NOT IN THE NAME OF FRAILTY

SHAKESPEARE, THE GREAT ENGLISH PLAYWRIGHT, COULD NOT HAVE BEEN SERIOUS WHEN HE AVERRED: "FRAILTY, THY NAME IS WOMAN." I CONTEND EXPOSING MY GREAT, POLITICAL INCORRECTNESS, THAT WOMEN ARE TOUGH AS NAILS, AND NAILS, WHEN POUNDED INTO THEIR TARGETS, CAN SMART. THE MODERN MS. IS NOT FOR ME. I DISMISS OUT-OF-HAND, A WOMAN WHO RETAINS HER MAIDEN NAME AFTER MARRIAGE; THE HYPHENATED TITLE IS A DEAD GIVEAWAY FOR A FEMINIST, A LIBERAL, OR BOTH. WOMEN WHO 'ROCK THE CRADLE' AND ONE WHO DOESN'T, OPRAH WINFREY, SHAPE PUBLIC OPINION AND DICTATE CULTURAL TASTES, BUT RARELY SHARE POWER. A WOMAN WHO CHOOSES TO BE REFERRED TO AS MS. EVEN THOUGH MARRIED AND WHO HAS NOT TAKEN HER HUSBAND'S NAME, SENDS OUT A LOUD SIGNAL OF DANGEROUS INDEPENDENCE.

WOULD THAT ONE EMANCIPATED REPRESENTATIVE WERE FRAIL - SENATOR HELLARY(NO TYPO ERROR) RODHAM CLINTON. SHE LIES AND PANDERS TO HER CHOSEN AUDIENCES WITH FACILENESS. HER LATEST EXAMPLE WAS AT A GATHERING OF THE SOJOURNERS' COVENANT WHERE SHE CLAIMED THAT SHE LEARNED IMPORTANT LESSONS ABOUT VALUES WHEN SHE ATTENDED SUNDAY SCHOOL AS A CHILD. WHILE THERE, SHE BABY-SAT FOR CHILDREN OF MIGRANT WORKERS. HER FETCHING, HEARTFELT TALE IS UNBECOMING. IT IS AS TRANSPARENT AS THE AIR THAT SHE TESTS WITH HER FINGER TO DETERMINE WHAT POLITICAL POSITION SHE WILL TAKE AND WHAT SPEECH SHE WILL DELIVER.

WOMEN PUT MEN IN JAIL WHEN THEY ALLEGE RAPES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ABUSE AND IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES. THEIR LAZINESS (NOT FRAILTY) FORCES MEN, BY DEFAULT, TO PERFORM AN UNFAIR AMOUNT OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WORK BOTH IN THE HOUSE AND THE WORKPLACE. THEIRS IS THE POWER OF THE COURTS, THE GLORY OF SINGLE MOTHERHOOD AND THE SHAME OF CHILD ABANDONMENT AS THEY DRIVE OFF TO WORK FOR ‘THE MONEY.' THE SPHERE OF EMOTIONALITY INTO WHICH THEY WERE CAST AFTER LEAVING EDEN USUALLY SPELLS TROUBLE FOR STRONG, SILENT MEN. WOMEN ARE FRAIL ONLY IN SO MUCH AS THEY LACK THE INNER STRENGTH TO REJECT FASHIONABLE FLIP-FLOPS, REVEALING CLOTHES AND EGOTISTICAL SELF-INDULGENCES.

SHAKESPEARE ALSO CREATED ROLES IN SOME OF HIS PLAYS FOR INDEPENDENT WOMEN, BUT HE WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE THEIR COUNTERPARTS TODAY.