Eric Heyl Hates Women

I’d like to know why the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review thought it was remotely acceptable to publish something as vile as this:

The ACLU seems to be attempting to alter that image. Its offerings at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center will include a ladies-only seminar teaching them how to organize a protest.

To most women, such a seminar probably wouldn’t have the same appeal as, say, a holistic facial at the day spa. But providing people with relaxed, radiant faces isn’t part of the ACLU’s mission.

It’s just a theory. But I think that before more women start attending the ACLU convention, more of them will have to be informed. …

Women likely won’t consider participating in public assemblies or speaking out against government policies if they are concerned that:

— Spending several hundred dollars on a protest permit might leave them without enough money to get the full treatment at that next visit to the day spa.

— Carrying a political pamphlet in a small purse would leave less room for more important items, such as lipstick or compact.

— The heavy clothing required to successfully protest outside in cooler weather would make them appear frumpy.

— Dirt and grass might stain the new Coach shoes they just bought at Macy’s.

— The printing press smell when the signs are printed could totally overwhelm the Chanel they’re wearing.

— Most sign poles come only in one boring color: wood.

— Spouting political opinions simply isn’t sexy.

Well, they did publish just such an attack, but I guess they deemed it acceptable since the right that Heyl mocks is the Second Amendment instead of the First. It’s also the NRA being attacked as opposed to the ACLU.

The reason I made changes to the column is to highlight that this isn’t about guns. This piece is flat out sexist against women who engage in any activity that doesn’t involve a mall and credit card. I thought we moved past those days back in 1950. It would seem the Tribune wants to bring those days back. Because how dare women get so uppity as to make serious decisions about things like political issues and personal issues such as self-defense.

There is no justification for this column. It has nothing to do with disagreement on the political issue, nor is it an examination of the gender participation in either the shooting sports or political field. It merely brushes across those topics in order to poorly disguise an attack on women.

For those would don’t share Heyl’s view that women are unable to occupy themselves beyond thinking about facials, lipstick, perfume, and clothes, you can email him at eheyl@tribweb.com or call him at 412-320-7857.

And shame on the gun store that participated in this load of bull – Anthony Arms & Accessories. Perhaps the reason the manager cites poor sales to women at his store is because he’s happy to paint a picture of the shooting sports as a man’s world, as evidenced by his attack on NRA as simply a boy’s club. I gave them the benefit of the doubt that perhaps the words were misconstrued, and they had no intention of working with such an anti-woman (and presumably anti-gun) columnist, but with no retraction on their website even after well over 12 hours of the story being live, it would appear they stand by their statements.

30 thoughts on “Eric Heyl Hates Women”

  1. You didn’t need to change a thing, I think. Anyone with half a brain would understand that the attack was completely sexist without a change in context to highlight that fact.

  2. I tried to email him, and my mail kicked back with “too many smtp requests”

    It was just a brief, “What were you thinking? Are you so biased against gun rights you are willing to appear a sexist moron? I hope the ladies of Pennsylvania take you to task for this nonsense.”

  3. I guess it did go through.

    Subject: Eric Heyl, Sexist bastard or so biased against gun rights as to be willing to appear one?

    What were you thinking?

    I hope the ladies of Pennsylvania, whatever their views on gun rights, publicly take you to task for this drivel.

    Matthew Carberry

    got this response

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Always nice to hear from my loyal Alaskan readers. You guys rock.
    Regards,
    Eric Heyl

    Looks like he was feeling a little attention deprived and I went and fed him.

  4. Hopefully the newspaper’s readers in that area can help the subscription fee bottom line feel a little deprived, too. If the editors believe it’s acceptable to run this kind of sexist rant just to get some attention, then they don’t deserve to be in business.

  5. In fairness to the owner of Anthony Arms, if I was asked why I thought there was such a gender gap I would likely say something similar.

    I am not overly enamored with Anthony Arms, but that has nothing to do with my gender. They do offer a Ladies Night where women shoot free (Tuesday nights I think).

    I think that having the option of the Woman specific magazine was a step in the right direction. The fact that they eliminated it is very frustrating to me. I know and understand that it was losing money rather than making it for the NRA. *sigh*

    I’d be interested in attending some of the Woman Only stuff, if it wasn’t so expensive. I’d consider a Rifle or Shotgun Instructor Women only course, but I’m not re-taking the Pistol Instructor Course. Do you know if there are any free events for Women Only?

  6. The person I’m contacting to register my disgust is Frank L. Craig – the editor of the Pittsburgh Tribune. His email is fcraig@tribweb.com . I think it is ultimately his responsibility for the trash that is published in his paper under his watch.

  7. Give the guy a break. He’s obviously still butthurt about how expensive the gun was that he had to buy to compensate for the size of his penis.

  8. That article was tasteless, misogynistic, condescending, and disrespectful.

    Amazes me how publications like this try to have it both ways. They want their articles to be seen by a wider audience, so they publish them on the net. But if any of that wider audience has a genuine complaint about the article, they’re summarily dismissed on the grounds that they’re beyond the traditional circulation range of the publication.

    Of all the old media, newspapers have IMHO been the most unsuccessful (and most unwilling) to adapt to the new reality, and I sincerely hope their subscription revenue suffers even further as a result of allowing this drivel to be printed.

  9. You folks obviously aren’t adept at recognizing satire, but I do thank you sincerely for reading. Peace out, people.

  10. No, Eric, it’s not satire. Satire would be if you exaggerated our beliefs. What you did was projection, where you lay your own beliefs on us.

  11. So satire is to mock. Who does this column mock? It’s not NRA or gun owners. It mocks women who dare express an opinion or interest outside of superficial topics such as fashion and makeup.

    The problem isn’t that we don’t recognize satire, it’s that we recognized your real target and find it appalling.

  12. I live in the Pittsburgh area. While I despise the fact that this article made it to publication, and I am embarrassed that this is how people see us now, I won’t comment too specifically on that.
    I will, instead, speak to the comment about Anthony Arms. I have used their indoor range in the past, and probably never will again. The store, and business as a whole, seems to have no interest in promoting firearms rights, or doing fair business. They treat customers poorly, their prices are exorbitant, and their attitudes are always ‘we’re better than you are’ despite the amount of knowledge or experience of any of their customers. Unfortunately there are very few ranges in the area, and theirs is the only one in the South Hills area that is open to the public. They have a virtual monopoly on the market, and they milk it for all they are worth. My shooting has suffered because of this, as I refuse to do business with them any longer.

  13. Right. Satire would have been, “these are the reasons the NRA has failed to attract women,” not, “these are the reasons women are too vacuous to use guns.”

  14. Hey, Eric, how does it feel being among the 25% who support gun control? Do you use an armored car when you leave the Upper East Side?

    As I posted at Third Power: here in the real America, unlike in your tiny, regressive area, an “outdoorsman” doesn’t mean someone who steps outside the nightclub to smoke a joint.

  15. kenno –

    Tiny regressive area? Upper East Side? The TribReview is the third-tier paper (there is no first tier paper) in/near Pittsburgh (Greensburg, really).

    Chances are Mr. Heyl thinks the Upper East Side is at the top of some hill on the Parkway before Monroeville. Farm reports and Dickie Mellon Scaife’s personal fortune are the only thing that keeps the paper alive.

  16. Breda,

    English majors and the rest of the liberal arts look down on J-school types, so that fits.

  17. It wasn’t satire, it was a cry for help. There are clubs available for men who want to be topped by strong women. Gun play is not common, mostly for the safety issue, but with negotiation, it can happen. Since he lives in Pittsburgh, he can go here

    http://pittsburghleather.org/ (probably NSFW)

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