Are women being “suppressed” in today’s world?
My personal answer is yes and no. There are other areas that I feel we can improve with women in society. The role of women have change since the beginning of time. From being a mate to today being anything they dream to be. Today a woman has the opportunity to be a Doctor, lawyer, scientist, news anchor, CEO of a Trillion dollar company, one day be President of the United States, etc. Women have the right to vote( in most countries), run for office and be part of a political movement. Yet, with all the scandals that are going on in today’s news, which lead to the formation of the #metoo movement. How did we get to this point? Does it seem like instead of advancing, we are in a stand still? Or maybe, theirs’ a hidden movement that wants to keep women down? I will do my best to explore these areas, which may or may not suggested a period of time, which women were outcast-ed, taken for granted, if not used.
When you think of great leaders like Alexander the Great, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, Albert Einstein, Issac Newton, Buddha, St.Paul. Have you not stop to wonder to yourself, yes these men have done great and awesome things in the world that we know of today, but who were the women in the roles of their lives? Everyone that has ever lived, regardless if they did anything famous or not, started with their fundamental teaching at home. From the mountains of the Himalayas to the Deserts of Africa or the castles of western Europe. Everyone had a basic foundation about how to live a decent, honorable life. Yes you can say to yourself, “well my mother wasn’t around or my family was broken or I survived on my own”. Now, I’m not saying these statements are not true. Believe me, human life is not prefect. Yet even with crappy parents, you still learn something from somebody. It could be your grandmother(like it was for me since my real father past away when I was six months old) mother working hard and my auntie had to play my mom’s role from time to time. Yet a woman was present in all my life events. So what does that mean? It means in a nutshell that women have an important role to play in our lives.
Just like it took men to learn to come together and overcome bad politics and events which could have been disastrous in the past(Spartans), women have done the same thing just maybe not as known in today society. Sappho(circa 570 bc) was the first known female writers of the ancient world(Greece), She has been referenced by Plato to be one of the greatest poets. Cleopatra(69 bc- 40 bc)used her role as Queen of Egypt to stop the Roman empire from Expanding into her country just as Boudicca(1st century) of what is now known as modern-day UK, rallied tribes to protect her lands from the same threats. These women were just as great as the kings and emperors they were defending against. Maybe they didn’t have the same physical strength as them, but their wit and intellects made up for the lack their of.
During the 1100 to 1800, we had women come out as being great rulers, philosophers and early fighters for women rights. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) were both nuns, who help to reform the traditions of Catholicism and steered the faith away from fanaticism. Both were writers and poets which great kings of men sought advice and even today we still read their works. Mirabai (1498-1565) from India is credited with reforming of what we know as Yoga today and living a humble life. Joan of Arc( 1412-1431) was a great Military leader who was martyred because she was accused of being a witch, lead the country of France to great victory. Elizabeth I (1533- 1603) lead England through great economic times and prosperity and was a dominate superpower of her time. Mary Wollstonecraft( 1759- 1797) was an English author who published a pamphlet “A Vindication of the Rights of Women” laid down guidelines for extending human and political rights for women. Jane Austen( 1775-1817) wrote several novels, which remain highly popular even until now, which at the time being a female writer was shunned and not welcomed in the open. Some of these women experienced triumph, they were sought out for their knowledge, other put to shame and even murdered for their cause. Their lives lead to opportunities we have today for women.
Looking into the American Culture, we have Women like Sojourner Truth (1797- 1883), Margaret Fuller (1810-1850), Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) who fraught tirelessly for the rights of women. To be able to have an open voice, fight slavery and demand equal work for equal pay. I think of them as our (first women lawyers). This is just my personal opinion, because I imagine that society as a whole didn’t like what they were purposing. Yet, despite fear of death, jail or being out-cast, they were willing to speak out in public and spread ideas to help change the mold of society.
Emily Dickinson( 1830-1886) was one of America’s greatest poets. She was praised for her bold, yet unconventional style. Marie Curie(1867-1934) was the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize for her research on radioactivity(Physics) and for Chemistry. She helped develop the very first X-ray Machines that we still use today. Helena Rubinstein(1870-1965) founded the first cosmetic company and championed as a great American Business woman. Helen Keller(1880-1968) worked relentlessly on being a championed of the deaf and blind. Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) lead the way as Head of the UN human rights commission which lead to the drafting of it in 1948.
I could keep throwing names around, some you may know and some maybe you didn’t know. But my point in this blog is this, with all these woman who God has sent in our lives, why oh why do women not get the respect they deserve? Why even now in 2018, women are still being harassed, abused and used and victimized? Because we have an alternate culture which spread ideas that women are objects. Nothing more than a child hood play thing. It is in the music we hear, it’s in the magazine we read. Because we have allowed this poison into our homes and with the spread of technology now a days, social media and the internet is teaching our children this new way of life. Information is a good thing to have, but when it is mused, then bad things start to happen. Look at playboy magazine. It was the first magazine men could get and over time other companies have spread the ideas that women are nothing more than for your fantasy enjoyment. Ask yourself gentlemen, How would you feel is someone saw your grandmother or mother as a “play thing” nothing more then to be whip around and used. You probably feel pretty darn mad right? I mean your Mom is your world right? She feed you, put clothes on you, took you to the park and had all these wonderful memories right? She carried you for 9 months while your father was working or do whatever he was doing in your life time right? My Mother still means the world to me and even her being 70 years old, I still seek her counsel and wisdom.
1 Timothy 3:11 Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. Yes God created women and they are under the husband because of him being head of the household. God didn’t say don’t value the opinion of your wife. He didn’t say you need to beat your wife because she is your slave and treat her wrongly. No, The creator is saying respect her because she is a child of his too. She has an eternal soul and she, like you wants to go back into the creator to live in eternal bliss. Now I’m saying their has to be a balance in the relationship. I wouldn’t tell my wife to rob a bank or run over innocent people at the park with her car because I don’t like their ideas. So we must demand the same thing towards women. We want to promote growth. Not spread destruction. We want to spread good moral values in the world. We want to promote life and respect for all man kind. I don’t see black or white, atheist or believer, rich or poor. We all have a job and duty to do, and we need to help each other. Women, start taking the role in the house by being the primary educators in the home. Father, men, sons, brother, stop listening to the poison that the world is trying to spread and show to be great example towards your sisters, cousins, nieces, girlfriends. Treat them as you would your loving mother, grandmother or lady who raised you and gave you hope. Don’t let a broken home ruin you from living an honest and good life.
We all have the Free Will to make good choices, Remember what Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor and philosopher said during his time to his troops “what we do in life, echos in eternity”. What we do here with our time on the earth, does matter. I believe we are going to be judged by our actions, good or evil. You may not believe in a God, but, what if your wrong and you do have to stand before him? And he ask you “What did you do with the time that was given to you?” How will you answer him? There is no I’m sorry, I could have done better or maybe I could have got involved more or maybe I should have not been unfair to people, etc. Sorry Buddy, but it’s too late during that time. So, gentlemen how are you going to proceed forward during this time? Ladies what can you do to change this poison that is affecting the world?
As they say in French,
“Chacun voit midi à sa porte”
Respectfully,
Aaron J
Lost Sheep for Christ 