Failures Of Feminism
By Judson Cox (01/23/04)
I got an email from a young woman, who was incensed that I used a masculine pronoun in a generic sense. The column that upset her, argued that western culture is superior to Islamic culture due to (among other reasons) our valuing of women’s rights. She argued that the use of “gendered language” makes ours’ a sexist culture with no greater moral standing than Afghanistan under the Taliban.
The English language holds the masculine form of a pronoun to be generic; if referring to “an American” as “he” upset her, the problem is her insecurity. However, her argument is symptomatic of the bias against American culture prevalent in our colleges.
In Islamic societies, women are property. Unmarried women who are raped are executed because the loss of their virginity is thought to bring shame upon their families. Married women who commit adultery are stoned to death. Women who appear in public uncovered may be beaten and jailed. Women are not allowed to drive, work or even leave their homes without permission. Not having a degree in Women’s Studies (sorry, “Womyn’s” Studies), I believed that being beaten or killed was worse than seeing a masculine pronoun!
There is not absolute gender equality in America; absolute equality is impossible. No two people are born with the same talents and abilities to the same degree, nor are genders. Women are better than men at some things, from nurturing children to applying eye makeup while driving. Such disparities don’t bother me; perhaps I should take a Men’s Studies class (if such courses existed). Notice she did not complain about languages such as French or Spanish, in which the feminine form is most common. If it is American, it is bad; if it is another culture, who are we to judge?
There is income disparity between genders; men generally earn a little more than women. Much of this is due to feminine dominance in the fields of social work, education and nursing, while jobs that pay significantly higher are mostly held by men. Even with the same job title and position, men tend to earn more over time. This is mainly because women are more likely to take maternity leave, suspend their careers to raise children, pass up a promotion to spend time with their children or leave their profession when they marry. If our laws required women to alter their career goals, we would have a society that discriminates against women. However, individual women make these choices due to biology. In charges of sexual discrimination, assault or harassment, and in child custody cases, women are given legal preference. Due to affirmative action, in hiring, women are given preference. If there is gender discrimination in America, it is not against women.
While feminists get flustered over “gendered” language, my column is distributed throughout the world. I frequently receive email from readers who identify themselves as citizens of Islamic nations. They may disagree with me on every point, hate America and all she (oops, more “gendered” language) stands for, call me names and threaten my life; however, some get it. They understand that America is prosperous because we allow every individual to contribute to our economy. They realize that America is morally superior because we protect the freedoms and rights of each of our citizens. They begin to view our soldiers as liberators. Like the youth of Iran, they understand their only hope for a better way of life is to embrace Americanism.
Our leaders who have had the …umm, guts (to use a gender neutral term) to wage wars when necessary have ended the western slave trade, freed much of the world from Nazism, Fascism, Imperialism and Communism, and are now protecting millions from Islamic fascism. Our soldiers have fought and died for foreign peoples. Our economic system has brought jobs and prosperity to the ends of the earth. America has been a beacon, a force, an example and a refuge for those oppressed under the boot of tyranny, and the fatwas of Mullahs. The most average, blue collar American Joe, who serves his country, works his job, raises his family, pays his taxes, votes, drives a gas guzzling truck, shops at Wal-Mart and puts a few bucks in the collection plate, does more to help the poor and oppressed of the world than the sum total of all feminists and liberals, with their “gender neutral” politically correct speech codes, have or ever will.
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