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My personal musings about anything that gets on my radar screen--heavily dominated by politics.

2008-05-23

Sympatico From Across The Sea 

So no sooner do I go on a tirade last night that includes this:

But, it turns out, I think the first round of "women's lib" was vastly more damaging to women than they even had it before. With sexual freedom came disease and a lack of commitment from men; with lack of commitment came greater poverty, as women get left with most of the responsibility for unwanted children; and so on, and so on . . . As women found their voice, I think it was increasingly raised in shrillness and childishness. "Women's liberation" became turning princesses into frogs, and that means there's a lot of princes stuck as frogs, also.

Then I see today, thanks to Katherine Jean Lopez, an article that includes this:

Feminism has much to answer for denigrating men and encouraging women to seek independence whatever the cost to their families.

and this:

My mother would always do what she wanted - for example taking off to Greece for two months in the summer, leaving me with relatives when I was a teenager. Is that independent, or just plain selfish?

I was 16 when I found a now-famous poem she wrote comparing me to various calamities that struck and impeded the lives of other women writers. Virginia Woolf was mentally ill and the Brontes died prematurely. My mother had me - a 'delightful distraction', but a calamity nevertheless. I found that a huge shock and very upsetting.

According to the strident feminist ideology of the Seventies, women were sisters first, and my mother chose to see me as a sister rather than a daughter.

and this:

The ease with which people can get divorced these days doesn't take into account the toll on children. That's all part of the unfinished business of feminism. . . .

Feminism has betrayed an entire generation of women into childlessness. It is devastating. . . .

I believe feminism is an experiment, and all experiments need to be assessed on their results. Then, when you see huge mistakes have been paid, you need to make alterations.


What's even more shocking is the author of this: Rebecca Walker, daughter of 60s feminist high priestess Alice Walker.

Now, while I wasn't writing specifically about feminism last night, this plays very much into what I was talking about. In a world where women want to compete and be strong, the poor relationships that have been molded by the first wave of feminism carry over to their daughters, who are unable to form good relationships with their peer group. The generations who have been removed from the culture of modesty, abstinence, and social skills fill the voids in their repertoire with slutiness, bitchiness, and shrillness.

Not a good trade.

This is not the world I want my girls to grow up in. But I know that, as much as I work to influence them in a better direction, they are likely to be either influenced by their peer group or cast out for their individuality. Either way will make for painful days coming over the next couple decades.

Unless the next generation begins to learn the power it could have.

And, by the way, guess who has the strongest influence on girls as they grow into adulthood?

Dads. And not just my thoughts--proven by actual scientists and stuff.

So, men--step up.

I love the irony of telling men to start working with their daughters to give them the influence that men ignore right now.
Posted by: Michael / 5/23/2008 11:59:00 PM

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