If I'm not a feminist, does that mean I don't care about equality?
Hardly, I just think it is an awfully difficult concept to really get a handle on.
When I taught at the university level, I tried to describe to my students that reasonable people can differ on what equality means.
For example, if I brought a cake to class but stipulated that it had to be shared equally, what would result? Well, Initially students would say all the pieces had to be cut in pieces of similar proportions and everyone gets one.
Sounds good, right? Well, some students are very small people, some students are much larger. Should a five foot nothing student get the same size cake piece as a six feet five athlete? Is that equal? Is that fair?
Well, you can make the case that it isn't. My husband always share food equally with me. Sometimes he likes to give me more, especially things he knows I like. If this system goes on unchecked, I will probably end up weighing the same amount he does. I'm not sure I want this type of equality. I'll either have to refuse it or force him to be selfish.
What about students that aren't there the day I bring in the cake? Do they get a piece? Do we save them one? What if we have a visitor to the class? Do they get a piece of cake or is it only for regular, enrolled students?
What if somebody doesn't like the type of cake I brought? Do I have to provide some other sort of cake they do like? What if they can't eat it at all because they have allergies or a food intolerance. How do I allocate the cake resources if some of the students can't eat it?
What if someone's metabolism is slower than other people's. Metabolism can affect absorption. Absorption of the cake resources is going to be different for every student. Do we need to take that into consideration when equally dividing up the cake resources?
Decisions! Decisions!
I still like the football players idea of equality -- give everybody a fork! Equal access!
I might take these Mormon feminists demanding priesthood ordination, tickets to the General Priesthood Meeting and wearing pants to Church a little more seriously if I accepted their idea of equality.
I don't.
Why aren't they demanding men be allowed to be Relief Society President, Young Women President, etc.? Why aren't they lobbying to get rid of white shirts, ties and suits? Why aren't they demanding the dress spectrum be opened up for men and as broad as what women currently enjoy? Why aren't they demanding that men be given tickets to the General Relief Society meeting, or the General Young Women meeting? Why, Why, Why?
I think the answer is simple. They don't think responsibilities women have are as important as the responsibilities men have.
Not my idea of equality at all.
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