MeerderWörter’s Comments (group member since Jan 08, 2016)

MeerderWörter’s comments from the Our Shared Shelf group.

Pam wrote: "Great topic MeerderWorter.

Where do we start?"

Start with what? If ya tell me that, we can figure out a plan;)

Florian wrote: "Ana wrote: "Florian wrote: "Ana, yes, muslim religion is the main one in this country. This is not suprising, to the best of my knowledge many countries in Sout-East of Asia are essentially muslim...."

What I wanted to say was that we should always say the gender pronouns that we use when we introduce ourselves. With this, we can't misgender somebody. Also, it would change the way we think, and it would help a lot of transgender people as coming out is difficult is difficult enough for them already.

When we introduce ourselves, our names have a gender (a name is gendered as in that name is either masculine or feminine, at least in Western societies). But we were given our names, and our names don't always align with our gender identities. Which is why I think it is important to also say one's gender pronouns.

Maybe I could clarify my thoughts for you now?

What you wrote in your last comment about "specific characters" makes me think of how in German we distinguish gender of a person by changing the ending of the word (sometimes the whole word is gendered, but there are efforts to change that, so that it says "tending person" and not "nurse").
It's not really what I was thinking of, but interesting as well. If you listen to the radio episode, one of the speakers introduces herself in Navajo, and they say that Navajo has 8 gender identifications.
When I say we should introduce ourselves with not only our name, but our gender pronouns as well, I was thinking of what they were saying, because gender pronouns are used for gender identifications.
Now better?
Or more questions? I love discussing this!

I think that in this time it is better that if there are allegations there should be consequences. And then these men should be replaced with women, as Ross said, to really get the message across, that this is not the way you treat women.

Okay, so I browsed a little through the web, and found this on the page of UN Women:
http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/storie...
I think that is most countries (and cities) that participated in #OrangetheWorld

Florian wrote: "When my friend told me about this neutral "gender" I was suprised. My first thought was not about feminism, I was simply wondering "how they make the difference while talking", but that is really i..."

Oh, what I wanted to say was the following:
When we introduce ourselves to each other, we not only should say our name, but our personal gender pronoun too.

As in:
I identify as a woman, thus I say:
Hi, I'm... X and my personal gender pronouns are she/her.
That would make a lot of things easier to be honest, as there would be no guessing anymore as to who goes with which gender pronoun. And it is also an affirmation of one's own gender, it shows the diversity... it is transgender-friendly.
For me, there are no negatives per se, saying it. Of course, some conservative people might get irritated, but hey, the gender dichotomy is a lie anyways, and we better not keep lying, do we?

Emma wrote: "Wow, I didn't think about this! 100 years since that big marker of progress - and here's hope to much more progress in the next century!"

When we are vigilant, and keep the values of democracy high - and push for the change we want to see in the world, we will get there. With social media, so much more is possible, and we really ought to use these possibilities...

Emma wrote: "Now up to 207,648 members - what a good way to start the New Year!"

207.648 and counting!

Amazon Germany if anybody needs:
https://www.amazon.de/Longer-Talking-...

Thalia:
https://www.thalia.at/shop/home/sucha...

Morawa:
https://www.morawa-buch.at/detail/ISB...

Robert wrote: "MeerderWörter wrote: "Dear Emma!

Thank you for continuing OurSharedShelf, as it means so much to me. Yesterday I only wrote a short answer, because I didn't have much time.
I am so glad to see you..."

Robert:

(hug)

Dear Emma!

Thank you for continuing OurSharedShelf, as it means so much to me. Yesterday I only wrote a short answer, because I didn't have much time.
I am so glad to see you picked a book like this - a book that will help us, we who need to understand, understand. And those that understand, a work that they can reference without having to do the emotional labour of educating us who we not understand. Educating is emotionally exhausting, it can be at least, I am sure you know what I mean.
I will buy this book as my birthday present for myself, as my birthday is on the horizon:)

Your message that you have written, is deeply moving, as it shows how you have learned, and for me there is nothing greater to see in a fellow activist than to see that they learned something. It is not only moving for this reason alone, but that you wrote that you were thinking about ending this great book club of ours - I am so glad you didn't, as OurSharedShelf means so much to me, and to many others as well.
When I think about OurSharedShelf, I think of a diverse group of people, diverse in age, gender, sexual orientation and religious belief. And I love OurSharedShelf for that. Our differences are not obstacles, they are opportunities to become more thoughtful humans and better feminists. I need to say it again, but I have learned through the people of OSS. In many ways. They became my best friends and are there for me when times are low AND high:) Thank you my friends, you know who you are.
When I think of OurSharedShelf, the picture of a ship comes to my mind. OurSharedShelf is the ship, and all us members are the crew and we sail the oceans from port to port, from book to book.
The oceans can be calm and idly, or stormy and a uncomfortable endeavor. So are the books we read - some of them are after our liking, some are not. Yet they all touch us and transform us, some more, some less.

