Ms. & "Whacko Feminists"

[Kittycat]

I'm on a small board of retailers (many of which are women that run their businesses from home). We started a discussion on the phrase, "Ms" on our order forms, in part because I received a customer complaint that I didn't offer the choice of "mrs" when ordering (I don't have "Miss" either, but I digress).

Most of the responses from the WAHM group have been very negative about this fact. One posts that she's proud to be married, and wouldn't order from me because of it. Another said that she hates labels, and that Ms. is too closely associated with "Whacko Feminists".

I was just STUNNED! I'm married, I run my business from home so that I can care for my children, but I do consider every woman that believes in rights and the promotion of those rights as feminists. Am I too far off base here? Shouldn't we, as women, celebrate those "whacko feminists" that came before us - paving the way so that we could have careers, own our own businesses, drive cars, get an education - VOTE, etc?

How in the world are we supposed ever get ahead with people don't even understand - or take for granted WHERE the rights we have came from? And where is the contention coming from that the Ms. is a negative? Or better yet... Why do we need one classification for men, but 3 for women?

/endrant

[Ellen Forradalom]

1. People have very short memories

Especially here in America.

Ask them if they enjoy having their own checking accounts, owning property in their name, voting, having legal protections against beatings from their husbands, and having their testimony count in court. If they answer 'Yes' to any of the above, they're feminists. Period.

[Kittycat]

2. I agree... Apparently the board moderator didn't.

She was fine letting others carry on, but when I posted my response (which wasn't nasty or anything... more uplifting, IE - I support your right to own a business, and buy from you) - she shut down the discussion adding, 'Let it go'.

Really? Let it go? Nah, I think I'll continue fighting for your rights, even if you won't. :eyes:

[Ellen Forradalom]

3. Women can be the worst misogynists

With their entirely too proprietary attitude towards other women and how they live. They think nothing of bullying other women into conformity. They demand everyone live under their oppression. I hate it when the inmates are their own wardens.

That's why I have no truck with the suburban cult of femininity that surrounds me. I don't need any PTA mom politics in my life. Office politics with the guys are bad enough.

[bliss_eternal]

5. Thank YOU...!

I couldn't agree more. As usual, astute observations and post.
:thumbsup:

[ismnotwasm]

4. Oh my god

Upset over "Ms"? What an asshole. To me that is the worst kind of shortsighted thinking. She can be proud of being married all she wants, advertise it with "Mrs" even, but simply refusing to understand the implication of a special female designate for a married woman is stupid. Really.

I posted a while back about the guy in the gym about my age calling me Mrs ***, turns out he's a Republican. Of course. I think he saw my Radical Feminist T-shirt.