Journal entry #5

While coming to terms with this essay, I began to have mixed feelings about this piece. It was a little frustrating being a male and being ripped on, but I can definitely see where she's coming from. I will agree with her when she says that giving up power is the more difficult than giving power, if that makes sense. What rubs me the wrong way is when she mentions that men are afraid to give up their power. She says that "they" (notice how she uses the "us" and "they" phrases when referring to men) won't relinquish their power, but I don't know how would let someone have my power, when I don't know I got it. I don't think the majority of men are afraid, I just think they don't know how to give their power away. If you worked for the authority you have, say building a kingdom from the ground up, then yes, you would know how to give it away because you saw it grow. In my case, I didn't witness how in society men gained power. I can read about it, but seeing it happen is completely different.

Anyway, time to come to terms. In this essay it's perfect how she starts with men vs. women privilege, moves to a more broad topic that everyone can relate to, then directly compares the two. It makes her argument very strong in the sense that she has everyone's attention by paragraph three. Being male, I am totally for giving women more power in the workplace and an increase in equality. This essay turned me off a little because Peggy McIntosh is quite the feminist. I am all for women's rights, but the way she talk about racism in the "us" "they" way, then refers to men in the same fashion is frustrating to say the least. Men aren't dumb, if you want to get equal rights talk to us. :)