For the last couple years I’ve been thinking about this. Be aware this is NOT a political post, but a deep concern for women’s rights built from reading articles and watching a variety of news broadcasts.
Most people who know or follow me, are aware of how I feel about people calling women KAREN, if that’s not their name. It’s used as a derogative label. I know so many women named Karen, and each and every one I know are nice and considerate to the people around them. They do not deserve having their name misused. People, women especially, really need to quit using the name in that way. Call the ones misbehaving: bitches, assholes, and numerous other expletives–use your imagination–but not the name.
I had to state that first. So enough about that. Let’s now talk about those women.
Sure, the majority of them were misbehaving and treating others in an unacceptable way. They were rude, nosey, loud, short-tempered, and often racist and narrow-minded. That is certainly behavior that needs to be stopped and/or changed.
But let’s examine why they were acting that way?
Beyond mental illness or abuse or stress that affects their behavior, women are told and taught to correct any misconduct around them. What? Yeah. Think about it.
For centuries, women were subservient to men (in many areas of the world, they still are). Yet, now in the U.S.A., women are able to vote, work outside the home (not necessarily in a family business) even in many male dominant roles, run for any government position, obtain loans, possess credit cards, buy homes and cars without a male’s signature, etc. Most of these in just the last fifty years. All of this is great, yet women have also been told for centuries (a well-known proverb from Africa) that the world is a village and we must look after not only our own children, but look after other people’s children. It can mean babysit kids, but so much more like to keep them safe and teach those younger what is needed to live in our every day society (village/town/city).
All those years ago, the general population of women were expected to sit back with their mouths closed and let the men handle the problems of society. Of course, people will point out the women’s suffrage and temperance movements. To be fair, you have to remember men often were involved or actually started the crusades. Such good husbands, brothers, and sons, right? We have to give them some of the credit, for if not, the possibility of women voting nationwide (19th amendment ratified in 1920) would’ve taken much longer than it did. You have to remember, there were zero women in Congress.
What I’m getting to is that we have to be careful about shutting up women when they are expressing an injustice. Those in particular who are using logical, even tones (even shout when necessary) in declaring what is wrong. Certainly there are people (men and women) who need to be more thoughtful, less ignorant, and avoid jumping to conclusions.
I do know I never want to go back to the “good ole days” of being seen and not heard. If we allow people to shut down every woman who complains, especially when they stand up for themselves and their families, we gamble on that action splattering over ALL WOMEN and to every aspect of their lives. Before we know it, we will slide back to the 1970s or earlier.
Goodness, I had enough of serving coffee at meetings. I don’t even drink the stuff.
Carla Swafford, Author 