Dear Ms. Steinem,
I want to thank you so very much for all that you’ve done -- and still have yet to do. I imagine the road has been arduous and exhausting, as you swam the channel against the tide. This fueled by courage, insight, and an iron will. Perhaps a bit of insanity may have helped at times, like a sip of brandy warms the heart.
I walk a fine line between fully embracing feminism, and some traditional views. I was raised Roman Catholic, but see the true folly in not controlling natality.
I still have a problem with casual sex, not because I am frigid, but rather because I don’t want to be used as a semen depository. If one is in a mutual loving relationship, well, that’s another story.
I stand up for myself, and for those who are abused in any form, which leads me to the thorny case of pro-choice. I would not want to be tied down and stripped from any freedom of choice, nor do I condone that it inflicted on any sister. Yet, as mentioned above, I feel it is wrong to play the Russian Roulette, knowing there is an option and an escape.
It can be as easy as extracting a mole, yet, after the passage of time, how many women have regretted their choice? Truly.
Fujimori once launched a campaign to compensate women in the poorest provinces of Peru, with a paltry sum if they voluntarily acquiesced to sterilization. I was dismayed by this treatment of women as if they were mere herds of cattle. Yet, to bring more hungry mouths into a world that is fragile and eroding its natural resources, is also an egregious mistake -- more so, when it can be easily avoided.
I know in my heart, and wholeheartedly agree that women, and girls need to have low-cost access to means of prevention, and they have to stand up to their men to demand protection.
I feel more comfortable walking the middle road, for I can’t turn my back on who I am. I have found exhilarating freedom in not attempting to please everyone else; and I take it as a compliment to be called a bitch and somewhat eccentric.
I am a woman and it is in my nature to love, nurture, protect and encourage. And I use my intuition to sift through the muddle of conflicting theories. I am compelled to lift those I can, and I wear my femininity with pride, because I am proud of being one. And like a flower, pliant and soft as the petals of a rose, I still have an unbreakable stem.
I can’t be a ball busting man, unless it is for self-perseverance, yet, I feel this misconception of women as ball busters, have fueled hate and anger from men feeling castrated. I love men (with the exception of the less evolved), and I also perceive the fragility of their egos, as well as the heavy toil it is to be the sole breadwinner in today's global economy. We need to support one another, and not become mortal enemies.
As evidenced by my mother, I've learned that someone soft spoken, who never swears, can be formidably strong, and a true warrior against adversity.
When little girls, young women, and old learn that they can be self-sufficient, even with a micro loan to produce llama sweaters on their own, then the dynamic will change. They will feel empowered to walk out of an abusive relationship, or deter them from selling their bodies for compensation.
It is sickening how some men objectify and exploit women as mere sexual toys, yet there are also women to blame. The woman currently labeled “The Sexiest Woman in the World,” is quoted as wanting to marry a real smart guy, because she is not.
When I read stuff like this, I want to pull my hair because there is so much attention given to the exterior adornments, and so much lacking in the interiors.
Interior decorations can be cheaply acquired, by simply visiting the local public library. One can dive deeply into a vast, profound ocean, and find amazing pearls hidden in the vaults of knowledge.
Ultimately, in the war of the sexes we must not lose sight that we are in essence not defined by a penis or a vagina. We are beings who have forgotten, that we are equal parts of a whole.
Thank you for your efforts and your fight; you truly showcase that beauty is ageless.
Sincerely,
....
Link to WOW:
http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-life/bigger-picture/articlewow.aspx?cp-documentid=19334939>1=32001
