A Woman’s Place is in the House…and the Senate
I don’t know if Jack Palmer is a mind reader, or just that today is my lucky day, but I opened up our local newspaper and this headline jumped out at me “A Woman’s Place is in the House…and the Senate” so I began to read it. Jack Palmer’s column in the Crescent News today is just the type of article that I wanted to find to discuss in my final blog. I thought to myself, Dr. Sarah Rainey is going to love reading this article. After all, Jack has touched upon the heart of what my online class “Introduction into Women’s Studies” is about: feminism. As he stated in his article, March was designated “Women’s History Month” by Congress in 1981, four years before I was born. He touched upon many things that we have already discussed in class such as; 1920 being the year American women finally got the right to vote, a time when a women’s place was in the house and girls were not allowed equal access to participate in interscholastic sports. He even addressed the negative reactions to feminism. Yes, I know what he is talking about. Many people react to feminism in negative, cruel, and immature ways. For example, some people (male and female alike) roll their eyes, shake their heads, remark with stupid comments, and make jokes when it comes to talking about feminists and feminism. I too am not above these types of actions. I guess being a white male growing up in a patriarchal society makes me somewhat of a male-privileged, insensitive man, at times.
However after being in this class, I realize how important women are not only in the personal sphere but also in the public sphere. I am proud to personally know many strong, confident women who are making a difference in their perspective communities and our country. Just like Jack mentioned, we had a female mayor in my hometown of Defiance for two consecutive terms, serving from 1992 to 1999. Rita Kissner made many improvements to our city as mayor and is still playing an active role in our city today by serving as director of the State Bank, trustee of the Defiance Development and Visitors Bureau, and on the board of the Defiance College Board of Trustees. Jack mentioned that in our area, women are still underrepresented on the board of directors of corporations and banks, this needs to change. In many churches around the country, women are not allowed to be ministers or other church leaders. I don’t understand why women are prohibited from serving as deacons, elders and ministers. They are just as capable of handling the positions as men and might possibly bring a new perspective and outlook to their congregations. So many people are still stuck in the old ways of thinking, because social constructionism makes them think there is no other way to look at things and they are afraid of change.
I also think of all the female teachers that I have had in my lifetime and how they have impacted my life and contributed to society. In my small town of Defiance, there are numerous female doctors, lawyers, bank executives and business owners. On a personal note, my mother is owner/sole proprietor of a thriving massage therapy practice. She went back to school when I was just 12 years old. She did this while working full-time in a doctor’s office, taking care of the house, and raising my brother, sister and me. My dad helped a little, but the brunt of our household responsibilities rested on her. What my mother accomplished was unheard of back in 1958 when she was born. Yes women have come a long way baby, but they still have a way to go before the world truly treats them as equals.
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