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Conference turris::womannotes-v2

Title:ARCHIVE-- Topics of Interest to Women, Volume 2 --ARCHIVE
Notice:V2 is closed. TURRIS::WOMANNOTES-V5 is open.
Moderator:REGENT::BROOMHEAD
Created:Thu Jan 30 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 30 1995
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1105
Total number of notes:36379

179.0. "Are we battling (again) over PROCESS?" by ULTRA::LARU (put down that ducky) Wed Sep 14 1988 09:49

I think I've detected a common thread in the ongoing battle
over the tone and content of WOMANNOTES.


It seems as if one group has determined
(mostly logically) how things SHOULD be, with little thought
given about how to get from here to there.

On the other hand, the second group seems to be more concerned
with dealing with what's happening NOW, with achieving
self-esteem and internal health on the way to a goal that
is being defined along the way.

As long as the first group seems to have no clearly defined
route mapped toward the goal other than "be equal!"
it seems to me somewhat curious that the first group
should so vociferously denigrate the second group's
efforts to spend more time dealing with current reality
(as perceived; what other reality is there?) and working 
from here.

In the abstract, I thnk a case could be made that neither
route is inherently "better;"  they are just different.
Since neither group has (to my mind) achieved the goal,
it seems absurd for either to accuse the other of "doing
it wrong."

	bruce
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
179.1YesBOLT::MINOWFortran for PrecedentWed Sep 14 1988 10:323
We'll keep arguing over process as long as some people continue to look
at the sex of a note's author rather than the content of the contribution.

179.2NO, not the causeULTRA::LARUput down that duckyWed Sep 14 1988 10:5412
    re: < Note 179.1 by BOLT::MINOW "Fortran for Precedent" >

� We'll keep arguing over process as long as some people continue to look
� at the sex of a note's author rather than the content of the contribution.
  
    I absolutely disagree that this is the cause of the problem.
    
    I contend that the problem is that members of the first group refuse
    to acccept the validity of attempts by members of the second group
    to deal with issues in the way _which they have found best for them._
    
    	bruce
179.3just a thoughtWMOIS::B_REINKEAs true as water, as true as lightWed Sep 14 1988 11:495
    Sometimes I find it rather silly that we have men arguing over
    the proper role of men in womens notes...gender blindness to
    the contrary.
    
    Bonnie
179.5WMOIS::B_REINKEAs true as water, as true as lightWed Sep 14 1988 13:263
    probably not....but I tend to see the absurd in situations a lot.
    
    Bonnie
179.6harumphMEWVAX::AUGUSTINEPurple power!Thu Sep 15 1988 10:205
    re: .1
    with entries like 22.15, it's hard _not_ to think about the author's
    gender when reading notes.
    
    liz
179.7CADSE::SANCLEMENTEThu Sep 15 1988 16:1129
    
 RE: .0
>As long as the first group seems to have no clearly defined
>route mapped toward the goal other than "be equal!"
>it seems to me somewhat curious that the first group
>should so vociferously denigrate the second group's
>efforts to spend more time dealing with current reality
>(as perceived; what other reality is there?) and working 
>from here.

  	This is fine as long everyone agrees that we are going 
    
    	through a period of REVERSE DISCRIMINATION to achieve an
    
    	end goal of equality in the future.  However, calling a quota
    
    	system which inherently unfair and discrimnatory "Equal" is simply
    
    	untrue.  Don't try to cloak an unfair system in self rightous
    
    	terms.
    
    		       vociferously yours   
    
    				A.J.	
    
    
       
                 
179.8MOSAIC::TARBETThu Sep 15 1988 17:0715
    <--(.7)
    
    AJ, please, we are *NOT* experiencing "reverse discrimination". The
    number of women or members of minority groups hired or promoted into
    high-status positions is not even *close* to the ca. 65% we represent
    in the total US population.   If you want to say "Well I know this guy
    who got discriminated against in favor of a <whatever>", we can point
    to five or ten <whatevers> that have been discriminated against in
    favor of white males. It's built right into the system! From the
    cradle onward!        
    
    You need not worry about losing a job to a <whatever>, AJ: the odds
    are that that you'll be killed in a road accident first! 
    
						=maggie
179.9ahemVINO::EVANSNever tip the whipperThu Sep 15 1988 17:206
    
    WHAT IN GODS NAME DOES "REVERSE DISCRIMINATION" [SIC] 
    HAVE TO DO WITH THIS NOTE??!?!?!?!?!?
    
    Dawn
    
179.10EVER11::KRUPINSKIJohn Wayne should sue for defamationThu Sep 15 1988 17:5010
re.8

>	The number of women or members of minority groups hired or promoted into
>	high-status positions is not even *close* to the ca. 65% we represent
>	in the total US population.

	What does that prove?

			Tom_K

179.11call it for what it isCADSE::SANCLEMENTEThu Sep 15 1988 17:5627
    
    
    re: .9
    
    	Read all of note 88.  Then read the base note of this topic.
    
    	You may see some connections. Then again you might not.
    
    
    re Maggie
    
    	He wanted to know why some people "vociferously" diagree with
    
    	people who are only trying to make their lives happier. 
    
    	Maggie, I am not going to argue with you that AA is unfair, it
    
    	is. Some people try to justify it as being fair -- thats my beef.
    
    	I would like people to try to justify it logically. A logical 
    
    	argument for them would be "I temporarily support reverse discrimination
    
    	now as a way of reaching complete equality in the future".  
                                  
       
    	       			- A.J.
179.12COGMK::CHELSEAMostly harmless.Thu Sep 15 1988 18:135
    Re: .11
    
    It's not that I don't agree with you, it's that I don't *want* to
    agree with you.  Vociferous people do that to me.  I'm just perverse,
    I guess.
179.13...What ???MINX::WEISENFELDMon Sep 19 1988 19:2928
    re. Base Note 0 ---
    
    Would you please explain, by use of specifics, what is meant by
    "the first group" and "the second group?"  Also, if this note is
    a continuation of, or response to, some other note, please indicate
    that as well.
    
    I cannot see how most of the replies here relate to the first note
    (especially those dealing with reverse discrimination), as the author's
    theory is quite specific: A group of (unspecified) people who have
    defined a goal (without specifying the means by which to obtain
    that goal) has no basis upon which to criticize the activities of
    another group of people who have no apparent goal, but are busy
    going about their "means" just the same.  (I will not get into a
    discussion of the various types of reality that exist...that's another
    note entirely!)
    
    So, can we try this again?  Would the author like to make a more
    presise assertion than the very general one in note 179.0?  I mean,
    if you are pitting one group of feminists against another, then
    say so.  Who *ARE* these "groups" and what in heaven's name prompted
    such a statement so strong that the term "vociferously denigrate"
    was used?  Please, please, please give some background, and make
    a specific assertion so that all of us have the same basis of
    dicsussion.
    
    Thanks,
    Marian
179.14translator to the starsULTRA::ZURKOUI:Where the rubber meets the roadTue Sep 20 1988 09:4012
The author of .0 is on a very long vacation in CA (the scum-bunny).

I'd be glad to chat off-line about what I think he meant, but I'm not into
broadcasting second-guesses on people (particularly friends). It's a lot like
the telephone game.

>    if you are pitting one group of feminists against another, then

However, I can say with a fair amount of assurance, he aint'.


	Mez