High school sophomore Amy Myers, who is from New Jersey, has challenged Michele Bachmann to a debate:
Amy Myers, a high school sophomore from Cherry Valley, New Jersey, has thrown down the gauntlet, challenging the Minnesota Representative to a debate and public test on the constitution, U.S. history, and civics.
Why? Because not only has Bachmann made so many factually inaccurate statements about the Constitution and American history, but in a still-sexist society where women aren't yet adequately represented in Congress, and who are still subject to scrutiny above and beyond that of male politicians and candidates, Myers believes that Bachmann is giving women a bad name:
Myers says Bachmann's frequent errors, misstatements and distortions aren't just bad for civic discourse -- they're bad for women.
"Though politically expedient, incorrect comments cast a shadow on your person and by unfortunate proxy, both your supporters and detractors alike often generalize this shadow to women as a whole," Myers writes.
I want to take issue with the implication that one woman should be expected to represent all women (I'm not even sure that's really so much of an issue with Bachmann, actually; her critics think she's just plain nuts, in a way that doesn't require consideration of her gender, sort of like Glenn Beck), but I'd rather just applaud Myers for her awesomely-written letter, and although it'll be a cold day in hell before Bachmann ever agrees to this, I sure wish I could see it. Myers is clearly an intelligent young woman who would probably crush Bachmann in a debate about the Constitution in an instant.
Here's the letter Myers wrote to Representative Bachmann, from the City Pages article linked above:
