Yes, it's generic and hot topic right now. Frankly I want the whole ugly thing to be done with. The problem with big amounts of publicity at once is you get a fierce backlash of people against your belief, or people with extremist views. It's a remarkable symbolism actually, or becoming one, for the stereotype and the hideous connotations people have developed between Islam and terrorism. Very quickly people have taken a disliking to the feminist media out there because it's been so frequent recently. Strong views on anything are nasty and often destructive.
I am sat absolutely on the fence. I am not against anyone's right to believe in whatever the hell they like. Whilst I find many religions bizarre and narrow-minded, I also know that in the same way I have a crazy half belief in ghosts - equally something unproven and supernatural. Who am I to judge?
However, my beliefs are this:
1. Men and women should be equal
2. Strong promotion for either side benefits no one
3. Revenge is powerless
Yes, men and women should be equal. No, women have not held an esteemed place in our history. Delightfully put in History Boys, 'History is women, following behind with a bucket.' We had a past with little input. However, our main way of expression was through dress in those days, and now we have become liberated to wear whatever we like, in a way men still aren't accepted to.
There may be little problems in England with feminism, but the bigger picture is that not long ago a bus of school girls was blown up for wanting education. It might sound very gap year and rah rah rah, but after you've seen the outside world, sometimes the indulgence and selfishness of the issues we complain about pains you. It's disgusting how we groan around about little problems when on the same planet there are people with actual problems, and a huge fat smile on their faces.
Yet fighting talk like that does nothing. I have learnt that whilst angry manipulative and persuasive words may create a larger support, it also creates an equally hungry opposition. And in the end, it will make no lasting changes. Revenge is not power, as I said above.
I saw an article today where people who had been publicly racist on social media, had an out cry of protesters who managed to get most of them fired. That, I don't have a huge problem with. Perhaps they will learn. However, some comments posted were saying 'end her life' and such like. What's the point? No progress comes from extremism.
Yesterday I got on a bus with my friends. Accidentally, we skipped the queue, as we were checking the time table at the front and then got on thinking that because we had return tickets it wouldn't be a problem to get on whilst other people were boarding at the same time. There was plenty of seating. A middle aged man got on the bus and had a massive go at my Italian friend, her barely understanding him. I thought to myself, he must be in his 50s, surely he has done something in his life worse than skipping a bus queue.
Not sure how I got there... anyway. I just think we should have more urrm... understanding for each other...
What stemmed this post was a duo of articles I read online just now. You will find the link for the other quite clearly within the below post:
http://thoughtcatalog.com/anonymous/2014/11/to-the-mother-who-cant-support-feminism-while-raising-her-sons/
Don't get me wrong, I had major problems with her attitude in the first article, but the second I felt was much more venomous, and ironically, ignorant.
Two main problems with her argument:
"men are NEVER oppressed based on their sexuality or their ability to speak their mind!"
This is a massive generalisation, completely defeats the point of her argument. Perhaps it's because I am a strong woman who does stand up for myself, or perhaps it's because somebody close to me has suffered the onslaught of physical violence from a woman in their lifetime, that I am skeptical and defensive for men. Either way, I'm pretty sure I've insulted many men in my lifetime on exactly these points. This does happen, there is just no voice for the opposition, because men, GENERALLY, don't really take it to heart as much as we do. No voice apart from me, obviously.
"you can just tell them to follow suit as women have been suppressing their identities for centuries to compliment that masculinity"
Nothing good comes from revenge. I'll say it again. A few years back we had a South African choir come to stay with us, and the conductor, who was white, said to mum that he was just starting to feel nervous about being a white person in South Africa. The backlash is not positive. Let's not blame a generation of men for something they had no part in, in the way we wouldn't be so transparent as to view all German people as Nazis. Why is there one rule for one?
One thing I considered today, some extreme feminists complain a lot about how unfair maternity leave is, and how it affects their career. And yet women are very likely to gain full custody over their child when it all goes wrong. Is that equality too?
