Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!usc!aero!mike@arizona.edu
From: mike@arizona.edu (Mike Coffin)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: Re: how to bash feminism without really trying
Message-ID: <14943@megaron.cs.arizona.edu>
Date: 20 Oct 89 16:24:31 GMT
References: <47014@bbn.COM>
Sender: nadel@aerospace.aero.org
Organization: U of Arizona CS Dept, Tucson
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Approved: nadel@aerospace.aero.org
Status: R


I haven't been active in this discussion, but here are my answers:

>From article <47014@bbn.COM>, by rshapiro@BBN.COM (Richard Shapiro):
> 1) If you have disagreements in principle with feminism, why not
> argue on that basis instead of expending all of your energy on a
> mere tactic?

I can't speak for others, but my ONLY argument with the complex,
multi-faceted movement known as feminism is the support given by so
many feminists to affirmative action (including the disgusting idea of
"comparable worth").  So if I were to argue with a feminist that is
what I would argue about.

> 2) Could one of you, any one at all, suggest some alternatives to
> a.a.? I've yet to hear a single one offered, amidst all the whining.

Enforce anti-discrimination laws and wait for things to change.  Many
will say, of course, that women have waited long enough.  Quite true.
However, I haven't seen any evidence that affirmative action speeds
the process.  In one important context---changing the attitudes of
bigoted males---it tends to be counterproductive.  Many feminists
implicitly offer a false choice: fast change with affirmative action
or slow change without it.  The real choice is slow change with
discrimination or slow change without it.

-- 
Mike Coffin				mike@arizona.edu
Univ. of Ariz. Dept. of Comp. Sci.	{allegra,cmcl2}!arizona!mike
Tucson, AZ  85721			(602)621-2858