Red Deer Reality Rant #23 - Free Speech, All's Well that Ends Well

Hello there! Welcome back for today’s edition of Red Deer Reality Rant. I discuss, rant, and sometimes rave about issues that affect Red Deerians and likely other fine people and locales.

Today I would like to Rant a bit based on a loud conversation I had to misfortune to unwittingly overhear. I am not an eavesdropper but any means and I believe completely in free speech in public places and everyone IS entitled to their opinion even if I disagree.

But disagree I did, and I had a bit of trouble keeping my mouth shut. However, I didn’t say anything and fumed to myself quietly. I tried to ignore this table consisting of old codgers that was next to mine, but they were bellering their opinions and I didn’t have my earphones with me so had to hear it all. Anyway, what they said seems to be typical of an older male generation and I didn’t learn anything new. Their topic was pure misogyny: how women should not be employed in the police force.

They seemed to be particularly annoyed that Superintendent Holly Glassford is City of Red Deer’s Officer in Charge. I have not met her personally but I am sure that she is qualified for the job or she would not have gotten it. The points that the table of codgers were trying to make we’re all irrelevant, such as her waist size and the idea that male officers wouldn’t respect her.

These comments were their own opinion and like I said, everyone is entitled to their opinion but man oh man, misogyny and lack of respect for any person based on their gender is an incomprehensible subject to me.

Today, I will examine the differences between two genders, male and female, because the complainants were all male, and they were specifically complaining about females. Gender seems to be a hot topic these days, and yes there are differences between them, but we are all equal people. Gender does not change the fact that a person is human, and has intelligence and is an individual. This is exactly the problem with the codger’s argument - gender has nothing to do with individuality.

People are each and every one different. That is what is wrong with gender stereotypes. Men are known for traits such as strength, large size, being analytical, logical and tough. And yes, there are many men with these traits. But there are just as many men who are not strong, maybe they are smaller in size, maybe they are free spirited or scatterbrained or even just really emotional. Maybe they are one of these things or a combination of them, or none. It doesn’t matter, they are themselves.

There are also women who are strong, or large, analytical, logical or tough. Or a combination, or even none of these things. They are themselves and they make their own choices. Whatever a person’s career path and choice is, should not be affected by gender. A person’s qualifications, aptitude, skills, ability and absolutely their choice in what they want to do for work are the factors that matter.

A career path should be 100% a choice. There are women who are perfectly happy to be a secretary, a nurse or a teacher. These are valuable jobs, but used to be the only opportunities for educated women. There are also women who work as labourers and in construction or as firefighters, paramedics and police officers. There are men who are secretaries, nurses and teachers. Possibly they did not want a job in construction or the oilfield, or maybe they are not qualified. Regardless, to each their own choices, and individuality. It’s what makes us human, and functional as a society.

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