Cocktails

Anne Koedt
NewYork

Some male reactions to keep women's consciousness down:

The Laugh: Dismissing the issue without even discussing it. This puts all the burden of proof on you.

Your Fault-It's your personal problem. Not a social, political one. "Something in your life must have screwed you all up so you hate men. See a psychiatrist. This is the technique of trying to isolate you.

Women are 'Different': The separate but-equal argument based upon biological data. "You're not inferior, just different. I love women. " This technique uses physiology, which obviously' cannot be changed, as proof positive of the validity of the status quo. Most oppressed groups in the world have some physiological argument tacked on to them.

Women's rights were won 40 years ago: Recognizes the problem as a past one, but denies that it still exists.

The Male Liberal: "I'm all for it, but what about the children, etc, " The technique works to agree there's a "problem, then tries to steer you back to the traditional role by specific guilt manipulations,

The Super-Feminist: Having accepted the issue superficially or actually, but still needs to one-up you. So he becomes the super feminist, moralizing to you about how you haven't quite made it yet, etc. Helping the little woman with her problem, This maintains the control over the process and also intimidates the woman.

Seducer: Having been unable to argue or intimidate the woman, he tries to re-establish the conventional role by having sex with her, It's a conquest. This area is very subtle, since he may agree with you verbally, may recognize you as a formidable, strong woman, etc, , but that just makes the conquest all the more challenging.

Women Don't Want Freedom:. The oppressor turns on the oppressed, blames her for her own oppression. Since one can always find

Aunt Toms, scared women, etc. , this argument can seem real if one does not distinguish between who is the victim and who is the perpetrator.

I'll Accept Women's Freedom if. .: women will go to Vietnam, pay alimony, etc. This is a very intimidating tactic because it is a threat that if women want to free them -selves the few privileges they have will be taken away from them.

She's Only a Feminist Because She's a Bitch Who Can't Get a Man: And you don't want to be like that, do you? Third person son tactic used to persuade women that the worse thing that could happen to them is to lose their oppressors.

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The "Political Programme of Viet Nam Alliance of National, Democratic and Peace Forces" recently received from the NLF office in Czechoslovakia, has a provision in it pledging "to enforce equal rights, political, economic, cultural and social, for men and women. " The United States Declaration of Independence says only that "all men are created equal."

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Our best to Lenny Heller for his consistently disgusting reporting for the San Francisco Express Times. (see 10/68 issue of VWLM)

FALLEN WOMEN (From P. 3)
Every three months I received a new group of women. I would talk about the aesthetics of the 20th century--the new imagery of speed, light gleaming chrome, polished, throbbing machinery, the rhythm of expressways and the Jefferson Airplane. They would sit politely, smoothing the cloth over their bellies, and then proceed mindlessly to carve and color their fear totems, their butterflies and their flowers. (Cont. on P. 6)
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PLAN NOW TO CELEBRATE- MARCH 8
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!