Letters to the Editor
FemmeJr
Published Letters: 61 Editor's Choice: 8
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To Lynx & Confucius
[Read the article: The evil future is now: Semen detection kits]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I've been following your debate (dizzying though it may be) and think you both have really good points... here's my two-cents.
I think the paternity testing site had a reason to make their numbers seem larger than they actually are (regardless of the actual number themselves). But even if the people advertising this paternity testing service boasted that 90% of the men who took a paternity test proved turned out not to be the father, that would still be 90% of people who had a reason to believe they were not the father . That's not indicative of the public at large.
That being said, I don't think paternity fraud (like any other scam or fraud) shouldn't be taken lightly. I'm even going to take the big leap here and say that Women who willingly and knowingly mislead men into supporting children should be severely penalized.
As long as cheating is a reality, so is paternity fraud. As a feminist, I believe that if women are going to maintain reproductive freedoms, women have to take responsibilty for our indiscretions and not swindle decent men.
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Edited Sentence
[Read the article: The evil future is now: Semen detection kits]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]That being said, I don't think paternity fraud (like any other scam or fraud) should be taken lightly. I'm even going to take the big leap here and say that Women who willingly and knowingly mislead men into supporting children that aren't theirs should be severely penalized.
Sorry for error. It's almost time to leave work and my brain hurts.
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Give back the engagement ring, keep everything else.
[Read the article: Too bad to keep, too good to hock]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm very traditional when it comes to this, but an engagement ring is symbol of your commitment to starting a marriage, and if that's not happening, give the damn thing back... even if the guy was a creep. My only exception would be if the engagement was broken off because he stole or scammed money from you. Other than an engagement ring, each person in this relationship has a right to keep or sell gifts obtained by the other person.
I had a tacky-ass jerk, who (when his pleads to get back me back failed) demanded reimbursement for every time he took me out to dinner. I thanked him for confirming my wisdom in dumping him. My room mate's ex (who obtained the keys to our apartment under the pretense of giving her back her stuff at his place) looted her bedroom of every single thing he ever bought her during their two-year relationships.
It's truly amazing how many "modern" men treat their women like a fiscal investment. And they say women are gold-diggers.
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"Waaaahhhhh!!!! What about men, we have it so bad???!!! Waaaahhhh!!!"
[Read the article: Life expectancy drops for some American women]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This is the direction this debate is going. On to another topic, thanks.
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I'm OK with an ice Martini bar...
[Read the article: Does that Vera Wang come in two-ply?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]... if I'm not the one paying for it.
Might I also add that the three wedding planners I know -- who could probably get discounts from their connects-- eloped or had very small affairs consisting only the immediate family and best friends?
That should tell you something.
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Feminism means earning your pay raise and then demanding it from your boss.
[Read the article: The fight for fair pay]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Congress has already passed laws to prevent me from discrimination in the workplace. It's illegal to ask me my age, my martial and children status. It's illegal to pinch my ass or try to coerce me into sex for a promotion or employment.
Congress has done all they can and are willing to do to provide a decent working enviornement for women to advance. Now is the time for women to ask for their raise .
Men do it all the time. And us women? We think that if we just keep our heads down and work like good little soldiers that someone will give us what we're "owed." Most Men have no problem going for the gold and making demands. Most women are worried about seeming "pushy" or "disloyal."
Well guess what? Your boss is going to try to get away with paying you as little as possible... unless you prove yourself indispensible and then threaten to go elsewhere if they don't pay what your worth .
I don't want a bunch of old white men (Congress) to give me a mandatory pay raise like a child's allowence cause I'm a chick. I'm going to prove myself a smart, hard-working person and then go elsewhere if I'm not getting what I want.
That's the freedom of feminism.
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@Mizbinkley
[Read the article: The fight for fair pay]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]To answer your question: No one. And we can't expect such an offer from Congress or anyone else.
My main point was that women in the work place need to be more assertive about obtaining what they're worth.
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@ Wrichar
[Read the article: The fight for fair pay]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Thank you for providing the information on the study and for your insight. However, I find the following statement a bit misleading.
"What we found across all the studies is men were always less willing to work with a woman who had attempted to negotiate than with a woman who did not," Bowles said. " They always preferred to work with a woman who stayed mum. But it made no difference to the men whether a guy had chosen to negotiate or not."
They might prefer to work with the woman who stays mum, but they're going to pay that mum woman any better than the one who tries to negotiate. Similarly, they might not look down on a man who tried to negotiate, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's getting the pay he deserves, either.
Perhaps I am biased in the fact that I work in a female-dominated industry and most of the executive at my company are female, but I think women have more opportunities than ever before. More of us are educated than in our mother and grandmother's generations; we don't have to stay with an employer who takes advantage of us and can seek better opportunities elsewhere. Any company worth its salt is going to do what they can to keep their best and brightest.
Additionally, the government has pretty much proven (especially within the last few decades) that it is completely unwilling to make any necessary reforms to ensure a living wage for all willing and capable citizens. That's why I'm not surprised at Congress's actions with respect to this bill-- or any other bill pertaining or related to workers rights.