|  In
years to come, Christina Hoff Sommers will probably be recognized as
one of a handful of libertarian/conservative thinkers who helped build
a more sensible -- and freedom-minded -- brand of feminism.
A critic of "victimization feminists" who say that all men
oppress all women and that the only solution is government-mandated
equality, Sommers supports what she calls "equity feminism."
She defines it as "simply asking that women be given the same rights
as men."
Sommers is perhaps best known to the general public for two groundbreaking
books.
In 1994, she published Who Stole Feminism?, which rebutted
scare-mongering feminist "facts" about rape, self-esteem,
and domestic violence. Camille Paglia lauded the book for using "ingenious
detective work to unmask the shocking fraud and propaganda of establishment
feminism."
In 2001, Sommers published The War Against Boys, which argued
that boys, not girls, are being shortchanged by the educational system.
The New York Times named it a "Notable Book of the Year."
Sommers has written articles for The Chicago Tribune, The New Republic,
The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. Among
her published observations and opinions:
* On capitalism: "The free market [has] advanced the cause of women
by affording them unprecedented economic opportunities." -- FrontPageMagazine.com
(September 5, 2002)
* On natural rights: "When Thomas Jefferson wrote that all men
have the right to 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,' he
did not say, 'At least that is my opinion.' He declared it as an objective
truth." -- Imprimis (March 1998)
* On government-mandated comparable-worth programs: "Americans
have rightly rejected comparable worth as an unjust and unworkable socialist
policy." -- FrontPageMagazine.com (July 22, 2002)
* On the United States: "Instead of castigating the U.S. for being
sexist, [feminists should] acknowledge that American women are blessed
to live in a society that offers them genuine freedom and opportunity."
-- The Wall Street Journal (March 25, 2003)
Sommers, who has been quoted as describing herself as "a libertarian
and feminist," is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
Previously, she was an associate professor of philosophy at Clark University.
She is a member of the board of the Women's Freedom Network, and has
been a guest lecturer at the Cato Institute's Cato University Summer
Seminar.
-- Bill
Winter
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