He finally said, compassionately and sincerely, “Micah, I expect more from you”.
I cried, when the morning came, I decided that this is the end of my sexist tone.
I went to the library and check out some books from all different perspectives on Feminism. I figure the truth lies somewhere in between.
I’m able to tolerate nearly any school of higher thought, but few people blow my mind (in a bad way) than what I will call the “hardcore feminist.” Perhaps this is because I’ve had hilariously negative encounters with a couple of them—in fairness, I can’t speak for all of them.
I’ve left these encounters somewhat stunned by their…
- combativeness. Why hold a reasoned discussion when, instead, you could burst into hysterics over someone using the word “mailman?” If I offend someone by not using a gender-neutral noun, I welcome he or she (oh no! I used the male pronoun first, and yet the concept of “ladies first” is chauvinist… a quandry!) bringing it to my attention. I do, however, mind when in lieu of politely correcting me, someone flies off the handle in a rage about how this is no-longer-a-man’s-world-thank-you-very-much.
- hypocrisy. The few “hardcore feminists” that I have met—whatever it means to be a “hardcore feminist”—have not claimed to desire equality. Rather, the claim is generally proffered that they are far more capable than their male counterparts in nearly any area, and that this should be acknowledged in practice. I have absolutely no doubt that a woman can perform just as well as a man (or better!) in many areas, but, if you proclaim the inferiority of man, are you not a female-chauvinist in the same negative way that a man can be a male-chauvinist?
Feminism, like so many other movements, is made ugly not by its ideals, but by the people who hold them.
