I am a feminist a bit long in the tooth. That is all I want.

My mother, born 1907, did not bother about feminism, or I believe her mother before her.

They just lived their lives as if they were equal.

All you have described is what decent people who care from one another expect.

Nothing to do with gender.

Why you see this attitude as demeaning the male gender, I do not understand.

Good manners have nothing to do with feminism.

I agree with most of the correspondents herein...

Bravery, courage or whatever you want to call it, is not the sole preserve of Males. There have been many females who have acted very courageously in the face of adversity. And I have personally witnessed such courage on a number of occasions.

Dear runner,

You wrote: "Reading any number of posts by prominant feminist indicate they want a lot more than your assertions."

Rather than refer to "any number of posts by prominant feminist" please cite specifically one instance or more where a feminist wanted what is unreasonable.

You have made such statements before without providing any evidence to back up those statements.

If it was not for the inhumane and barbaric attitudes of the US gun lobby , mass killings like this would be few and far between. As John Howard said "we are not going along with this American way of doing things". And when put to the vote Australian parliaments have endorsed that view.

runner you keep saying they want more. Maybe you could explaon what the more is that they want.

Dear PEST,

The gun lobby only makes sure that the guns are available. Canada and Switzerland both have a greater level of gun ownership than the US but have much lower rates of firearm mayhem. It is not merely the availability of guns but a culture which encourages their use against other people.