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EQUALITY OF LIFE
Tuesday Mar. 8, 2016
Equality, in the true sense of the word feminism, is probably a bad fit for us practically and our DNA is likely to resist. Men enjoy our life being male.
Women ought to enjoy theirs too. Until there is better balance, we need to stand up. One day a year isn’t enough …
I proudly brag about having two daughters and one grand-daughter. And a grandson. I didn’t choose their gender. Wouldn’t change it.
International Women’s Day today, that day each year when men, if they try to comment, likely get it wrong somehow. I often do. But I’ll take a shot at it …
Q. Why don’t we have an International Men’s Day?
A. Because we don’t need one. Never have.
How would that be feminist, how would that make us equal?
So why do women still need their day? Because they do. It isn’t up to men. As long as women need and want their day, they should have it and I’ll cheer.
What do they want, and is it what they wanted a decade ago or thirty years ago? The world is changing – but still, too many examples of little systemic things and horrific big things too. Fighting for change here, and in many countries, has much merit.
It isn’t that male is wrong. But when so much ‘against women’ is perpetrated by men, can we really be comfortable saying it isn’t our responsibility. Are we supposed to be other brother’s keeper? Or our brother’s policeman. Most men would throw up their hands in exasperation – not knowing what we could do, how we could do it or whether anything we do might change anything. But we need to. We need speak up, speak out and take actions. Small actions are better than none at all.
I have more opportunity, more freedom and live a safer and freer life. Why is that? And what has that got to do with fair, with feminism and with this day? My views of women are not objective or balanced, they are simply mine. I like women. Not all women, but most women I meet.
Men, so far as I’ve been able to learn, have never been upset about being men, about their role in society or in relationships. We are not our fathers, nor our grandfathers. Not ogres. Most of us raised in and have lived in a progressive society which has fostered rights and potential of women.
Mark Kolke
written / published from Calgary, AB
morning walk: -1C/29F, a few clouds, light breeze and very quiet – rabbit and deer sightings but no encounters but Gusta’s sniffer got a workout …
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