Gender Traitors

1. 83

   gmwilliamsposted 11 years ago

   
   There are women who do not believe that women should have equal rights as men do.  They are strong proponents that the main roles and goals of women are to be housewives and mothers. They further believe that women should be subordinate to men.
   
   There are women out there who clearly do not believe in women's reproductive freedom as far as contraceptive and/or abortion choices.  Such women want to turn back the clock so to speak.  Well, most thinking women view such women as gender traitors.  Why would any woman in her right thinking mind be against overall equality for women, especially in terms of reproductive rights?

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   1. 70

      dashingscorpioposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I believe there are three key reasons why these women feel this way.
      
      #1 Religions (most of them treat women as secondary compared to men) one biblical example is Ephesians 5:23. "For the husband is the (head) of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church....." Relgion is very "gender role" specific. These women do not think of themselves as being "tratitors" but rather as following the dictates of God and (embracing) their role of "helpmate".  Naturally no devout Christian sees abortion as a choice and they are against premarital sex.
      
      #2 Many of these women believe "progressive women" are to blame for why it's so difficult for them to either (get a man or hold onto one). It's a real challenge for them to keep a man interested in them while abstaining from sex when there are so many "other women" willing to jump into bed with men in a heartbeat. These women believe if more women held out sexually in a traditional sense there would be more marriage proposals and less infidelity. They see women who want to be "sexually equal" to men as being the destroyer of romantic traditions and courtship.
      
      #3 Progressive women make them feel (insecure) about their own choices. The more business savy successful women there are the more unfullfilled a housewife or stay at home mom feels as society downplays her role. Sometimes you see articles written that state how much a "stay at home mom's salary (would) or should be" compared to what other women do on their jobs. Quite a few of these women will try and use "reverse guilt" on progressive women. "I chose to stay home with my children because it was more important for me to be there (for them) than pursure a career." "There is nothng more rewarding than (being there) for your kids including money." "I could never leave my children in daycare or with some stranger!" or "Motherhood is a (full-time) job." In other words the women that try to "have it all" are seen to be selfish. When they come home they're too tired to cook for and "please" their man. In their eyes this is one of the reasons why there has been an increase in diovrces.
      
      Lastly some of these women always (wanted to be taken care of). Histroically college was a place women went to in order to meet men from well to do families or men that were likely to become successful in hopes of marrying them. Women who had to (work for themselves and pay bills) were "pitied" because they were thought to have lacked beauty or social connections to attract a "well to do" man! In other words they (had) to work because they could not find a man to take care of them!
      Some of these "traditional" women resent "progressive" women because now (men expect them) to work in additon to doing their "wifely" duties! They now feel "pressured" to work outside of the home and afterwards come home to cook, clean up, do laundry,, and take care of the kids.
      
      Ulitmately I don't believe there is such as thing as "gender traitors". I believe life is a (persona)l journey. Women will never have true equality until both groups of women respect and accept the choices of one another. Today members of both groups still to choose to blame each other for holding them back from doing what (they) want instead of looking in the mirror and taking responsibility for their own happiness! One woman's life choices should not effect another woman's life chocies.
      One man's opinion! :-)

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      1. 83

         gmwilliamsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Excellent, spot on analysis as usual.  Continue to add to the discussion, Mr. Dashing, you are certaintly a breath of fresh air.  I might add, totally concur with your premise!

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            dashingscorpioposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks gmwilliams! I know I can be a little windy sometimes! :-)
            Have a great day!

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            1. 83

               gmwilliamsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               You too!

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2. 60

   Zelkiiroposted 11 years ago

   In before Brenda tries to justify the subjugation and oppression of her fellow women.

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   1. 83

      gmwilliamsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Zelkiiro, you're right. SOME FOLKS can be totally trying not only to me and you but to all progressively minded folks.  Meditate, take DEEP, DEEP breath.  Ready, set, gooooooooo!  There are SOME who believe THEIR way is the only right way although THEY are soooooo wrong in their atavistic premise, know what I mean, Zelkiiro!

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3. 80

   jenniferrpoveyposted 11 years ago

   It depends.
   
   I don't think a woman who chooses to be a housewife is a gender traitor at all. I believe that freedom means respecting all choices.
   
   There will always be marriages in which a woman is subordinate to her husband. There will also be marriages in which a man is subordinate to his wife. Sometimes that's how the relationship dynamic between the couple works - and I'm sure there are same sex couples with the same dynamic too. I had an elderly in-law who's husband was utterly subordinate to her. I honestly don't remember him saying anything to her but "Yes, dear." When he died, she became non-functionally depressed - she couldn't live without him, yet everyone thought she was the strong, independent one who was most likely to handle being widowed! Nope.
   
   There is nothing wrong with any relationship dynamic (other than abuse) that actually works *for that couple*.
   
   Now, I do have problems with some of the anti-feminist woman. There's one wandering around somewhere in the south campaigning for the right to vote to be taken away from women on some weird shaky grounds about it destroying marriages or...something. And I do have a problem with those who say being a housewife is the *only* worthwhile life path for a woman.

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      Zelkiiroposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That's not the problem; if a woman is happy being a housewife, then who can argue with her?
      
      The issue comes from those who say women should only be mothers and housewives.

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4. 80

   jenniferrpoveyposted 11 years ago

   Which if you'd read my own post, you'd see I had covered.
   
   I think some feminists do the reverse and put a lot of pressure on women who really DO want to stay home with the kids on some bizarre assumption that the men in her life have to be coercing her to it.

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5. 80

   Mitch Alanposted 11 years ago

   gmwilliams, You say there are  those "who do not believe that women should have equal rights as men do."  Can you name a prominent female who thinks women should not have the right to free speech, the right to bear arms, the right to a fair trial or any other right expressly laid out in the Bill of Rights? I can think of progressive liberals who want to curb those rights for women, but no Constitutional Conservatives that do.  How does the killing of an unborn child equate to EQUAL rights with a man? Do you agree that the father should have EQUAL rights in deciding if their child should live or die?
   dashingscorpio, You quote Ephesians 5:23, but miss the context.  Remember that in verse 25-28 we read, "Husbands, love you wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her...So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies...for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it..."  When taken in the context of the entire passage it is seen that a woman submitting to this type of man would be nurtured and cherished. That is not a bad thing. The issue is if the man is not following his biblical calling. Remember a text out of context is a pretext.

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6. 65

   Mercia Collinsposted 11 years ago

   life is one's own journey, no one has the right to dictate what anyone else's personal choices in life are. Some women prefer a career, some women choose to stay at home and bring up children and that is their personal choice, but only when that is their own choice.

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7. 80

   Wayne Brownposted 11 years ago

   The choices made by  these women who you refer to here or for that matter any person are not driven solely by the argument of "the reproductive rights of a woman".  They are shaped by religious beliefs and teachings of the Bible as well as a concern for the respect for the potential life of a yet born child. One could also describe the other side of the coin as hiding from these concerns behind the argument for a woman's rights.  When you look at it on that basis, why then is one side totally wrong and the othe side totally right?  Abortion is a multi-faceted subject which cannot be solved by justifying it under one aspect and ignoring the other issues.  If a woman elects to abort her unborn child at 20 weeks through a partial birth abortion, the pundits say, "that's fine...it is her reproductive right as a woman to choose."  On the other hand, if a woman elects to stay home from work and be a housewife focused on raising her kids, she is depicted as some type of evil, backward bitch who is totally against any woman having equal rights with a man or anybody else for that matter....where is the rationale for that conclusion?   Those who beat the "reproductive rights" drum continue to work to expand that "right" and push pass the 20 week level.  Do we have to reach a point where we question the legality of blowing an unborn child's brains out in a partial birth process to avoid the charge of killing a human being?  When do we hit the limit?  If a woman cannot make up her mind about the abortion process in less than 20 weeks, then what is the viable and acceptable number in terms of that right, and when then does the child, though unborn, start to have some "right" as a human?  It is so easy to brush all of this under the rug and say that it is about the "rights of women"...so so easy.

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8. 80

   jenniferrpoveyposted 11 years ago

   Abortion is incredibly complicated - or we wouldn't be arguing about it all the time.
   
   I would note that not everyone who is in favor of keeping legal abortions available believes that they are moral at any time or for any reason. I don't even call myself "pro choice" because it gets so emotive. I'm certainly not "pro life." I don't identify with either side of the debate.
   
   Especially as you're right - that some pro choice people and many liberal feminists DO denigrate the choice to stay home and raise kids, or the choice to have more than one or two kids. If you want to believe in reproductive freedom, then don't be a hypocrite about it and allow for all options. I joke that those people are having my share of kids - I don't want kids, I don't have any kids, I really hope I don't get pregnant - although I wouldn't have an abortion unless there was a damn good medical reason for it...so I joke that somebody else who loves kids can have my quota for me.
   
   Both sides of the coin often miss what "freedom" really means.
   
   I would point out that most late term abortions are done when a pregnancy goes wrong, not for social reasons, however.

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