Sunday, March 30, 2014

Sisters Can Think For Themselves

I wonder why men often feel intimidated/frightened by/uncomfortable around/threatened by women of strong opinions and convictions, the very qualities you admire in a man.  Would you prefer she be wishy-washy and gullible?  Step away from the cave, knuckle-dragging cave dwellers, a woman is not your property.  She is not there to be controlled by you, nor are her thoughts to be as yours, she can think quite well for herself.  She is an individual in her own right, not an extension of you. 
 
If you have a woman who is strong-minded, yes, she may be difficult to live with at times, but you should thank your lucky stars.  Would you really prefer someone who had no opinions, who couldn't think for themselves, form their own opinions, have convictions and the strength and courage to stand by them?  No, you would not. You would most likely consider her to be a stupid female and treat her as such.   
 
It's time to let go of biblical fairytale notions that women are subjugate to men.  For hundreds of years, women have been treated as property, commodities to be used and then disposed of, blamed for our own rape, and beaten or stoned to death because of it.  This still goes on in parts of the world.  
 
This is not to say that all women have meekly accepted being "less than", simply by virtue of their gender.  Oh no, not at all.  Consider Queen Zenobia, Queen Cleopatra,and Queen Elizabeth I.  Strong, capable women, who defied the odds, and became powerful leaders in times when a woman could be killed for daring to be different, vocal and powerful.  
 
Zenobia became Queen of Palmyra in 267 upon the death of her husband, Odaenathus.  Within two years, she expanded the Palmyrene empire when she conquered Egypt and dispelled the Roman prefect there, who subsequently tried to retake Egypt, only to be beheaded.  She was a descendant of Cleopatra VII through her mother.   She was often called The Warrior Queen.  
 
Cleopatra VII was a very powerful and intelligent woman.  She was 18 when her father, Ptolemy VII, died in March of 51 BC, and she was made co-regent with her 10 year old brother, Ptolemy XIII. She quickly let it be known she would not share power with him, and by August of that same year, dropped him from official documents and coinage.  This went against Ptolemaic tradition of women rulers being subordinate to their male co-regent.
 
Queen Elizabeth I was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.  She was two and a half when her father declared Anne to be a witch, annulled the marriage, and had Anne beheaded.  Elizabeth was declared illegitimate, and no longer in line for the throne. Her brother ruled until his death in 1553, and he bequeathed the throne to his cousin, Lady Jane Grey.  Nine days later, his will was set aside and she was beheaded.  Mary, Henry's daughter from his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon.  Elizabeth was imprisoned in the Tower of London during Mary's reign.  When Mary died, she proclaimed Elizabeth her heir, and she ascended the throne of England.  She never married, and is considered to be one of the greatest European monarchs.
 
These are strong, independent women.  Smart and capable in a time when women were pawns in the games of power.  I admire them greatly.  No small wonder then, that I see nothing wrong in a woman having strong opinions and convictions.  If that offends or intimidates a man, or causes him to feel insecure in his manhood, then he probably isn't as secure in it to begin with.  Put on your big boy Fruit of the Looms and get over yourselves.    

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