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Harry,
I find your phrase "you are caught in the narrow
view of the feminist movement" condescending in the extreme. Your other comments
about feminism show clearly that you have virtually no understanding of what the
women's movement and feminism is about.
I taught sociology and women's studies for 26 years
and I assure you that feminists do not want to fashion themselves after men.
They have had to do what they have had to do to gain even what power they now
have.
Let me tell you the bottom line for me. When infant
male babies are socialized, starting in the delivery room (where male babies are
handled VERY differently from female babies) the way females are and know, from
bith, that the highest calling there is in this world is raising children, then
we will begin to have a chance at some equality in this world.
I would be curious to know how much time you spent
with your children from the time they were born. You say your wife helped raise
them; I assume you were trying to be facetious unless you stayed home with the
kids or really did share equally in the work of raising them.
I have previously responded to the warped view of
women being superior and the nonsense about men having to protect women. Noone
responded at all to anything I had to say about the fact that physical strength
is irrelevant to protection in today's world, etc. etc.You just keep coming back
with the same blather.
In terms of advertising your ignorance, your
statement that you would love to see women treated equally but the situation now
is that they are better than equal, can't be beaten.
Selma
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, April 14, 2002 1:47
PM
Subject: Re: Fw: Women, men and
stress
Selma,
You said:
"I just find it very sad that you, and others like you,
cannot see women as adult persons just as capable of taking care of themselves
as are the males of the species."
"However, it is attitudes like yours that make it so very
difficult for women to be treated equally in the professions that have been
unfairly dominated by men for centuries . . . .
. . . . "
"It is also very sad to see what
pride you take in the myth that you are stronger and superior to the helpless
females you have to protect."
---------
Selma,
you are caught in the narrow view of the feminist movement. There is only one
way to think about femininity and any different point of view must be
antithetical.
I did not see women as other than adults capable of
taking care of themselves. I did say that men are equipped to handle
protection better than they. Also, it's not a myth that men are generally
stronger, faster, quicker to respond to danger, than women. It is
true.
I did not say that men were superior. In fact I said that women
were superior - that indeed they were civilization and that the job of men was
to protect them from harm.
Men are expendable - women are not.
I
would love to see women treated equally - but the situation now is that they
are already better than equal. It is completely true that men have opposed the
entry of women into the professions. I suggested in my earlier post that this
is perhaps because men are frightened of them.
However, I understand
that a majority of students pursuing law degrees are now women. I wish them
the best of luck, but am not hopeful of their future happiness.
But,
most jobs are not "professional". Most are relatively humdrum. So, millions of
women are pounding typewriters, or cleaning offices, or driving school buses.
Instead of applauding this, we should wonder why they have to do it rather
than do it voluntarily.
Of course mundane jobs are not their goal, as
it isn't for men. The leaders of the feminist movement had glamorous jobs and
implied that every woman should be magazine editors and suchlike. Just isn't
so.
It's been said that men live lives of quiet desperation. Welcome to
the club, ladies.
It seems to me that feminists have accepted male
positions and want to be like them, which is terrible. The male position isn't
all that good.
You said:
It might
be of interest to you to know that I am an 'oldie'. I'll be 74 years old in a
couple of months. I try not to let my age get in the way of seeing as clearly
as I can.
Good! But you're just a kid.
You
did apparently have 5 children. So did I.
My wife helped.
Harry
_______________________________________
Selma
wrote:
Hi
Harry,
I
just find it very sad that you, and others like you, cannot see women as
adult persons just as capable of taking care of themselves as are the males
of the species. I could present you with all the sociological arguments that
show that the reason you take care of the woman first has nothing at all to
do with biology and everything to do with culture and the socialization
process but I doubt it would impress you.
However, it is attitudes
like yours that make it so very difficult for women to be treated equally in
the professions that have been unfairly dominated by men for centuries and
that will continue to be dominated as long as you persist in holding on to
your antiquated ideas which, however, serve the purpose of sustaining
patriarchy, unless we can somehow force you to forego a few more of your
privieges.It is also very sad to see what pride you take in the myth that
you are stronger and superior to the helpless females you have to
protect.
It
might be of interest to you to know that I am an 'oldie'. I'll be 74 years
old in a couple of months. I try not to let my age get in the way of seeing
as clearly as I can.
With best regards,
Selma
******************************
Harry Pollard
Henry George School of LA
Box 655
Tujunga CA 91042
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Tel: (818) 352-4141
Fax: (818) 353-2242
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