By Mary Fahnestock-Thomas, Hamilton
I’ve arrived! Here in the “Star,” on February 19th, I was called a “Feminazi” because of my “hokey” hyphenated last name. There are several reasons for the hyphen, but the only one of real significance is that almost 36 years ago, when I asked my prospective husband, Robert Thomas, how he felt about it, he replied that he was looking forward to being married to Mary Fahnestock, not Mary Thomas. Similarly, when I asked if he minds that I prefer to wear my hair very short, he said, “It’s your hair.” That’s a man I can love, respect, and share my life with.
As for the term itself, it must have been invented by a man or men who were afraid of intelligent, strong-minded women and of losing their patriarchal power. “Nazi” has come to mean someone who is racist (sexist?) and authoritarian, as in power-hungry. Surely that suits our current administration more than yours truly. Such labels and name-calling are tools of last resort aimed at avoiding any discussion one is afraid of losing.
The same short letter pointed out that our current president is not a politician, like Mr. Smith in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” as I had suggested, but a businessman, implying, I think, that he is attuned to the economy, not to the tricky world of politics. Really? How far apart are those two worlds when the sole focus is self-aggrandizement, of which he is an outstanding example?
Which brings me to our American fascination with outlaws, gangsters, con men, and crooks in general, such as Butch Cassidy, Bonnie and Clyde, Jessie James, Billy the Kid, Al Capone, the Godfather, Roger Stone, and (dare I say it?) our current president, who makes a specialty of flouting both honorable traditions and the laws that are supposed to help us all live together honorably and constructively in this democratic republic.
Are we fascinated because they get away with so much? Until they don’t? Ultimately what they get away with is money and/or power, and I just don’t see how that benefits you and me in our day-to-day world — except perhaps by distracting us from focusing on day-to-day problems that they can’t or won’t help us fix.
So I have a sign in my yard showing an American flag underlined by the statement “HONESTY MATTERS,” because I think it does. The idea came from someone in Granite County, and I had 10 made so that I can share with anyone who wants to stand up and agree. I still have a couple in case you know me and would like one. And if you decide to have your own made, perhaps even to share, bigskypromotions@gmail.com can help you.
Whether I agree with them or not, I am grateful to this paper and to the people who write letters to the editor, because we are, I believe, standing up and trying to be honest in public, which is more than can be said for many of our “leaders” right now.