Thoughts about feminism

in life •  7 years ago 


When I was a teenager, I was a bit of a scamp. I had a cousin who was like an older sister whom I would tease frequently especially as this was during the time that feminism was a very important topic in our society. My statements were not serious. I never questioned equality of the sexes because it was immaterial to me. Equality isn't how I thought about a person but how that person thought about him or herself.

I am not particularly pleased with the direction that our society has progressed since then. When I was at university, I was the last Chairman of our student government. I refused to be called a Chair but that is the term that each would have been called afterward. I did not think there was any dishonour for a person to be called a Chairwoman although to call a woman Madam Chairman was more appropriate because "man" does not mean a male in this word but is "derived from the Anglo Saxon term “mann” which simply referred to a human being, regardless of sex". Source. It is people's ignorance that has corrupted the use of similar words such as mankind.
I also encounter similar ignorance when creating a webpage for an school board and the committee objected to the use of Sex and wanted to substitute the word Gender. Sex in this context had nothing to do with the "pastime". This was at the time when "Gender" was taking on the greater role of a psychological meaning and less the grammatical meaning. If still annoys me when a word is appropriated and becomes verboten/taboo (etc). Take the word "gay" which originally meant lighthearted or cheerful, was appropriated to be used to designate a sexual preference and now the expression -they are so gay (meaning light hearted and joyful)- now is an insult but cannot be spoken because it is discriminatory.

Sorry I digressed.

Camille Paglia is a feminist whom I admire from the old school. She is not a woman who needed a safe space. My impression is that she would have kneed an attacker in his safe space.

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Very well said. Any time one side tries to denigrate or diminish the other due to whatever real or perceived tragedies or slights, it counts against the cause people are fighting for. Equality seems to be something many groups need to keep fighting for, but finding the way to do it without becoming the bullies or the bashers themselves is paramount. Not only for changing the ways things are, but to avoid becoming that which they rail against.

I also agree with you about the misappropriation of words. It's happening in our society in an ever increasing rate.

Thanks for the post!

Ah yes, I'm rather fond of her... as well as Christina Hoff-Sommers

I think you'll find a lot of decent men and women who believe in equality of the genders. It's when one side tries to tear one down to build the other up, that's where the problems lie. And both sides can work together to build each other up. Ideally, that's the best case scenario for everyone. Certain elements sure like to make it a pipe dream, though...

I have no interest in equality of the genders. Lots of women are smarter and/or more athletic and younger than I am ... also the same applies to men. Each person has their strengths and weaknesses. The genius is to fit people together so their strengths and weaknesses complement each other. What particularly bores me is as you say one side tries to tear down the other to build their own.
What would peoples' reaction be if this was a woman driving.