Forget the tongue in cheek references to high wind and paths of destruction that the Hurricane, dubbed Harvey, brought to Texas and Louisana. After all, hurricanes are an occurrence of nature and we can't really do anything to prevent them. (Unless you're one of those crazy science people who believe in man's influence on climate.)We simply rescue, rebuild and move on. (Unless you live in Puerto Rico.) As much as we like to think we can collectively fix everything, at the present time, we can't. Boxers will tell you that learning to absorb punishment is as important as learning how to deliver it.
No, I want to say a few words about the other Harvey. Who has left another path of destruction which was uncovered recently? In this case, the destruction was directly in the lives of women that he harassed and allegedly raped. It is important that many of us men admit that our lives have not been without fault in this area. I will admit, I'm not without sin. However, it doesn't mean that I have to sit by and not comment. My wife wisely pointed out to me that women can complain, testify and suffer the public humiliation, but women don't have the power to change this situation by themselves.
Men can and must be on board with a solution to this social problem. Discrimination against women is the biggest social problem we have. Radical claim? Every woman in the world, regardless of race. geographical location or social status suffers from this problem to a greater or lesser degree. That is more than fifty percent of the human beings in the world. When we celebrate women being allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia or having the opportunity to get an education in Afganistan, we should wonder, why has it taken so long and why do we have so far to go?
Women in the US do have a chance to excel and they have taken advantage of those opportunities. However, we have to wonder how much humiliation and degradation many of them have to endure to get to where they are.
Here are the facts about the price women pay that men are not asked to do, in order to be successful. Women do have to be seriously better at what they do in order to be promoted over male candidates. Women are going to be paid less for doing the same job. If women invade a formally all-male profession, compensation for all participants goes down. Women are still going to have to perform most of the female defined roles in their homes. This means that even if the male helps with housework, child rearing and home care, including care of aging parents, the prime responsibility will remain with the woman.
Men must not only stand by the women in their lives, but they must examine their role and their participation in the countless ways that no matter how unintended, they contribute to the problem. The casting couch that Harvey used to gratify his most horrible actions was and to a certain extent today, a joke. The problem is it's not funny when an old guy with power rapes young women because, in his mind, they owe their success to him.
Men think about it! I do, I think about my daughters. I think about my Daughters-in-law. I think about my Granddaughters. I want a better, fairer and kinder world for them. And we, gentlemen, are an import part of the solution. Again my wife points to one thing we can do. Do not celebrate the cocksmen who brag about their conquests. Gentlemen have that conversation with your son's about responsible and caring behavior. As Maria tells our Granddaughters, "Do not do anything with your body that a man asks you to do, that you do not want to do." We should tell our son's, Do not do anything with a woman she doesn't want to do nor insist that she do something she doesn't want to do."
We must learn to treat women as our equals. This means recognizing that relationships are built on two-way streets. We have to admit the fairness and benefits of helping our female friends and lovers succeed to the degree they can, without being a part of the barriers erected in their path. If we really love the women in our lives, we have to start acting like it.
Do I hear an amen?
From Camp Jeff preaching while delicately perched on his apple crate, located in Camp Jeff.
No, I want to say a few words about the other Harvey. Who has left another path of destruction which was uncovered recently? In this case, the destruction was directly in the lives of women that he harassed and allegedly raped. It is important that many of us men admit that our lives have not been without fault in this area. I will admit, I'm not without sin. However, it doesn't mean that I have to sit by and not comment. My wife wisely pointed out to me that women can complain, testify and suffer the public humiliation, but women don't have the power to change this situation by themselves.
Men can and must be on board with a solution to this social problem. Discrimination against women is the biggest social problem we have. Radical claim? Every woman in the world, regardless of race. geographical location or social status suffers from this problem to a greater or lesser degree. That is more than fifty percent of the human beings in the world. When we celebrate women being allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia or having the opportunity to get an education in Afganistan, we should wonder, why has it taken so long and why do we have so far to go?
Women in the US do have a chance to excel and they have taken advantage of those opportunities. However, we have to wonder how much humiliation and degradation many of them have to endure to get to where they are.
Here are the facts about the price women pay that men are not asked to do, in order to be successful. Women do have to be seriously better at what they do in order to be promoted over male candidates. Women are going to be paid less for doing the same job. If women invade a formally all-male profession, compensation for all participants goes down. Women are still going to have to perform most of the female defined roles in their homes. This means that even if the male helps with housework, child rearing and home care, including care of aging parents, the prime responsibility will remain with the woman.
Men must not only stand by the women in their lives, but they must examine their role and their participation in the countless ways that no matter how unintended, they contribute to the problem. The casting couch that Harvey used to gratify his most horrible actions was and to a certain extent today, a joke. The problem is it's not funny when an old guy with power rapes young women because, in his mind, they owe their success to him.
Men think about it! I do, I think about my daughters. I think about my Daughters-in-law. I think about my Granddaughters. I want a better, fairer and kinder world for them. And we, gentlemen, are an import part of the solution. Again my wife points to one thing we can do. Do not celebrate the cocksmen who brag about their conquests. Gentlemen have that conversation with your son's about responsible and caring behavior. As Maria tells our Granddaughters, "Do not do anything with your body that a man asks you to do, that you do not want to do." We should tell our son's, Do not do anything with a woman she doesn't want to do nor insist that she do something she doesn't want to do."
We must learn to treat women as our equals. This means recognizing that relationships are built on two-way streets. We have to admit the fairness and benefits of helping our female friends and lovers succeed to the degree they can, without being a part of the barriers erected in their path. If we really love the women in our lives, we have to start acting like it.
Do I hear an amen?
From Camp Jeff preaching while delicately perched on his apple crate, located in Camp Jeff.
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