Theos-Talk Archives (December 1996 Message tl00038)

kymsmith@micron.net wrote:
> Tom wrote:
> >This depends on what is meant by sexism.
>
> Sexism is: 'the economic exploitation and social domination of members of
> one sex by the other, specifically of women by men' - Webster's Dictionary.
> I agree with this definition.

	I would call it "discrimination based solely on gender", myself. Note,
however, that the term "Webster's Dictionary" is in the public domain;
ANYBODY can publish a dictionary, and call it "Webster's Dictionary".
The dictionary most people think of when they say "Webster's Dictionary"
is actually MERRIEM-Webster's Dictionary. Other good ones are American
Heritage, Random House, and, of course Oxford. Which one did you use?

> In this world we live in now, it is considered "inferior" to think
> emotionally, whereby those who think logically are considered "superior."
> If someone put two people in front of us, and asked us to choose who we
> would want to lead, or be in authority - whom do you think we would choose
> if we took as law the statement you claim to agree with?

	Actually, what is needed is a good balance of logic and emotion. One of
the keys to the new femnism is a realization that there are statistical
differences between men and women, but that each individual must be
measured on their own merits, and that both the statistically male and
the statistically female characteristics are necessary for humanity to
thrive.

> To say that "men
> are more logical than women and that women are more emotional then men" is,
> and I use this term again, simplistic.  And it horribly shortchanges
> individuals and society.

	Yes, and yes.

> It is this kind of thinking that leads to social
> domination - how many of us have heard a women being dismissed with the
> expression, "She's definitely on the rag!" or "must be PMS!" when she
> strongly voices an opinion.

	I know of a case where there is an extremely gemerous and capable woman
who is loud and brash, and an extremely selfish and manipulative woman
who is very quiet and "feminine". However, many men who should know
better consider the former to be unspiritual, and the latter to be
highly spiritual. These men are threatened by a powerful, decisive woman
who doesn't know "her place", although they would deny it if confronted
by that fact. The first woman is penalized for her openness and honesty,
while the second woman is rewarded for her duplicity. And that is the
lesson our daughters are being taught.

	Bart Lidofsky

	Bart Lidofsky