"Nature intended women to be our slaves... They are our property, we are not theirs...They belong to us, just as a tree that bears fruit belongs to the gardner. What a mad idea to demand equality for women! Women are nothing but machines for producing children." Napolean Bonaparte, 1817.
Wow, offensive much? I find it funny how men can degrade a womens sexuality, and belittle them and make them feel so worthless. It's sad, that this is what our society is, this is what millions of people believe. It's sad that some men and some women actually consider theirselves as property and their sole purpose is to grow up, get married, and make babies. Our society tries to coerce us to believe that this is the epitome of what America should be, of what any country should be? I've never envisioned myself as the one really to settle down and get married and start a family. Of course the thought has crossed my mind, and I don't doubt it will happen, I mean it is the social norm, is it not? But there is no way, I'm thinking of having that life anytime soon. One of my best friends has been dating her boyfriend for four years, and she is supposed to be engaged by next year and she is thrilled. Did I mention, she is only a freshman in college? The only thing she wants in life is to be married and have kids, she's only going to college because she can. Her boyfriend is a senior, and already has a job lined up and she is relying solely on that. Which is stupid, according to me. Women have so much beautiful potential that they need to flaunt it, everyday we are oppressed, and some of us let that happen. I never realized how bad it actually was until I was in this class. It never really even crossed my mind. I've seen prejudice among African Americans, Native Americans, etc. but to think that one gender can have so much hostility to another, is sickening. It just sucks that we have to live in a world where two opposite genders can't even get along. That it will forever be this way. Women do have the wonderful gift of life, and men to realize that without this gift, NONE of them would be here. I am no slave, I do not belong to anyone, I work for myself and my well being. I know that and I have that, and no one can take that away.
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Well, Kary, as Margaret Sanger said, we should want "every child a wanted child." Allowing women (along with any significant others) to make that decision has been a pretty controversial topic for millennia. The issue is informed choice, not socially constructed ideas or roles.
ReplyDeleteHow far have we come since Napoleon???
Honestly, I do not think we have come that far since Napoleon. Granted times have changed and some peoples ideals are completely different from Napoleans time; but, in my opinion there are still a plethora of men (and some women) out there who believe that women are solely baby making machines and that in a way they do work for a man. You hear the derogatory women jokes all the time "Go back into the kitchen where you belong", "Go make me a sandwich", "You're a women, you don't have an opinion, you just make babies." Since Napoleon, I think in a way things have only gotten worse.
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