BlogPost#3

Judy Brady uses harsh, depictions to gain empathy towards women.  It is true that during the era of the first publication of I Want a Wife, many of the requested desires are entirely legitimate.  Judy’s essay is written for all the homemakers and housewives of times long past.  Women barely had a voice, an opinion of worth, a logical idea besides “how to…” The request for a wife is met with ridiculous obligations comprising of:  A wife to be, emotionally, physically, personally, socially, nutritionally, domestically, and monetarily at your disposal.  She must also be nurturing to your children, but not smothering to you.  “I want a wife who will not bother me with rambling complaints about a wife’s duties” (Brady 361) another prerequisite from Brady, turning women into toys that are taken down to occupy your time and when you are done they are tossed away back to the bottom of the pile, forgotten and used.  Brady is so far biased from her own life’s shortcomings that her opinions are insulting and abusive to women.  Though this tone is intended to show the offensive path that women have (now) defeated.

            In Sommers’ Men-It’s In Their Nature the view is completely flipped upside down.  Are we expected to break the tender spirits of young boys by forcing them to be as mellow as girls?  Do they too need to feel their curls bouncing in the breeze separated equally into pig tails?  “A fair and just society offers equality of opportunity to all.  But it cannot promise, and should not try to enforce, sameness” (Sommers 367) I am incapable of processing the desire to have a completely neutral society.  Are we all not born as unique as the prints on our fingers?  Who decides our fate?  Does your birthright tell you who to be, or is it “the experts” defining how you can be? There seems to be a detachment between personal responsibility and collective accountability.  Everything has a diagnosis instead of a choice.  “The awesome display of masculine courage shown by firefighters and policemen at Ground Zero [and] the heroic soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq…have rekindled in Americans an appreciation for masculine virtues” (Sommers 368) based on this quote from Sommers it saddens me to think that in order to let people be who they are, can only be acceptable when the outcome prospers the deciding party.

            One essay abuses and destroys, while the other attempts to redefine and trample.  In a culture so adherent to political correctness, how can we be so clearly divided on such a fundamental issue?  In further speculation of this matter it may be interesting to know if the gender equity organization and the aggressive women’s rights leaders would be omitted into their ideal societies using the criteria they establish for others yet exemplify themselves.  As a mother of three adventurous young boys, and a teacher to an energetic and innocent bunch of three and four year olds, my heart rings clear, my voice will resound on team Sommers.