I agree with Mary Simmons and would like to offer up a thought or two to
this list in order to begin new conversations or new thoughts.
On a daily basis I notice that there is a lack of "sisterhood" among
women. This lack of "sisterhood" makes it difficult for me to make
friends with other women, feel as an equal with other women or feel as
though I have support just by being a women. Maybe this is a rare
experience, but my intellect tells me that it is a general condition. Why
do women have this experience? Why, when I walk into a public place do I
feel disconnected and estranged from the women who surround me? Is it the
way they look me up and down and not in the eye. Is it their careful
consideration of my attractiveness and any perceived threat they
therefore attach to me. Is it this perceived threat that keeps women at a
distance from one another? Or is it that women find it hard to value
other women because of their own insecurities?
>From another dimension I have also viewed this phenomenon. Do men have
a similar experience and therefore could this phenomenon be a general
human condition? Do men feel disconnected, competitive or otherwise
estranged from one another? My suspicions tell me no. Men have a great
blessing in that they are "accepted" because of what they are. This does
not mean that they are unfailable, it only means that men have a support
system, a "club" to belong to even if they are failures. Failure may make
someone socially less appealing but, men still belong to that "club".
Why do men have a club and women do not? Well, as you are all conscious and
educated, you know that we live in a masculine society. In a masculine
society, anything masculine is elevated. Anything not
masculine therefore exists somewhere beneath masculinity.
Hurray for men they have created this network, this club where masculine is
superior. And, what have women been doing in the mean time? With much
struggling women are beginning to reunite, build feminine
networks, and feel a great strength rising up. This strength is called
togetherness I see this growing
strength in my peers and in my younger sister's generation. I see powerful
new
messages in movies and on T.V. (created by women), messages that are
telling of strength and
growth. We all need to take part in order to see things through, we need
to make our women's network, believe in each other's talents and support
even the strangest of strangers. We are women.
**If you have thoughts you would like to share with me personally please do
so off the list.**
-Jessica
On Mon, 26 Aug 1996, mary simmons wrote:
> We all probably understand where the two of you are coming from. I'd
> just like to ask both of you:
>
> Are either of you *learning* anything from your discourse?
>
> If so, have at it, off-list. If not, perhaps taking a look at your
> delivery may be illuminating. Jason, you do not convince anyone that
> your viewpoint is valid by saying "fuck off". Kylie, you do not convince
> anyone to listen to you by calling him names.
>
> That's all. We have a lot of work to do. The first place to start may
> be learning respectfull ways to speak to one another. Learn how to
> disagree without name calling or cursing each other.
>
> We can ALL do that.
>
> Mary
>
>
