How I became a feminist | Walter Backstrom

A feminist is a person who believes in equal rights for men and women.

I did not have an operation. However, I did have a revelation.

I have a daughter, which forced me to think about the types of challenges she will face as she grows older. I was always under the impression that feminists were man haters with "father issues."

However, with much soul searching and research, I have developed a different attitude.

I realize that women still face challenges in 2009:

1. Sexual harassment on the job.

2. Women still are not paid the same amount as men for doing the same job.

3. In Third World countries, sexual mutilation continues. It is when a woman's private parts become surgically altered so that they no longer enjoy sex, but the man does.

4. There is still a glass ceiling in terms of top corporate jobs for women and minorities.

It is important to point out that women have played an important part in the history of this country:

1. They were a significant voice is stopping the slave trade.

2. Women fought to secure their right to vote.

3. They were important figures working with Martin Luther King in the Civil Rights Movement.

I realize even the words that we use can have a negative impact on women. Think about this scenario: If a woman is tired and lashes out, she is considered a b----. But if a man lashes out, he just had a hard day at the office.

If we continue to think about the challenges that women face, what about the women of color? In the black community, only 30 percent of children grow up with a mother and a father. That means the other 70 percent of children are raised by just the mother.

I have spent a great deal of time listening to the stories of women. Some of the stories showed inspiration, and some spoke of tragedies. However, they all showed an enormous amount of courage.

Upon my own reflection, I wondered where I had been, where other men had been. It is easy to acknowledge the hard work of our mothers, but what about the hard work of other women who are not our mothers?

I will probably not join any feminist groups such as the National Organization for Women (NOW). Since I am pro-life, joining Planned Parenthood is definitely not going to happen. I have realized that men and women live in different worlds, yet they live in the same world simultaneously. We can't live without one another, but we definitely can be nice to one another.

In the final analysis, both of our destinies are intricately linked to one another. You couldn't have had an Adam without an Eve. No excuses.

Contact Federal Way Mirror No Excuses Walter Backstrom at wkbackstrom@aol.com.

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