In Why Heterosexuals Need to Support Gay Rights, Donna Minkowitz puts forward the rights of homosexuals to have equal treatment and protection before the law. She argues that lesbians and gay men should be given the same rights as the given to heterosexuals. But, Donna doesn’t come up with good reasons.
She begins the article by stating that her article is specially addressed to heterosexuals. This indicates her intention to call for support from heterosexuals. Unfortunately, of all she wrote, she didn’t mention explicitly anything to make heterosexuals willingly support the homosexuals. In the first eight paragraphs of the article, she pragmatically discloses several cases to show how homosexuals have been treated differently and unequally under the law. This is to say: you see, we are the victim here, help us. But she didn’t mention anything about why do the heterosexuals need to support the homosexuals, as the title suggests.
Donna doesn’t dare to say why the ‘naturally normals’ need to support the ‘naturally abnormals’? She should say something to make the heterosexuals think and believe that lesbians and gay men are normal as much as the heterosexuals. If she can do this, she will have the support easily. This is the crucial point and this is where the article failed to present an effective arguments.
In The Place of Pornography, Elshtain, as the title suggests, raises the issue of pornography in a society. I suppose it is in Western setting. The article consists of four paragraphs with four main ideas, those are 1) pornography has been commercialized, 2) things that affect the existence of pornography, 3) the function of pornography, and 4) the reason of the spread of pornography.
Being a very interesting article, The Place of Pornography is more likely to be an-opinion-dominance article. It lacks of facts and/or data. When the writer says that pornography has been commercialized, s/he supports the idea by the fact that porn has become a growth industry comprises of $7 billion a year. But that’s it. When the writer says that pornography is everywhere, s/he should have defined where is everywhere. Social fragmentation has increased over the past decade in our society, s/he says, but increased from where. S/he does not explain any further why there are no longer any widely shared moral rules and what are their contributions to the widely spread pornography. S/he also does not define what is meant by erotic freedom.
It would be much better if the writer elaborates more about his/her statement that there is an inverse relationship between the growing number of dominating and sadistic images of masculine sexuality in pornography and the decline of male dominance in everyday life. And, how dominant is male dominance? Why do people need to celebrate themselves and why do males need to express their dominance? And, how do they affect the spread of pornography? Those questions are left unanswered in the whole article. This degrades his/her effectiveness in presenting arguments.
In her essay, Protect Our Children, Carol F. Roye raises her concern about the issue of AIDS education. She wrote the article as a response to the AIDS education battle in New York City, as she stated in the first sentence of her essay.
Carol is arguing for the AIDS education at schools. She believes that AIDS education is the best means to prevent teenager from getting infected by the human immunodeficiency virus.
Carol supports her thesis by using several indisputable evidences. Her experience as a nurse practitioner gives her the chance to get involved in the lives of teenagers. She discussed all about sexuality with them. From her experience handling the teens, she concluded that a better understanding about sexual activity and AIDS will protect them from the disease.
I found Carol very effective in presenting her arguments. She started by presenting facts on the phenomenon of AIDS among teenagers and young adults. Then, she explained how a good sex education can influence the way people see sex. Finally, she ended her writing with data about the rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
The way Carol arrange her argument makes her argument indisputable.
In Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. expresses how much he was disappointed with the white moderate. Martin came into a conclusion that the white moderate is the greatest stumbling block for the movement he leads. To Martin, justice will presence in a positive peace rather than in a negative one, something that is advocated by the white moderate.
In his letter, Martin clarifies four misconceptions proposed by the white moderate. First, he explains about tension as a necessary phase of fighting for freedom. Second, he clarifies that the struggle for freedom cannot be measured by time as the white moderate believed so. Third, he rejects the opinion that his nonviolent effort considered to be extreme. To Martin, the way of nonviolence is an integral part of and the only right way for the struggle. Fourth, he believes that oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. Sooner or later, they will cry out for freedom and justice. It is just a matter of time.
Martin closes his letter by reminding his people that the injustice can only be rooted out by a strong, persistent and determined action.
When we are talking about the aspects that might limit women’s right to choose her fate or destiny, now we will know there are still some aspects which did not let women get what they want to get. It is then those aspects that I have mentioned above - in general - such as the aspects of social and cultural that always being involved in relation whether some ‘things’ became the women’s authority (no longer said as right in this circumstances) or not.
