Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!daemon
From: annmh@blake.acs.washington.edu (Ann Harrington)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: Re: umm...silly question, but...
Summary: power, society, equality
Message-ID: <11866@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU>
Date: 6 Jun 89 18:01:57 GMT
References: <16683@paris.ics.uci.edu>
Sender: ambar@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU
Reply-To: annmh@blake.acs.washington.edu (Ann Harrington)
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Lines: 34
Approved: ambar@bloom-beacon.mit.edu


You men, always talking about power and control!  :)

   Frankly, I don't think the point of feminism or discussions about
women`s rights is to find a new "ruler" of society.  You talk about
who will be in/have power as if we're trying to set up a new form
of government!  As far as I can see, the problems of inequal rights
for women in the past have been due to the shape of ALL of society,
not just governmental systems, educational systems, parents, men, women,
business, etc.  Blaming any one of these for inequality is ignoring
the complete picture, and trying to "overthrow" any one of these or naming
just one as an "oppressor" is likewise narrow-sighted.  Over and over it
has been shown that placing blame is all well and good for making people
feel righteous and just, but it doesn't get any changes made.

    One of the most frustrating things about maturing as a woman has been
discovering *within myself* a lot of old-fashioned, 'helpless', 
traditionally feminine (i.e. weak, indecisive, helpless, incompetent, even
'man-needing') misconceptions.  I find these things in unconscious feelings
that I would never believe in conscious thought!  So, one thing I have
gathered from this, is that in spite of supportive, feminist mothers, and
supportive feminist fathers (discussion?), and all those wonderful 
things that make up a supportive environment, it isn't enough, and the
"enemy" isn't entirely an outside force.

   It is often easier to blame it all on outside forces, "other" groups,
but we also have to change  ourselves, and that is often harder.    

  So, if you must word things in terms of war, remember that part of the
"enemy" is indeed us, ourselves.

-Ann
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annmh@blake.acs.washington.edu