This is a first for me, I don't usually write about things that have political issues attached to them. Especially on here, writing stuff like this is like throwing yourself in the lions den and feeding yourself to the wolves, all at the same time. Honestly, I'm not in a good place so I don't need the hostility from people I don't know or the name calling. However, I've seen some things on here lately, that make me feel woman (and people) are misinformed about certain things when it comes to strong women and women's rights (now). So, I thought I'd put my two cents into this very talked about topic, even at the risk of being burned at the hypothetical stake by the masses. Even if I can give only one person another view to consider, instead of the pack mentality one going around, then I guess I did a good thing or at least found one open minded person left in this closed minded world.
So, this is going to be a three topic in one take. I promise not to make it so long that you're bored to tears. Let's get started.
Why Being a Bitch Isn't a Good Thing.
This one is fairly simple. I've seen women on here proclaim how it's "okay to be a bitch" and of course they provide reasons that don't necessarily fit the description that name is given by others. Woman like that are usually mean, out for themselves and don't care who they hurt along the away to their end goal. Nobody, likes a person like that. Many people have said that same exact thing I just said. So, let me pose it in a question. If nobody likes a guy who's an ass (especially women), then why would anybody (especially men) like woman who's a bitch? Think about that for moment and let me know what your answer is.
Next, let's talk about.....................
How We're Stomping on the Women Who Came Before By Fighting a Battle Women Already Won.
I see all these women sticking together and fighting for womens rights but I'm kind of baffled what there is to fight for since we pretty much have the equality, we're suppose to "not have". Look, I know there maybe be some things in life that being a woman is considered a disavantage. However, this isn't a perfect world. It will never be a perfect world and anybody who told you it was, was lying. I know there may be people that have an old school mentailty and think women can't do certain jobs that men can but not everybody thinks like that. There may be a guy a women dates who thinks a woman's place is in the kitchen and looking after the kids but a good portion of men aren't like that, not to mention if you picked him knowing all of that and still marry him anyway, that was your personal choice. It doesn't mean all man are like that and trying to stifle a womens independence or ability to succeed in this life. That's just one guy, not all guys.
I'm a bigger picture person about certain things, so let's do a little side by side compasion. Shall we?
Women back then.....................
. Couldn't vote
. Couldn't go to college
. Usually got married around 19 or younger, then have kids shortly after
. Had to wear dresses (pants didn't even exist for women for a long while, dresses were your only choice)
. Couldn't have a job or career outside of their domestic duties.
. Had to stay home with the kids, cooked, cleaned and took care of her husband.
. Were excepted to have dinner on the table by 4:00 or 5:00 pm, depending when her husband got off work.
. Couldn't freely show her sexuality because that didn't happen back then.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Women now.................
. Can vote
. Do go to college and aim for big jobs, such as being a CEO one day
. Get married and have kids when they choose or don't get married and don't have kids if they choose
. Wear what ever they want, be it pants, dresses or the skimpest thing you've ever seen.
. Can have any job they want from judge to lawyer, doctor,firefighter, cop, supervisior, head of human resorces, FBI agent, CIA agent, owner of a million dollar company, etc......
. Have the choice to be a stay at home wife and mother or not
. Cook what ever they can, when ever they can because most people don't have set dinner time anymore.
. Shows her sexuality freely because it's actually acceptable now (not to say there's not judgement but everybody has opinion, right?)
So, with that side by side comparsion list of then and now, tell me again how women don't have the same rights men do in this day in age?
I know women want to be paid the same as a man, get free birth control and have the right to get an an abortion. However, in the grander scheme of those three things compared to the list of all the rights we do have, how is that even signficantly close to where women once were? Life is hard and has design flaws but that doesn't make women repressed for a second time. Truth is, the more women complain about what women now don't have, the more seems like a slap in the face to all those women in history who work their butts off to get us to were we are today. Maybe we should be grateful for the amount rights and freedoms we do have.
Also, if women care so much about equality of women. Have they ever thought of coming up with calm uncoming at you like a mack truck way? Just because you talk the loudest, doesn't mean your being heard. If you want people to listen to your point of view, give them a reason to want to.
Anyway............. Moving on to the last topic and that is............................
