Wednesday, October 28, 2009

the f-word (no, not that one.)

Many women today look back on their forebearers with pride, telling stories of how a great-grandmother crossed the ocean alone to start a new life, or how an aunt ran the family farm singlehandedly or was famous for a recipe that turned into a business.

Like them, the women in my family have also emigrated to far off places, raised families alone, worked on the farm, paid their own way, fought for their freedoms, managed their own businesses, and have bought and sold their own property. They always just did what needed doing - all before it became fashionable and without ever questioning if they could (or should) because they were women.

With examples of this "can-do" spirit in families all over the world, women's equality had a promising start. Women had access to better education, won the right to vote, and had the ability to do whatever they liked as long as they were able. The world opened up and then...

Feminism.

Today's "liberated woman" has the luxury to sit back and wonder about the feminist philosophy of hanging the laundry out to dry - and I think they should be ashamed of themselves. Not only are they diminishing the hard work of generations who busted their collective asses to afford them that leisure but they are also ignoring the fact that there is undoubtedly a woman somewhere in the world, beating her children's meager rags against a rock in the river, hoping to lift them out of the filth, if only for a moment.

Feminists, of all people, should realize that there is no "woman's work." There is only work - and somebody has to do it.

13 comments:

TBeck said...

Here's a great book about some of those women of whom you wrote. My wife's family tree shows up in it: http://www.amazon.com/That-Bloody-River-Historical-Fiction/dp/0553378651

Anonymous said...

The link is meaningless to me can you explaine?

Weer'd Beard said...

And of course most "Feminist" camps love to talk about women being doctors and lawyers, as well as front line soldiers. They even challenge places where they probably shouldn't like Law Enforcement and Fire Fighting where it is difficult for an average woman to pass the physical aptitude tests (and rather than allowing those amazingly fit women to continue, they call the tests discriminatory)

But all of this talk goes out the window when an intruder enters your home.

Nope then the "Modern Woman" is to cower in a closest and call for the nearest man to bring a gun over and save her!

I'm starting to think Progressiveism is a rule of opposites. You raise taxes to increase revenue, and revenue decreases. Raise minimum wadges to allow more money to the unskilled workers...and the unskilled workforce faces job cuts. Restrict guns to lower crime...crime rises. Ect...

Joanna said...

Oh damn frickin' straight. I couldn't have said it better, Breda.

Anonymous said...

As a husband & father of two teen/pre-teen children I understand the amount of work that goes into keeping everything in a household moving. My wife and I share the chores - each to his own ability. I cook and keep up on the house maintenance. My wife does the laundry (with occasional help from me) and keeps the books. We each help out with the cleaning. You're absolutely right. Its not a matter of "womens work" or "mens work" its just work that needs to get done. Also, according to a recent study, the more household chores a man does to help out the more often his wife will agree to have sex with him. Seems like a "win" for both sides!

Anonymous said...

It takes two. A man and a woman that works together stays together. Enough said. Get the work done.

See Ya

BobG said...

"Feminists, of all people, should realize that there is no "woman's work." There is only work - and somebody has to do it."

**Thumbs up**

Anonymous said...

The problem here is that you're a REAL feminist (equality & respect), as opposed to the 'feminist' of the modern left... for whom 'feminist' means a woman who does what she wants, without fear of the consequences, because she has the 'right' to have government pay for all of her mistakes and irresponsible actions by taxing 'rich men'...

Aaron said...

How the hell can they call their little movement liberating when it's trying to force women into their mold?

Maybe I'm stupid, but isn't that the opposite of liberating?

HankH said...

Well put Breda.

HankH

Ron said...

Hi Breda - Very nice post - and sort of revealing. Do I detect the seeds of discontent in some part of your life ? Observe, Adapt, and Improvise. A wise gunny sergeant once told us.... Tomorrow will be better. Keep up the good posts.
Best Wishes: Ron

Anonymous said...

"Voices of American Homemakers" by Eleanor Arnold is another book you might find interesting. It presents the life of pioneer women through their recollections about their lives, work, and organizations. It's a great inside look at everything from growing up, courtship and marriage, raising children, growing and preserving food, sewing clothes, washing, ironing, and all the other little neccessities of life. A good read to help one appreciate modern conveniences.

Steve Skubinna said...

You can do stuff, or you can whine about stuff not getting done. Most men (at least in rural America) instinctively realize this, as do many women.

Men that don't are... metrosexuals? The old term was "pansies."

Women who don't are modern feminists.