Closed. The boat sank, the sharks won.

I’ve been reading this:  Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics, bell hooks. and it got me thinking. I’m liking this thinking malarkey, even though it makes me feel like my brain is melting at times.

If we start from the position that Patriarchy exists and exists to control human beings by favouring the men and boys and devaluing the women and girls then surely it stands to reason that the deconstruction of patriarchy will affect males more than females.

Anyway, back to my thinking… Men stand to lose more if/when patriarchy fails or is deconstructed.  Men will fight however they can to preserve the patriarchy that favours them, that they gain power and control from. How much they would gain is open to interpretation, but women stand to gain everything. So we are opposed.

But should we be?

Surely this patriarchy that we live in, that controls us also controls our brothers, our sons, the fathers of our children, our fathers?  Surely it controls and boxes and defines the men and boys in our lives just as much as the women and girls?

Now, feminism has an image of man hating, hairy separatists and I don’t like that. I don’t hate men, just what they do and the power and control they use over women. It’s not even about me, although my experience does colour my beliefs, as I’m sure it does most people. So, bell hooks has me thinking that although Feminist is a label that does describe my political beliefs and stance, it does neatly underpin the thinking and where I’m coming from, it also doesn’t take everything into account.

I have loads more thinking and exploring to do but I think I’m going to be an Eco-Humanist/Feminist and try to look at the future as a bright place where everyone has an equal footing in the world, where women and men are all free of patriarchal control, where our sons and daughters can all be who they are without constraint. Ok, it’ll take generations, maybe grandchildren then… or even great-grandchildren, but it’ll happen. As part of that vision I can see a place where a true respect for our planet is tied with a true respect for every individual human being as well as the overall ecosystem.

It all goes together for me. 

In the meantime there’s loads of change to make happen….. Time for another mug of tea I think, and some chocolate… 

Isn’t it time someone called "Cut!"

Isn’t it time someone said "Stop!"

Warning, the link contains images of extreme violence and may be triggering. 

"Wait, this isn’t in the script, I didn’t agree to this."

Two women in the UK die every week as a direct result of domestic violence, are killed by a partner or ex-partner.  It wasn’t in their "script" either and no-one called cut, the violence was real, the injuries were real, the pain was real, and then they died.

If there’s something you can do, then do it. Embrace your women friends and tell them you care, find your local contact for Women’s Aid and see if you can help. Do something, make it stop. Be the person who calls "Cut!"