Sometimes, you come across a story that seems silly on its face, but actually represents a bigger or more serious situation. Take the case of Barbara Boxer dressing down an Army General for calling her "ma'am" and not "Senator."
California Senator Barbara Boxer is a Senator. And if you don’t acknowledge it, she’ll demand you acknowledge it. Even if you’re a General in the United States Army.
My response is, why should a general, who obviously worked very hard to earn his title, not offer the same level of respect to a senator, who also worked hard for her title?
We could get into a heated discussion about who works hardest or what have you, but the point is, Boxer wasn't merely being bitchy when she asks to be addressed by the title she earned. She might just be more sensitive to the issue.
Echidne of the Snakes makes the point that probably escapes the notice of men, who think this is just much ado about nothing.
A woman of Boxer's age has had plenty of experiences of sitting in a room with other dignitaries, hearing how they are called by their last names while she's called Barbara. I'm absolutely certain of this. She has probably also had experiences where it seems that people are trying very hard not to use her proper title while using the proper titles of others in the room. Which reminds me to check what General Walsh called other Senators in the room. If he called them 'Sir' then 'Ma'am' is perhaps justified on the basis of military use. If he called them 'Senator' then not.
This is less of an issue for younger women (I'd say under 40), who have grown up being perceived as equals with men in every venture of life. After all, more women than men are entering law school, more women than men are entering medical school, and women are making greater strides in all areas of employment.
But as Echidne notes, if you're of a certain age, you've spent more than a little time proving you're as good as the men in a job. So, when you earned a title, you want the respect that goes with it.
Now, it's possible that the good General wasn't aware of Boxer's sensitivity to the subject. Or it could be that he didn't want to address her as "Senator." Or it could be that she was having a bad day and was cranky. But it doesn't make Boxer a bitch because she asked for the respect she's earned (whether you like the voters' decision or not).
This is the sort of tempest in a teapot that makes me wonder if minorities have the same reaction to, say, a racist joke. Experience does alter one's perspective.
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