When we work together, educate each other(of course only as much as we feel comfortable with concerning sharing personal information) and listen to each other, and think about what the other one says...
then we can really help others, because we change our behaviour:)

I am SO looking forward to reading this book, as I look forward to hearing a new perspective about race, and the more the better. Different experiences, different stories, they all need be heard.
We need to rethink what we teach in schools, and especially such core subjects as history.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

I'm off to the New Year's Concert:)

Molly wrote: "Thank you, Emma & OSS, for continuing to ask questions and challenge current thoughts and beliefs. I look forward to another year of thought-provoking reads - thank you so much for continuing this ..."

OSS challenges beliefs all on its own - the more members, the more challenging, which is very good:)

To a prosper and wonderful 2018!

Since it is 2018:) (at least in Europe/Africa and eastwards:)) I wanted to create this topic, because it is a CENTENARY since most countries in Europe allowed women to vote.
A CENTURY, that is such a long time... WWI had a huge impact on Europe, and one of its impacts is that in most countries the women suffrage came either in 1918 or 1919. Austria is among those who had it 1918, after the proclamation of the Republic, the United Kingdom as well in 1918.

What is more, is that this of course is a huge change in a society. Who is and isn't allowed to vote in elections (and be elected as a matter of fact), has huge impacts on societies.
And so, in remembering our foremothers who fought for their right and our right to vote, I think we must also think about all the women who are not allowed to vote and would wish to do so. This is feminism - all of us uniting, and helping our sisiters in their demands.

WeStandUnited!

SO looking forward to this one!
And yes Emma, we grow when we challenge our own beliefs, and how we think. It's not always easy, but it's the only way really to do it.

To a great and prosper 3rd year of OurSharedShelf!

Because I'm gonna hear that twice in the next 24 hours:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOD2t...

They always play it at the New Year's Concert in Vienna and also in the first minutes of the new year:)

And this is a classic in Germany and Austria:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVd_V...
(Yes, in English)

Ana wrote: "It's truly terrible. Yes, she obviously had heart issues. But you can imagine just how terribly aggravated they were by the cruel murder of her father as a victim of racism and police brutality. To..."

She had an asthma attack that led to her heart attack, that led to her brain damage:(

And yes, there really are vile people out there.

Gerd wrote: "Only 27?
So the death of her father was a more recent incident. I would have thought, based on the "offense" that it must have been something of the past."

Pretty recent, as her son never had the chance to get to know him, and it is unlikely he will ever remember her. Also, she was 4 weeks postpartum with one of her children.

Lewis wrote: "Totally agree with you Meerder.

I'm for a neutral gender pronoun too.

In addition, it should makes some languages more easy to learn like French (my mother tongue) where a lot of nouns have a gen..."

Same in German - and there is no REAL logic behind it which article to use (the der, die, das issue) for a specific word. Some makes sense, some not at all, and most is just out of the blue.



Especially considering that it's not even as easy as male and female biologically, we really need more gender identifications. English is slowly catching up on this, but German for example (it's my first language, so the language I can reference the easiest) not at all.

German has a third gender pronoun, but like in English, it is not neutral connotated. Objects(and "girl" interestingly) are refered to with it, but never humans, it is seen as derogatory to use it for a person, and therefore hardly ever used by someone who does not use either "he" or "she" as gender pronouns. Which, makes the whole issue hella complicated, because there literally isn't another one that could be used.

There is so much unlearning to do - not only colonialism but a good chunk of our own European history as well, regarding gender issues.

Florian wrote: "Ross wrote: "language is the key the science of sociolinguistics shows the power of how we address each other and the connotations gender terms have in our cultures"

I agree, it depends on the cul..."

Good to know. I wish, for example, that we would always introduce ourselves with out personal gender pronouns...

@Ana: I do know these days... German is tricky at times.

I only first heard about her for the first time yesterday evening European time, but as I saw on Twitter she was a real warrior.

Let's make sure she is remembered for who she was - a black woman, mum, daughter, auntie - fighting for justice, with plans and dreams.