I think there must be no limitation on deciding on which thing that women deserve their right. Because if we take a look on some famous and great figures on the past, there are also some great and famous women figures such as Mother Theresa, Lady Diana, Ra. Kartini, etc. who already has their own contribution to the world, especially on fought for their own gender. We should not then underline their achievement for the gender, but to see how they can contribute to the world like what the male has contributed their achievement to the world. This fact perhaps could open our eyes how to see women as the same, as an equal on its degree to the men.
So, instead of debating our opinion on how should we respect women’s right for their live, I think it would be better for us to start reconstruct our point of view toward women’s right. It is true that the situation on the story did not support Inem to fight for her own right, but it is then her parent’s responsibility to taking care of and let Inem to decide what she want to choose for her live. Because it is not the matter about what the women (or the girls) want to do, but how the social and the culture where the women live that might support or even bind the women from achieving her right or - probably - lose her own right.
Without controlling our social and cultural environment that behave unfair to the women, it is impossible for us to see or even to hope that there will be a time where women will have the equal right to the men. But if we starting to give some respect to women like we respect our mother, it will be possible that women will get their own authority or privilege or right to decide the future for their live. Everybody have their own right to decide and to choose. And if everybody does, why women do not deserve it? Whether we agreeing or not, we still could not deny that there are some differences that make women different to men. But if it is about the - absolutely - natural thing such as being pregnant or childbearing, what could make women different to men? Today, women could do whatever they want to do, even for something that women did not do in the past.
Lean on some material that I found from some sources, such as the question about whether women are human or not from the book of Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice (p. 110). Then it is natural if we treated women as the ‘other’ creature than men. Natural, but not right! As the ex-colonized country that was not well-developed at the time - perhaps - when the story created, we might influenced strongly by the colonizer view or understanding. It is not surprised; if we - then - treat women like the colonizer treat their own women. A misleading treatment toward women that we should not imitate, and a treatment that we should change.
Perhaps Toer has his own reason on the making of this story. The reason on how he described Inem as a victim. One of the reasons that I could catch from the story, that some women will probably unhappy about an arranged-marriage. This is shown by the resolution that given in the text that Inem could not stand against her own marriage. A marriage that failed because was not planned by her own decision, but by her mother decision.
Sometimes we feel that our feeling would not betray us. But, this story gives us a different fact. Perhaps the writer wants to tell us that the feeling does not always be true. Inem seems to agree when her mother arranges the marriage for her. But in the end, Inem seems regretted her decision toward the marriage. Once again, one of many aspects that influence a woman’s right to make a decision is that a fact that her right is measured up by the social and cultural condition in which she lives.
On the condition where Inem lives on the story, sometimes it gives her no choice but to agree with her parent. This was clearly gave us an explanation that even the privilege of a girl was not to be considered as her own will. But her only right - perhaps - is to obey the parent. Probably it is not only for a girl, but also for a boy. But at this rate, there is no boy at the age of eight (like Inem does) was going to be married.
Taking the social and cultural condition that takes part on the Inem story, we could clearly see that the story was happened in central or eastern Java. This fact arose because one of the aspect that shown in the story, which the narrator called “Gus“. Comparing the culture condition that remain exist in the land of Java till today, it has been known that the central and eastern Java were always maintaining their own culture better than West Java. What I was trying to deliver on this point is that - perhaps - another aspect that makes Inem act on such resolution was the culture that binds her to always perform anything based on her parent decision. At this rate, we could not say that what Inem has done is based on her will anymore. It was not her will which interested on such item that she will received on the marriage, but the oppression from her mother that lead Inem toward the marriage.
Taking a deeper analysis toward this story, I found that the circumstance faced by Inem is not the circumstances that we often faced today. I assume that this story - perhaps - happened at the time that not too far from the time of our independence day. We can see the textual evidence on page 45 of Pramoedya Ananta Toer: Cerita Dari Blora book that mentioned “setalen” as an amount of IDR (Indonesian Rupiah) which we do not use today. This fact could give us a clue that at this time, a woman was not as independent as today, because there is still some oppression from men to women in condition that on that time the government was still dominated and ruled by men.
