When people talk about feminism, you often here people correct, “Oh I did not mean you.” People talk about the patriarchal overlords and you have to clarify that every male present is not one of these said overlords. Talking about feminism is a sensitive subject and often people demand they be held the exception to what is being said and not only that but they should be congratulated. When talking about feminism, I should not have to acknowledge every male that isn’t a chauvinist.
Most people find this concept hard to understand why it is wrong. But it can be simply understood if you instead choose something that is socially acceptable like sexism and change the context to racism. If for example, when talking about racism, the person had to not only acknowledge every person who is not racist but also thank them for not being so, we would all be outraged. If speeches started off, “Thanks Mark, for not being an ignorant bigot like your grandfather, because you have strived so far I can now talk with you in public without fear of reprimand.” This would outrage many and disgust everybody. But we do not have this view towards feminism.
Feminism is about breaking down the gender inequalities and establishing equal rights for females. But when you talk about feminism and the oppression that they face, every single person wants to be acknowledge in what they have done to further the cause or what they have not done to deter the cause. This often requires a person to stop their valid point to say “Men are always objectifying women and making them seem nothing more than a pretty face. No Mark, I am not talking about you. You are a great man who treats women with respect.” Now though this may not seem like it this is sexist.
Now many may ask themselves how this issexist. Simple. Feminist must thank their male counter parts for not being oppressive. Thank you for not putting me in the corner. This type of mentality is demeaning to women and sexist. When men talk about how all women are whores, they don’t apologize to every woman there and say that they are not whores. The women know they are not whores and don’t need to the approval of the men.
This brings up what is feminism and more importantly what is an open debate or conversation about the environment and world we actually live. People should be able to remove themselves specifically from the discussion at hand that way people don’t get offended. To truly evaluate whether an argument is valid, you need to be able to step away from the situation and just evaluate it on a facts level. True feminism doesn’t point out specific situations but more of a generalization of what the world is and how things work. The only reason we have to single out people for recognition is their asinine egos.
When examining people who wish to be recognize, we see that it is a self-conscious thing to be recognize as not part of the group. I feel when you are debating something people should take their id or their personal involvement out of it and then people would not feel self-conscious or that it was a personal attack. Often when talking about feminism or racism, people feel that these arguments are against them, instead of just a general situation. People need to become more mature and learn to debate something on its merits and not internalize everything.
Feminism, sexism, racism or any other ism need not apologize to any person for what they when describing the situation at hand, instead they just need to state the facts. In this modern age, there is no excuse for people to be so closed minded and bigoted about something so simple. The days of physically oppressing women are over but are the days of mental oppression over. Should women have to thank every man for not being a Neanderthal? I think not.