Leading mind in true feminism dies

The thinking woman's phlosopher,Betty Friedan, aged 85, died this morning of congestive heart failure, the Sun-Times informs us.

Friedan was long-castigated by both sides of the women's movement, through the years, but hers was a voice of supreme reason. First and foremost, she acknowledged that many women need to find some satisfaction outside the home, that being a good wife and mother may not be sufficient (especially if she has some driving talent beyond diplomacy, housekeeping, and accounting). The Feminine Mystique (also readable online at no charge) pointed out that women were as adept and intelligent in most fields as were men, and had similar interests which often lay buried, due to social constraints. It was her book which brought many middle-class families to send their daughters to graduate schools, when before the 1960s, the primary purpopse for any youg woman to attend any college was to obtain what we always called the "em-are-ess degree". College -- education in general -- was to improve your chances of meeting eligible young men for marriage.

Even after the feminist movement became more strident and anti-male, Friedan remained true to the spirit of her original words, believing (as many of us do) that men and women are natural partners, and in order for one to have a healthy community, one must recognize the worth of both sides, all ages. The women's movement lost its direction, but Friedan never did.

Friedan's book, to a fairly large degree, changed the thinking of many people out here in the hinterlands. It was partly due to reading and mulling over "The Feminine Mystique" that my own mother decided to return to school and get the Master's degree in history she had kept in the back of her mind. While it was hard on us kids to have Mom away so many evenings at her classes, we have always been immensely proud of her for her initial courage and for her continued intellectual and creative pursuits. For some of that, we have Betty Friedan to thank.

It seems odd to think of such a rational person as Friedan (described by many feministas and lesbian rights activists as "bourgeois") being so revolutionary, today. Nevertheless, my mother's world, my world changed dramatically due to Betty Friedan's influence. We learned that a woman can be strong and independent of mind and body, and yet still enjoy the pleasures of the company of strong, independent men. And vice versa.