are you a feminist?
Are you a feminist?
Before you answer, ask yourself some other questions. Do you think women ought to be able to own property? Vote? Sit on a jury? Do you think women should be able to go to college if they want to? Major in whatever they want to? Have a job? Earn money?
Do you think a gal ought to be able to marry the husband of her choice, rather than have it arranged for her, rather than have some man simply come up and drag her over to his place, rather than being the prize for a tournament? Is it OK for her to have some say in what goes on in her life? May she learn how to read?
If your answer is Yes to any of those questions, then you are a feminist. History calls you a feminist, whether or not you consider yourself one. Line up all the people who ever lived, and tell them you believe those things, and they'll call you not only Feminist but Dangerous. They may even try to kill you.
These days, most Americans in the mainstream of public life would say Yes to all those questions. Rush Limbaugh wants his daughters to go to college. Pat Buchanan is glad his wife can read. If you enjoy those freedoms, or your wife or daughter enjoys those freedoms, then you have some people to thank: those who had to be mighty shrill at some point; those who endured censure, mockery, vilification, were called all sorts of names having nothing to do with their pleading for basic rights. Those who paid unreasonably inflated prices for what you and I consider unremarkable things.
And will you dare to disparage that shrillness again?
Before you answer, ask yourself some other questions. Do you think women ought to be able to own property? Vote? Sit on a jury? Do you think women should be able to go to college if they want to? Major in whatever they want to? Have a job? Earn money?
Do you think a gal ought to be able to marry the husband of her choice, rather than have it arranged for her, rather than have some man simply come up and drag her over to his place, rather than being the prize for a tournament? Is it OK for her to have some say in what goes on in her life? May she learn how to read?
If your answer is Yes to any of those questions, then you are a feminist. History calls you a feminist, whether or not you consider yourself one. Line up all the people who ever lived, and tell them you believe those things, and they'll call you not only Feminist but Dangerous. They may even try to kill you.
These days, most Americans in the mainstream of public life would say Yes to all those questions. Rush Limbaugh wants his daughters to go to college. Pat Buchanan is glad his wife can read. If you enjoy those freedoms, or your wife or daughter enjoys those freedoms, then you have some people to thank: those who had to be mighty shrill at some point; those who endured censure, mockery, vilification, were called all sorts of names having nothing to do with their pleading for basic rights. Those who paid unreasonably inflated prices for what you and I consider unremarkable things.
And will you dare to disparage that shrillness again?
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