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Also, THIS, folks...

:D

Three posts in one morning? Are you kidding me?!?

Check it.

http://mic.com/articles/100676/aziz-ansari-just-came-out-as-a-feminist-with-one-perfectly-simple-analogy?utm_source=policymicTBLR&utm_medium=main&utm_campaign=social

Awesome. Just Awesome.

Comments

lillysmum said…
That's excellent. Just don't read the comments. :/
October 8, 2014 at 12:46 PM
Bill Cobabe said…
Alright. I shan't. But I can probably imagine.
October 8, 2014 at 12:55 PM
Bill Cobabe said…
Imagining what the comments might be, and per the issue in general, I can't understand why people can be so negative/harsh in their criticisms. Why is it not OK to speak poorly of another's race, religion, body size, whatever, but it is somehow acceptable to speak poorly of people who support women's rights? I just don't get it. And I don't think I ever will. Civility in discourse, particularly when speaking with those with whom one disagrees, is the hallmark of an intelligent and thoughtful person. The lack of civility, therefore, reflects poorly on the intelligence and thoughtfulness of the person speaking, and marginalizes that point of view.
October 8, 2014 at 1:22 PM
lillysmum said…
Well, I think the people who post such things in comments DO speak poorly of another's race, religion, body size, etc. And supporting women's rights means taking rights away from men. One of my friends told me that he isn't a feminist because lifting women up seems to mean pulling men down, and he doesn't think that's right. I asked him if by pulling men down, he meant ending male privilege, and he said he doesn't think there is any such thing. He also doesn't believe white privilege exists, though, so there's that...
October 9, 2014 at 8:42 AM
Bill Cobabe said…
I really don't even know where to begin with such people. Can there really be any hope for such? I want to believe there is, but wow... that's incredibly discouraging.

Many years ago I had a conversation where I (ignorantly) said that there are many organizations for women - where are the organizations for men? My wise cousin responded - how about the the United States Congress... I felt so stupid. But hey, I learned. So maybe, just maybe, there is hope.
October 9, 2014 at 8:52 AM
lillysmum said…
It's lovely that you learn, though. Many don't. If I said that to my friend, he would say that it represents everyone, even if it's made up of mostly white men, they still represent everyone. You don't have to be of someone's race or sex to represent them...Yeah. There is no hope for such.
October 9, 2014 at 10:02 AM
Bill Cobabe said…
I find you very kind. I hope you know that.

I am not the man I was, and I am not yet who I hope to be. I am still learning and growing, and enjoying very much the process. Well. Mostly. ;)

And I'm sure I don't have to tell you how wrong he is. As I've come to understand race (and gender, really, because it's something that is a part of someone over which they really have little control, outside of drastic surgery) I realize that as a white man I really have no idea what it's like to be a black man. Or an Asian woman. Or anything like that. Not because I wouldn't, but because I just can't. In that realization, however, is power, because it's the beginning of wisdom and compassion. Although I don't know - can't know! - what it's like, I can exercise compassion and work to bring light to the world. Not because I'm any better than anyone, not in a noblese oblige kind of way, but because I, too, have a light that I can share.

When I was a teenager I went to a shop in a mall in Seattle. I was looking for a ball cap. There were two black teenagers about my same age that came in the shop after me, and the manager, who had acknowledged me but also pretty much just kept sitting there, got up and stood right behind these two young men until they left. The only difference I can see is that they were black and I was white. Well, and the fact that they bought something, and I did not.

I still don't understand why.

I have been the subject of such things, though, when I was living in Korea. I was a very visual minority there (tall, white, blue eyed, etc) and people would just stare at me. Regularly. It was disconcerting. And these were just the obvious ones. I'm sure I was treated differently because I was white. But even then, I know that being white in any circumstance is very different from being of a different skin color. And being a man is always going to be different, and something that I will never be able to get away from.

It's not always a bad thing. I've said before that our differences help make us strong and provide amazing diversity and beauty. But it's when these differences are used to justify keeping another down, acting poorly, or just plain being mean... yeah. That's unacceptable.

I know I'm preaching to the choir... I appreciate you being willing to discuss.
October 9, 2014 at 10:20 AM
lillysmum said…
Do you read Feminist Mormon Housewives at all? There's some interesting stuff there right now,obviously about feminism.
October 9, 2014 at 12:52 PM
Bill Cobabe said…
No, I don't regularly read - I've read some in the past... I will head over and check it out.

Thanks!
October 9, 2014 at 2:09 PM
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