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Women’s equal rights

Vernon residents’ views on women’s rights
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My rejoinder to C.A. Fawcett’s letter to the editor in The Morning Star on Jan. 31 headed, “Women fought for equal rights.”

Intimating that I’ve been hiding under a mushroom for 50 decades, that’s approx. 500 years, then goes on to say yes, Justin Trudeau is proud to be a feminist - as are all human beings who know anything at all about the history of women.

Characteristically I have an inherent interest in principles of reality, human knowledge and values. This resulted in a study of philosophy and philosophers, like Plato, Socrates, 427 B.C.-400 B.C. and more contemporary St. Thomas Aquinas 1225?-79. Throughout this entire research I came across not one philospherette.

There is however considerable biblical information about women that I would encourage all feminists to read a hundred times or more. C.A. Fawcett alluded to the suffragettes in England 1920’s, fighting for equal rights. My dinosaur brain took me back to 1912, only eight years earlier.

The ship Titanic left England, hit an iceberg and was going to sink. Big problem, not enough life boats. There was no time to deliberate.

The innate reverence and respect for most women at that time and clear understanding of their biological proclivity certainly supported the captain’s declaration, “Women and children to the life boats.” No time for feminists to make equal rights signs and march along the decks wanting equal rights to go down with that ship. Most of the men did.

Some men with strength had to man the oars of the life boats. The following are only two of my fondest recollections of feminist activity.

From a bastion of political correctness, the University of Wisconsin, USA, the institution where the gracious and lovely Donna Shalala was feminist warden. A three-credit intercession course in the philosophy department includes the following required readings: “Motherhood-the annihilation of women”; “Dyke Methods” (with this warning: be prepared to discuss the methods in class); “Feminism and Vegetarianism”; “Eco-feminism and the eating of animals”; “the SCUM (The Society for Cutting Up Men) Manifesto and the sexual politics of meat.”

Am I the only one tired of this kind of insanity?

Then there is Elizabeth Hilts. The name of the magazine that just published her thesis is called Hysteria. To quote Ms. Hilts, “We’ve all heard of caring for our inner child. But it’s the inner bitch that now needs to be nurtured. It’s time to stop denying the inner bitch.” She has or is still working on a how-to book on developing your “inner bitch”, traditionally a derogatory term for women.

So a self-reliant, strong woman with resolve and character is, by definition, a bitch - or at least needs to be in order to be complete in this so-called man’s world. Hogwash!

I sincerely hope C.A. Fawcett and her personhood ilk enjoy my reproach with some levity.

I quote C.A. Fawcett: “Still today some choose to use the phrase, ‘Who gives this woman’ in marriage ceremonies, as though women are chattels.”

I admit my unfamiliarity with this, but quickly saw the positive side. Whosoever gives this woman would be noted - and if the marriage doesn’t work out - instead by palimony and divorce courts, the husband simply gives her back. This being said, it’s my guess that the giving away chattel would come to an abrupt, unceremonious end.

C.A. Fawcett then states: Times have changed Gordon a lot. As for me being an older person not in keeping with times you’re correct. I cannot find a computer that plays my eight tracks. Times may have changed but unless indoctrinated most people do not. For myself feminists are one cog in the big wheel of indoctrination.

In a candy-coated effort C.A. Fawcett states there should be the same opportunities for women as there are for men. Whoever from a man’s perspective would relinquish that. Who would deny that women should be paid the same as men for the same work.

C.A. Fawcett goes on to say that the average woman believes in equality for all. Really? Every human being has different abilities, talents, desires and characteristics. There is no way those differences can be equalized, other than the use of force. Not military force, but laws backed by force, if necessary, that redistribute wealth and penalize achievement.

You die-hard feminists need to present your ideology to an accomplished female neurologist surgeon with her tiny, gifted hands, doing masterful surgery on someone’s brain.

Equality for all is a page out of Karl Marx’s Communist manifesto.

C.A. Fawcett then challenged me as to whether I saw thousands and thousands of women marching for the right to be treated with respect. Fortunately no! I was making an apple pie. As a personal invective C.A. Fawcett asked, “Do women threaten you, Gordon?” Yes. I’ve been married and divorced twice and till this day sleep with one eye open.

Finally C.A. Fawcett wonders if I’m of the same ilk as the current POTUS (President of the United States). Yes again!

Gordon Thomas

Vernon

Greater Equality Needed

It is no small wonder that the tide towards equality is ever-so-slow, when an editorial intended to support International Women’s Day is written in such a passive manner.

Where were the rally cries for pay equality? Where was the call for an end to systemic discrimination in hiring practices in both the public and private sector? Where was the plea to civil planners to put the needs of those most in need (primarily women) at the forefront of their plans? Where was the shout-out to our justice system to stop treating sexual abuse victims as the guilty ones?

I am disappointed that the best The Morning Star editorial staff could do was mildly suggest we “consider” supporting the Vernon Women’s Transition House Society or other local agencies that work to support and empower women. These organizations do valuable work, and I strongly encourage everyone to support them as best they can.

However, it would have been far more inspiring, were it true, to read about how management at The Morning Star, Black Press, and other newspapers in the Black Press chain are tackling the equality issue by ensuring they employ equal pay for equal work practices; actively support promotion of individuals based on qualifications, ensuring systemic biases are eliminated from within their own organization.

Or perhaps some research could have been put into what’s being done in several European countries, particularly in Scandinavian countries, to support those most in need in order to elevate everyone in their societies. Suggesting we contribute to organizations that deal with the fall-out of societal systemic practices does nothing to address the root cause. I can only hope that next year’s editorial will highlight what is being done to demonstrate leadership on this issue.

Deb Matheson