--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Susan" wrote: > > > > Barry, I think you have mentioned this before - about how > > Rama really encouraged women to become independent and > > strong. This good. And things are changing so for young > > girls these days at least in the West. > > > > But the fact remains that many men are indoctrinated by > > their culture to treat women poorly, to keep them in lower > > wage positions, to ignore their needs, and to pay them > > less for similar work. It is great that some women refuse > > to accept all this, but it takes lots of effort to do this, > > to go against the cultural norms (many of which are really > > subtle and go unnoticed). Women often have to work harder, > > put more time and energy in, and get pushy just to get > > equal rights in any area of life. It is tiring and not > > possible for some people especially if they are raising > > children and must put their energies there, too. > > I agree with everything you have said. > > > It is not easy, and not for some types of people in > > particular, introverts and such. Also, some women, like > > men, are not all that talented, they just want fair > > treatment for what they do at work and in life, too. > > they wob't be president of a company, ever, nor should > > they have to push for that just to be treated fairly. > > I hope my point was that these women I knew were > treated fairly because they refused to entertain the > idea of *not* being treated fairly. Rather than > dwell on the obvious -- that misogyny and discrim- > ination exist -- they focused on what they could > personally do to not be affected by it. True, that > is not everyone's path in life, but I confess to > being more impressed by those who just get all Nike > on misogyny's ass and "Just Do It," rather than > talking about it. > > *Admittedly*, somebody's got to talk about it, to > get it before the eyes of a dumb public so they'll > become more aware of the problems. But you'll have > to excuse me if I believe that a few good *examples* > of women bucking the system and succeeding *anyway* > possibly does more to resolve the problems than > bitching about the system. > > > So great for your women friends, and I agree success is > > the best remedy for the women and for society. But let's > > recognize that it would help and is not being whiny or > > demanding on the part of women if they want society and > > men to behave differently. It should not be a burden > > only on women to succeed in spite of the unfairness > > around them. Society should help out, too. > > Agreed. And I hope that it does so. At the same time, > I cannot help but applaud my friends who found a way > to step out from under that burden and succeed anyway, > long before society got clueful enough to help them > out. > > I'm in the peculiar position of helping to raise a > four-year-old girl in this world. The other people in > my extended family are in charge of teaching her genteel > manners and other things, but we've all pretty much > agreed that I'm going to be the one to teach her > martial arts. > > Starting early. If I do a good enough job, she will never > have to use them to defend herself in her entire life. > But they'll teach her balance, in many ways. And knowing > that she *could* defend herself will IMO add greatly to > her self confidence and her ability to find her own way > in life, safely and successfully.
Sounds wonderful to be raising her and sharing the joys and responsibilities - no one feels too burdened that way. She is a lucky girl, and how great o learn martial arts at a young age - it will just become a part of her. > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb wrote: > > > > > > As you can probably tell, I have fairly strong views on > > > the problem of rape and the subjugation of women. This > > > 'tude was largely created as a result of being good > > > friends with a number of very strong women in the Rama > > > trip. Rama -- whatever his failings in many areas -- > > > was a strong proponent of women's rights. He had all of > > > his students -- male and female -- study martial arts, > > > and work on their careers, such that they didn't have > > > to be the victims of anyone, whether it be an employer > > > or a criminal. > > > > > > As a result, many of the women I studied with -- and > > > often worked with and went to dojos with as well -- > > > turned into what I'd call "real feminists." They didn't > > > whine. They didn't *blame* men. Instead they became > > > more successful than the men, made more money than the > > > men, and kicked more ass than the men. One of my good > > > friends from this period worked with me down on Wall > > > Street, and one night as she left work late, four guys > > > decided to try to rape her. As Ahnold said so well in > > > Predator, "Bahd idea." She was a third-degree karate > > > black belt, and sent them first to the hospital, and > > > then to jail. > > > > > > Compare and contrast to women who fly off the handle > > > and scream "Misogyny" over the use of a word they don't > > > like, or over some man treating the women he encounters > > > *the same way he treats the men he encounters*. The real > > > feminists I knew didn't *expect* to be treated any > > > differently than the men around them, and so they weren't. > > > No one cut them breaks, and no one treated them any > > > differently than they did the guys. Many of these women > > > are now the heads of companies that still contain other > > > women employees complaining that they're being > > > "discriminated against," women who had *exactly* the same > > > chance to advance in those companies as my friends did. > > > > > > Complaining and bitching never changed anything. DOING > > > something is what changes things. My friends took > > > responsibility for their own careers, and their own > > > safety, and it *worked* for them. They would be as > > > turned off by the sari-wearing, walk-several-paces- > > > behind-their-Raja-husbands women we see in the TMO > > > as I am. > > > > > > I still remember the day when a female friend of mine > > > in the TM movement stood up in a lecture when Maharishi > > > asked for "Good news," and informed him that she had > > > just been granted her *second* Ph.D. Maharishi's > > > response was, "Very good. That will make you a better > > > conversationalist for your husband." She left that > > > lecture -- and the TMO -- immediately after hearing > > > that. She now has three Ph.D.'s, a shitload of books > > > and published articles under her belt, and -- still -- > > > no husband. She never needed one. > > > > > > I never heard *her* bitch and whine about men and > > > male chauvinism and misogyny, either, even though she > > > had ample cause to do so. She put her efforts into > > > more productive pursuits, namely, "Success is the > > > best revenge." > > > > > >
