'Hey The Guardian, I rewrote this article on 'violence against women' for you'

[dianaredwing]

41. Interestingly

I was thinking about this very topic during my cat's normal 3 AM wake up call when she wants out but she cannot go out.

While trying to get back to sleep after she finally gave up yowing in my ear I thought about my siblings, 2 sisters and 2 brothers, all younger than me by 5-10 years.

My father left when I was 8 or so. We still saw him, but he lived across the state line. In any case, he was not a father who contributed to our welfare and my mother had to do it on her own with the help of the state and family.

For the most part, my two brothers and youngest sister grew up without a father. And, my mother died when they were still in school. And yet, neither of my brothers has ever abused a woman and neither speaks disparagingly of women. They are both in long term marriages. My sister has two sons, neither of which is anti-female. I know that my mother did not specifically teach them anything about male/female relationships as she didn't with me. We had a large extended family, most of whom were married and with chlldren, but our family group was relatively insular. Where did my brothers learn their feminist ways?

My mother had a vary hands-off rearing style and I know that none of my siblings were beaten. We lived in a small, relatively conservative town and most were still Eisenhower republicans even after Kennedy.

However, I do know that none of us ever expected a free ride. We were expected to work and to take care of ourselves. Perhaps that lends itself to a more egalitarian view of people in general, regarless of gender, race, or ethnicity?