Jan 13 2013
I’m EVERY #Woman!
I’m Every Woman!
“All that’s necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world, is for enough good men to do nothing” – Edmund Burke
I was speaking with a dear friend a number of months ago, where she recounted for me a series of demeaning and disappointing recent events she was subjected to, at her husband’s company’s golf outing. Apparently, one of the male participants thought it was humorous and appropriate when it was his time to tee-off, to put down a mock pair of women’s legs, spread, with the tee placed squarely in its place (this won’t take much imagination!). When our friend approached her husband and expressed her disgust, she was told, “Please don’t say anything, I have to work with these people.” If he thought about his priorities and self-serving stance, he might have realized that what he in effect was saying was, “my reputation at work, how I’m viewed by these people I share 40 hours a week with, is more important than how you view me and the health and future of our relationship. Get over it!”
What a lose/lose position to have taken. On the one hand, his fellow employees of both genders, now know publicly how shallow and cowardly he can be when it comes to matters of “defending” his wife’s dignity specifically, and that of #women everywhere generally, including his daughters. On the other hand, insofar as the future of their relationship – he had made another huge withdrawal from his wife’s emotional bank account, apparently amongst several others.
It’s this indifference, this laissez-faire attitude, mostly on the part of men, that when taken to excess, led to the torture and death of between three and five million women during a period known as “the HOLY Inquisition.” It was its own Holocaust! Hidden behind the notion that it was based and fostered on a defense of church dogma, was an insidious, yet more powerful attempt to diminish the role of women, to silence them, to bring them in line and under the control of the male gender. This was a period when “the #egos of men,” went unabated and were insatiable in their appetite for power – relegating women solely, to the roles of having children and those of a domestic. Beyond that, their lives had no value. It was “#a war on women” (sound familiar?), a period when the world became severely unbalanced, because of the lopsided male-driven, male-dominated civilization that was being promulgated. The essential differing qualities and characteristics of “the female,” a foundational component of #DIVINE DESIGN, were being exterminated. It was misogyny on steroids! There was no separation whatsoever, between #church and state. The church was all-knowing (and through its field operatives, all-seeing).
Could this ever happen again? IT IS – RIGHT NOW!!!
After a long period of relative dormancy, “the egos of men” have awoken, and are using what it found to work so successfully in years gone by – religion. Just look anywhere in our world where women are being denied equality. You’ll find at the heart of that culture, an existing or emerging extremist ideology – all being led by, you got it – men. Whether it’s coining #rape as just another form of conception, or legitimizing it as opposed to its relative – the illegitimate cousin, whether a women’s right to choose should be revoked or allowed in certain cases or not, to considerations for the imprisonment of those who violate “#G-D’s will (read man’s will). All are being headed by men – men who can’t possibly understand the multitude of issues associated with womanhood, and more so, pregnancy. I’m not staking a personal position here. Rather, I’m stating unequivocally, that G-D gave us #freedom of choice – in everything, and that freedom is not to be revoked by any government - or any man! Which leads me to ask a question:
When it comes to #women’s healthcare and reproductive decisions – why do men get a vote?
While the foundation of this post focuses on the dignity and rights of women everywhere, it’s perhaps even more, a “call” to men of all cultures and faiths. A challenge to stand for the equality of our sisters in the face of mounting opposition, headed by an adversary from time immemorial, “the egos of men.” The essential balance of our world and the civilization our children and grand-children inherit, all depends on this generation – on us! So we all have a #choice. We can turn a “blind-eye” to the injustices, the inequities we are aware of regarding women (and there are several beyond those mentioned here) and be accessories to the fact, co-conspirators with “the #darkness,” or we can stand with our “other-halves,” our equals in creation, and be the abundant beneficiaries of ” #la femme unique.”
As for me, I’ve proudly chosen to identify and take a stand with the latter. Whether straight, LGB or T, I’m EVERY#Woman!
Where do you stand on this issue? What have been your own experiences? Do you believe that men have a role to play in fostering a culture of gender equality?
KEEP WALKING!
This post was originally published August 26, 2012
These men were allowed to hide their faces. Why did they feel it was OK to arrange a party to rape a woman? http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/01/13/india-bus-rape.html
Hi Sue. Thank you for your comment. Why indeed! Perhaps the answer lies in the core message of today’s post. This truly is a “man’s world” on many levels.
