watch out! new dirty words = Old Guard Feminists

[donsu]

there is a truly puky article about old guard feminists and Hillary at Counterpunch. be forewarned.

this is the second time I've seen these words 'old guard feminist' said with a sneer.

sneer and smirk all you want, us old guard feminists beat you once and got a lot more rights for women and children. and we are still here....

[snot]

1. k&r'd . . .

by a proud, liberal, old guard feminist!

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

2. Thanks, K & R. It's always helpful to know the latest TP as it rises to the surface.

:kick:

[LWolf]

3. Old is out, don'tcha know? Our time has passed,

or so I've been told. Repeatedly here at DU. Only the young bring hope and change.

I'm only 47. I didn't realized that it was time to put myself on a shelf.

The U.S. disdain for age never ceases to amaze me, and to piss me off.

A healthy culture honors all ages: youth for their energy, innocence, and enthusiasm, and the aged for their experience and wisdom.

The "old guard feminists" are just one more group to be disdained. My mom, and I, stand by our records as part of that old guard. :grr:

[aquart]

4. Remember Alice Palmer.

[LWolf]

10. You mean this Alice Palmer?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-070403obama-ballot,0,1843097.story

I do remember. :grr:

[aquart]

18. Yes. That Alice Palmer.

[kiva]

5. We'll just keep working from the shelf! nt

[LWolf]

12. Those youngsters are going to have a long-term challenge

getting me up on that shelf to begin with, because I'm not going quietly. :evilgrin:

If they ever get me there, I will certainly still be working. :hi:

[seabeyond]

7. 46 here and ya.... that is what i am getting and is pissin me off

i am just starting the old thing, but fuck this shit if i am going ot be disposable.

[LWolf]

11. Neither am I.

At 47, my hair is almost entirely gray. It started when I was 20. People, especially my teenage students, lol, are always asking me why I don't dye it . I tell them that every one of those gray hairs is a badge of honor, for wisdom and experience gained the hard way.

I'm still going strong, gray hair and all.

[seabeyond]

15. ha, and i have very few. a couple years ago i fond my first. proudly showed hubby

he asks me if i want him to pull it out. wtf.... no way, i want to keep it. geeeeesh. Lol. he has had gray since young 30's and doesn't like it. not my problem, lol

just now boys fighting back and forth about who mother loves more. stupid game they play. i tell them a psychiatrist comes in the house we are in trouble. oldest says, jonas says you are old. jonas.... ya cause you are wise. edmund.... no, talking about your wrinkles and moving slow.

i told edmund, and i am supposed to be ashamed of my wrinkles, i am suppose to deny, hide, lie about my wrinkles. lol

told him about the thread and why i turned on him. lol.

yup

i am ready. bring it on.

[daleo]

26. You are 47 and Obama is 46

So, does he only have one more year left to bring hope?

The ageism around the subject is very illogical.

[LWolf]

27. That's too true.

:hi:

[seabeyond]

6. talking to father i called self feminist.... he stutters, says, i didnt call you that

i told him no.... i called me that. what i am. not a dirty word.

old guard or not feminist has been made the dirty word i wont be a party to

i am not liberal nor democrat, BUT it is a dirty word in these here parts of the world so i use it a lot defining self lookin whomever right in the eye as i say. ... daring them to be offended for me.

[donsu]

8. gold star material

nt

[EFerrari]

9. I started hearing "post-feminist" about a minute after

I first heard "feminist". That was one small window. :)

[ProgressIn2008]

13. Heh, I guess the "paleo-feminist" balloon was unsuccessful

:D

Happily, the old school is strong beyond belief, having had to struggle against great odds. The "old guard" is still around, eternal like the ocean and beautiful like the trees.

So. Let's see how the younger women fare with the struggle!

[donsu]

14. yeah - come on daughters, what are you up to?

nt

[seabeyond]

16. sheeeeit.... they dont even get it. not a clue. the younger generation boys

appear to understand better than the girls. hearing my sons and nephews talk it, .... clueless nieces.

[murray hill farm]

17. You all are right.

I just realized that when I heard that term, I would automatically think of the angry hard core and hate filled feminists that I met in the angry revolutionary 1960's. One in particular was a loud group when I was a student at Wayne State University called SCUM (Society for Cutting up Men)...and there were others of the same angry mentality during that time. But most of society is younger than I am now...and the term "Old Guard" does not call forth the image of "SCUM" but of the dedicated and forward thinking woman who worked so hard for equality and women's rights all during the 20th century and to today. yes, it is a degrading term as used for the most part....So, thanks for tweeking my attitude. From now on, I will identify with and proudly honor "Old Guard Feminist".

[Le Taz Hot]

19. Well, this old guard feminist

is planning on sticking around for a LOOOONNNNGGGGG time. If nothing else, just to piss off the younglings who keep wanting us all to die off.

Hugs and Kisses,

LTH
:hippie:

[seabeyond]

20. not to mention

we are their fuckin mothers, lol lol. like who of our kids mess with us. mothers rule, lol.

[Prophet 451]

21. What's the difference...

...between an "old guard feminist" and a "new guard feminist"? Are there also Right Guard feminists?

