Cont/...

My instincts as a mother is also about supporting the rights of children and men who face persecution or violence. I don't distinguish victims based on gender and I have no hesitation in using the word victim no matter the current trends to denigrate victims as a response to trends of victimhood. I get the idea of victimhood but when looking at individual cases there are 'real' victims out there who are not imagined.

If a man commits a violent crime it seems there are strong manipulative forces to see the victim as responsible and even if you mention a man in the context of a crime one is tarnished with the "all men are bastards" label.

To solve problems we have to deal with realities and this goes for aspects of feminism as well as dealing with sexuality and other issues like education being tailored for boys and girls in consideration of their different requirements.

What concerns me is the anger towards women just because they have achieved economic independence and are able to now leave their husbands. Women leave for all sorts of reasons, as do men, it could be due to infidelity, violence, general unhappiness, needs not being met, boredom, illness but there is a trend to label women who leave marriages as selfish while men are not tarred with the same brush.

How is the form of Kristy Fraser-Kirk? She wanted to make a statement regarding sexual harassment (FAIR ENOUGH). She claimed the money if awarded would be given to charity!

Oh Dear.....today she has said the $850,000 awarded out of court will NOT go to charity but WILL stay with her..... Does 'GOLD DIGGER' ring a bell?

Disgraceful.................

Melinda wrote that sexism is alive and well in Australia.

After a little bit of contemplation I don't think there is any answer to sexism, mainly because of the fluid and changable state of societies attitude.

Take for example men opening doors for women, once it was seen as a gentlemanly thing to do and highly impolite for man not to do this, then all that changed in blink of an eye, and certain groups of women became hostile to that act.

Clarrise Thorn wrote in part three <For instance, one might say that women get more social space for emotion because we’re stereotyped as irrational and hysterical. But that doesn’t change the fact that most of us easily grasp that space, while most men don’t.>

Sexism is one of those rubbery concepts, in that there is not concrete definition and the definition will change as societies attitudes, behaviours changed.

Typically women labelling men as creeps, perverts, sleazebags is not seen as being sexist or derogatory.

But what if a man that a woman is talking about IS a creep, pervert or sleazebag? Is she just supposed to shut up and take it, like in the good old days?

Sexism is "one of those rubbery concepts"? It's only rubbery and a concept to those who think they are disadvantaged by the recognition of sexism.

Women think that opening doors for them is great, as long as the men also open doors for men. In other words, if it's done as an act of courtesy. A man opening a door for someone just because she's a "woman" is a TOTALLY different thing. James, if you don't understand why, then let me know and I'll explain it for you.

Clarisse wrote; <"As someone who’s spent her share of time feeling feminist rage, I’d say that being filled with feminist rage is totally understandable.">

So on one hand it is totally acceptable for feminist to be angry at men, but unacceptable of men to feel angry towards feminists.

Typically if research supports our own biases and prejudices, it is much more digestable and believable even when it is not factual, but appears to be factual, than research which conflicts with our biases.

In the body and soul section of the herald sun, there was an article titled "Maybe you are to blame" for the break up.

On ABC news "women are to blame for bad husbands"
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/01/3026980.htm

<Dr Rebecca Huntley, who is speaking at Sydney's Dangerous Ideas Festival this weekend, says women tend to be martyrs and control freaks when it comes to household duties, thus embracing their own domestic slavery.>

however socalled research, what is the saying? "dam lies and statistics"

<But last week I discovered that the questions they asked respondents included many categories of housework usually done by women, but excluded many categories done by men such as home repair and maintenance, appliance repair and home remodelling. When I asked the researchers about that, they candidly admitted that the survey contained errors.>
Glennsacks.

So in reality perhaps all if not most research should be taken with a grain of salt and treated to be of as much value as a "Pulp Fiction" novel.

Antiseptic is having loads of sarcastic fun speculating who 'likes' or doesn't like men.

As Pelican rightly pointed out, I am happily married to a wonderful man and have good relationships with my brothers, father and nephew, as well as with many male friends.

How many women do you 'like' Antiseptic, or do they all 'demonize' you?