[thechat] war phase 2

[Erika Meyer]

Andrew,

>I have to say that I've never been swayed by essentialist arguments. 
>In fact, as soon as I hear people start talking about left brain / 
>right brain 'types', or men are from Mars... well, it really gets my 
>back up.

because...

A. men and women tend to think exactly alike?

B. arguing that women think "different" makes it seem as if all women 
think monolithically?

Neither A nor B is true, of course.

It is interesting to see however, in those polls about the current 
war that a sort responses by gender, what the differences are.  In 
general, women tend to be less "approving" of the war.

On a similar note, I saw a newscast about guns-as-status-symbol in an 
Afghan city (I forget which) that ended with a US reporter asking a 
group of children (via translator) "Who would like to see all the 
guns gone from town?"  The children yelled and jumped and raised 
their hands en masse.

Back in Vietnam days I used to see that poster hanging around:
"War is not healthy for children and other living creatures.

I knew it.  My daughter knows it.  Children know this.
It's pretty intuitive, actually.

How come adults don't get it?

E
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