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Twitter Is Roasting This Man Who Said Parents Aren't Teaching Their Daughters to Say 'No' the 'Right Way'

NewsPublished Aug 1, 2017
By Genny Glassman
couple holding hands will saletaniStock.com/Martin Dimitrov

If there's one thing moms love to hear, it's a childless man explaining how to raise daughters -- amirite, ladies? That's why when a Slate reporter recently tried to tell parents to teach kids about consent by instructing their daughters to firmly say "no" -- because "men sense women's willingness to yield" -- the Internet was appalled by this gross choice of words.

The controversy started when writer Will Saletan sent out a tweet he thought was a comment on what makes a "strong" woman.-placeholder
The controversy started when writer Will Saletan sent out a tweet he thought was a comment on what makes a "strong" woman.
saletan/Twitter

The controversy started when writer Will Saletan sent out a tweet he thought was a comment on what makes a "strong" woman.

The tweet was in response to a viral video of Representative Maxine Waters firmly shutting down comments made by Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin during a hearing on Thursday. Saletan intended to make a poignant connection between Waters's firm tone with Mnuchin and the broader issue of consent, but his tweet was a complete misfire.

The tweet drew sharp criticism because, as many pointed out, it shouldn't matter how women say it; no should always mean no.-placeholder
The tweet drew sharp criticism because, as many pointed out, it shouldn't matter how women say it; no should always mean no.
FakeEmily65/Twitter

The tweet drew sharp criticism because, as many pointed out, it shouldn't matter how women say it; no should always mean no.

It didn't take long for people to start tweeting out their own "advice" for talking about consent, including that it's a lesson for girls AND boys.-placeholder
It didn't take long for people to start tweeting out their own "advice" for talking about consent, including that it's a lesson for girls AND boys.
mk_rodgers/Twitter

It didn't take long for people to start tweeting out their own "advice" for talking about consent, including that it's a lesson for girls AND boys.

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IceBergMama/Twitter

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EbonyMcKenna/Twitter

Even with the criticism, Saletan did not back down from his initial tweet.-placeholder
Even with the criticism, Saletan did not back down from his initial tweet.
saletan/Twitter

Even with the criticism, Saletan did not back down from his initial tweet.

Instead, he doubled down on his argument and insisted that women and girls must ultimately be the ones who stop sexual assault.

More from CafeMom: 16 Moms Confess the Ways They've Totally Given Up on Being a 'Perfect' Parent

Pssst , Will, we already do that and it doesn't work.

As one person wrote, being assertive is not the issue.-placeholder
As one person wrote, being assertive is not the issue.
IceBergMama/Twitter

As one person wrote, being assertive is not the issue.

The issue is that we keep making the "correct procedure" that women have to perform in order to "protect themselves" more and more elaborate. We shouldn't be shaming our daughters about not being firm enough; we should be telling them -- and our sons -- that they are entitled to respect.

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