WHEN is a terrorist not a terrorist?
Apparently when his mammy says he's not. Such is the power of mum-led narrative that, when we talk about Gary McKinnon, who this week dodged extradition to the US by the skin of his teeth, we talk about a hapless UFO hunter while glossing over the smaller details. Such as America's claim he hacked into 97 US military and NASA computers between 2001 and 2002, closed down the US Army's Military District of Washington network of 2000 computers, and deleted weapons logs that stopped the supply of munitions to the US Navy's Atlantic Fleet shortly after the 9/11 attacks.
While looking for UFOs, his mum admits, he also helpfully pointed out flaws in US security systems by leaving instructive messages: "Your security is crap" and "US foreign policy is akin to Government-sponsored terrorism these days," but they were just "throwaway remarks," she clarified.
Whether he did or he didn't is not for the likes of me to decide but it's telling that campaigning by a woman with no more claim to authority than the title "mother" has skewed the debate so fully. Think modern mother, think battalion of Cath Kidston-kitted battleaxes, baking and knitting and opining on matters they view through a reductive prism of self-bestowed privilege...why? Because they feel reinforced by childbirth and infused with authority absorbed from reigning over their wee ones. The ones who start sentences with: "As a mother..." I'm looking at you, Mumsnet.
Politicians need to play to the female vote so they latch onto the most easily homogenised whole and defer to it as a means of being "in touch" with women. The Tories quiver before mothers, reminded of their childhood nanny, fashioned from well-padded iron. Mumsnet, the parenting website, cemented the deal in 2010 when it became a party political battleground with Labour and the Tories both advertising on the site. It has countless times been canvassed for opinion, backed or lambasted government decisions and why? Because it's made up of mums.
Don't get me wrong, I love mothers. I have a fine one myself. But when did "mother" become shorthand for "expert on domestic and foreign policy, morality powerhouse and top boss"? Being a mum is important; it is not a qualification.
Louise Mensch, ex-MP and feminism's embarrassing auntie, played the mum trump card to fabulous, smug effect. Remember her grandstanding at a select committee hearing because she had to leave to pick up her kids? And, in the end, quitting politics for the sake of her children. Motherhood is the political equivalent of the perfect murder; it's unarguable, it's unimpeachable. "I'm doing it for my children," the ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card.
I am all for making female voices audible, particularly at a time when the sexism debate has resurfaced and should be held, but women who have reproduced are not the only women worth listening to. Accepting the mother trump card sends out the message that only women who are mothers care or can care.
Frankly, I'd rather have a barren but clear-eyed cynic on my side. Let's face it: mother does not always know best.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article