Friday, November 16, 2007

Properly Incensed

I am completely incensed.

Perhaps it is my independent, strong, proud nature.

I don't like labels to begin with, but I realize that for certain purposes they simplify organization.
Categories.
Who are you?
What do you do?
Why are you here?
Where are you from?
When did you come here?

I was reviewing work that had been done by someone else today.
An application.
It is the habit of this particular person to rank people in her esteem according to her opinion of their worth, and typically, old rich white men (and occasionally old rich white women) are worthy to be revered in her lofty perspective. It is seldom that anyone else rises above that sharp angle at the edge of the nose that she looks down.

I see it as a serious injustice and a shortcoming of her personality. I have my own shortcomings; I don't say anything. Often.

Today, however... it bothered me enough to blog about it.
I must vent, I beg your indulgence.

In reviewing the application, I saw that she'd noted the man's occupation neatly and put him first as she always does. Fine. It could be done the other way but I think this hasn't occurred to her. Fine.
I then discovered that she had entered the ladies occupation as HWF.

*****STEAM*****

THAT is short for Housewife.

Deep sigh.

Perhaps she has not noticed that I have corrected ALL of her previous entries of housewife to those of HOMEMAKER. Yes, I am politically correct in this ilk.

We are not in the 50's.

I think at the very least, a modicum of dignity and respect ought to be afforded to those women who choose not to enter the workforce; those who have the daunting task of running a household in the new millennium, something which is no small task and which- if it were a paid position- would net the woman OR MAN (note Homemaker is not gender specified) about six figures a year, currently.

It is without a shred of doubt, a position that commands respect and dignity.

The women who fought and died for equality and recognition at the turn of the last century, did not do so with the vision that women in the coming century could have the freedom to be indifferent to their sacrifices!!!



I cringe and shudder at the thought.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Sojourner Truth would be infuriated, not incensed, at the complacency of some women today.
We are the granddaughters of warriors of justice, integrity, dignity and HONOR.
We are absolutely NOT of a lesser value or worth than our male counterparts.

I certainly hope that each person who reads this remembers what was sacrificed willingly by our foremothers... so that WE could be granted the equality that should never have been a question.

God Bless the Homemakers.

Scarlett & Viaggiatore

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

i'm (positively) speechless for a moment.

very well written!

rel said...

Scarlett,
It's the fire in your soul that makes you stand out in the crowd.
Whether the shining ember or the flame of indignation you show a caring above the routine.
the warmth you exude is a magnet rather than a repelant.
Well done Scarlett, well done!
rel

Anonymous said...

I'll say this--I've done my time as a single parent, never had the opportunity nor money to be a full-time housepater, but I know it's just as hard as any job. Mental AND physical, and 24/7, not just 8-5 MF. Homemakers have had my deepest respect for a VERY long time.

The Passionate Palate said...

Hallelujah Sister!!! I would be incensed too. I am so glad that you made your point loud and clear. In some ways, things haven't changed at all. It even feels like there has been some backsliding in the last 7 years. :-) I just noticed some blatant sexism in a article of a very well known food magazine yesterday. And I thought we were in the 21st century.

Kay Cooke said...

I say Hear Hear and a rousing three cheers for all the proud homemakers - legions of wonderful, powerful, strong women - like your dear self!
Sorry I haven't visited in a while. it's been great to catch up with your news.

Kelly said...

Very well said!

S. Kearney said...

Yes, hear hear. This is 2007! They ought to get used to it!

molly said...

As one of the homemaker brethern, thank you! There are still vestiges of the attitude that we are lesser beings.....

exskindiver said...

amen.
and thank you.

Jon M said...

The first thing you need is a home. It's the foundation of everything.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

There is never a shortage of ways to demean women.

I had to work as I raised three children alone, but would have much preferred to stay at home with them.

"The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood comes to mind here as it often does when something reminds me that the battle for true equality may never be won because it is advantageous to keep women down.

Great post, Scarlett.

Pearl said...

I hear ya. I told a female banker that I wasn't being paid to work now. I was writing. She looked at me blankly and wrote housewife. There's shame in that term. There shouldn't be. Changing it to homemaker doesn't lift it for me.

Diana said...

Amen Sistah!

