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From: chism@reed.UUCP (Christine N Chism)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Amalgam (long) Retort (longer)
Message-ID: <2486@reed.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Feb-86 22:39:48 EST
Article-I.D.: reed.2486
Posted: Mon Feb 10 22:39:48 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Feb-86 01:53:25 EST
References: <2413@reed.UUCP> <2070@watdcsu.UUCP>
Reply-To: chism@reed.UUCP (Christine N Chism)
Distribution: na
Organization: Reed College, Portland, Oregon
Lines: 38

In article <2070@watdcsu.UUCP> dmcanzi@watdcsu.UUCP (David Canzi) writes:
>>        which others still succumb.  Once the pressure ceases, women
>>        can live their lives any way they want, apart from the
>>        stereotypical role models.  Until then, women are forced
>>        to live either within these confined roles, or in defiance
>>        of them.  Greater freedom does not yet exist.
>>
>>    Forgive me for pitching into you like this but who are you to limit
>>    my alternatives? ...
>
>Poor Eric.  I've seen this happen to him on another occasion, where
>something he said in perfect innocence was misinterpreted and people
>leapt down his throat for it.  Eric was simply describing what he
>thinks is the way things are.  If I tell you that you can't jump off a
>cliff and fly by flapping your arms, am I guilty of limiting your
>alternatives?  Is bad news the fault of the messenger?

I am sorry if I appeared to dive precipitously down Eric's 
throat.  I did not intend offense, only discussion.  
I think, however, that it is dangerous to accept without
examination his portrayal of the situation.  Necessary imprisonment
within stereotypes is not a physical law like gravity.  Your
analogy deceives in that regard.  And, thank fortune, bad news
is not necessarily true news.  I am not claiming to be a
"messenger" of either bad or good "news" (i.e. fact, truth, or laws
of the universe.)  I do not know if Eric is either.   Perhaps if
your view of the universe does not allow for my freedom to
escape stereotypes created by some vague overarching entity
called society, at least in your own mind you limit my
alternatives.   I took my dive to demonstrate that, at least in
my opinion, Eric's rules do not entirely apply.
Perhaps I misinterpreted; that is my unfortunate tendency
sometimes.  But his words seem fairly straightforward, as do
yours.


Good hunting,
from chris