Right on, Gayle!  I just had this discussion with my SO (that's significant other, or it you prefer, life partner) re Hillary Clinton and the NH elections.  BTW, we are both registered NH voters and had great fun meeting all of the candidates.  She was all worked up about the Steinem piece in the NYT, and the projected loss in the NH primary by Hillary.  It didn't come to be, but she was still angry.  I pointed out that women have only been allowed in the political process in this country for about 80 years, as compared to something like 400 years for men.  Considering that, women have made great progress!!  Those in power HATE to give it up, regardless of their gender or political persuasion.  Unfortunately, men have held the power for centuries.  Is this fair?  No.  It is real.?  Yes.  

I think that tremendous progress has been made by women in the last short 80 years.  Women, please do not loose sight of that!!!  It is all about perspective, and in a very short time on the historical scale, we are seeing real results and changes as Gayle points out.  Currently, we have a viable woman candidate for president this election cycle.  If you believe that women have not been given a fair shake, give her serious consideration as our next president.  

I, too, consider myself a feminist.  I did not choose my gender, but was born with it.  I do not like the discriminatory attitudes of many men.  I myself have been picked upon and discriminated against because I chose to be less aggressive and less violent and less competitive and less self-centered, AKA less masculine to some.  It is a slippery slope to begin to stereotype either gender, men or women.  We are, first and foremost, individuals, and human beings.  Change WILL happen, and hopefully we all will be able to look past gender, race, sexual orientation, and all of the other factors that have been used to minimize others.  But do not forget that the NEW power brokers may not be very willing to share, even if they are women.  This is not necessarily discrimination, but rather human nature.  We may wish it to be different, but such a wish is probably futile.  "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

In peace,

Marc


---- Gayle <[log in to unmask]> wrote: 
> IL&#39;m a proud 55-year old woman who has faced much employment-based discrimination through the years. I faced not getting hired based on gender, fired because of race of spouse, passed over for promotion and raises as a single mom raising two kids with no child support because working men with a wife needed the money more-- and yes I was told that.  I have been bypassed for promo for Affirmative Actionn--and actually didn&#39;t take exception to that.  I&#39;ve seen discrimination as it relates to health--though productivity NEVER suffered.  I&#39;ve witnessed discrimination as it relates to weight.  I&#39;ve seen discrimination on both sides of the age spectrum.
> 
> Yes, my Ssterhood. discrimination did and does exist.  As a feminist, I don&#39;T like it.  What we feminists strove for is parity, AKA	equal opportunity.
> 
> What I witnessed today atop the list was gender bashing--largely by my Sisters.
> 
> We&#39;ve come a long way, Baby.  The strides made in reconciling gender-based inequalities are many.  We are not on a par with some countries, and we&#39;ve a ways to go, but some some of you don&#39;t recognize how far we&#39;ve come.
> 
> Some who have bashed men fail to recognize that, as fathers, they deserve parrent bonding time too.  Men who attempt to take paternity leave are often discriminated against.  I will stipulate that some part of maternity leave is abou post-partum recovery.  Except for C-Section, that&#39;s usually about 2-3 weeks max, and yet mothers usually get at least 6 weeks. to bond.  A woman who adopts often gets the same 6 weeks.
> 
> But what of a man who opts to be off with his offspring?  Absent the  FMLA , his request is scoffed or denied.  Where is the parity there?
> 
> Before you get your knickers in a twist and use them as slingshots to hurl rocks at me, Girls, please stop and think about what you want--Special treatment because of our gender?  Or Equal Opportunity?
> 
> You cannot have both!
> 
> In Sisterhood!
> 
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