The saying “nothing new under the sun” comes to mind, sadly.
Even recently I heard about a rape that the woman’s attire was brought into question – as if that justifies a man violating the woman because of the way she was dressed. Really?
Justice will come and I wait for it, not so patiently at times, and I pray for it.
Thank you for speaking up!
Thank you Jacquie. Until justice comes, each one of us, including men, (and perhaps primarily men), need to be the change we desire in the world. I challenge (and invite), men of goodwill everywhere to partner with me.
Wow, what great points you make! I wish more people shared your viewpoints (or, at least, would listen to them!)
Thank you. I assure you – I wasn’t always of that mind. It tool a “DIVINE” heart transplant to empower me to “see.” More people WILL listen. That’s a primary reason I wrote The Walk. I appreciate your comments and – I appreciate you!!!
All right apparently my comment was too long so I’ll have to split it up into sections. Bear with me here.
Okay let’s start from the beginning: The golf story you presented in the beginning was a excellent example of why men need to be educated in non-verbal communication and subtext. Such implications and inuendos often fly right over their heads for one reason or another. And you’re quite correct, the guy was being a cowardly spineless ass. Yet another example of how we need to stand up for our beliefs and defend those we love despite public opinion.
That being said your comparisan between the Holy Inquisition and the modern movement against abortion is tenuous at best. First off you are correct the Holy Inquisition was a blatant war both on ancient knowledge and on women and was a holocaust both upon women and knowledge itself. So were the witch hunts for that matter and many other such religious purges. That being said the pro-life movement is not a religious purge aimed at undermining the rights of women. For one thing one does not have to be of any given faith, or even religious or spiritual at all for that matter, to be pro-life. I’m grateful for all those that believe that killing their unborn children would violate God’s will but I assure you I don’t need God’s blessing to defend what I believe to be right. I’ve never based my pro-life position on “God’s will,” but on the blatantly obvious fact that abortion is murder! We are human beings when we are born, we are human beings when we conceive, we pass on our DNA and the being we create is most certainly human, and the definition of murder is to take a human life. Moreover abortion, and it’s sanction, and the dehumanization of the unborn child and class distinction which is then created as a result of that, is the basis for eugenics and deciding which human beings are deserving of the right to life. Abortion is the seed of stripping us of one of our most fundamental freedoms: our right to life. So I apologize if women feel that their right to choose is violated by not being able to kill their babies but I consider the fundamental right to live, for all human beings, a much greater concern.
As always David, I so much appreciate you and your unequivocal stances on matters you care deeply about. Actually, personally, I’m pro-life AND pro-choice (free-will). With those choices, comes any prospective adverse implications. This is certainly a divisive emotionally charged topic.
You speak of freedom “Rather, I’m stating unequivocally, that G-D gave us #freedom of choice – in everything, and that freedom is not to be revoked by any government – or any man!” but neglect to mention the responsibility that goes with it. Nor do you mention the free choices that have already been exercised. Freedom and responsibility are inseparable. There are those that would put forward that a women should not have to be responsible for her behavior patterns, where she goes, whether she CHOOSES to have sex or not, whether she CHOOSES to use protection or not, what type of man she CHOOSES to have a relationship with, so on and so on. I am not in anyway dismissing the responsibility of men for their part in conception, or any other act or exercise of their freedoms either nor am I condoning such things as rape, which is utterly attrocious. However rape is also no excuse for abortion, which is murder. I’m sorry but it isn’t, you don’t get to kill an innocent life because you’ve been violated, feel free to string the rapist up by his balls and do with him as you please, but the baby you leave alone. Men, just as much as women, need to learn to take responsibility for their actions. Yes one is free but that does not mean one is unaccountable. The abortion issue is not about freedom, or if it is the argument is not about whether women should be free to have abortions but whether they should be held morally and legally accountable for them. You are quite right God created us with the ability to choose and no one can take that away from us, not another human being, not the law, no one. However there are any who believe in enforcing various moral and ethical standards upon society, and therefore holding people accountable for actions that have been deemed unacceptable. Just as anyone is free to commit murder, or rape, or download pirated music for that matter, women can still exercise their freedom whether abortion is legal or not and more importantly whether it is moral or not. Therefore i find it very ironic and hypocritical that someone that would advocate the rule of law, in say the subject of gun control, would then invoke such statement “Rather, I’m stating unequivocally, that G-D gave us #freedom of choice – in everything, and that freedom is not to be revoked by any government – or any man!” Oh I agree with it completely but it does leave off the one detail that with that freedom comes responsibility, both social and moral, and that too cannot be revoked save that we give up that freedom and responsibility to another. That in itself is why power hiarchies are so popular, because people so detest taking responsibility for their own actions that they would give up their freedom to free themselves of that responsibility. Men are not the only one’s who need a lesson in integrity. The day that murder becomes legal and acceptable is the day I shut up about abortion.
