"Inequality is the natural condition." --- Fr. Paul Marx, Human Life International Symposium on Human Sexuality

A theme that appeared in all three of the readings was the idea which DuBois puts nicely, “if we don’t demand our own liberation, no one else will.” (3) The problem arises right from the start with this notion. Although it takes the motivation of women to get the ball rolling on women’s suffrage, “the speedy success of [the] cause depends upon the zealous and untiring efforts of both men and women.” (Stanton, 62) Unfortunately, we hit a cross roads here because again DuBois notes that men just do not fully understand the deprivation women are suffering because they are not going through it. Thus, it cannot be expected that men will put up as much of a fight, if any, to try and win the fight. If you add all these factors together, you get a definite uphill battle.

It does make sense that “the oppression of women was not top priority for anyone but women themselves,” (DuBois, 3); after all, they were the ones being directly affected by it.  Take any current event for example. If you were to examine who fought harder to help Haiti overcome the disastrous earthquake, you would see it was those who had relatives in the country or were themselves a descendent from the nation. So it makes sense that women are the ones fighting the hardest to reach equality.  As I’m reading today’s articles, however, I’m getting a better sense about how hard that achievement is really going to be.

Being a math minor, equations are beginning to develop in my mind.  To achieve success, by the definition of women, we will need the majority of the population to agree to the terms of gender equality. Well easy, some might argue. Just take all the women plus some outlier men. Wrong. Not all women are dedicated to making this cause a reality because some aren’t affected by it, some don’t have the means to speak up and have the voice…you name it. But what about the men who have helped and held out a lending hand. Not enough. The only way this movement is going to work is if we unite as a gender and fight the battle head on, not taking ‘no’ as an answer and refusing to settle.  Sadly, Ellen, I think it is going to take more than two waves given, primarily, by the fact that we are in the 3rd (some would even argue the 4th).