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There are times when I'm very tempted to drop the Quilt History List.
Like today.
Somehow the conversation has turned over the last few days to whether or not the suffragettes used raffle quilts to raise money for their cause, or whether they eschewed handicrafts as being unworthy of their intelligence. The answer, as in all things related to women, was "it depends on the suffragette" - Emma Willard evidently hated sewing, while Susan B. Anthony quilted - but today a woman who barely ever posts decided to "analyze what's going on in society."
This meant a long, long, badly researched screed on how feminism has ruined the family, most women don't need to work and do so only because they're selfish, handicrafts are in decline because Mommy isn't home to teach the girls (not the boys), and that feminists hate housewives. It was not what I needed to see first thing in the morning, and I ended up posting a plea that we not bash feminists, since after all without the feminist movement *no one would be discussing quilt history or anything else associated specifically with women in the first place*. I also signed myself as (feminist who was taught to sew by her mother, the only feminist in the neighborhood).
I'm sure I'm going to catch flack for this, but the sheer level of ignorance was staggering. It's what Harlan Ellison said: "Everyone is entitled to his or her *informed* opinion." This opinion wasn't informed by anything but prejudice and stereotypes, and that was what upset me so much.
ARGH.
Like today.
Somehow the conversation has turned over the last few days to whether or not the suffragettes used raffle quilts to raise money for their cause, or whether they eschewed handicrafts as being unworthy of their intelligence. The answer, as in all things related to women, was "it depends on the suffragette" - Emma Willard evidently hated sewing, while Susan B. Anthony quilted - but today a woman who barely ever posts decided to "analyze what's going on in society."
This meant a long, long, badly researched screed on how feminism has ruined the family, most women don't need to work and do so only because they're selfish, handicrafts are in decline because Mommy isn't home to teach the girls (not the boys), and that feminists hate housewives. It was not what I needed to see first thing in the morning, and I ended up posting a plea that we not bash feminists, since after all without the feminist movement *no one would be discussing quilt history or anything else associated specifically with women in the first place*. I also signed myself as (feminist who was taught to sew by her mother, the only feminist in the neighborhood).
I'm sure I'm going to catch flack for this, but the sheer level of ignorance was staggering. It's what Harlan Ellison said: "Everyone is entitled to his or her *informed* opinion." This opinion wasn't informed by anything but prejudice and stereotypes, and that was what upset me so much.
ARGH.
