The Men We Carry Our Minds By Scott Russell Sanders

In Scott Russell Sanders’ essay “The Men We Carry in Our Minds,” the author attempts to rectify his lack of guilt for the historical societal oppression of women through an exploration of his childhood growing up in poor backcountry towns. He argues that the men in his life were so acutely unprivileged that they were effectively equal to women in their disadvantages. The essay brings an interesting argument to the discussion of privilege, but ultimately falls short as an argumentative piece. Sanders, eager to disassociate himself from his gender despite still enjoying the privileges his gender allows him, relies too heavily on establishing and exploring a series of primitive dichotomies that simplify what should be a a more complex argument,

As Sanders later develops his image of a hardworking man being either a “warrior” or “toiler”, he bridges the gap between the poor and the rich by mentioning his scholarship to college. “A scholarship enabled me not only to attend college, a rare enough feat in my circle, but even to study in a university meant for the children of the rich”(para. 7). This transition also enables him to talk about the hardships that the women experienced in comparison to the men. “And for the first time I met women who told me that men were guilty of having kept all the joys and privileges of the earth for themselves” (para. 7).

Feminism has not changed today, but its focus has changed. Many women today have good education and employment opportunities just like men, as the early feminist fought for them. Now, after getting all these, men are now discriminating them and at times abusing them in order to undermine their hard work and potentiality. Men are doing all they can to undermine the success women have been able to acquired, however, today’s feminism is struggling to protect women and girls from domestic violence, sexual harassment, and rape as well as discrimination.

Where Men Win Glory is an ironic euphemism for war. The title is ironic because there is nothing glorious about war or the way it ended Pat Tillman’s beautiful life. Jon Krakauer orchestrates this masterpiece with his diligently, articulated descriptions and with a timeline sewn together from the threads of two worlds. The author’s style can best be characterized by his challenging, precise diction and his ability to fluently intervene pertinent quotes and facts that further persuade the reader toward his cause. Throughout the book, the author’s tone harnesses resentment towards the militant hierarchy; for through its ingenuousness, deceit, and manipulation, the military uses Pat’s death as propaganda to bolster the war’s support.

In 1994, a conflict the US couldn't understand, between clans and tribes it didn't know, in a country where there were no national interests, occurred. The Rwandan War of 1994 did not deserve US intervention. There are four contentions on why the US should not have gotten involved in this Rwandan war. The Black Hawk Down incident, how the UN was there previously there, there being no Possible Gain, and having nothing to do with us. Through the examination of the novel, An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesabagina, it is Obvious that these key points are valid.

The discussion that has debates like no other is that of feminism, either you are for it or against it, but could there be more to the black and white that has been created? We live in a country that is said to have equal opportunities for all, often using this as an insignia to push our standards upon others. In order to understand and approach the topic of feminism, I have to understand what is feminism exactly and how is it perceived; just because we think we know what something is, does not mean that is how it is perceived socially.

When thinking about feminism in today’s society we tend to direct our minds and thoughts to a more radical and powerful train of thought. Feminism has been going on for centuries, with two main ideologies at the forefront; liberal and cultural feminism. Someone who identifies as a liberal feminist is someone who believes that women and men are a like and equal in most respects and deserve equal roles and opportunities (Wood & Fixmer-Oraiz, 2017, p. 58). And cultural feminism is someone who identifies as someone who believes that men and women are fundamentally differently; you have different rights, role and opportunities (Wood & Fixmer-Oraiz, 2017, p. 58). The women’s rights movement can be understood and broken down into three “waves”.

Feminists today are viewed as raging, man-hating bitches, but feminism in its true sense simply advocates women’s rights. While there are extremes on either side of the scale, most feminists fight

The Merriam-Webster definition of feminism is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” In the past century, gender roles have been challenged because of feminism. The very idea has completely flipped households, workplaces, and the general community and changed it for the better. A plethora of women’s movements were initiated in the 1960’s, and it gave people a look at how powerful women are when we stand united. Feminism has gained many followers in the past thirty to forty years as more people are becoming aware of conflicts pertaining to discrimination. However, there are many that were hesitant both in the 1960’s and in the present day, but for very different reasons. Nevertheless, persistence seems to be a beacon in women’s rights movements, thanks to very strong and level-headed role models.

Feminism is not a new concept. It has been a steadily increasing phenomenon and will continue to grow for many more years. In the article “Introduction” by Barbra Findlen, she speaks about her experience of growing up in a “massive, growing, vibrant feminist movement” (Findlen 15). From a young age many women are able to understand that there is an unfair treatment of women within any typically male dominated environment, regardless of the so-called “equality” the situation presents itself with. Findlen (16) argues that “change is possible, although [there are] struggles and risks in making change”. But why should there be so many struggles for women to receive the equality that we deserve especially when many people today, both women and men alike, consider themselves feminists? Why then do we see so many articles from feminists talking about their “feminist” co-workers for example, treating them differently than their male counterparts? I believe that it is hard for men to fully grasp the concept of feminism because they themselves have never had to experience the injustice that most women today face. I agree with Findlen when she writes:

The definition of feminism is very elusive. Maybe because of its ever-changing historical meaning, it’s not for certain whether there is any coherence to the term feminism or if there is a definition that will live up to the movement’s variety of adherents and ideas. In the book “No Turning Back,” author Estelle Freedman gives an accurate four-part definition of the very active movement: “Feminism is a belief that women and men are inherently part of equal worth. Because most societies privilege men as a group, social movements are necessary to achieve equality between women and men, with the understanding that gender always intersects with other social hierarchies” (Freedman 7).

Many times in life men do not think that women can do the same things that they can; whether it’s picking up boxes or being president. There will always be that “macho man” thought of the man being stronger than the woman. In many jobs women might do the exact same thing that men do except men are getting paid more than women even if it is an insignificant amount, it happens in many places and even though many people disapprove of it there are still jobs like that out there. And there are still employers who think that a woman should not be in the work force if so home. Many feminist have been working to solve this problem and there are still people who are working to solve and change many more of these problems, and even though in some places it doesn’t seem like it, feminism and feminists

Feminism has come a long way in helping many different aspects of society. Some even consider feminism good for men, as well as women. While feminism of course erases what it means to be a woman, but it also erases the rigid masculinity that it means to be a man (Noble and Samakow, 2016). By keeping men in a bubble where they are expected to be emotionless and to be making the money in the family, society is limiting what men think they can do and affecting how they see themselves if they don’t adhere

It is difficult to imagine living in a world without the patriarchal roles that are present in society and have been throughout history. In the article “Feminist Criticism,” by Lois Tyson, the idea of feminism and how society has affected feminism is the focus. These ideas are seen because men have more of a voice in nearly everything and the oppression of women is very common; a society set up like this can be described with the term patriarchy which is “any culture that privileges men by promoting traditional gender roles,” where men are cast as “rational, strong, protective, and decisive,” and women are cast “as emotional, weak, nurturing, and submissive” (Tyson, 1). This thought that men are strong and women weak is not uncommon in

The first major misconception about feminism is that the women are the only ones who can be feminist. This is extremely untrue. The people who work to support this movement are not only women. They work in many ways to help promote equality. For example, “endorsing feminist beliefs, identifying oneself as a feminist, and participating in feminist collective action” (Precopio & Ramsey 2017). These are all ways that feminists work to promote a better society. However, the negative stigma and stereotypes surrounding feminism and its supporters discourages men and women from having any part of Feminism. This is in part, the fault of those who spread