CODE PURPLE FOR EXTREME DANGER

Well, why ever not, we ask? Haven't we been told that our language uses man and men as generic and that women and children are included? Does not the Constitution afford equal rights and responsibilities? Surely all will agree that the phrase, "one man, one vote," applies equally to women and men?

Yet we hear constantly from home grown and foreign fundamentalists that women are men's subhuman inferiors. If they vote, they must vote the way their father, husband or other male relative tells them to.

Recently the Vatican has devoted several thousand words to the terrorism that is woman. Feminists are accused of "blurring the biological difference between man and woman."

In effect, the massive missive declares that whereas women may be given responsibilities both to the church and to their country, danger lurks because they think they are men.

Church leaders are ordered to attack feminist ideologies which assert that men and women are fundamentally the same, because this belief is eroding what it regards as women's maternal vocation.

Natasha Walter provides an example of the ideology the Vatican objects to. She questions whether there are essential differences between men and women at all.

"We have centuries and centuries of acculturation towards a 'vocation' of maternity, and men have only had a couple of generations of acculturation towards active paternity. Until we encourage men [to do more] it's too early to call on whether there are innate differences. The weight of tradition is so strong that it precludes the freedom to choose."

Just what is the Vatican but a rich, small city-state inside Italy that houses a fraternity of men in a men-only cloister? They fear the specter of more and more women thinking for themselves and see their control slipping.

It also scares the Fundamentalists when women think for themselves. Horrors!!! Whether the Fundamentalist is Islamic or Christian, it is male dominated, with women allotted very strict rules of association. In short, if one does not have a penis, one is not a human being.

On the other hand, it is considered O.K. among the Islamic Fundies for women to blow themselves up for men's causes; just as it is OK among Christian Fundies for women to be denied any form of birth control thus blowing themselves up through dangerous or multiple pregnancies.

All in all, these religiosa guys are intent on forcing women back into their biblical place where they are to be used, procreate for and generally helpful to men. But women are denied the use of their abilities unless they are male-directed for male profit.

Women must not be relegated to the status of incubator. All throughout recorded history women have done amazing things and contributed to the betterment of the human condition. Much of the credit for their efforts has been usurped by men.

While nearly all the prime time speakers at the Democratic Convention were male and only the male pronoun is used to designate most political offices, we must not forget that the pronoun also applies to penusless human beings.

Stage and screen are bereft in their portrayal of strong women, choosing instead to feature crap like "Sex in the City" where women are depicted as mindless creatures consumed only with thoughts of sex and cloths.

Women need heroes they can relate to such as strong women with strong minds like "Mahogany" (SS name for Teresa Heinz Kerry.) In addition, the words and deeds of those fantastic women who lost so much on 9/11 are there to emulate.

It took three years and countless woman-hours to force the powerful White House to finally appoint a commission to investigate 9/11. Look how far women-power and brains have brought the investigation.

They did a man-sized job with man-sized brains and man-sized courage so if man is to be the template for human beings then women surely are over qualified.

twanda@sover.net

2004-032

Copyright 2004 Renee T. Louise and Ruth M. Sprague, Ph.D. These articles may be republished for noncommercial use only, provided that they are copied intact, and that this copyright notice is attached. Address all queries to: twanda@sover.net.