Scurvy Wenches and Shameless Hussies
Calling the average woman a "shameless hussy" was considered a very bad thing in 1909, and it could still get you in trouble if Washington police enforced the existing law; however, that old statute does say it is OK to slander a "common prostitute" with such shocking labels as "wanton strumpet" and "scurvy wench."
The laws of Washington State decree that citizens, "Cannot use false or defamatory words or language which shall injure or impair the virtuous and chaste reputation of any woman over age 12."
The last time the criminal charge of slandering a woman was enforced out there was in 1914 when a Mattie Paysee was fined fifty dollars for saying bad things about another lady who apparently was not a "common prostitute." Now the burdensome restrictions against slandering a woman may be about to pass into history. Prostitutes won't be the only ones you can kick around anymore.
And why is this? Democratic Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles, an instructor at the University of Washington, says the old law violates the state and federal constitution, but more importantly it is a useless carryover from the days "when men put women on a pedestal - and then denied them their basic rights." What she is saying is, "Women have as much right to be called dirty nasty names as men do."
Alas! I feel this may be the ultimate liberal emancipation of American women by legislation. Sort of sad, but never-the-less, logical.
This action represented by Senate Bill 5148 at Olympia seems ironic to me.
About ten years ago while visiting Seattle, I was parked under those elevated railroad tracks on the waterfront where all the big ferries dock and there are those marvelous shops stacked upon each other up the steep hills. Returned to my car just in time to see a woman police officer telling a lone male in a sports car that he couldn't park where he wanted to park.
The mad dog exploded. Never, never in my life have I heard such filthy vehement cursing of a human by another. And it seemed like this slime mouth would never shut up. He was viciously screaming all the worst names and words in the language, insulting the woman officer with unbelievable slander on her personally, her fellow officers, and women in general. I found it unreal that the officer didn't call for a backup and try to arrest the guy,
At one point when he partly opened his car door, I thought he might be going to physically attack her, and I freed a gun from it's hidden compartment in my car. It was a scary situation and his vehicle had mine blocked from backing out.
After perhaps three minutes, the woman started backing away in the opposite direction the Wildman's car was facing and he roared away, burning rubber. Whether there was any follow-up police actions or citations issued I don't know, but the fact that woman would stand there and take that kind of abuse, perhaps because she had to, bothered me for weeks . . . and still does.
It doesn't help much knowing that all Washington women may soon lose what weak and nebulous protection they have. There were things not all that bad about the pedestal age. I feel it would help a little bit if we could bring back a nicer form of slander . . . like "scurvy wench, wanton strumpet, and shameless hussy."