Mar 25, 2007 18:47
(Stolen from another LJ)
I saw a bumper sticker once that read, "Feminism - the Radical Belief that Women are People too!" Doesn't sound so bad. Women are people. We deserve equal protection under the law. We deserve equal pay for equal work. We deserve the right to vote, drive a car, show our faces in public without being completely veiled. But, is feminism in today's society merely the belief that women are people too? Now that we can vote and we can freely enjoy all the rights that men have (and even moreso), is there a need for the feminist movement? Radical feminists will say, "yes, until society is no longer a Patriarchy". I wonder what sort of world radical feminists envision. I see that there is a small number of your prolific, outspoken feminist movers and shakers in America who truly want gender equity. What they honestly envision is gender (obviously, female) superiority.
I was lurking on a message forum recently. Someone asked about "reverse sexism". Granted, there is no such thing as reverse sexism, as sexism is sexism regardless of who it is directed at. Same as racism. Several young feminists rallied together vehemently stating that it is impossible for women to be sexist against men. If men are being discriminated against because of their gender, that is simply their come-uppence for being sexist morons since the beginning of time. Here are some choice quotes from that thread:
~"I'm of the opinion that reverse sexism i.e. sexism towards men is totally ethical as it balances the sexism that women face. I'm sexist towards men and proud of it and I support anything that is sexist against men. I refuse to feel guilty about it."
~"Some of us who identify as feminists, such as myself, don't believe that sexism against men is possible, since a patriarchal society such as ours doesn't have the structures and institutions to support what is termed "reverse sexism".
Those were the two most extreme opinions expressed in that thread. Then we come to Linda Hirshman, by far the most nauseating elitist, sexist person whose op-eds I've had the displeasure of reading. A retired professor, Hirshman spends (or, wastes) her time trying to push the message that women who are college educated and successful simply must be in the workforce in order for Feminism to achieve its goals (in other words, breaking down the traditional family unit). She even goes so far as to state that Ph.D's "wiping butts" is "immoral". To quote her interview with Mindy Farabee of the LACityBeat:
"If you think about the sort of world this sort of mom-ism is offering, it's pretty horrifying. Ph.D.s who are wiping butts. I'm sort of surprised I'm the first person to get out there and say this is immoral."
Notice how Ms. Hirshman says nothing of the GED holding working-class woman who decides to "wipe butts". Know why? Because Hirshman is your typical, Elitist Lefty. Don't let the extreme Liberals fool you. They are not looking out for the interests of the common blue collar worker. Both the Donkey and the Elephant are making strides to completely eliminate the middle class in America. Let's face it, if there are only the wealthy and the poor then you have one group that will always be inferior to the other. How many poverty-stricken women do you know how are involved in feminist activism? Now, how many Ivy League college students do you know who are involved in feminist activism? How many of those women who head up the National Organization for Women (or NOW) grew up in poverty-stricken homes? Most of them came from prominent families, parents who were professors, doctors and lawyers. These privileged women are talking out both sides of their face when they claim women in America are so discriminated against and talk about the Glass Ceiling in the workplace. And they're all filthy rich. Something tells me that their aim is not focused on all women. Only the women who are well educated and successful. Basically they're acting in the interest of women who either will or already do make more money in a month than my husband does in a year, telling them if they are active enough in feminist politics they can make even more money.
Funny how feminists are interested in giving aide to poverty-stricken women in third-world countries all the while ignoring them here in America and targeting their message at the already wealthy. Basically, if you're a successful woman, get back into the corporate world and let some poor fool wipe your kid's butts for you.
Women who try and push the message of choice feminism, or "free to be what you want to be" are usually silenced by your more prominent feminist interest groups and labeled as "conservative" or "anti-feminism" because the choice feminists are the ones who actually do believe that women who want to should stay at home. According to your radical feminists, no woman should ever even want to stay at home, let alone do it. They claim the only way society will no longer be a Patriarchy is if women completely refuse to fill the feminine roles of traditional society -which is wife and mother above everything else. Here is a quote I found online, explaining why feminism is not doing any good:
"The problem is the way America raises its daughters...They are taught from a very yound[sic] age to help their mothers in the kitchen, to be nurturing towards their siblings, and eventually to support male athletes on high school fields as cheer-leaders...They are taught to be in the shadows, in a supportive role...never to be in the front taking lead..
Unless American family changes the way it riases[sic] its daughters, nothng will change."
Now, I don't have a daughter. I have a son and he helps me do chores. I am not grooming him for a life of being a stay-at-home dad. I'm grooming him to be a well-rounded individual. So, we see now the truth behind the radical feminist movement - knock down traditional child rearing and familial structure. Let me translate this for you, in Jenn-Speak:
"The only way we're going to eliminate rape and domestic violence in this country is if we tell our daughters that when they grow up they can tell their husband to throw a meal in the microwave, because cooking is bad. Don't ever cook for a man. Make him cook for himself, because we've been cooking for them since the beginning of time. Oh, and don't acknowledge your siblings. I'd better not ever catch you trying to change a diaper or give that baby a bottle, because that's a betrayal of feminism. Let your brother do that, because it's about time women refuse to take care of the baby. And you can't be a cheerleader. Why? Because that's showing you're submissive to a man. Don't ever help men. They can help themselves. Go join the football team instead. Don't ever support anyone, particularly the males. If you do have children, don't take care of the sons. That's just playing into the stereotypical role of being the woman who nurtures the male."
Does my statement sound silly? Trite? Over the top? Of course it does! Now, examine for yourselves the quotes radical feminists make about traditional female roles. They never encourage women who feel lead to follow the path of tradition. Instead they make women like that (like myself) feel ashamed, like we're liars for saying it's our calling. How could we possibly want to stay at home?
---------------------------------------------------
Now my comments about this article... I agree with it completely. I have a degree in Engineering.. I had the right to get this degree because of the Grandmas who marched to get equal rights for us Women. So we could Vote and not lose our properties when we married.
I love being a stay home homeschooling mom... and to all you radical feminists out there... GO TO HELL!!
I have the right to chose and I did. I am one of those ones that are proud to wipe the asses of my kids, and happy to be teaching my children, boys and girls that family comes first. PERIOD!
You all might not like the way the world is, you might think that men deserve whatever but you know what? That is my son, my cousin, my uncle and my husband that are those males.. and you hurt them with your radical shit and you get to deal with me...
A pissed off female who has no trouble kicking you in your I hate MEN asses.
So all of you who think like these radical feminism idiots... just remember something... we moms... are the ones that gave birth to the generation of females you are trying to brain wash...
and our Moms and Grandmoms are the ones that got you ... your RIGHTS .. to go to that college and be in that program that you are in.. to earn that PHD or Masters...
Remember... you might hate men.... but when you are in your late 40s and alone cause you had no children cause that would have been submissive to men.... I will be spoiling grandbabies and having the time of my life....
so KISS OFF!!
You radicial Feminists are HURTING women with your shit... so shut the hell up... and you know if you are rich enough to help the poor in 3rd world countries... why dont you try helping American women first?