To: stranger and pilgrim; Cathryn Crawford
Given my post just above,
Feminism -- the radical notion that women are people
The idea with broad appeal: That women are people.
The specifics (unstated on the bumper sticker): the policies of the radical feminists. Equal pay laws. Abortion on demand. Destruction of tradition. I should have mentioned above in my description of the pattern that since the specifics are always going to be less popular than the broad goal, the specifics should never be mentioned when it can be avoided. When it cannot be avoided, the discussion should be shifted as quickly as possible to the broad idea.
The method: Demagoguery; anyone who opposes the specifics must be cast as opposing the idea with broad appeal. In this case, done with a healthy dose of sarcasm.
81 posted on
06/14/2003 6:26:17 AM PDT by
William McKinley
(He has given me not answers, but questions- an invitation to marvel!)
To: William McKinley
"The specifics (unstated on the bumper sticker): the policies of the radical feminists. Equal pay laws. Abortion on demand. Destruction of tradition . . . "
In an ideal world pay should be based on experience, qualification, ability and proven performance. Gender should have nothing to do with it. A better qualified woman should earn more than a man of lessor ability.
Some traditions deserve to be destroyed and few, if any, should be imposed on people against their will. If women want to make non-traditional choices that should be their right in a "free" country. Why should an soul be restricted from reaching their potential just because they were born with a different set of plumbing?
As for abortion, I will not attempt to excuse or defend those who seek to encourage or justify abortion. But I do believe it's awfully easy to dismiss what is a legitimate and appropriate desire to improve the challenges women often face by reducing that struggle to the abortion battle. That, too, seems to be a case of demagoguery. I don't believe that just because some radical feminists see no other issue than "choice" we should not seriously consider that society often limits the potential of women or treats them unfairly.
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