What a strong woman really is depicted by ones through history.
I see things on here that state what a strong woman is and it's usually stuff like "makes the first move on a guy" or " tells it like it is". However, that doesn't make a strong woman. So, instead of me giving you my description on it, I'll give examples to it. There's many women through history that have shown true strength and braver, those woman are truly strong.
Let's now talk about those woman, not only are they strong but some of them fought for the things we have today. Those women are:
1. Louisa May Alcott
(1832–1888)
"Author who produced the first literature for the mass market of juvenile girls in the 19th century. Her most popular, Little Women, was just one of 270 works that she published."
2. Susan B. Anthony
(1820–1906)
"The 19th century women’s movement’s most powerful organizer. Together with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony fought for women’s right to vote. She was also very involved in the fight against slavery and the temperance campaign to limit the use of alcohol."
3. Clara Barton
(1821–1912)
"Clara Barton got involved with tending the needy when she treated injured Union soldiers on the battlefield during the Civil War. She later was the founder and first president of the American Red Cross."
4. Elizabeth Blackwell
(1821–1910)
"First American woman awarded a medical degree by a college. Attended Geneva College in New York after she was rejected by all the major medical schools in the nation because of her sex. Elizabeth Blackwell later founded a women’s medical college to train other women physicians."
5. Pearl S. Buck
(1892–1973)
"With her novels about American and Asian culture, she became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature."
6. Cleopatra
(69–30 B.C.)
"Queen of Egypt and the last pharaoh. She was 17 or 18 when she became queen. Cleopatra was a shrewd politician who spoke nine languages. During her reign, Egypt became closely aligned with the Roman Empire."
7. Marie Curie
(1867–1934)
"This physicist was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize — she actually won it twice — and the first woman to earn a doctorate in Europe. Her investigations led to the discovery of radioactivity as well as the element radium."
8. Amelia Earhart
(1897–1937)
"The first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, she opened the skies to other women. In 1937 while attempting to become the first person to fly around the world, Earhart’s plane disappeared over the Pacific Ocean."
9. Elizabeth I
(1558–1603)
"Queen of England when England became a major European power in politics, commerce, and the arts. Smart, brave, and determined to link herself to her country’s fortunes, she cultivated the loyalty of her people and united the country against enemies. During her reign — the "Elizabethan Age" — England changed from being poor and isolated to being among the most important nations in Europe, with a powerful navy."
10. Ella Fitzgerald
(1918–1996)
"Considered one of the greatest jazz singers of all time, Ella Fitzgerald was the winner of 12 Grammy Awards and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom."
11. Indira Gandhi
(1917–1984)
"As the leader of India, the world’s most populous democracy, Indira Gandhi became an influential figure for Indian women as well as for others around the world."
12. LaDonna Harris (born 1931)
"Harris is the President and Founder of Americans for Indian Opportunity, a national multitribal organization devoted to developing the economic opportunities and resources of Indians. Raised by her grandparents with traditional Comanche values, Harris has been politically active all her life. She has crusaded for the rights of children and women and for the elimination of poverty and discrimination."
13. Grace Hopper
(1906–1992)
"A computing trailblazer, Grace Hopper invented one of the first easy-to-use computer languages, which was a big advance in the field of computer programming."
14. Dolores Huerta (born 1930)
"A spokesperson for the rights of workers, Dolores Huerta helped create the National Farm Workers Association. Among other issues, she has fought for the right to a minimum wage, unemployment insurance, paid holidays, and retirement benefits for farm workers."
15. Shirley Jackson (born 1946)
"Jackson is the former head of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, where she reaffirmed the agency's commitment to public health and safety. She is the first female African American to receive a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Jackson's outstanding leadership in education, science, and public policy demonstrates the capability of women to be leaders in the field of science and technology."
16. Joan of Arc
(1412–1431)
"A national hero in France, Joan of Arc led the resistance to the English invasion of France in the Hundred Years War. She believed that it was her divine mission to free her country from the English. She cut her hair, dressed in a man's uniform, and led French troops to victory in the battle of Orleans in 1429."
