ivan%nepjt@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu (Ivan Maldonado) (01/20/90)
In article <1074@trwind.UUCP> gwen@trwind.UUCP (Gwen Eknayan) writes: > >It IS a 'treat everyone equally' issue. You should NEVER open a door for >a woman because she is a woman. Doors should be opened for PEOPLE to be >polite, to help someone who is carrying or pushing something, and just >to be nice. I open doors for men, women, and children whenever I feel like >it. I like seeing men opening doors for men. I like having doors opened >for me. However, I get very angry when I open a door for a man and he refuses >to go through because I'm a woman (worse is when he tries to take the door >from me). > >I do not want to see chivalry die, I want to see it expanded. Chivalry is >a form of politeness and respect. It should apply to men and women alike. >When will the world grow up? > I'm afraid I have to disagree with you a little bit, Gwen. I feel that sometimes people choose to ignore traditions. Myself included as one of the first offenders. I feel the same way as you do about politeness, it should be part of our everyday lives, but you shouldn't feel upset when a man tries to express his respect for a woman by opening the door for her (or even grabbing it away from her). My wife often takes things of the sort as purposeful attacks against female liberation, yet I would do anything to see her eyes light up as they did this past Christmas when I showed up with a dozen roses. Cliche' I know, but if I would think like you, shouldn't women be sending flowers to men instead ? I don't think so. Women and men are different on the inside as well as on the outside, and our behavior (traditions/rituals) sometimes reflect those differences. Note I didn't say "better/worse than" but DIFFERENT. Today's stand-up philosopher Ivan Maldonado North Carolina State University Department of Nuclear Engineering email ===> ccmvax::"maldonado%nevsa@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu"