leadership would later give women the right to vote.

Although women have been involved in the political process for many years, the past few years have been extraordinary. In 2006, Nancy Pelosi was elected the first female speaker of the House. In 2008, Hillary came closer than any woman ever to winning a major party's nomination for the Presidency, and Sarah Palin came closer than any woman ever to winning the Vice Presidency.

Governor Palin has served and led both because she recognizes those who have gone before and because she does feel a certain calling to serve. After all, so often when the discussion of whether or not she will run in 2012 comes up, she discusses not in the terms of a candidacy, but a service. Governor Palin also so often recognizes those who have come before--speaking often of Anthony and Stanton, recognizing Hillary Clinton and Geraldine Ferraro when she was introduced as Senator McCain's running mate , and showering admiration on Margaret Thatcher.

Governor Palin also empowers women much in the same way the "Rosie the Riveter" poster does. The phrase seems simple: "We Can Do It!". However, it speaks volumes. Governor Palin doesn't see womenhood as victimhood. She sees that women are strong and capable. We may have obstacles to overcome in a sometimes unjust world, but we can see them as constructive challenges rather than hindrances. She is the complete antithesis to the Feminist Left who see women as victims and see babies conceived in less-than-ideal circumstances as undesirables. Governor Palin turns both tenets of the Feminist Left on their heads. Women are not victims, and they are strong enough to bring a child into this world, even if the situation is less-than-ideal.

The image of "Rosie the Riveter" show a woman who has rolled up her sleeve and is flexing her muscle--a depiction of work ethic. If the last few months have shown us anything, they have shown that Governor Palin is a woman who believe wholeheartedly in a strong work ethic. She devotes a whole chapter in latest book to work ethic. Every episode of her TV series has Governor Palin highlighting and praising the work ethic of so many of the Alaskan professions that have been profiled.

Governor Palin has certainly stepped up to the plate and has served as a voice of reason as Janne so eloquently wrote earlier this week. So many in America have seen her a voice that speaks for us. Regardless of any future political plans or accomplishments, Governor Palin has encapsulated the message of that poster--one of women's empowerment, self-determination, and strong work ethic.

May Geraldine Hoff Doyle rest in peace, and thank you for the message your image has voiced.

Bonnie Erbe Plays a Bad Hand against Governor Palin

It has become customary over the past two-plus years for "journalists" and columnists to play a number of dog-eared cards from their deck of memes, slights, and misconceptions about Governor Palin in their articles and columns. A syndicated editorial piece by Bonnie Erbe (who is no friend to strong, out spoken conservative women as Michelle Malkin can attest to) published this weekend plays several of these cards against Governor Palin, her book, and her potential run for the presidency. Erbe begins by mocking Governor Palin's star power and her straightforward approach. Then, she goes on to provide her own off base, biased, mocking summary of Governor Palin's newest book by playing the racist and anti-feminist cards and mocking Governor Palin's unabashed conservatism:

In it, she blasts feminists (after once having called herself one) and waves the flag of racial division. She blasts Democrats as Socialists, bullies Republicans for being too weak-kneed on budget items and dares to tread where no man (or woman) in the national political spotlight has had little-enough common sense to tread before.

Ms.Erbe must have read a different book than scores of Americans and I are reading, but like many of her "journalist" counterparts, Erbe feels that insinuating that any conservative who opposes the President on any aspect of his progressive agenda is a racist. My challenge to Erbe, David Frum, and Richard Cohen is to read pages 23-33 of America by Heart, and then attempt to say Governor Palin "waves the flag of racial division". In this particular section of the book, Governor Palin briefly outlines the history of America and race from the Constitutional convention to to the Civil War to the speeches of Martin Luther King Jr.. Governor Palin even praises candidate Obama's speech on race during the 2008 campaign. Governor Palin recognizes the errors of America's past while encouraging Americans to be unified around the exceptionalism that is America. When discussing academia's propensity to talk about slavery in light of America's birth, Governor Palin writes on pages 24-25:

It sometimes seems like slavery is all that liberal academia and the mainstream media wants to talk about when the topic is America's birth, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't acknowledge the contradiction that slavery represented to American principles. To do less is to denigrate the greatness of those principles. To love our country is to confront our history squarely and honestly. To love our fellow Americans is to admit that we have not always, as a nation, respected their God-given rights.

Governor Palin is definitely not waving a flag of "racial division"there, but instead a flag of American unity based upon a truthful understanding of our past and an optimistic outlook of our present and future.

