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by Tom Anselm

Something odd has happened to me over the past few months. I think that I have finally realized that I just might be… wait for it… a feminist.

Now, that term “feminist” conjures up a lot of angst among many people. In one sense, it denotes someone who is rather strident in their public pronouncements, who demonstrates and marches and rallies against so-called misogynists, who is for a woman’s right to choose what happens to her baby when she is pregnant. That sort of thing.

At least, that might be what liberal news media would want us to believe. And I must admit, I have had those feelings and categorized people, women and men, in that way for many years.

I guess that I have reason for this, however. There have been many national leaders who have co-opted these issues for their own purposes to advance an agenda. They have used these issues to attempt to form cultural change. And maybe in some cases they have. But not always for the betterment of all women.

In light of this line of thinking, I looked up the definition of the word ‘feminist’. One source has it as ‘a person who espouses feminism.’ Well, duh. That really doesn’t help, until you define feminism. So here goes that. Feminism is ‘a theory of political, economic, intellectual and social equality among the sexes, guaranteeing equal rights and opportunities.’ Heck, who wouldn’t be for that, I ask, rhetorically, knowing that there are some who would not be for that. But common sense says that this is the way things should be.

I personally have every reason to be a feminist, given these parameters. As a teacher, most of my professional life has been spent among women, who make up a large part of the educational workforce. They outnumber men easily three-to-one at most levels of education below college. And I have known a great deal of highly-professional and dedicated women teachers.

Also, I have the privilege of being the dad of four awesome daughters, all achievers, all educated and all accomplished in their fields, with two of them early childhood teachers. Not to mention, (although I always seem to) my seven incredible granddaughters. They are all so bright, possessing strong personalities and amazing abilities.

Of course, I am biased, but I can present irrefutable proof to support my claims. And then there is my wife, The Lovely Jill, she who possesses vast super-powers of her own.

Do I want equal rights and opportunity for them in all areas, political, economic, intellectual and social? Dang straight I do. Do I view them as less in any way than men just because of their gender? Of course not.

Am I not, then, a feminist?

Well, I suppose so, in the strictest sense of the word.

But when it comes to the issue of abortion that many women have claimed as their right and sadly is the law of the land, uh uh… can’t go there. Sorry. Not gonna happen.

In these United States of America, women may just have the most rights and opportunities of all nations. They are deserving of this, by virtue of their being, by virtue of their very existence. I am not so naïve as to think that everyone thinks this way, nor that these rights and opportunities have not been hard-fought for and won with great difficulty. But I can only speak for myself, and I will continue in my support of women in all phases of society.

To do anything less would be against logic and contrary to the strictest definition of equal rights for all in America.

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