I'm a Second Wave liberal feminist and very proud of the history and the women (and men) who have helped me make my own life and pay forward.

There are a couple of reasons why people don't describe themselves as feminist. First, they're likely to take a lot of flak, sometimes from surprising sources, sometimes from the Usual Suspects like the ones who've already turned up here, including the "well, you should have, I could have..." types of men and women. I always think Curdled Calvinism puckers the disposition as well as the mouth. Second, it's like using the term "liberal." You then get all the baggage that has accreted to the word thrown at you. If you identify as X, then you must be characterized by Y. Which is an over-generalization, plus a lack of imagination so shocking that I don't know whether it's stupid, willful, or self-gratulatory. I can only assume that it works on some people.

The "I'm not a feminist BUT..." trope? I see it as a ploy for a moral coward or rather naive person to have her cake and eat it, while taking a chunk of the cake I baked. "OOOOOH," says the young woman, "I'm not a feminist but...I believe in equal pay, maternity leave, family leave, the right to choose, equal access to schooling, jobs, speaking up in public, etc., etc."

Back there when I ran with Ayla and the wolves (Jondalar wasn't really THAT cute), that WAS feminist, but the "I'm not a feminist" type also hopes that she can slip under the radar into that magic land of princesses, slip dresses, social approval and solitaires the size of a skating rink. Sneaky. Sometimes it's done unconsciously. Sometimes they know perfectly well what they're doing and do it because they've been trained to do so because God help them if they don't win all the goodies.

Tell a Rules Girl she has to type for a living until she gives it up for the McMansion some damnfool bought her? Fat chance.

I hereby serve warning that any attempts at telling me what my psychology or appearance MUST be because some guy or male-identified female uses the street cred of sacred monsters like Camille Paglia or their very own lives to pontificate will be not be taken patiently.

And there IS gender bias on TV. If you really want fun, stir class bias in with the gender bias. The dissertations what will, no doubt, erupt from Sarah Palin's abortive VP candidacy are things that make me devoutly glad I'm not in the social sciences.

http://granades.com/2007/05/02/loltrek/

"The Trouble With Tribbles" with LOLCAT subtitles.

I know, I ought to get a life. I HAVE one, and it has a silly sense of humor.

You deserve TWO red stars for that one.

If I had 2 cheezburgerz, I'd give U 1.

I think he may be an apostle to the internet.

I'd call that presumptuous, myself.

Wonder why he'd think it would work on an apostate.

Silly. Polysyllabic, but silly.

Hi, AKA. I just wanted to point out something ironic.

You better not shout, you better not cry, you better not pout...Jeremy's telling you why...

Note: he feels quite entitled to switch grounds and reprimand you for your bad behavior. Wow. You're not NICE. You're a BAAAAAAD girl, and here comes the patriarch...He's going to REPRIMAND you.

It's a shame: he's an articulate, rational man in the grips of an ideological idee fixe. This is bureaucracy and politics. There is nothing in what he writes about charity or forgiveness or love. I guess that's kept within the family.

I remember when they campaigned against the ERA. How times haven't changed.

Two things.

There have always been people spinning myths about their times and other times. One Gen-Xer who's a good friend typed out the St. Crispin's Day speech from HENRY V in her newsgroup this week.

Go home? I AM home. And seeing the picture of the young ones celebrating, I felt RIGHT at home.

It doesn't matter if you don't believe anyone else's myths. But if you don't create any good ones of your own, Social Security won't mean a damn because you'll have bargained away your souls.

Boomers, as has been pointed out, know something about that too. I kind of hope you won't beat us on -that- record.

Re BABYLON 5: Are you getting the feeling that some Gen-X Sheridan is telling us, as First Ones, to get the hell out of their Galaxy?

Alison Krause

Jeffrey Miller

Bill Schroeder

Sandra Scheuer

And Dean Kahler, who was paralyzed, and Mary Vecchio, who witnessed.

And the two young men at Jackson State -- Perhaps someone could post their names so we can remember before you all take the lead moving forward.

Not preaching a lesson.

Just remembering.

Recently, I tracked down my father's WWII Division. He was at the Battle of the Bulge and never spoke of it. Sooner or later, we make peace with the authorities...

I'm thrilled about Obama (and scared for him).

As a classic Boomer, I always thought that Gen X was karma in action for us. Serves us right.

But it's good that "McGovern" won in what really will be your time, only it's Obama. We've got a lot to share and learn from each other.

Apologies? We all do the best we can and wind up fucking up, then trying to make it up. I feel that way with the last of the Greatest Generation. I raised hell with my mother on Social Security. Fair's only fair.

God, do we need some luck along with some hard teamwork.

And I've always loved your work on BUFFY!

I don't care how slowly that gray car was going: if you were struck hard enough that the mirror bent, you should get your shoulder X-rayed or at least checked out.

But it was okay for McCain to call a minor child a dog.

Either she's a liar or she's stupid and lacks empathy.