[windoe]

22. Misogyny thrives

in this dominating hierarchic culture. The feminine ASPECT* of discourse and thus society has been suppressed over the last 30 years.
Balanced Feminine (yin) ASPECTS:...........................................Repression of Feminine ASPECT:
family strength.......................................................................families stressed, feeling unsafe, dysfunction
nurturing & compassion.........................................................intolerance, indifference, violence
health care.............................................................................healthcare as business instead of service
intuition.................................................................................suspicion, prejudice, doubting one's instincts
understanding........................................................................fear based assumptions
bargaining .............................................................................pre-emptive strikes,
teaching and learning.............................................................dumbing down of schools, excluding cultural studies
balanced relationships- personal, societal, world...................domination over harmony
mental and emotional health..................................................warehousing, pharmaceuticals masquerading as solutions
relating to Earth and animals.................................................ownership concept of natural world

Balanced Male (yang) ASPECTS:..............................................Overactive Male (yang) ASPECTS:
building................................................................................jails over schools,
labeling................................................................................changing language, history, popular discourse measuring............................................................................competition and ruthless greed, more is better
hunting................................................................................preying upon fellow humans, distortion of justice
protection by the strong over the weak.................................subjugation of the weak by the strong
innovation and invention......................................................short term gains sacrifice a sustainable future
exploration of the unknown.................................................suspicion of the unknown as adversaries to fight or be afraid of
leadership............................................................................rulership, dictatorship

Male and female ASPECTS are within each of us, whether we are male or female--structure(yang) and flexibility(yin) are necessary to keep in balance or rigidity and collapse are the respective results. I have observed that our right brain, controlling the left body, may be projected onto the 'left' of society as--flexibility, art, instinct, compassion--while the left brain controls the right of our body and may be projected onto the 'right' of society as-rules and regulations, linear thought and language, logic. Structure of society is a projection of our internal brain structure.
Thus, a balanced society is a bargain struck between structure and rules, and flexibility and compassion. Feminine ASPECTS must be revived to a level that BALANCES the male ASPECTS. Too often the pendulum swings too far to the 'left' or to the 'right', each overcompensating for the previous position. Too far to the left creates anarchy and debauchery, too far to the right results in times like these, violent and dominating.

Please take what you need and leave the rest. I post this for interest sake, to spark thought, insight and understanding with my companion DUers. Have a great Sunday.
*PS Capitalization of 'aspects', though annoying, is an attempt to avoid accusations of sexism.

[quakerboy]

23. Many thanks to the OG-F's

Ive lived around many of you all my life. You were the ones to keep things going when hope was down and it was hard. Many thanks.

I just hope you have room for us younger folks to join the fight. Its gonna require some adjustment for us all.

[baby_mouse]

24. Thank you. You have good habits.

Time we started snipering these nasty little mind-turds at every available opportunity. Thumbs up to you!

[Annces]

25. The young are important, but wisdom is far more important

It is awful the way we do not honor our ancestors. When my grandmother needed a legal guardian, everyone except my older brother (in a large family) did not want any part of it.

I wonder if Hillary Clinton were the same age as Obama, would not the media be saying how she should be taking care of her children or some such. We still want the males to be the leaders it seems.

[hyphenate]

28. Even if Raygun

practically killed the ERA. Maybe someday....

[Rex]

29. And you know who is scared of Old Guard Feminists?

The Good Old Boys Club.

[candymarl]

30. Spot on Rex!

n/t

[windoe]

31. Feminist movement was combined with lesbian movement,

an ingenious manipulation by intelpro to derail both movements. I am 50 and remember this well. All of a sudden the faces of ERA were of lesbians, which alienated many men and women who were not ready to deal with both issues at once. To be a feminist was un-feminine, and many straight women and men were eager to separate themselves from this movement, because to be a feminist was to be un-feminine.
I think this is an important detail to remember, that the gay and lesbian movement is included in the feminist movement, but needs to be clarified as separate to straight women somehow, or they may again be alienated from it. There are too few feminine AND strong women in society to set an example, and so many women mistake a male imitator as the only example of strength. A strong feminine woman is often accused as--a witch or a bitch or so many other names--because a true feminine strong woman is to be truly feared.

[Der Blaue Engel]

35. "Male imitator"

That's the sort of hateful nonsense that bigots and right-wing pigs sling about when they try to scare other bigots.

I seriously don't give a shit if a homophobe won't call herself a feminist because of her fear of flannel.

[windoe]

36. I have done so many times-

had to be 'one of the boys' just to survive- with my brothers, in jobs, ect. The male part of me had to come out. I am merely pointing out a form of behavior, not judging it. Yes, this concept has been used to bash women who are naturally more masculine, and I did not intend this. It is very challenging to represent oneself entirely in writing.
The male dominant society has defined power as 'power over' instead of 'power with' (perhaps I read this in 'Chalice and the Blade' long time ago...), forcing many people to emlulate the male definition of power. This is a natural thing for some people to do, and not so for others.
I am most comfortable in diverse company, and love to see people who have found their authentic selves---Vive la Difference!!!

[LulaMay]

32. Obama uses this with his 'change' speech, against the 'old guard' he paints Clinton

the inference attacking older women who have roots in the feminist movement, and trying to drive a wedge between us and younger women, makes me sick.

He slammed the 60's and 70's in his 'praise Reagan' interview too.

[Skittles]

33. damn straight we are still here, donsu

yes INDEED

[Kitty Herder]

34. Ya know, sometimes Counterpunch pisses me off.

I read it fairly regularly; it has it's share of good articles on a broad spectrum of issues. But sometimes they publish stuff that reeks of misogyny. Maybe I'm just too sensitive.