I’m not a journalist or any sort of writer, but I have a lot of ideas buzzing around in my mind lately, and they have been weighing heavily on me and I feel like I need to get them out there for people to see, and hopefully identify with.
To the Editor,
I’m not a journalist or any sort of writer, but I have a lot of ideas buzzing around in my mind lately, and they have been weighing heavily on me and I feel like I need to get them out there for people to see, and hopefully identify with. I’m sure many of you have been seeing and hearing a lot about the ongoing feminist movement and that it’s heating up in Athens. I also know that people on both sides of the argument are going to disagree with me, but sometimes taking the middle of the road is the best course of action.
Here’s the thing — despite what anyone thinks — the feminists who are standing up and taking action about the gender norms and roles in society, are right to do so. Their ideas are built on a foundation of truth. Yes, F--kRapeCulture’s movement has a solid basis for their cause. Yes, catcalling is a form of harassment, and the objectification of women has got to stop. Yes, the friend zone is an unfair double standard. And they need to keep fighting, despite what anyone thinks or says. If all women had shut up when men told them to, we would be nowhere right now. The problem does not lie with their ideas, so why do so many people, even women, choose not to identify as feminists? Well, the other day I was reading some columns from The Post’s Jessica Ensley, of whom I am a fan. I was agreeing with all of the points she was making, and it felt good to know that I wasn’t the only one who thought about these issues the way she does. The men who I was reading the columns with, on the other hand, did not feel the same way. They took offense to her perceived hostile tone, I agreed with them too because if her articles can’t persuade the very group she is trying to change, then she has failed as a writer and as a political activist. Even if she is right (which she is), if she can only frame her argument in such a way that the average person shuts down to what she is saying, then she needs to reconsider. And no, I am not saying this “because she is a women,” because I am a woman too. The fact that I even have to justify this point is ridiculous, because the feminist movement wants everyone to see each other as people, not by gender. This is something that is the basis of the feminist movement, but has been forgotten by both sides. Instead of making equality the goal, the argument has become polarized to be all about gender. Polarization is the enemy of progress (just ask our politicians), and feminism cannot just be about women or men; both sides are affected, and we need to treat each other as equals. Men are not the enemy, women are not the enemy, patriarchal society is the enemy.
And it is not just Ms. Ensley — she is merely an example — many people who are pro-feminist have been verbally attacked by feminists who choose not to use a calm, persuasive tone. They may not realize it, but this causes further polarization of both parties, and ultimately hurts their cause more than it helps it. You cannot alienate the people you are trying to reach. You cannot win this on your own. You have to be more clever than your feminist bigots’ arguments if you want to succeed and change things.
Even if you do not feel as though you are being hostile and are simply explaining your point of view, I encourage you to think twice about what you are saying, put yourself in your counterpoint’s shoes, and think about how they are going to react to it. Are they going to have an open mind about what you are saying, or are they going to shut down and dismiss what you are saying simply because they feel you are being rude and yelling at them rather than talking to them? The point of an argument is to make the most persuasive argument using the most powerful rhetoric, not who can simply yell the loudest until everyone stops listening all together.
Nicole Riker is a student at Ohio University.
