What Mad Women Want

Painting by Iraqi artist Suad Al-Attar

By Pamela Taylor

I am mad, and I'll tell you why.

I am mad about stupid, egotistical male rulers who don't mind killing hundreds of thousands of innocent human beings to salve their egos. Who trump up fake charges for a war no one wants or even understands the reasoning behind. Who refuse to give in to something unjust, unfair, illegal and immoral so as to save the lives of thousands upon thousands of the people over whom they are supposed to be steward. What a moral high ground that would be!

I am mad about men who think that raping a woman somehow disgraces her not
him.

I am mad about men who steal, murder, maim, torture in the name of greed, powerlust, passion, or any other stupid emotion.

I am mad that while death is being prepared for hundreds of people around the world the men in my neighborhood are more concerned about who is practicing at the fieldhouse for the upcoming NCAA basketball tournament than about what our government is doing.

I am mad at the men who think that women cannot, should not or have no interest to think, act, make decisions, have a life outside of house, husband and kids, be politically active, derive satisfaction from career or other outside interest, have no aptitude for understanding economics, politics or anything else and therefore have to rule the roost.

I am sick to death of the havoc men wreak upon the world! And I am mad about women who do the same thing (although statistically that is an incredibly smaller number). I find the hadith that says women are going to be the majority in Hell to be absolutely unbelievable because it seems like 95% of the misery in the world can be attributed to the acts of men!

I apologize to the five percent of men who are decent (and thank God endlessly that I married one of them!) for this rant.

Men often ask women what we want.

I'll tell you that, too.

Women want respect, dignity, the right to make our own choices, to pursue our own dreams, to live in safety with enough economic resources so that we can give our children a happy childhood which encourages them to discover their own unique strengths and to help them build defenses against their weaknesses, a mate who is a tender lover, a best friend, a comfort in hard times and a joy in happy ones, supportive and and in need of support.

Most of us want autonomy--the right to define who we are, not to be defined by others.