March is International Women’s Month, and hooray to them.
Over the past two or three weeks, there is this ad on CNN Philippines, which defines the role of women in the international stage. The ad features a number of women who have done very well in the field of politics, business, showbiz, and in civic work, the sacrifices they had to go through to get where they are now.
Curiously however, perhaps it couldn’t be helped – you know, like a hot, torrid, bed scene in a movie that is essential to the story plot – the ad takes a dig at the men with its opening line, ergo, “Some men think that women are inferior…”
Now in all my nearly eight decades walking this side of the globe, having witnessed a world war, a devastating earthquake, three or four volcanic eruptions, martial law, a people’s revolt twice over, destructive typhoons of which I have lost count, and now a pandemic, I have yet to meet a man – except for wife beaters and abusive partners – who considers a woman beneath him. Others of course feel the world would be better if the women stick to being just mothers and housewives.
As far as I know, the men fear the women.
They make naughty jokes like “Don’t send a girl to do a man’s job,” following it up with boisterous laughter.
But that precisely is the scary part, that the girl will do a far better job even without half trying.
Men take things for granted with a shrug, a win some, lose some philosophy, while the women refuse to fail. They want to win, and win big.
In my nearly 50 years of Law practice – nothing to brag about, but nothing to be ashamed of either – I never saw a male judge belittle or embarrass women lawyers appearing before or in their courts, and even side with them when an SOB adversary gets to be a little aggressive, a nincompoop trying to show off.
I remember a case in a Quezon City court when the judge ruled that the motion of the lady lawyer was inactionable, since it was a contentious one, and the poor girl failed to set it for hearing.
Whereupon her opponent in a monkey suit, even with tears rolling down the girl’s cheeks, stood up and in booming voice said, “That is correct your owner. As ruled by the Supreme Court that motion is nothing but a scrap of paper.”
Visibly irked, the judge addressed him, “You are not a gentleman,” and turning to the lady lawyer, said, “File another motion hija, and this time set it for hearing, and I will grant your request.”
The poor bastard didn’t know what hit him. Meanwhile, the “poor woman” had wiped off her tears, and there was now a glint in her eyes.
It gets the men all the time. If I can’t outsmart you, or arouse you, can you even stand to see me cry, you heartless beast?
On the other hand, I have seen lady magistrates treat the men like they were soldiers while acting as five-star generals. For as long as I sit here, what do you men know.
True, true, the women are fighting for equal rights, but it looks like a sneak attack, and pretty soon they shall have taken over the world.
Move over, Adam, Samson, Solomon, Julius Caesar, et al. The pantsuit generation has taken over the world.
What is happening to us and the best of the world is either the handiwork of the devil or heaven’s wrath befallen an indifferent and sinful civilization, something that we brought upon our own heads.
If it is Satan stringing us along, through prayers and supplications, God will step in and end the misery.
And because He is a merciful God, the pandemic will disappear as soon as we shall have learned our lesson, which, alas, could take forever, given our nature.
We have to believe; we need to believe. It is time to go back and reinvent ourselves as His children once again.
But even as we continue to hang on, let us go down on our knees, hands clasped tightly, and like the men and women of today standing together, beg the Almighty Father to rid the plague about to wipe out half of mankind.
“Our Father, who art in heaven….”
