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From: jeff@rtech.UUCP (Jeff Lichtman)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: NO FLAMES & Possible Subject
Message-ID: <643@rtech.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 18-Sep-85 02:33:32 EDT
Article-I.D.: rtech.643
Posted: Wed Sep 18 02:33:32 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 20-Sep-85 05:46:40 EDT
References: <1873@bmcg.UUCP>
Organization: Relational Technology, Alameda CA
Lines: 53

>
> 	Now for a topic that I haven't seen here....
> (Watch me blow it!!!)

Don't worry about flames.  Everything you say here seems thoughtful and
non-judgemental.  USENET is full of unreasonable people who don't care what
others think.  You seem to be a reasonable person who worries a little too
much about what others think.

> I would be interested to know
> peoples opinions on wheather or not they think we will
> have sexual equality in their lifetimes.(On the job,   
> at home, socially) 

I don't think that the culture of the United States will ever be homogeneous.
My hope is that U.S. society will eventually become predominantly non-sexist.
I have no idea whether this will happen while I am alive.  There is progress,
but it's slow.

> 	I have one other question I would like peoples
> opinions on..... What should my feelings be towards the
> people who won't accept equality.....I mean the ones who
> think there is no reason for women to have an equal 
> chance at life..... I already feel sorry for them (FOR
> WHAT I!!!!!!! CONSIDER THEIR IGNORANCE) but at the same
> time I still feel they have a right to their opinion. Am
> I being a hypocrite for letting them have their views, or
> does the fact that they won't accept my position of equality
> make them not worthy of my approval..... 

I don't think this makes you a hypocrite.  To believe that people don't have
the right to their opinions, that one doesn't have the right to what goes on
inside one's own head, is the essence of totalitarianism.  What you are saying
(I think) is that you would argue your opponents away from their positions,
but you would not try to change their minds throug coercion.

Let me say that I don't think this philosophy contradicts a belief in political
action.  There have to be laws and rules in society, and I feel I have just as
much right to determine these rules as anyone else.  For every issue, some group
is going to win, and another is going to lose, and I don't see any reason why
I (or anyone else) shouldn't have the right to fight for what I want, so long
as I fight fairly.  Those who lose their political battles will be unhappy about
living in a society where things aren't being run the way they like, but at
least they will be able to express their unhappiness and work for change.  I
just don't believe that the rules of society should extend to a person's
beliefs.  I don't want to live in a society where someone can be jailed or shot
for using the wrong adjective.
-- 
Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.)
aka Swazoo Koolak

{amdahl, sun}!rtech!jeff
{ucbvax, decvax}!mtxinu!rtech!jeff


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