The Opinion Blog

Engendering controversy

Friday's editorial criticizes Liz Gilland for making a comment that, instead of promoting gender equality in Horry County government, likely will serve to hinder it.

The Sun News has long encouraged local leaders to follow the established good-governance practice of conducting a search outside the county's borders for high level vacancies.

In that light, we applauded Horry County Council Chairwoman Liz Gilland's decision to support such a search to find the next county administrator - especially given her own previous statements that highly qualified candidates for the job are already at work in Horry County government.

Our applause, however, came to an abrupt end with her shocking comment that "As far as I'm concerned I would not vote for a woman. From experience, I've seen the difficulty a woman has with a council of all men and how difficult it is to chair a council of all men."

Sex-harassment training trumps academic freedom

Ripped from the wires ... A University of California professor explains why he refuses sexual harassment training even though the state insists that he have it:

By Alexander McPherson

Four years ago, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 1825 into law, requiring all California employers with more than 50 people to provide sexual harassment training for each of their employees. The University of California raised no objection and submitted to its authority.

But I didn't. I am a professor of molecular biology and biochemistry at the University of California, Irvine, and I have refused, on principle, to participate in the sexual harassment training that the state and my employers seem to think is so important.

Culture war flares up in Georgetown County

From the morning e-mail ... The Georgetown County GOP takes the Georgetown Democrats to task for their perceives support of same-sex marriage:

GEORGETOWN - A day after the Massachusetts legislature voted to repeal the state's 95 year old law preventing out of state gay and lesbian couples from marrying there, the Georgetown County Republican Party today blasted the county Democrat Party for advertising a website that promotes same-sex "marriage," a stand dramatically out of step with voters in a county and state in which 77 percent voted in favor of a 2006 state constitutional amendment protecting the definition of marriage as only between a man and woman.

Ms. Obama courts a key constituency: working women

From the afternoon e-mail ... The Obama campaign touts Michelle Obama's two-day working women listening tour in Michigan and Missouri -- both key swing states:

Chicago, IL  -- Michelle Obama visited with Michigan women Wednesday morning to hear about the challenges they face in juggling work and family commitments and keeping up with soaring costs and to discuss how Senator Obama's economic policies will provide real relief for women and families. Michelle has been hosting women's roundtables over the course of the campaign, helping to communicate Senator Obama's vision and share her perspective on his background and approach to making America more prosperous for everyone.

Michelle will meet with working women in Kansas City, Missouri on Thursday.

Hillary rejection infuriates women, bodes well for McCain

Ripped from the wires ... Froma Harrop explains why Barack Obama's nomination victory raises the hackles of white female Democrats -- and how that's good for John McCain:

By FROMA HARROP

The woman who shouted "McCain in '08'' at the Democratic rules committee [last weekend] was speaking for a multitude. After mounting for months, female anger over the choreographed dumping on Hillary Clinton and her supporters has exploded -- and party loyalty be damned. That the women are beginning to have a good time is an especially bad sign for Barack Obama's campaign.

"Obama will NOT get my vote, and one step more,'' Ellen Thorp, a 59-year-old flight attendant from Houston told me. "I have been a Democrat for 38 years. As of today, I am registering as an independent. Yee Haw!''

Calif. joins Mass. (for now) on same-sex marriage

Ripped from the wires ... In an editorial today, the San Jose Mercury News cheers the California Supreme Court's voiding Thursday of that state's same-sex marriage ban, on the ground it is unconstitutional. The newspaper also worries that a ballot initiative now in the works could overturn the ruling:

The California Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that marrying someone of your own choosing is a fundamental civil right that applies to all. Californians have cause to celebrate this landmark decision.

The legalizing of same-sex marriage is a historic advancement of equality that should not be reversed.

Opponents, who are on the verge of putting a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage on the ballot in November, should read the majority's well-reasoned opinion. The jurists based their decision not on personal, moral or religious beliefs, but on the obligation to protect individual rights.

Ease off on negative male stereotypes

Ripped from the wires ... Columnist Kathleen Parker argues that the Bad Dad show Fox TV is considering for broadcast is unfair to men and harmful to children. This article will appear on the Saturday Op-Ed Page.

By KATHLEEN PARKER

Of those everyone loves to hate, few can compete with the deadbeat dad for longevity.
How much do we hate him? While we're counting the ways, Fox TV may try to help America organize its contempt and put a face on this loathsome character.

"Bad Dads,'' redundant in these male-bashing times, is the name of a new reality show Fox is considering. While the network reviews the pilot, outraged fathers' advocates are trying to nip this bad seed before it buds.