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Please read the whole thread, we are discussing women's right historically.
Then why dwell on the past if there are no rights TODAY that women don't have??
Not letting women do things like vote was wrong and simple-minded. Not believing that women can be just as effective in business as men was also ignorant and wrong. Women got together, fought the good fight and won. These are things of the past. I really don't know what rights your are fighting for today.
Discrimination is a individuals mind set. Only societys change. Women who were not "feminist" wanted to be protected by law and own land and vote and worked to give themselves an individual that right. Sacrifices in life and work are needed if you want to balance both. Finding balance is diffcult in the work force even for Men. The issues that stand before all people who have a career and family life find that many companies have changed it's view not because of feminists but because some companies found a good balance. But that is for you as an individual to decide what kind of company you will work for and if you dont like any of them start you own.
Obviously, they were feminists whether they were just fighting for themselves or all women, the process and result are the same.
Then why dwell on the past if there are no rights TODAY that women don't have??
Not letting women do things like vote was wrong and simple-minded. Not believing that women can be just as effective in business as men was also ignorant and wrong. Women got together, fought the good fight and won. These are things of the past. I really don't know what rights your are fighting for today.
No one said we were fighting for any particular rights today. I posed the original question because I wondered why the word feminist is viewed with such disdain. We were discussing the past in an appreciation for the work that past feminists have done to give women the rights they enjoy today. The purpose of equal rights is to level the playing field so the best person for any task can pursue it and achieve success w/o discrimination. All women should have the right to pursue their passion in life whatever it may be. Many women wish to focus their life on raising children and taking care of their family, others choose to pursue a career, and many choose to do both. These are all valid choices for a woman. The key to being a feminist is believing women have the right to make choices.
The point of the thread is to point out that a feminist is not necessarily an angry man hater. It simply means a person who understands that all people are entitled to be judged on their actual merits.
It should also be noted that equal rights are not enjoyed by women all over the world, we are fortunate in the Western world.
This is true, but that mentality is still there. Just check out the comments by Huck and Tex right here. There's a severe lack of respect and acknowledgement of any type of equality. The idea that women acting on their own behalf will prove the downfall of Western Society is ludicrous, alarming, and telling.
??
You aren't going to make a silk purse of a sow's ear. Legislation isn't going to make a neanderthal caveman accept that women and men should have equal opportunities. The most we can all hope for is a level playing field for all, regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation and so on. Evolution will take care of the kinds of attitudes to which you refer....
That is what has me wondering why people are convinced feminism is an outdated idea. I still feel a strong sense of tension between men and women. Sometimes it seems that men feel women wish to go beyond equality into superiority, or that some men really don't support equality, but feel PC pressure to keep that idea quiet.
I find many of the Hillary Clinton jokes telling that sexism is alive and well. She is a US senator and presidential candidate, she is a person deserving of respect, however one may feel about her politics. And before the comments start, a person can be a feminist and prefer another candidate. I'm simply making a social observation.
So what is there to be done? Actions speak louder than words....I think that you will never change the way a person thinks. This isn't the Matrix where we can program the way men think. We, as women, need to be supportive of each other and just keep pushing the envelope. The dinosaurs will be extinct. Oh, and the jokes are just that...jokes. People tell lots of jokes, being overly sensitive is exactly what the jokers want.
That is exactly what feminism is! Equal opportunities so the best person for any task can pursue that task without prejudice. It's not about being the same, if a job requires lifting heavy metal beams overhead, everyone has a right to apply for the job, but if it is found that a physically strong man is the best person for the job, he gets the job.
A "feminist' who thinks the woman should get the job do to a sort of affirmative action is wrong, that's not what feminism should be IMO. Along the same lines a man may be the best qualified for a job at a daycare center. We recognize individual differences.
Isn't that what I said a few posts back?? Anyway, I agree.
Because it shows clearly that you just don't understand what 'feminists' went through to get us where we are today. You get to take it all forgranted. That is disappointing.
I respect all the people who have fought for human rights...suffragettes/feminists, gay pride, underground railroad, us revolutionaries, etc., etc. I don't take any of our freedoms for granted, in fact, I think we have to be on guard as many of our personal freedoms seems to be under attack. I will continue to fight for those freedoms for all people, not just women or another smaller group.
There is still a lot of sexism in the US, but I feel it's best handled through civil discussion and educating our young people. Many young men are feminists although I'm sure they wouldn't call themselves that, they simply learned from their parents to respect women and desire an equal partner.
+rep from me and my sons who respect a woman for who she is. I'm raising my kids (boys and girls) to be equal partners and throw traditional sex roles out the window.
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