Well, imagine
that.
It turns out that judges with daughters are more likely to vote in favor of women’s rights than ones with only sons. The effect, a new study found, is most pronounced among male judges appointed by Republican presidents, like Chief Justice Rehnquist.
Yes, actual real-world experiences with plaintiffs or criminal defendants that come before the court, has a tendency to open the eyes of your ivory-towered conservative jurist.
Which is why soon, we'll have a new kind of
exposure (well, an ancient one to be honest) encouraged by individuals at ironically labeled conservative think tanks.
[cross-posted at
Firedoglake]
Rising Hegemon
3 comments:
And not just on women issues either.
In the late 90's Sen. Pete Domenici sponsored the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 requiring group insurance plans to cover mental illnesses the same way as physical ones - because one of his daughters has schizophrenia. Congressman Dan Burton didn't give a damn about autism, until his grandson was diagnosed with it. Senator Rob Portman, finally supported gay marriage after his son came out as gay. Same with Laura Ingraham when her brother came out as gay.
When it hits you, or your family, THEN it's a big deal and everything changes.
So a bit of empirically measured confirmation of the idea that conservatives have no imagination - many of them literally seem to be incapable of "putting themselves into someone else's shoes" and imagining what life for them must be like. But if they have life experience similar to yours, then they can empathize.
Or at least imagine themselves in the same position and empathize with themselves I guess. Maybe it's a combination of lack of imagination and pure selfishness?
it amazes me that wives + mothers don't matter.
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