In reading Ms. Polhamus’s letter I decided to research some of the so-called “feminist” organizations on the web. I saw everything from those advocating the legalization of prostitution and pornography (ifeminists.com), to what I thought was a somewhat resourceful site (feminist.org) to basically a left-wing organization with a female focus (now.org).

The thing that I find in common with most of these is that they advocate their agendas through ’60s-style activism and pressure on the government or different organizations. For example, the NOW site speaks of much of the plight of welfare mothers and decries the current administration’s policies towards them, yet I did not see any sort of direct assistance program that NOW could possibly have provided (food, child care, education, etc.) mentioned in the article. From my perspective, for a feminist organization to be widely accepted in today’s world, it needs to move away from activism and focus it’s an attitude on being a organization that women can rely on as a direct resource. Something on the level of the NAACP, or even the American Bar Association, would be interesting to see. Perhaps an organization like NOW could sponsor scholarships, offer itself as a certification bureau (child care centers, women friendly companies, etc.), provide family planning assistance, teach professional seminars, or directly assist poor single mothers in getting back on their feet. For an organization to focus on the divisive issues of the day (however noble they see it) often makes them and their cause just that: divisive. Focusing on issues mentioned above, which have universal appeal, will gain an organization (and the term “feminist”) a universal acceptance.

John Brillhart

Senior

Transportation and Logistics