BlogWonks

A friend sent me an email a few days ago announcing, “The Kentucky Commission on Women (KCW) will present the 2007 Governor’s Conference on Kentucky’s Women July 13th at the Kentucky International Convention Center in downtown Louisville.”   He proceeded to ask, “Why is it that women’s issues have special conference and special speakers addressing ONLY the plight of W O M E N???”  That’s certainly a valid question considering there are over two hundred seventy (270) women’s commissions in Amerika, but only one (1) for men in New Hampshire - - - and it receives no government funding.  That’s certainly a valid question considering men’s list of historical (and present) ”oppressions” is as great or greater than women’s.

I was thinking just this afternoon about all the different perspectives on “women’s issues,” taken by different women’s factions in our society.  Most women’s issues seem to fall broadly under two categories. 

On the one hand we have the ”progressive” perspective, encompassing the spectrum of liberal women’s views, from the right to choose, to comparable (commie) worth, to special treatment under domestic violence and sexual harassment laws, etc. 

On the other hand we have the ”traditional” perspective, encompassing the spectrum of conservative (right wing) women’s views from the expectation of chivalrous treatment to an interpretation of “choice” that includes right to life, adoption, alimony, stay at home Motherhood, being a kept woman, etc., etc.

I really don’t see traditional women “street protesting” against the viewpoints and issues of liberal women, other than abortion, but leftist women tend to denigrate just about everything a conservative woman stands for.  Neither women’s camp is aggressive at shucking off the special privileges garnered on women, coming from the opposition women’s camp.  Again, abortion seems to be the most controversial issue dividing liberal and conservative women so what one considers a privilege, the other considers an oppression, ergo strong disagreement on that one issue.

Politicians seem quick to accommodate and very, very slow to condemn, the whole breadth of women’s topics from the most conservative to the most liberal.  As a result, IMO, American women today seem to be in an oddly win-win smorgasbord of politics, where every option and choice is on the table with no real penalties for hypocrisies.  After-all, it has always been a woman’s prerogative to change her mind. 

If any dare criticize the abundance of special privileges and pampering that American women enjoy today under nanny state programs, and chivalrous treatment, just trot out that tired old gender feminist propaganda about the historical oppression of women under Patriarchy and watch the dumb a$$ male politicians all line up like ducks in a row to salute, as that fallacious mantra of women’s politics is run up the flag pole.  You won’t find very many American women in the house, IMO, who will disavow how unfair life has been, according to their expectations of what life should be, or should have been.

I wonder what the outcry would be if the Governor of Kentucky got up to speak at the Women’s Commission gathering and the first words out of his mouth were “get tough or die?”  Conversely, I suspect Marines to this day are still taught to say that phrase to each other.

The hypocritical double standards between the way men are treated and women are treated in America today are numerous and stink to high heaven, yet we are considered equal - clearly separate, if in anyway equal.  I’d like to make that point at the next convening of the California Men’s Commission, except it doesn’t exist.  Oh, but there are at least 31 California Commissions for women.

Women will never be equal, until men have their (women’s) rights and privileges too.  

A Commission for Men in Los Angeles County would be a great place for California to begin to level the playing field.