In the 17th century, most doctors thought that babies were made by God blessing a moral union. Even in the 20th century, the popular opinion was that eating fat was bad and smoking was good for you. You get the idea, facts are fluid. Or at least subjective.
The philosopher Immanuel Kant ran with this idea and developed a whole theory of perception. All human experience of the world is based on not only the external world but also the concepts in the mind that we use to process what we see, hear, feel. The women’s movement (I hesitate to call it feminist) that is gaining momentum at the moment has attracted a lot of differing views.
In my liberal bubble, I took for granted that the feminist campaigns like #metoo and #timesup were good things for society bringing positive change. My husband is fully in agreement. It was only when I started discussing it with some male friends that I realized not everyone thought so.
For me, the feminist movement means loving men, liking men, but having the right not to be harassed by men. It is about not being afraid for our daughters, nieces etc. It is about equal opportunities. It is not about women having power over men.
The arguments thrown my way were about a small percentage of women who have made it a ‘witch-hunt’, persecuting males for historic crimes with little or no proof.
I wish women did not need to re-hash these most awful experiences but they do. Abuse can lead to PTSD, which means recalling the details will lead to physical symptoms like dizziness and pain. Psychological symptoms can include panic attacks, depression, guilt. Not to mention societal effects like putting their careers in jeopardy.
However, the facts need to be told. We cannot have people being fired, shamed and all the rest of it without evidence. Yes, facts are subjective. Yes, they will be argued, belittled and twisted. Yes, there is some grey area around consent. There are two sides to every story.
If nothing else, speaking up will empower the woman and start a conversation. And that is how great movements begin.
Via the Daily Prompt Fact