Femme-Nazi

Remember back in the early 90's when Rush Limbaugh would call women femme-Nazis. I would hear that and want very much to be a femme-Nazi. I asked you all how you define feminism, so I will tell you what I think. Thanks by the way, you are all awesome and gave me a lot to think about.

Here in Misawa Jeff and I are great friends with another couple. They are about our age and they are both going to school, like us. I met them in a creative writing class. The husband is taking a math class and his professor was fired two weeks into the class, but kept to finish the term. This professor was horrid and my friend was very frustrated. I have always been great with math. I got 100% of all the points possible in all three semesters of Calculus, and I have tutored in math for more than 20 years. So I helped my friend out and he ended up getting a B. We were going for an A, but a B will do. Back in the day when I was taking math courses in college, I was almost always the only female in the class. It really upset the boys that I would get 100% on the tests because the teacher graded on a curve. My point is that to me math is not a gender specific skill, some people can do it and other cannot.

Back when I was a single mother I had to earn a living for my little family. When Jeff retires from his military career in 6 years I plan on starting a career of my own. The career of my choice is computers. I will have a degree and I expect to start at the bottom and work my way up the ladder. But, I expect to be treated fairly. I expect that my degree, my knowledge will be assessed fairly along with men. I believe that my degree and my experience is equal to the same degree and experience of a man. But, I know that I wont be paid as much or have as many job offers as I would if I were a man. I know this is true and I think it is unfair. I want to do my part to change that fact.

I do not think that men and women are the same. We are different in many ways. But, there are things that are the same to all people and things that are gender specific.

I also believe that women are much stronger and more competent than men, in general. Maybe that is why my friend things I am an extremist. When I got pregnant with Mandy I stepped up to the plate, I raised her, with no help from the father. It is culturally acceptable for men to walk away from kids, but not culturally acceptable for women to walk away from kids. Why is that? Because we all expect women to be able to handle it, but we don't expect men to be able to handle it. If a man does step up and is a great dad, we are impressed. Women we expect it, we find fault. I believe that taking care of a child is not gender specific and that men can be just as nurturing and great with kids as women and we should expect the same out of fathers as we expect out of mothers.

I don't think that men and women are the same. Just that there are things, we all do and can be accomplished with equal skill by either sex. Like jobs and child care.

Have you ever been at a meeting with both men and women, have you ever had an idea that was ignored because you don't have a penis? It is annoying.

History shows that women who try to change the social norms of their society face a lot of resentment and hate. That their lives are made very difficult. So being a feminist even today is hard. People say hateful things and try to make your life difficult, it is hard to be a revolutionary. Even when you are right. This is why being called a feminist is derogatory even though that is exactly what I am, what we all are.