On Gender Equality....

In my history class, I made the somewhat questionable decision to allow the students to divide by gender and debate the merits of gender equality. We were studying the women's suffrage movement, and I was hoping to inspire them to rally behind Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucretia Mott. What I got, however, was a rag-tag mix of misinformation, pointless accusations, and utterly ridiculous argument (that came along with a good laugh).

The students prepared for weeks to solidify their arguments. We watched examples of debates, opening and closing statements, and read countless documents discussing both sides of the issue. The actual debate, which thank GOD I had the foresight to videotape, went something like this:

Girl 1: First of all, women were never given the chance to go to college, so the men can't prove that men are smarter than women. They have to be on equal footing to decide something like that. Also, for voting--women think that men are actually afraid that women will take power if given the chance to vote.

Boy 1: Now. While studying this speech, I found that this woman portrayed men as monsters. HOW can you say that we were monsters when we were trying to provide for the family and keep this civilization alive? Also, we took the harder jobs, because in the time, without technology, we were chopping down wood, hunting, fishing, and doing all of this work physically. And in this time, these men were built more...buff...you could say.

Girl 2: On your "statement" (air quotes)---yeah, men were physically stronger, but who is the backbone of the house?

Boy 2: Rebuttal!

Girl 2: We cook, we clean, and we organize all the parts of your lives.

Boy 3: Men are prepared to handle a situation. MEN will stand up and HANDLE a SITUATION. Women's emotions can easily, easily interfere with their lives. Men do not have emotions.

Girl 3: That's ridiculous.

Boy 3: Exhibit A.

Girl 3: (visibly annoyed) You're an idiot.

Boy 3: Take it this way--if women were to vote, and they had strong emotions towards a candidate, or if they just had depression, they would not be able to make a right decision. Especially if a woman was in office.

Girl 4: Okay. Was this about intelligence or emotions?

Boy 2: Was I talking about intelligence or emotions? I was talking about mental ability.

Girl 4: Okay, so it's scientifically proven that men and women think differently.

Boy 2: Scientifically proven? Ms. Sefcik? Is that correct?

Ms. Sefcik: Yes, that's correct.

Boy 2: Okay, continue.

Girl 4: It's just a difference in the way the brain is wired. It doesn't mean it's any better or any worse--it's just different.

(Much cheering from the girls' side)

Boy 5: From the physical aspect, men are way stronger than women. (proceeds to read 13 Olympic track & field records, all of which compare men's to women's times, all with men having the winning times).

Girl 6: Well, first of all, it's the 1800s, and I don't know what a hurdle is.


Skip to closing arguments....


Boy: Genesis. In the Bible. It says men will be dominant over women. Also, who was the Messiah? That's right--Jesus. Who was Jesus? A guy. For example: if women only were in a forest full of blood-sucking tigers, and on the other side of the world, men only were in a forest full of blood-sucking tigers, the men would survive because we would hold an establishment to the death of us! End of argument.

Girl: So, what you're saying is that in the Bible, man is dominant over woman? Well, actually, in Genesis, he asks for a woman, so that's kind of his fault. Then, you have your argument that man would survive in a jungle full of blood-sucking tigers. Okayyy....but what proof do you have the women wouldn't survive? The way women were treated in the 1800s was kind of similar to the way the colonies were treated by the British monarchy. They didn't have a say in the laws, and we decided as a country that that was unacceptable when we rebelled against the British king. As far as emotions go, you're all reacting to what I'm saying right now, so men clearly have emotions, too.

Boy: I'm not being emotional right now. I'm just arguing my point.

Ms. Sefcik: Okay, well I think that about wraps it up.

Boy: We won, right?

Ms. Sefcik: Why don't you ask your blood-sucking tigers and then go chop some kindling?

Girls: hahahaha.