Monday, March 08, 2010

Today is, in some countries, though not my country, International Woman's Day. A day that has it roots in socialism (as the picture above clearly shows), which is probably why it is not celebrated in my capitalistic country. A day that good, old, V. I. Lenin made a holiday in the USSR in 1917. It is a day to celebrate working women (though I think that idea has evolved a bit to include all women). So, let's celebrate women. Let's pause to remember, and celebrate all the women that are in our lives. The women who gave us life, the women who keep us alive (i.e. doctors, nurses and the like), the women who have been in our lives, for good or bad. The "Rosie the Riveter", the courtesans that willingly warmed a lot of our beds. The Mother Thereseas of the world, that selflessly give of themselves so that the world can and will be a better place. The Queens, and Crown Princesses that a lot of us admire, and a few of us would like to emulate. Even the uncrowned ones. A Queen does not have to rule a country, other things can be ruled as well. Let us celebrate the sisters that some of us have, the wives that some of have, the girlfriends that most of strive to have, the mothers that we all have. Sadly, it has been taken a bit too far by some women who use it as a kind of "man-hating" day. That is not what it should be about, feminism is all well and good, but should be moderate like most things. Of course, it is not overly fair that there is also an International Men's Day (November 19th, send gifts) that my country DOES recognize, but I suppose life is just not fair sometimes. I also figure it does not take your country recognizing the day in order for you to celebrate it. So, for having to put up with all of my, and the other brutes of my gender, women everywhere from Austria to Zambia, whoever and whatever they may be are my (194th), hero(ine) of the day.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

International Women's Day is about women getting more equality than men. This was clear even back in the 1950's when a U.S. newspaper printed this:

"While I do not in the least begrudge the Soviet women thier March day of glory, the emphasis given International Women's Day to me exhibits a serious flaw in the communist system. It makes much of equal rights it has given the sexes, but as it turns out, the women are much more equal than the men.
There is no International Men's Day, and the lack of one is conspicuous. In the USSR the men toil along in their grooves doing what thier government and thier womenfolk tell them to. There is no day when all the offices, factories, and schools are closed in their honor.
This strikes me as unwarrented discrimination and rank injustice. There should be one day a year on which Ivan Ivanovitch could find out what it was like to have his breakfast served him in bed and treated to a night on the town from his wife's earnings.
Soviet women should have guilty consciences when they go to bed after a festive International Women's Day. In matters of official recognition their spouses are subject to most unequal treatment."

http://www.international-mens-day.com/Pre_1990_doduments.php