Real Women Correct the Culture

Photo from George Mason University School of Law website

Good Christian women are incorrectly stereotyped to be passive, internally-focused, cookie-baking volunteers. In reality Christian female role models identify problems in the culture and take action to change them. Some transform the culture in the noble profession of raising children and modeling exceptional marriages. Others convert through career excellence. Some blend both. Or some, like Helen Alvaré, Associate Professor of Law at George Mason University, set the record straight in cyberspace warning politicians not to incorrectly pigeon-hole real women as bending pro-choice.

Raymond Arroyo, host of EWTN’s “The World Over”, interviewed Helen to discuss the latter’s open letter to President Obama, Secretary Sebelius, and Members of Congress about recent actions concerning health care. The letter Helen conceived with her neighbor Kim Daniel, Former Counsel at the Thomas Moore Law Center, was signed by over 25,000 like-minded women. The letter is a response to pro-choice activist and law school student Sandra Fluke’s testimony that buying contraceptives causes hardship. Ms. Fluke questioned why the government or her Catholic law school–Georgetown– doesn’t pay for artificial contraception.

The real committee did not approve Ms. Fluke’s testimony. She was a last minute substitute, there was not adequate time to vet her. For publicity, she spoke in a mock hearing. In addition to the number of hypocrisies in Ms. Fluke’s testimony– including having money to attend a private post-graduate university, but not the $15 monthly fee for optional artificial contraceptive medications–Ms. Alvaré was most disturbed by the underlying assumption that sex outside of marriage was good for women.

Implying to young women that multiple sex partners with varying degrees of commitment is a rite of passage into adulthood is a grave disservice. Seeing women in their twenties who subscribe to the “Sex in the City” script of what it means to be a woman, witnessing their mistakes in finding the love and acceptance they yearn for make me want to shake people like Ms. Fluke and others that feed the lies.

It is so refreshing to see a woman like Ms. Alvaré who uses her power to model for our sisters how real women live and act.

Catholic Women’s Guide to Healthy Relationship Tip: Be public in steps you take to change the culture. An option would be to view Helen’s letter and, if appropriate, sign it.