Should Japan's Health Minister Step Down Following Remark?

[Marilyn]

Should Japan's Health Minister, Hakuo Yanagisawa, step down following his remark that women are, "birth giving machines" ?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/02/04/japan.politics.reut/index.html

[Janet]

I didn't think the article explained it very well. I know we all say things off the top of our heads and wish we could take them back. If this is truly what happened, then he should be able to keep his position, but if he meant it...he should be thrown in a room with a bunch of women!!!!

[Tink]

While I may not agree with what he said, I am really fed up with this insane "political correctness" that's being forced down everyones throats. It is pushed to a degree that we aren't allowed to speak our minds because anything you say could offend someone somewhere. I see no point in being cruel to anyone, yet I resent that everyone's expected to censor themselves.

The man IS in a public position and is held to a higher standard, but even so, vote him out next election if you don't like what he's about. Provided he does his job well, I don't see why he should be fired.

[Marilyn]

I agree, they did not give us enough information to make a truly informed decision, and I also believe that we should not always be politically correct. We cannot believe in free speech and be ready to throw someone out of office because they exercised their right to say what they like. If we are always politically correct we cannot express our true convictions, because I can tell you, my convictions are not all politically correct. Please don't take that the wrong way. I'm thinking of religious convictions, not prejudicial, racial convictions. God judges the heart, not the skin.