We’ve come a long way baby

 This headline is a reference back to a commercial in the 1970s. The passing of Gloria Steinem reminded me of that time. When women’s rights were at the forefront. 

A few years back a new employee told me that he had been warned by another employee that I was a feminist. The implication was “watch out” for her. 

A feminist in the truest form is advocating social, political, legal, and economic rights for women. Like any social movement there tends to be the extreme one way or another. Radical leaders have never been my cup of tea. I didn’t burn my bra. I don’t take offense when a man opens the door for a woman. I don’t believe all men want to oppress woman.

Have I told man jokes? Yup, often taking blonde jokes and changing them to men jokes. Have I sung “I am woman” by Helen Reddy? Yup. Am I glad things have changed over the years for women from life before the 1970s? Yup again, as you will see in the list below. I saw some of the list on Facebook (so you know it must be true. After all, Abraham Lincoln said that all things on the Internet are). 

“Things women could NOT do before 1970.” 

•Have credit cards under their own name. 

• Lease property in their name. 

• Attend military academies. 

• Be astronauts. 

• Serve on a jury in all states. 

• Serve as the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. 

• Wear pants to school in many states. 

• Keep a job while pregnant. 

• Run the Boston Marathon. 

• Serve in combat. 

• Get equal pay for the same job. 

• Serve as a judge in some states. 

Wow, “We’ve come a long way baby.” (A reference to a cigarette commercial from the 1970s.)

I do believe the changes in the list above are good things. I also believe there are differences between a man and a woman. God made us that way. One is not better than the other. 

There have been some positive changes for men since the 1970s as well. Parental rights for sure. Some jobs wouldn’t allow for facial hair?  The phrase and thought that “real men didn’t cry?”  Perhaps, one day there will be a similar list for men on Facebook. If so, I’ll share it with you.