Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences
I would like to respectfully request that C.C. refrain from making blanket statements such as, ‘We women tend to like this…’. As a woman, I can assure Yforum readers that I do *not* like this kind of behaviour; nor do my female friends. We look at feminism as the radical notion that women are people. For example, since I am completely able to open doors when I am alone, I resent the idea that, in the presence of men, I suddenly lose this well-honed ability. When my uncertain male friends ask me how they’re supposed to behave towards women, I explain that they should behave in the same manner as they behave to each other. For example, when two men approach a door together, the one who arrives at the door generally holds the door for the second. It is really not difficult to extend that behaviour to any person — even if such a person happens to be female. As far as seats on buses — I prefer not to be treated as if I am too weak to stand alongside all the other crowded, tired, standing passengers. Having said all that, I recognize that the ‘rules’ are in flux, and can be confusing to women and men alike. Therefore, if a male offers a seat I always say thank you — even though I choose not to take the seat (I usually make some excuse about not going far). If a male rushes ahead of me to open a door (assuming he doesn’t knock me out of the way in his hurry to be chivalrous, and assuming he doesn’t make some nasty crack about supposing I’m a liberated woman who won’t want the door held), I say thank you and go through — because in the final analysis, I believe we should be courteous to each other. That makes the world a better place. Meanwhile, I just try to educate my friends and family, and hope that little changes will eventually result in women being considered people, rather than some special group of special things, all of whom need special treatment.