A lot of men (and some women) are saying "why can't we just use the word equality or humanism? Feminism has become such a negative word since a lot of women use it as a ALL men are bad. ALL women are victims?"
This is an example why I don't think equality or humanism is enough:
Earlier this year a woman got sentenced for slapping a man in his face. Nothing wrong with that, you think. The things is, before she turned around and slapped him, he pinched her butt. This man was a stranger, he saw the woman in the bar and thought it would be a "fun" way of flirting with her. The woman got chocked and angry, turned around and slapped the man in his face.
The man went to the police and reported her for assault. There was a trial. The woman told her story. Why he slapped him. Self defence, you could call it, right?
The judge thought that a pinch isn't that bad as a slap. The woman got sentenced for this. The man? Nothing!
So. Let's use the words humanism and feminism here. And let me explain why I think humanism is not enough.
Humanism and equality would only see that both of them did wrong. And that is the case, I say too. Both of them were wrong. Even if you got pinched, you should not slap. You should go to the police and report the man for sexual harassment. Now, since she slap him, both of them should be sentenced maybe?
Since the man got NOTHING on this I wanna use feminism here. Because... It's ok in this world to pinch someones but. It's ok to take advantaged of the woman's body. This is what's wrong. The law is not enough, because the judge did not think a pinch was "that bad, he just wanted to flirt with you". We need the word feminism to see the deeper problem in this case. Humanism would not do that. It would only follow the law, that both of them did something against the law.
Sexism is not clear enough in the law system.
And no. I do not think women in general would do the same to a stranger in the bar. hardly no woman. I am pretty sure much more men would just laugh about it and think it's "not that bad, it's just for fun". Because objectifying women's bodies is and has always been ok. Not for everyone. but for too many people. The same with strip clubs and porn. Same thought. "It's not that bad, some of them even like it"
Another example:
In the 60s/70s people in USA were fighting for equal right for black people. It was ok to say it was for black people. No one talked about "people" or "humanism".. At least they talked about it all as one case. It was ok to say there was a group of people that had less rights then others. Blacks had less rights than white.
During apartheid people did not JUST talk about humanism and equality. They actually talked about black and coloured people and their rights in a country ruled by whites.
Why can not 50% of the world be a group seen as a group that actually has less rights than the other 50% That is the truth. And MAYBE not in your country or around your friends or in your village. BUT we need to see the bigger picture. We need to see it as a world wide problem and stand together in the fight for women's rights.
Sexism IS big, and it IS bigger against women then men. And no, we wont stop to fight for men's rights just because we talk about women a lot. BUT, can't we women just be allowed to get a little extra attention since the problems are much bigger around us? In some countries some women get stoned to death because they did something a woman should not do. And yes, it has a little to do with religion, but mostly it's culture and the bad way of seeing women. Not ALL muslims would stone a woman to death, right? One thing is for sure. NO man at all would be stoned to death for the same crime as the women..
This is why we need feminism. We need to see the problem as a problem against women. Because it does exist! And we will continue work for men's problem ALSO. One thing does not exclude the other! During apartheid, did they just STOP talking about all other problems? Would they not call the police if a white man was shot? Yes they would. They would work on both sides. BUT the problem against black and coloured was a LITTLE bit bigger at the moment..
No real feminist thinks ALL men are rapists. Thats bullshit. If anyone says that, just do not listen! Do not let the crazy people take over the word that we need. That's the same thought as some people has in Sweden. Just let the racist go on, ignore them, they talk bullshit. Let them think that we can not take more immigrants, let them say we can not allow mosques in our country, because all muslims are bad people. NO, we have to stand up against it and keep on fighting. Not give up and let them be right.
But we need you men on our side in this, to make more people see what feminism is about. (sadly we need that help, yes, to open up some peoples eyes). What we do not need is men, that are actually great people, to turn the back and say "feminists are crazy, they have been taking it too far". That will never help. At all.
So. There you go. If you do not agree, please tell me why, I am always open for a discussion.
