Bus Seat, Please?
Okay, this is some sort of a survey.
We’ve been inside buses. A lot of us have been in a full bus. I’ve been a stander and I’ve been a sitter. I’ve been a sitter with standers who’ve incessantly complained about their present position. They are my "whiny standers". It should be okay, because having opinions and the freedom of expression are basic rights. But it does make other passengers uneasy. Like me.
Okay, let me get to the point: do I let you sit or what? If you were a sitter, would you let a stander take your place? What would be your criteria — innocence? old age? ineffable beauty? pregnancy? …
Did we pay equal or did your destiny just put you behind mine?
Are women our equal or are they standers in need of gentlemanly sitters who would offer their warm seats?
Oh, there are a lot more questions. And I want answers. And I know, so do you.
–Lorgen Shadoufang
August 30th, 2007 at 12:09 am
In light of this… I think the feminist movement only softened* because they realized that they’re actually missing “gentlemen”. I was a “gentleman” before, but, thanks to the women’s liberation movement, I don’t have to be that to please you. It’s your fault. [But I'm still a gentleman, mind you :'p]
Consider this statement from Tim Allen in his book Don’t Stand Too Close To a Naked Man:
“Like most men, I’m confused by feminism… For the longest time I wasn’t sure what the word actually meant. At first I thought it was ‘the study of what men do wrong.’ That was because many of the loudest early voices in feminism seemed to be man haters.”
However, he also said that he researched on the subject, became a Ph.D. in Advanced Women’s Studies on a day off. He said that “I now realize that feminism describes an ideology with an ongoing agenda to support women’s self-image, to create equality in the workplace, and to provide more choice in all areas of life. In short… Women are people too.”
So… I don’t know. Maybe I also misunderstood feminism before. MAYBE. Or maybe they just were doing it the wrong way. MAYBE. Still, thank you for the freedom. The relative freedom, that is. Because I’m still not free from confusion. Damn you.