From: uunet!cos!tango!bob1@ncar.ucar.EDU (Bob Blackshaw)
Subject: Power, Equality, and Mutual Support
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Date: 27 Aug 92 19:15:32 GMT

Well, might as well get a third Robert into the discussion. As to the
draft, I can't help but note that it is set up and run by men. The
question is 'what men?', and from where I sit those men are what we
all refer to as the establishment. As one who is definitely not a
member of the establishment, I have never noted so much as what you
might call an anti-feminist reaction from these people as what I
would call an anti-everyone-else-but-us attitude. In very plain
english if you aren't a member they will screw you regardless of
gender.

The thing I find disturbing about the rather quick dismissal of
Robert C's appeal is that it fragments the little power we (the
non-establishment folk) have, which can only benefit the opposing
group.

As I stated regarding my 'position' in one of my first posts to
this group, I don't know if I am a feminist or not. I do know
that I regard people as this nation's greatest resource, and if
the census is correct 'people' are about 50% male - 50% female.
Regardless of your bent, if you suggest that we should ignore
half of this nation's resources (pick your own half) then you
are by my reckoning either pretty stupid or sanguine enough to
believe we can compete running at half-power.

Now I happen to have been fortunate enough to find a mate who
thinks pretty much the way I do. We do not spend time in silly
power struggles or attempts to abide by a Dan Quayle concept
of family. We live our lives as we see fit, and I would not
recommend attacking either one, for you will be getting more
education from the other than your mind could possibly absorb.

I suppose that, at middle age, I may see things from a different
perspective than some of the younger posters (Age is like climbing
a mountain. As you get higher you get short of breath, but the
view is much wider). So I suppose that I am recommending a concerted
attack on the status quo by both men and women on behalf of both
men and women.

On another topic, I noted posts that suggested that some men are
confused and unhappy over the whole harrassment issue. As one who
grew up where emotions were expressed more through gestures than
words, I can sympathize. When a co-worker recently lost a child
to SIDS, my initial instinct was to put my arms around her, not
in any sexual connotation, but words failed me at the time. Too,
as a young man I was painfully shy and any attempt at asking for
a simple date, might have come out badly. While I agree that
harrassment must go, I fear we might have thrown out the baby
with the bathwater.

There was another item, but it has slipped my mind (they say 3
things fail after 60. The first is your memory and I forget the
other two), so it probably was not too important. Well, I guess
this is an appeal to consider cooperation and not dismiss men's
issues out of hand. Yes, I know the title of the group, but if
we keep pigeon-holeing ourselves in different groups, we waste
our resources, and everything gets cross-posted anyhow.

Was that $0.02 or more? Whatever.

Robert Earle Blackshaw (see, REB didn't mean Johnny Reb after all)
:-)

All my own opinions, but you may share them freely.


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