How to tell if you are a woman
Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson could not define the word "woman" while under questioning recently from Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.). This led Blackburn to quote the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's majority opinion in U.S. v. Virginia: "Supposed inherent differences are no longer accepted as a ground for race or national origin classifications. Physical differences, between men and women, however, are enduring. The two sexes are not fungible. A community made up exclusively of one sex is different from a community composed of both." After reciting this, Blackburn asked Jackson, "Do you agree with Justice Ginsburg that there are physical differences between men and women that are enduring?"
Jackson — clearly struggling with this eternal puzzler — replied: "Um, senator, respectfully, I am not familiar with that particular quote or case, so it's hard for me to comment."
Blackburn then asked Jackson, "Can you provide a definition for the word 'woman'?"
To this, Jackson responded, "Can I provide a definition? No. I can't."
Blackburn: "You can't?"
Jackson: "Not in this context. I'm not a biologist."
This is as if Jackson had been asked if she could provide a definition for the word "tractor" and answered: "No. I'm not a farmer." Or if she had been queried, "Can you give us a definition for the word 'pants'?" and replied: "No. I'm not in the apparel industry."
Worse, actually, because Jackson is a woman. This, as President Biden himself stated, is one of the two main reasons why she was nominated.
In the interest of comity and clarity, I hereby offer several clues that you are likely a woman:
*You possess breasts and a vagina
*You urinate while sitting down
*You have given birth
*You like to shop at Target
*You watch the Hallmark Channel frequently
*You have been hit on by Bill Clinton
*You know the difference between écru and beige
*You often use the term "patriarchy"
Just kidding about a couple of those, ladies. But seriously, as I've often stated, if we get to the point where we can no longer determine what a man or a woman is, we are not long for this world.
Rather than face that conclusion, we should return to Genesis: "Male and female He created them."
That we can no longer recognize this first — and most basic — of all facts does not render it less true.
Image via Libreshot.