I find it particularly maddening when it's a fellow female that does crap like that.

Michelle | Bleeding Espresso said...

Brava! "Properly incensed" is such a great title here.

One thing I do love about Italy is the "what do you?" question isn't even within the first 20 someone asks you. OTOH, how old are you and are you married/engaged are high up on the list, but we can't have everything I suppose ;)

Again, brava brava brava!!!!!!

Wanderlust Scarlett said...

CS,

Thank you!
Hope your speech comes back!


Rel,

That's very sweet, thank you so much!
It's something I feel strongly about, obviously, and hence something that comes easily to me when I write.
Or rant.

;o)


Irrelephant,

Amen to you sir, I applaud your efforts and work!


Jeni,

Oooooooh, yes. It's still rampant, much to my dismay and chagrin.


Kay,

And Thank You to those women, all of them, who worked so hard to give us what we have today.
Missed you!


Kelly,

Welcome, and thank you!


Seamus,

You'd think we'd be so much further along now! AGH!


Molly,

May I reassure you, dear lady, we are not.
Someday it will change, I hope.


Chesca,

A fiery passion of my soul; we will be equal one day.


Jon,

I quite agree.


Hearts,

Your character is platinum, lady, and I have so much admiration for those who raise children alone; be they female or male, what a tough job, what a sacrifice.

I haven't read that yet... on my way to the bookstore now, then.

Thank you!


Pearl,

That's awful! She was young, I'll bet, and is totally unaware of the battles hard won and sacrifices made.
BAH!


Diana,

I know, it's incomprehensible to me. I just don't understand that complacency, that 'box' thinking.
Drives me mad!


Sognatrice,

There are so many more important things to learn about people.
The perception of status is not one of them.


Scarlett & Viaggiatore

J said...

So well said. Thank you for that.

Wanderlust Scarlett said...

Jules,

It must be said, it is very important.
Thank you!


Scarlett & Viaggiatore

Anonymous said...

Very happiest Thanksgiving to you, Scarlett, and give Viaggiatore an extra scruffle behind the ears from me. *g*

somepinkflowers said...

i have
never gone
to THAT wedding...

the one where a woman
*marries*
a house...

have you?

:-)

~~~ i, somepinkflowers,
do hereby take you,
two-story colonial,

[ spit-level ranch,
townhouse condo,
whatever... ]

to be my lawfully wedded spouse...

to have and to clean,
to roof and to paint,

from this day forth ~~~

Rebecca E. Parsons/Cre8Tiva said...

i am right there behind you...happy thanksgiving my friend, rebecca

Dee said...

I am incensed with you! Thanks for the post.

Also, I am have tagged you on my post "Giving thanks" for a very good cause. Hope you would be all enthused to spread the word.

Unknown said...

Great post, Scarlett! Well done for standing up and speaking out.

(Personally I prefer the "title"/"label" Domestic Goddess or Domestic Engineer! ;-) )

Wanderlust Scarlett said...

Irrelephant,

A very happy holiday to you as well!
Thank you!

And, Viaggiatore *LOVED* the scruffle behind the ears, he's purrrring now... and smiling, thanks.


Some Pink Flowers,

Lawfully wedded House?
Right.
Great comment!!


Cre8tiva,

Thank you! And to you and yours!


Dee,

Thanks!
I'll do that post soon.


Vanilla,

Domestic Goddess/Engineer? You are hired!!!
Very nice!


Scarlett & Viaggiatore

Eastcoastdweller said...

If democracy must be fought for anew with each generation, so must also equality between the sexes.

It ever lives in peril.

Woman is absolutely equal to man (and personally, I think She excells him in so many regards). But this fact is not pleasing to many.

Eastcoastdweller said...

As for a good read about the way people insist on classifying each other, read The Little Prince. (please forgive my translation, I don't have the English version).

"If we're talking about a new friend to people, we never ask what's really important:

"What does he sound like? What's his favorite game? Does he often collect butterflies?"

"No, we ask how old he is, how many brothers and sisters he has how much he weighs ... If we say to the grown-ups, I saw a beautiful house, built of pink bricks, in the windows a geranium and in addition to that doves ... they will be unable to picture this house.

"You have to say to them, I saw a house worth ten thousand francs. Then they will say, O how beautiful!"