Our Shared Shelf discussion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elbqE...

These are the seven tenants of feminism that OSS embodies. What do you folks think of it?

I adhere to them all have since I became Feminist and stood for heforshe I am still working on each and it helps me with the fifth of the 7 :)

I am willing:
to be seen.
to speak up.
to keep going.
to listen to what others have to say.
to go forward even when I feel alone.
to go to bed each night at peace with myself.
to be my biggest, bestest, most powerful self.

This ones.

I have been a feminist for fourty years. I am also male. This means I cannot be recognized as a feminist in the US (if anywhere). In 1973, I sent a letter to the National Organization for Women, asking how I could help. Several months later, I received a one-sentence note from someone calling herself Martha Mankiller. Her reply was "Die. Kill yourself and make the world better for women everywhere." I was eleven at the time. Despite the somewhat less-than-friendly reply, I can proudly say I have been doing what I can to advance equal rights for women since 1973. David Larkin

David wrote: "Her reply was "Die. Kill yourself and make the world better for women everywhere." I was eleven at the time. "

Wow...just wow.

James wrote: "David wrote: "Her reply was "Die. Kill yourself and make the world better for women everywhere." I was eleven at the time. "

Wow...just wow."

Radical feminists suck!

Keith wrote: "The seven tenants are the cornerstone of feminism and OSS. None is more important than an other and all are interconnected.

For all that, I keep coming back to "listen to what others have to say"...."

All of these people are amazing young leaders.I too am hopefully going to start teaching young girls as part of an NGO,and am super excited.Hope i take all my lessons from OSS along,to ensure maximum enlightenment of these young girls.

And as for the 7 feminist statements are concerned,I'd like to quote Meredith Grey: "Don't let fear keep you quiet.You have a voice.So use it to fill the damn silence."

Keith wrote: "The seven tenants are the cornerstone of feminism and OSS. None is more important than an other and all are interconnected.

For all that, I keep coming back to "listen to what others have to say"...."

Wow, they really are from around the world, and do important work.
And I agree with you, Keith, that speech is amazing! But I think the speech in which she nailed it all was the one in front of the UN in September 2014 (and she showed quite a few of the tenants when doing so)



Ashna wrote: "Keith wrote: "The seven tenants are the cornerstone of feminism and OSS. None is more important than an other and all are interconnected.

For all that, I keep coming back to "listen to what others..."

Keep us updated, I'd love to hear about it. And that quote is awesome! Yes, we do have a voice, and we might as well use it!

This is for MeerderWörter
I have to disagree. Without the radical side, nothing can get done. The radicals are the ones who bring attention to a problem, be that attention for good or ill. For instance, a group of men once wrote: "When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station..." This preamble was considered the height of radical thinking for the time. Without those radicals, the United States would never have been created. (Although we have a long way to go before the equality once dreamed becomes a reality.) Still, in this country, the right to have and express one's opinions regardless of those opinions' acceptability to others, is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution. Moreover, I have no problem with people stating their opinions, or even disagreeing with me, because it shows that people are thinking for themselves. David Larkin

To James, It was a hard time for all of us. Corporate greed was driving the war in Vietnam, which was costing thousands of lives every day, the sexual revolution was beginning and people were questioning things they'd held true for generations, the scientific escape we had in the moon landings was coming to an end, the gas crisis was in full swing, inflation was up, employment was down, there was civil unrest in the street, Nixon had taken us off the gold standard and thereby announced the world that the US currency was worthless, and television was following everything. Nobody knew what was real or even possible anymore. Now, years after the fact, I can see how Mankiller might have felt her reply was reasonable. It didn't make me feel any better at the time, but...
David Larkin

David wrote: "This is for MeerderWörter
I have to disagree. Without the radical side, nothing can get done. The radicals are the ones who bring attention to a problem, be that attention for good or ill. For ins..."

Radicals have their place to keep things moving but they have issues often becoming blinkered even monomaniacal. The ability to compromise and work with others is the key. There is the danger with the radical that you become so enamored of the battle you forget to win the war.

David wrote: "This is for MeerderWörter
I have to disagree. Without the radical side, nothing can get done. The radicals are the ones who bring attention to a problem, be that attention for good or ill. For ins..."

I see what you mean with the "radical side", and I agree with you. I tho, was speaking of a certain kind of feminists, and their label is actually radical feminism. You might want to look that term up, and I know one thing for sure: I cannot agree less with their view on what causes all the problems in the gender struggle. Because in my view they are pretty narrow-minded, and just fight a small proportion of the actual problem.

Going back to the speech--beautiful! Thanks for sharing the link.

Ross and MeerderWörter,

I agree. Too much of anything can be dangerous. While necessary, even critical to affect change, the problem with some radicals, dare I say 'Zealots' is as you said; they tend to focus on only one aspect of their belief. Ms. Watson once complained that feminists didn't think she could be feminist because she had breasts. I can only think that those feminists are the same ones who believe I cannot be feminist because I was born male. Is that radical, or is it justifiable?
There are those who honestly believe that (to misuse a phrase) some are 'more equal' than others. It is my contention that this is the basic problem. Unfortunately is is also my contention that such is a basic part of the human mental makeup. We want what we don't have, and in most cases, what we have not earned. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.
My late sister, Marion, who went by her screen names of FireLemming and Simbamarassa, was a certifiable genius. She strongly believed that all men should be harvested of their sperm for genetic diversity and then killed. Her thoughts were with all men gone, the world's problems would also end. Due to our upbringing, she loathed all men mostly because of the horrid way our dad treated us all, especially her. I escaped her wrath, because in her eyes, I am not a man, I'm a mom.
As in politics and religion, there never seems to be a middle ground.

David Larkin

David wrote: "Ross and MeerderWörter,

I agree. Too much of anything can be dangerous. While necessary, even critical to affect change, the problem with some radicals, dare I say 'Zealots' is as you said; they..."

Can be an effort David but we do find it we have here on OSS nice mix of views and people to share them with its a start.

Ross, You are correct, but my point was that there seems to be no middle ground in this or in many other subjects. One either goes full left or full right on whatever scale one is using. I strongly believe that people will one day see each other as equals, but I don't believe I will see true equality in my lifetime, nor do I expect to see a cessation of crimes/violence based upon sex/gender, ethnicity (I refuse to call it race as we are all the same race) or culture. If in the fullness of time, this does happen, I will be content.
Dave

Keith wrote: "The seven tenants are the cornerstone of feminism and OSS. None is more important than another and all are interconnected."

Period. :)