Lack of courage and lack of information as a clinging vine, Inem tend to accept what her parent decides for her. Perhaps it is impossible for her too to refuse to what her parent has decided for her. In the time when a girl not matures yet, it is natural that the parent takes the full responsibility and also the authority for her. But when we are going to talk about the marriage over a woman, then it is for women, not for girls. Then it is not her parent authority anymore to decide whether she must marry or not.
While we talking about Inem’s agreement to the marriage, then there is another reason behind her mother decision for engaged her to a marriage. Based on the situation that reflected from the story, it is probably the economy condition that makes her mother to do such a thing. Another reason that makes me said that Inem is a ‘real’ victim as the result of the circumstances. The kind of circumstances that constructed because of the social and cultural aspects biased from the time and the place which Inem lives on the story.
When we are talking about women’s right, there are always be some contradiction opinion, whether they are agree or disagree on certain points. For instance, if we are talking about arranged-marriage, there are always some groups of people that always agree and disagree. For those who are agreeing, perhaps they said that a daughter should obey their parent. But for those who are disagree, they always said that it is the daughter’s right to decide who will become her husband. For Inem story, it is a pity that there is even any opinion about her arranged-marriage. It is the culture which is ‘speak’ for her fate.
If I may compare the situation on Inem with the situation today, there are still some similarities that women could not freely decide what they want to choose for their life. It is true that women today are more independent than the women in the old time. But they are still the ‘same’ women. The same women who still nursing their baby, the same women who still became a mother, the same women who still taking care of housekeeping things. If we are going to set measures to women right, then let us think twice. Are we going to manage everything without their presence?
Let us take a look at the situation on Inem. There are some points which described the condition of Inem family. The condition which leads Inem to the arranged-marriage that set by her mother. It is true that she agreed with her mother decision. But it is still unfair to arrange a marriage for an eight-years-old girl. At this rate, it is not a woman consciousness which lead Inem toward the marriage, but her interest which described toward some items that she will probably received at the marriage. This will make us realize that Inem is probably a ‘victim’ by a social and cultural condition at the circumstances.
Living in a world which is dominated by male existence since long time ago would probably made us have the same point of view that sometimes women could not resist or separated from men influence.
Men are the only one who has “access” to the famous science in some era in the old time. And the only way women can learn about science is also from men. Men taught women, so women can develop their knowledge like nowadays. But this is not the reason that men were also viewed as a superior creature compared to women, or women that were also as inferior to the men.
Speaking about women’s character in Inem story, we will probably find some difficulties on analysis Inem characteristic with only using one literary theory. What I was trying to say is that on analyzing such characteristic in certain condition and culture will also involve some aspects that also related to its (the story) environment.
What is right? Perhaps it is a human nature that we have our own privilege that there is nobody could seize from us. It is be valid for both men and women to decide whatever they want to do. But, there are some points that women always could not get their own privilege.
The world filled by human. And human consist of men and women. What are the distinctive features that can absolutely differentiate them? Is there any standard to measure which gender are superior to the other? Or is there any norm to determine whether one gender should obey the other one? Why there are still some differences between men and women on the aspect that establish their own privilege? Whether we believe or not that sometimes people see men and women as two different ‘thing’, I believe that we have the similarities within. And there is no need to differentiate our privilege, based on the gender.
It is interesting how people construct their own perspective on portrayal of a certain woman character. Still, there are some aspects that we could not separate on making those perspectives in which conditions, situations, and also circumstances that being involved where the woman portrayed in each portrayal. Toer’s Inem were clearly gave me a portrayal on the situation that gives Inem (the central character on the story) no choice, but to accept her mother decisions.
It is unfair, though, when we knew that a woman, sometimes, could not choose her own decision. Perhaps it is natural. But what could be more natural if anyone (including women) could decide their own decision without any oppression from the others? Perhaps it is just a simple thought in my simple mind. But in reality, there are so many minds that have their own idea on how should women obey some rules. What rules are they exist for women? Is there some agreement whether the women accept the rules or not? But sometimes the ‘world’ says that women should obey and behave based on the rules which have arranged - generally - by men.