“When it comes to #women’s healthcare and reproductive decisions – why do men get a vote?” The answer to this is obvious, because you can’t conceive a child with only female DNA. Well, most of us don’t attempt to duplicate XX chromosomes in a lab and even then you only end up with a genetic copy so it’s essentially just cloning. Essentially if you want to preserve the process of sexual reproduction and genetic mutation you need a male and a female. Father and Mother, therefore men get a vote because half of that child’s DNA is theirs. Women go on and on about it being “their body”, sorry babe it isn’t. You are carrying a new human life within you, AND half of it’s DNA is NOT yours therefore in no way shape or form is this about being YOUR BODY. It ceased being about your body at the moment of conception. If women want to go on about their physical independence then perhaps they should stop having sex. In fact everything about sexuality is about interdependence rather than independence so really if you’ve gotten as far as getting pregnant and start screaming about the rights to “your body” that’s really a counterintutive argument right there. Not to mention we’re not talking about rights or abilities that men have that women don’t. Women can get contraceptives just as easily as men, women can say no just as easily as a man, women can reframe from entering into romantic relationships just as easily as a man. Abortion is SOLELY the purview of women so in no way shape or form is this technology an equal rights issue. I’d really like to see a man get an abortion sometime. Who is clamoring for the rights to our bodies? I mean honestly, it’s hilarious if you think about it. Honestly if you can find a way for men to get pregnant so that the issue of abortion would even BE an equal rights issue, perhaps that in itself would clear up the entire debate. “Hey honey, i don’t feel like being pregnant this year and you seem to be so adamant about having a baby, why don’t you do it?” “Okay baby, you carried the last one.” I mean equal rights? Seriously?
I’ve come to have a very dim view of the feminist argument that pro-life is stripping women of their rights and is somehow part of some kind of oppressive regime. Do i believe rape is acceptable? No. Do I believe that abortion because of rape is acceptable? No. Do I believe that what a woman wears somehow is an excuse to rape her? No, rape is about power not sex. Do I believe women should have access to contraceptives? Yes. Do I believe a woman has the right to say “No”? Yes. Do I believe that we should educate men not to rape? Yes. Do I believe in respecting women? Yes. Do I believe women should be held responsible for their actions? Yes. Do I believe that one should be able to have unprotected sex without being held responsible for the chance of conceiving a child? No, if you decide to have sex then you damned well better understand that you’re taking the chance of having a baby, it’s just the natural process. Should abortion EVER be used as birth control? HELL NO! Are there medical instances where abortion is acceptable? Yes but they are so very rare. Most women get abortions as a social or economical convenience. Women no more have the right to abortion than they do to infanticide or murder of any kind. Why is my stance against abortion not a slight against women? Because i don’t believe it’s acceptable for men, in any form, either. It’s not acceptable for a man to preasure his partner into an abortion, to provide funds for it, to support it, to use it as an option in any way. Oh you’re wife is having a baby? Congratulations! You’re not so happy about that? Tough, get with the program. As i said, men need to take responsibility for their part as well. I have no sympathy for a man or woman that complains about having a baby but tries to make an excuse for an abortion because of lack of money or some social situation. If you didn’t have the funds and believe so strongly in them, don’t drop your drawers.
As I said before the notion that pro-life is some kind of religious jihad out to get women is completely unfounded as it does not require religion nor does it undermine women’s abilities to act as individuals, it simply holds them accountable for their actions as free individuals and acknowledges and defends the right to life.