Beauty or Brains? Why not Beauty AND Brains?

In the speech given on election night, President Obama said "Sasha and Malia, before our very eyes, you're growing up to become two strong, smart, beautiful young women, just like your mom, and I'm so proud of you."  As a daddy's girl, I can tell you that probably made their little hearts smile.

Alice Robb of The Oxonian Glabalist (which I've never heard of, by the way) felt that it was inappropriate for him to use the word "beautiful."  Read her reasoning behind this here.

Seriously, people, let's be real.  While I understand that placing too much importance on physical appearance isn't a good thing, looks do matter.  Actually, let's back up. He called them strong, smart, and beautiful.  He mentioned strength and intelligence before their beauty.  Maybe that was his way of emphasizing that the latter was not as important.  But why should little girls feel that they have to be smart OR pretty?  Why can't she have dreams of being a lawyer, physician, veterinarian, astronaut, or even the president, while at the same time thinking that she is beautiful? While I believe everyone needs to have more than just good looks, I don't think that telling someone that they have to choose between brains and beauty is just plain old stupid.

Robb says that the president's words "stung." First of all, he wasn't talking to her so fuck her feelings.  Second of all, with so many absentee fathers in the world, how dare anyone criticize this man for praising his daughters? They ARE beautiful.  And I assume with FLOTUS as a role model they are definitely strong and with two highly educated parents I know they are smart.  I just don't see what was wrong with this and why this woman feels like he should have left their looks out of it.  Those girls are gorgeous and there is nothing wrong with their father saying so! Some people need to get a life.

More Proof that This Country Doesn't Value its Woman...

The most horrifying thing I saw this Halloween wasn't a movie or costume, but a graphic about men who rape women suing for parental rights. I thought to myself "surely this is not for real."  But apparently it's true.  If a man rapes you and you become pregnant, he can sue for parental rights and visitation or even shared custody. *Insert slow blink*

That is scary as fuck to me.  I can't imagine what being raped does to you emotionally.  Then to have to deal with becoming pregnant by your rapist, and having to see him when you drop your child off for visitation, seeing him at your child's school plays, etc.  I'm sure that would be agonizing and the fact that this is even a possibility in this country is further evidence that women are undervalued here in the "great" USA.

I decided to go to Google to see what else I could find on the subject.  I found this article on CNN.  Listening to this woman talk about the emotions involved after her rape and conception of her daughter was hard for me.  My heart definitely goes out to any woman in this situation and I pray that our justice system will change these laws.