17. Jackie Joyner-Kersey (born 1962)
"She dominated the Olympic sport of heptathlon, a series of six demanding events. Joyner-Kersee won the Olympic gold medal for the United States in 1988 and1992, and set the world record. She was also the first American woman to win Olympic gold in the long jump."
18. Frida Kahlo
(1907–1954)
"This Mexican artist survived childhood polio and later a bus accident that led to seven operations. She began painting to escape her lifelong pain and is considered one of the greatest artists of the 20th century."
19. Helen Keller
(1880–1968)
"A childhood disease left her deaf, mute, and blind. Helen Keller became an expert author and lecturer, educating nationally on behalf of others with similar disabilities."
21. Margaret Mead
(1901–1978)
"This anthropologist who studied Samoan culture caused society to rethink how it looked at adolescence."
22. Mother Teresa
(1910–1997)
"Founder of a religious group of nuns in Calcutta, India, Mother Theresa devoted her life to aiding sick and poor people throughout the world."
23. Ellen Ochoa (born 1958)
"As an astronaut and researcher of advanced optical information systems, Ochoa flew her first shuttle mission in 1993 as a Mission Specialist with the Discovery crew, conducting atmospheric and solar studies in order to better understand the effect of solar activity on the Earth's climate and environment. The first Hispanic woman to be named an astronaut, she has logged over 500 hours in space."
24. Sandra Day O’Connor (born 1930)
"As the first woman appointed to the position of U.S. Supreme Court justice, she carved a place for women at all levels of the legal profession."
25. Rosa Parks
(1913–2005)
"When she refused to give up her seat to a white person on a crowded bus, Rosa Parks set in motion the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a cornerstone of the civil rights movement. She has since been a strong advocate for human rights issues."
26. Esther Peterson (1906-1997)
"Peterson worked throughout her life for consumer protection, improved labor conditions for American workers, and equal opportunity for American women. Because of her work, working women have a legal right to equal pay and food labels by law must now list exact amounts of ingredients and the nutritional content. She served four U.S. Presidents in various capacities, including Assistant Secretary of Labor, and Vice-Chair of the first Presidential Commission on the Status of Women."
27. Dr. Sally Ride
(1951–2012)
"The first American woman in space was also the youngest American astronaut ever to orbit Earth."
28. Eleanor Roosevelt
(1884–1962)
"As a champion of human rights, she strove to further women’s causes as well as the causes of black people, poor people, and the unemployed."
29. Sacagawea
(1787–1812)
"She was the interpreter for Lewis and Clark during the U.S. government’s first exploration of the Northwest. Sacagawea’s role was to help negotiate safe and peaceful passages through tribal lands."
30. Muriel F. Siebert
(1938–2013)
"Her advanced understanding of banking and finance led Muriel Siebert to the first seat owned by a woman on the New York Stock Exchange. She created the Siebert Philanthropic Program, which lets investors help charities in their own communities."
31. Lillian Smith (1897-1966)
"Honored in 1956 by the women who organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Smith was one of the nation's strongest European-American voices to expose the vicious ways that racism destroys the human spirit. She used her stellar writing talent and class privilege to expose and challenge racism. Smith co-published the literary magazine South Today to help give voice to progressive black and white southern writers."
32. Margaret Thatcher
(1925–2013)
"This politician was the first woman in European history to be elected prime minister. Known for her conservative views, Margaret Thatcher was also the first British prime minister to win three consecutive terms in the 20th century."
33. Harriet Tubman
(1820–1913)
"This abolitionist was born a slave. She eventually became a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad — a system developed by a secret group of free blacks and sympathetic whites to help runaway slaves get to free northern states. Harriet Tubman led more than 300 slaves to freedom."
34. Victoria Woodhull
(1838–1927)
"First woman to be nominated and campaign for the U.S. presidency. She was nominated by the Women's National Equal Rights Party. Woodhull and her sister were also the first two female stockbrokers on Wall Street."
You want to know what repression of women really is, look no further than the list above. You want to know what the meaning of a strong woman really is, look no further than the list above.
These women had it rough, these woman were strong. All you need is to look at this list to see how far we've come and see what strength actually looks like.
Well, this concludes my take. If you have anything to add, feel free to do so. Just be nice about it. #No anger here.
Most Helpful Opinions