Modern Politics

Surely no problems would have arisen if Anne Hutchinson, “had attended to her household affairs, and such things as belong to women, and not gone out of her way and calling to meddle in such things as are proper for men, she had kept her wits, and might have improved then usefully and honorably in the place that God had set her,” (Barker-Benfield, 71). John Winthrop had no reason to persecute Anne Hutchinson. He only did because he was a sexist and he felt like a woman was threatening his perfect society of male superiority. It is not surprising that Winthrop felt threatened by Hutchinson because her outspokenness went against the ideal that women were silent and submissive to men, as mentioned, “Puritan government in America have additional support to the fathers’ authority in their families ‘because without assistance from them, it could not have begun to accomplish its task of enforcing the laws of God,’” (Barker-Benfield, 68). In Winthrop’s attempt to maintain power, it reminded me of modern day politicians. Now I’m not talking about every politician, but the few who have their personal interests ahead of the interests of the people who voted for them. There are corrupted politicians who would say anything, just as long as it could extend their time as an elected politician. They do not listen to the people, instead they listen to themselves and remove themselves from risks that could shorten or change their career paths. Like John Winthrop, they are afraid of change. They do not want change or anything new to come about in the world of politics because it could influence how people see them, their place in society, and most importantly, alter how they can use their power.