If feminists had been in charge of the abolitionist movement, would they have only freed female slaves?
I hear all the time from feminists that it’s not their job fight for men’s rights – that they (men) should do that themselves. However, the abolitionist movement and civil rights movement was inclusive of both men and women (it wasn’t just for males).
So would feminist have told the guys “screw you – go free yourselves”? Because it seems that way, judging simply by the way so many feminists talk.
@ Glinder: You’re avoiding the question, but that’s not a shocker.
@Sam: Those people you mentioned were not feminists (that movement did not exist back then). Being for equal rights for men and women does not make you a feminist (there are MRAs who believe in equal rights for both – -that does not make them feminists). Secondly, men gave women the right to vote (since women could not vote, how could they give themselves the right to vote?) Seems like you are well versed in REVISIONIST history.
Unlike feminists, abolitionists did not try to give slaves more or better rights than non-slaves. Civil rights proponents (the most prominent being blacks) did not fight for blacks rights only – they wanted civil rights for everyone (Hispanic, asian, etc). They did not (to my knowledge) callously tell other races to stage their own fight for civil rights.
They simply wanted EXISTING LAWS to be applied fairly to everyone. That’s what equality really is. Creating NEW laws to benefit one group (and ONLY ONE group) at the expense of others is not equality (which is what feminism does). If you are going to pass new laws, make sure they are inclusive of everyone (both your own gender and the opposite)
@ I'm so serious: Fredrick Douglass was not a feminist. Believing in equal rights for all does not make one a feminist (you cannot retroactively label a historical figure like that, in most cases). Applying a modern "perspective" to the past does not always work out (it certainly doesn't in this case).