Pelosi’s poem vs. Jasmine’s “Speechless”—who has a better message for girls?

Women Wednesday

I have an 8-year-old daughter who’s been very curious about what’s going on with protests and the Supreme Court. It’s a hard, but important, discussion to have with someone who doesn’t really understand where babies come from (so to speak).

We’ve talked about how women should be able to decide for themselves how they want to live their own life, and if or when they want to have their own family. No men, or anyone else, should be able to keep them from making their own decisions. But the Supreme Court just said women can’t decide for themselves anymore, so that’s why people are out protesting and standing up for women’s rights.

As I was trying to think of something powerful and inspirational that could really reinforce for my daughter the idea that girls and women should stand up for their rights, two thoughts occurred to me.

1. Shouldn’t Nancy Pelosi be a good example to mention to our daughter? As much as I despise her politics, she is the first female Speaker of the House in history. Did she say something that could be inspirational?

2. My daughter loves cartoons, and recent ones often have positive messages for kids. I don’t like Disney at all for many reasons, but maybe there’s a cartoon that my daughter likes that would be a good example for girls and women to stand up for themselves?

And so I thought of the song “Speechless” from Aladdin. Aladdin is problematic for so many reasons (none of which having to do with Will Smith slapping Chris Rock), but the most recent version of it does have what sounded like an inspirational song. So I decided to look up the lyrics.

Nancy Pelosi, on the other hand, recently recited an arguably jingoistic poem by Ehud Manor about a man praising his country (Israel) even as the far-right government there was launching a war of occupation.

Here’s a video of “Speechless”, with lyrics, and a clip of Pelosi reacting to Roe v. Wade being overturned by reading a poem, so you can decide for yourself which would be better for a girl to listen to.

I’d say the message from the imaginary Disney princess definitely has a better, more inspirational message for girls for this moment in history — it’s actually about a woman speaking up for her own rights! — than what the first woman Speaker of the House and leader of the Democratic Party could come up with.

I won't be silenced
You can't keep me quiet
Won't tremble when you try it
All I know is I won't go speechless
Speechless

Let the storm in
I cannot be broken
No, I won't live unspoken
'Cause I know that I won't go speechless

[…] 'Cause I'll breathe
When they try to suffocate me
Don't you underestimate me
'Cause I know that I won't go speechless
All I know is I won't go speechless

Songwriters: Alan Menken / Benj Pasek / Justin Paul

Speechless lyrics © Walt Disney Music Company, Wonderland Music Co. Inc., Wonderland Music Company Inc., Wonderland Music Company Inc

Pelosi is supposedly fighting for women’s rights, but in addition to picking an arguably inappropriate poem, she and Biden are supporting an anti-abortion candidate (Cuellar) and Biden is now reportedly supporting a lifetime anti-abortion judicial nominee. If anything, Pelosi is actually a bad example for girls: apparently women’s rights aren’t fundamental for her — they’re just one of many politically negotiable things if it happens to be convenient for her.

Maybe Nancy Pelosi should listen to the song “Speechless” and decide that inspiring girls and women to stand up for themselves and fight back is more important than fundraising for November. My daughter and I listened to “Speechless” on repeat yesterday. We won’t be listening to Pelosi recite her poem, or her empty promises, any time soon.

At this time, girls need to know that they are important, they are strong, and they can and should stand up for themselves and their rights, no matter who is trying to tell them they can’t. We should not and cannot let six people on the Supreme Court have the last word and allow them to deny fundamental rights to over half of the population. The time to stand up, be brave, and speak out for what’s right is now.