A Tale of Two Sexes

[wryter2000]

A Tale of Two Sexes by Pamela White, Boulder Weekly

Snip

While women struggle still in the pursuit of happiness as measured by economic prosperity, religionists and their conservative allies continue to press incrementally for restrictions on contraception and abortion. The extremes they’ve gone to both in Congress and in state legislatures since winning big in 2010 prove that women’s health and happiness are the least of their concerns.

By attempting to block all funding for Planned Parenthood, they’ve proven that they would rather see women die of reproductive cancers and HIV — Planned Parenthood is a key source of low-cost mammography, cervical cancer screening and STD testing for poor women — than risk even a penny of taxpayer money somehow going to supplement Planned Parenthood’s abortion services. It’s preferable for a woman to die of breast cancer than for her to have an abortion? Really?

By passing so-called “fetal pain” laws that allow no exceptions for rape, incest, severe fetal defects, or even the health and life of the mother, they’ve shown that maternal suffering isn’t even on their radar. They dismiss the anguish of rape victims by saying that it shouldn’t be too much to ask a woman to endure nine months of “discomfort” for the sake of a human life, not comprehending that what they downplay as “discomfort” is actually additional hell on earth for her, being imprisoned in her own body with the product of the violence that was done to her.

Snip

One planet. Two sexes. One enjoys sexuality — even sexual violence — with relative impunity. The other is repeatedly denied the right to control even her own body — who’s in it, what happens to it and why.

Link

http://www.boulderweekly.com/article-5666-a-tale-of-two-sexes.html

Disclaimer: Pamela is a friend of mine and a wonderful writer. Note her use of "religionists" as opposed to people of faith.

[Riftaxe]

1. Oh really now? all men

"...enjoys sexuality — even sexual violence — "?

women do not enjoy sexuality and all men are sexually violent?

Other then that a decent op-ed.

[wryter2000]

2. Thanks, I'll do that

The problem is that *when* men engage in sexual violence there often is little or no punishment for it.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

4. the phrase you're referencing does NOT imply that ALL men are violent

"Two sexes. One enjoys sexuality — even sexual violence — with relative impunity. The other is repeatedly denied the right to control even her own body"


Explanation: One of the sexes (men) is permitted, encouraged to enjoy sexuality, and whatever the consequences of that sexuality are, they are held to little or no responsibility. The cavalier, entitled attitude to "take what they want" is actually a large part of the culture, celebrated in many public ways (magazines, movies, songs, to list just a very few examples). Some of the members of that gender are even violent, and still, frequently escape any consequences.

The other gender (women) also frequently enjoys sexuality, is encouraged to do so in some ways, but is also punished for that sexuality in other ways. For women, repercussions from the sexual experience have a greater impact, from pregnancy to STD's; however, those consequences are regarded as her responsibility, her problem, her sin--even when the sex was forced upon her, occurred under duress, as a result of deception, or any number of human weaknesses--her suffering is blamed on her.

Compare: the man's involvement may have been predatory, dishonest or equally due to immature, misguided urges, but there is no political/religious movement to hold men accountable.

[wryter2000]

5. Well said

:applause:

[BlancheSplanchnik]

9. thanks wryter...self-serving misinterpretation should always be called out

I have a thing about that.

Note that the poster's sig line says "Dehumanization is a sign of moral and intellectual cowardice"----- meanwhile, the issue of RW intent to control women's lives and bodies is a stark example of the impulse to dehumanize women!

There is no comparison whatsoever between systematized gender based injustice regarding men versus women.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

10. hi femrap...I just happened to have the energy to reply, that's all

:)

[femrap]

11. Keep up the good work....nt

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Zoeisright]

14. Well said.

There's nothing worse than a smug man who thinks he knows how women think and feel.

[saras]

3. A bunch of fundies took "A Handmaid's Tale" as a manual of operations, apparently

[wryter2000]

6. Precisely

:hi:

[CrispyQ]

12. I've read Pamela for years & love when she hits it out of the park.

Thanks for posting.

[wryter2000]

13. You're welcome

She's a doll.