Monday, March 8th, was International Women's Day. In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." I very much admire Eleanor Roosevelt, but I strongly disagree with her on this point! She led a charmed life of wealth and power and was an incredible woman. Not so much luck among many women who live in the real world of today and of centuries past. Eve still carries the sins of the world as written by the ancient authors of Genesis.
Rape, sexual harassment, all vicious and without a woman's consent, can make any woman feel battered, hurt and very diminished. The Governor of New York State (a Democrat) is now trying desperately to distance himself from accusations of harassment, and when a President of the United States (a Republican) makes recorded Hollywood tape comments about inappropriately grabbing a woman, then all women who hear these things feel dismay, disdain, anger and absolute fury.
At some time, we women have all been treated in this manner. Whether in school, the work place, in social gatherings, walking alone in barrios, the "hood," ghettos, or just a country lane, women are made to feel less by the very fact that they are women and therefore targets of some men who can physically control and belittle them. Date rape is real!
I recently saw a rerun of the movie Thelma and Louise. With few exceptions, the roles of the men were supportive and not at all detrimental to the two women, but the abusive husband, the drunk attempted rapist, and one of the over eager law enforcement agents saw the women as objects to dominate. Sad, but true! Guys, we prefer respect, not pawing! As Aretha Franklin sang, "R E S P E C T" is what we, as women, AND MEN, all of us, as human beings want, all we want is a little respect!
What is it about some men that they feel they have the right to make less of women, whether they are their mothers, their daughters, their wives, their co-workers, their friends, or absolute strangers? It is these men's own insecurity that causes them to use their greater physical strength to diminish women.
Best sellers by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale (1986) and The Testaments (2019), tell of a future society here in North America where women are forced into subservient roles as defined by powerful men. The Handmaid's Tale is a book where women are sexual slaves or handmaids whose roles are to procreate. Other roles include wives, who do not bear children, cooks, cleaners, and enforcers, "Aunts," who function at the behest of the Commanders as warden-like dictators of women that are allowed to live because they conform. Men are allowed to live only trapped into conforming roles and function as enforcers. They are controlled by the system which does not allow for variations in their roles and the roles of the women they control. A sad result of what could possibly now be seen in the "Poor Me" mentality of many of "victimized" white men who now see themselves as among the minority.
The Testaments sequel follows the original story and begins to allow for reestablishment of normalcy as the aberrant society begins to deteriorate. Women, and the men who assist them, escape into Canada and begin to bring down the ruling hierarchy. Good reads, I guess, BUT truly DEPRESSING stories and plot lines. Ugh!
After rereading what I have written today, I want to state and avow that I am not a man-hater! I love men! I had a wonderful father, terrific and supportive husband, and many good friends, all of whom are men. Even so, the fact that women AND men can be raped and endure sexual harassment causes me to celebrate International Day of Women… and of Humankind! Let's move past this into a society that Aretha can sing about with joy! RESPECT!