Later in America by Heart, Governor Palin eschews the notion of liberal feminism based upon victimhood, big government, and pro-abortion stances. She does not bash feminism; she redefines it based upon the rugged individualism of the pioneering women of the West and the work of the earliest American women involved in American and Alaskan politics. Throughout the book, yes, Governor Palin does criticize liberal politicians and squishy Republicans. When the Democrats recent policies have resulted in trillions of dollars in new spending and greater government involvement in industries and Republicans behave more like liberals, then Governor Palin never hesitates to call a spade a spade.

Beyond the ideological cards, Erbe decides also to play the all-too-often used card of "polarization". Erbe references a recent CNN poll which shows Governor Palin to be unfavorable to the American people as a whole. Authors all too often ignore that many people are unfavorable of the caricature of Governor Palin that has been portrayed by the media, not the person herself. In August, I wrote something that still remains true today (with the exception of the fact that President Obama has maintained his negative double digit approval rating for more than 4 months now):

In spite of all the media attacks and frivolous ethics complaints levied at Governor Palin, and despite the misrepresentations of her stellar gubernatorial record over the past nearly two years, Governor Palin maintains a 44/47 favorable/unfavorable rating, a favorability index of -3, in the country. Contrast this with President Obama,whose approval index has stayed in the negative double digits for more than six weeks straight and for the vast majority of 2010 in spite of the fact that the President has a largely doting media supporting him. Despite what the media have done to support President Obama and trash Governor Palin, it seems that the country likes Governor Palin more than they approve of President Obama.

As Stacy recently highlighted, the polarization card is often played to marginalize Governor Palin. However, when Governor Palin is seen as more favorable than the President is seen approved, and the majority of American people see their views are more in line with Governor Palin's than President Obama's, the media (and the rest of us) have to ask themselves, who really is polarizing?

In addition to falsely stating that Governor Palin was disloyal to Senator McCain during the 2008 Presidential campaign and levying gratuitous knocks at Bristol Palin, Erbe closes her piece by playing a card often played by the likes of Meghan McCain:

The chaos never ends. And on one level her mastery of it is fascinating. Her ability to consume way more than her share of “ink” or media coverage is incredible as well. But as a stateswoman or seasoned politician there’s no there there.

The question for now is, has she become over-exposed? Will the media tire of her shortly? Will she just have to keep getting more and more outrageous to get attention?

I do not believe she could possibly win a general presidential election. But I also feel sorry for the Republican Party hierarchy because it will have absolutely no say in whether she runs for the nomination or not. Let us hope the media and the public tire of her increasingly predictable routine.

It is ironic how so often the likes of Bonnie Erbe and Meghan McCain complain about the amount of press Governor Palin receives by writing a editorial piece about Governor Palin themselves. Beyond that, Erbe attempts to diminish the Governor Palin as a purveyor of chaos who seeks to gain attention and as a tactless, wild woman of a politician who has no chance to win a Presidential election, but may very well defy the potential wishes of the anonymous hierarchy of the Republican party.

Governor Palin does not seek to gain attention for herself, but for a message that she has become the face of over the last two years: commonsense conservative ideas, clean, uncorrupted government, and a media that seeks to inform public opinion not give its own. Erbe is right. Governor Palin is not a seasoned politician; she is an experienced leader with character. She has twenty years of experience in politics. She has experience in the private and public sectors and involvement in negotiations between the private and public sectors. She has been a city council woman, mayor, oil and gas commissioner, governor, and vice presidential candidate. Stateswoman she is, contrary to Erbe's assertion. No one has endured such attacks on her family, herself, and her record of achievements as Governor Palin has, and yet has handled it with such grace. People with in her own party have repeatedly diminished and insulted her, yet she has always adhered to Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment with grace.

The unnamed GOP hierarchy may continue to feel threatened by her potential presidential run, but no other potential candidates adheres to the principles of the Republican party better than Governor Palin. Should she seek office, her "Big Tent" will have its stakes firmly driven into the foundation of those core values of the Republican party--limited government, strong national defense, and the sanctity of life. Why should Erbe be "concerned" that a potential Republican candidate adheres to the planks of the party platform better than the party leadership does?

Erbe and the rest of the columnists and "journalists" who attempt to play from their deck of cards against Govenror Palin could learn a lesson from Kenny Rogers in his song , "The Gambler", "you gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run". These "journalists" can choose to fold or walk away. They are playing with a bad hand.

(H/T Stacy and Dave C)

Crossposted here and here.