A Rant on Women's Rights

     Frankly, I'm getting a little tired of the argument about whether or not the stay-at-home mom is a working mom and/or whether a woman who stays at home to care for children is somehow achieving less or selling herself short or whatever. I also get pretty annoyed with the barrage of so-called feminism out there that says women should have the "right" to do this or that. I swear sometimes I just want to turn in my woman card so I don't have to be associated with these people who never seem to be satisfied with what they have or to make what there is work for them. I'm starting to feel like I'm unwittingly part of some women's affirmative action movement to give me so-called "rights" that I neither asked for nor think they are indeed "my rights."
     I detest the "attack" on any man that might even think about having some opinion about what is or is not a woman's right. "You're not a woman! How DARE you have an opinion! You don't have a vagina so how can you possibly have any clue!?"  This feminist movement disgusts me. Never happy. Never satisified. Always pushing the envelope to redefine a how women should have the right to do what they please with their vaginas and reproductive organs and spare time and intellect. I mean, before you know it, women will be demanding the right to be able to produce sperm, because, after all, why should we be dependent on mens' innate physiological ability to be able to produce a child? "Dependency makes us weak!" is the argument of the day. I'm not even trying to be facetious about this.
     And don't even get me started on the stay-at-home mom versus the working mom. Women say "I choose this! It's my right to stay at home with my kids!" Well of course it is but staying at home with your kids is not first and foremost about you and the argument should not revolve around womens' choice. The argument should revolve around children, not their mothers. What's better? A child raised by a day-care or a child raised by their mother? It's a no-brainer so stop making it about women. Women who work may determine stay-at-homers are less experienced in the ways of the world. Well that may be true. Because staying at home is a sacrifice, no doubt. If you are a stay-at-homer you can't possibly argue that you have as much experience with the workplace as the women who work outside the home. You just don't. Sorry. It's the price you paid. No one said it wasn't a worthy price so stop acting like you're being attacked for what you chose to do just because someone says you don't know as much as them about running a successful business... or an economy for that matter.
     The problem I see is that women don't value themselves like they should. They feel guilty... all the time with the guilt. I'm not strong enough. I'm not experienced enough. I can't raise children and go to work at the same time. I can't eat, drink, make dinner, clean my house, come up with crafty ideas for my toddler, plan a birthday party, sell my candles from home, be a top-ranking executive, and drive a ferrari and watch my child become president of the United States all at the same time... so I guess I must be a failure as a human being. Women don't value what they are. They don't value that they are different from men and they don't value that they're different from each other. They think everything and everyone should be exactly equal. If it's not equal then it's not good. They simply can't be happy with what they have.
     Don't get me wrong. I'm guilty of this from time-to-time. Less now than I used to be. But still, being a woman is a never-ending battle with guilt and a lack of self-worth. We should recognize that battle and stop fighting the wrong thing. And we should fight every day to win the battle with the at-times overwhelming part of ourselves that tells us we are worthless. We should stop fighting each other, stop fighting men, stop fighting God and stop fighting what we are and were meant to be.

Comments

  1. Rachel I love you. You have the MOST incredible opinions and you express them ever so eloquently! :D And I couldn't agree more with everything you have said here. Men and women are very different and we're that way for a reason because if we were all exactly the same then nothing would work out! All things in the universe have an opposite because it creates balance and men and women are perfect examples of that. We were created differently so that when we are together in a relationship or family there is balance. And EVERY woman should be proud of herself and what she CAN do but stop hating herself for the things she CAN'T do. We're not super heroes!

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  2. I totally agree with the danger of guilt tripping ourselves constantly. It is harmful. I also, agree that women should have the choice to stay home or go to work or both, without having to justify their choices and without constantly whining about the choice they made (because choosing something always means choosing against something else).

    However, I find it sad that you dismiss feminism as something you don't want to be associated with. If it weren't for feminism, you would still be your husband's property. You would not have the right to vote. You would not be allowed to share your opinions on a blog, since women were banned from speaking in public. You would not have the choice to go to work, because you wouldn't be allowed to anyway. Quite frankly, you would not be considered a full human.

    Quite frankly I find it shocking how many women disrespect all the brave sisters that have gone before us and blazed the trail.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for your comments. I do think, however, you have tried to put words in my mouth on the feminism idea as a whole. Certainly I realize the contributions of past feminists. I would like to point out that my specific words were "this feminist movement" as well as referring to the barrage of "so-called" feminism which does not necessarily include PAST feminist movements or feminism as a whole. I don't think it's disrespect on my part. I think it's disrespect on the part of so many women who call their opinions feminism. Feminism was meant to be a celebration of women as persons equally capable of contributing to society. It was fighting blatant oppression. But as it is with so many things in life, people push it too far so that what they think they are fighting for is actually the complete opposite of what they intended. True feminism empowers and uplifts but these days, when I read feminist geared literature I feel more guilt, more inadequate, and I feel that women out there are trying to define who I should be rather than celebrating who I am. That, my friend, is NOT feminism.

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  3. "The problem I see is that women don't value themselves like they should. They feel guilty... all the time with the guilt. I'm not strong enough. I'm not experienced enough. I can't raise children and go to work at the same time. I can't eat, drink, make dinner, clean my house, come up with crafty ideas for my toddler, plan a birthday party, sell my candles from home, be a top-ranking executive, and drive a ferrari and watch my child become president of the United States all at the same time... so I guess I must be a failure as a human being".....apart from the ferrari and top-ranking exec....I know my child will become president of the US I have done it all...SO I am who I am and proud of it!!!

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  4. I randomly came across your blog via while foods vegan momma, and I just wanted to tell you that I think this is a great post. I have had these same thoughts but never been able to say them so eloquently. Thank you for sharing :)

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