"On the breast of her gown in fine red cloth....appeared the letter "A"

[KoKo]

The Scarlet Letter
"On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A. It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had all the effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore; and which was of a splendor in accordance with the taste of the age, but greatly beyond what was allowed by the sumptuary regulations of the colony." Nathanial Hawthorne...THE SCARLET LETTER

And so it was with many American Females before "Roe vs. Wade" where they were sent away to "homes" where the baby was given away to adoptive parents and all rights were signed away forever....or one was able to connect with the "underground list" of doctors who would peform abortions in "other states far away" (where either family or boyfriend would cough up the funds) or the "Shotgun Wedding" where families on both sides were aware and thought they were doing the "right thing."

If you were poor you could find the "back ally" where the coat hanger abortion performed by some "Dickensian" doctor who lost his license or had a "side business" would help you out.

In so many cases the "boyfriend" or "one night partner" was not notified that there was a "problem" and so it was up to the female, alone, or if she told her family...then she and her family to decide what to do ...based on their monetary circumstances and abilities.

I would NEVER WANT TO GO BACK TO THE 1950's and BEFORE...EVER AGAIN!
And I remember when the "Frat Boys" would say: "I knocked her up." and the "Sorority Girls would say: "He knocked me up." The Poor would say: "I got in trouble" or "He got me in trouble."

Think of that...think of that...

[KoKo]

1. Sorry...I revised my post on this "online" so many of you didn't see

the whole thing after "Hawthorne quote." I hope you will give it another look. (I should have used the "Preview" function." :blush:

[bloom]

2. "...the "Frat Boys" would say: "I knocked her up."

Now it seems "popular" for guys to say "I'd hit it"

While it isn't about pregnancy - I don't know that the thought behind it is any better. As if women are "it's".


But yeah - who wants to go back to that?


What I got out of the link posted in this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=195218

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3376

was that patriarchy - and control of women's bodies - relates strongly with pro-war people who want lots of children to go fight their wars for them.

[KoKo]

3. "I'd hit it..." Is that what they say?

Can't get a "macho" connotation from that....like "I knocked her up" which was REALLY AGGRESSIVE and totally demeaning..

Is that really what guys say these days? "I'd hit it." It sounds so "removed" and non-commital. :shrug:

[Solly Mack]

4. "The Return of Patriarchy "????? (from the link) I wasn't aware

patriarchy went away

[KoKo]

5. Solly, there was a brief respit of "parity" between the sexes......

maybe one could say the very late 60's through the early 80's...but it's been ratchiting backwards ever since. With BUSH CO....we are going back to some dark time... I think Condi Rice and Clarence Thomas should be ...very afraid.. This time warp wont stop with women and their rights to choose for their bodies...... it will go DEEPER...it's going very DEEP.

:-( into the MUCK of issues we thought we'd solved in some way but obviously weren't. One step forward and three steps back....

[WindRavenX]

6. lol, you took the words right out of my mouth

Men have been in control for a loooooong time.

[KoKo]

7. But.....there are "honorable men" and "Bush Men."

I wonder if the "Knights of the Rountable" from our mythical history (my own History...and I realize it wasn't everyone elses, here)weren't a way to reconcile what's been a battle of the ages...since time began and "Eve" was trashed for "enticing Adam." :shrug:

[bloom]

8. yeah

The article did have some interesting things about historical trends - patriarchy and war - about secular people not being as interested in war.

It's one of those perennial arguments that takes place in the religion section - are religious people more violent as a group.

[Solly Mack]

9. I found the article very interesting

it was the title that threw me :)