Progress?

I am a self proclaimed neofeminist. The prefix neo means new or modified, and that describes the type of feminist that I am. You see, being a woman is complex. With all the recent talk of equality, I feel like our society has forgotten that equal does not mean identical. Men and women should be equal, but if any group of people wants to refer to themselves as feminists, shouldn't they work to promote what is best for a woman, instead of working to make a woman become a man? Isn't that idea, in and of itself, misogynistic?

There is much pressure on today's young women to become the best in their respective fields of work, to work like a man, even to have sex like one, with no strings attached. But is that really what is best for women? During the world wars, women worked because they had to... did their children (the Baby Boomers) benefit from growing up that way? I find myself in a similar situation (of course with less dire consequences), having graduated from college with a literal boat load of student loans to pay off. I am working my tail off so that I can pay them back, because in the long run, I don't want my children to grow up with a mother who puts her career above their emotional needs. Every day at work my heart is conflicted. How am I supposed to compete with these men for promotions and raises when many of them have families to provide for? It doesn't make sense. In turn, they see me as "one of the guys" because that's how they have to view me for them to compete against me as well. It's all a rather vicious cycle.

Underlying all of the liberal versus conservative talk about equality is the fundamental view of what is best for women. So called "progressives" think that what is best for men is best for women. From my 23 years of experience actually BEING a woman, it just isn't true. Yes, women should vote, yes, women should make as much money as men for the same exact job, yes, women should go to college and have the same opportunities as men for education, but NO, women should not learn to have commitment and consequence free sex, NO, women should not do whatever it takes to climb the corporate ladder, and NO, women should not be allowed to fight on the front lines. It is specifically anti-feminine and it goes against everything that is written in the DNA of a woman. Women are more valuable than men; a woman, not a man, is the crown of creation.

I just don't see how any woman, when asked if she'd prefer to be treated like a woman (given preferential treatment) or if she'd rather be treated like a man would answer the latter. Feminism, it seems, has made her forget how much she's worth. Instead of lifting her up it has degraded her and made her question what it means to be woman; even worse, it has made her want to be a man.

Further, could someone please explain to me how legalized murder (in ANY form) is progressive? (The divide for this one comes in the form of the question "is it a life?" If it is... there is no reason that abortion should ever be legal... if it isn't, you should check a biology textbook.) The little baby in the womb and the hardened criminal on death row are human people of infinite worth. There is no amount of "inconvenience" that either could cause that would make their lives worthless. Yesterday a bill that would have shut down nearly every abortion clinic in the state of Texas and made abortions after 20 weeks illegal was shut down. A baby is viable outside the womb at 24 weeks!
And why? Because "progressive" women, like men, want to be free of the consequences of sex. The bottom line: that just isn't realistic. If you want to be free of the consequences of sex, don't have sex.. it makes perfectly logical sense.

Progress means moving forward.. but if we're moving forward towards a train wreck.. does that sound progressive to you? Sometimes progress necessarily means going back to the point you got off track and starting again.

St. Gianna, pray for us.