Controversy

Some days I really wish I could spell. sigh.

Feminism: the doctrine advocating social, political and all other rights of woman equal to those of men; an organized movement for the attainment of such rights for women; feminine character.

Yesterday Stephanie aka The Yarn Harlot wrote about International Womans Day. And did her own salute to women. I thought it was a wonderful piece and wish I were so eloquent. I'm sure more than one person commented on it on Ravelry, but I only read one thread. Oh. My. The anger and disgust of some women. Really.

I'll ignore the ones who only wanted to say they don't like YH. Naw, not interested and wondered why they bothered to even read the thread.

I don't know that I'd exactly say that I was a feminist, because I tend to not like labels. I find sometimes they can be limiting. But I certainly do believe that women should have equal rights to men. And the same opportunities and the same pay for doing the same job. I also will say that there are some jobs that women should not try to do. Not because they can't do the job but because perhaps a man could do it more effectively. A woman can shoot a gun as good as a man can, sometimes better. They can be surgeons, lawyers, corporate CEOs. Anything. About the only thing a woman probably could not do as well as a man is carry me down a 20 story ladder. I get motion sick easy and wouldn't really want a man to do that either, but there you go. For 99% of the jobs, anyone properly trained can do anything they put they mind to.

Why do some women get so bent out of shape about this topic? There were women who stay home and raise their children and run their house defending their right to do that and saying we don't need feminists. Well, isn't that a right and ability feminists want? The ability and option to choose to stay home and raise your children and run your house? There were women arguing that we need to fight for the right to work and get equal pay and not be forced to stay at home and raise children. Hmmm, well, we can work (although not usually at equal pay) and there are a heck of a lot of men staying home now to raise their children because the wife is making a better salary, the husband got layed off, whatever the reason.

Has the free world changed so much that this is a non-issue anymore? Probably not, I still see a lot of unwilling repressed women around.

Does the fact that I color my hair, cut it short a few years ago, not because I was of "an age" but because I like not having to fool with it anymore, and have my nails done mean that I'm a traitor to the cause? Does the fact that my dad was a man ahead of his time discount the struggle?

So what do women want? What "secret" agenda are men plotting now?

Should we all join Danae's Benevolent Order of Superior Sisterhood in order to banish the scourge of stinky booger-brained boys?

Now THERE's something to think about.