The video “The Abortion Divide” focuses on people having a different perspective of what a woman’s body is for, wanting to outlaw abortion. More states are starting to outlaw abortion, the idea I think the state has is women don’t have enough common sense to make a decision, or they are not responsible enough to make their own decision. By doing that they let men vote on what a woman should do with her body. Men especially older men shouldn’t have a say in what women do with their bodies, they never experience pregnancy, they never experience a menstrual cycle. They shouldn’t have a say in a body besides their own body. Many women choose abortion because they can’t support two people at once, which lead to the child having a hard life, having poor health quality, not being financially stable, not being able to be a single mother, not wanting to put the child into an adoption center because most like they are miss treated, not finding a home, being abused by their foster parent, also some women choose abortion because they were rape. Women should be able to make their own decision, it’s their body that is going through the process, they shouldn’t be forced into something they are not ready for, they shouldn’t be forced into having children based on the fact that most people believe it is a woman’s job to have children. Some women don’t deserve to be mothers, they mistreat, disrespect their children which leads to bad self-esteem. When women go along with the pregnancy people are criticizing them, asking why they had that kid? they are going to be a bad mother, she should give it to someone who deserves it, why did she think it was the right decision to bring a kid into this world? Telling women how they should be raising their children. Most of the time they bring women’s weight into it, telling them they don’t look as pretty as they did before pregnancy, they should work out to lose some of the baby fat. Criticizing when a woman says she not feeling mentally happy.

“The Combahee River Collective Statement (1977)” by Combahee River Collective focuses on political work by Black feminists through organizations and movements. Going further in the article we learn these organizations and movent are for struggles against racial, sexual, heterosexual, and class oppression. The article focuses on the issues it shows how society hasn’t changed because even today women have to fight for their sexuality, race, and rights. Black women always have to fight to protect their rights, prove that they can be just as smart as a man or a white man, society underestimates women especially black women based on their skin color. Always being judged and criticized makes it difficult for black women to be accepted in politics, even as young kids women are thought how to be a lady such as having skirts on makes them look more feminine and wearing pants is masculine, playing sport is a man game, having certain toy defined based on gender, the way people speak, how a house to clean and cook is only a women job. Now Black is allowed an education, however, They are still on the button of the economic chain. It’s still hard for black women to be taken seriously, people are always judging based on their skin tone, they are always judged based on their educational choice, the way they talk and act. They are also judged on their sexuality, judging people on so many things makes it hard for women to be accepted and be treated in politics. Having different sexuality, being a woman or a different type of education makes society question people’s logic and choices. Some other struggles Black feminists face are white women are also having protests and movements, since white women get treated with more respect and values, black protest gets ignored and overpowered. White women based on their colors get publicity such as people like them in politics, in newspapers. They get more press and being white is acceptable, having money and different resources to fund their belief. The value of men is different from women, the value of a white woman values more than a Black man, a value of a black man values more than a Black woman. If people were happy for others’ success and supported them for their belief and focus on personality instead of race, status, gender, and sexuality, more people would have success in life.

The first article “The Feminine Mystique” focuses on how women’s lives were planned for them, they didn’t have any say or opinion. As women grow up they are thought to be presentable to maintain a husband and that they need to get married and have children. Women thought the husband was the one who needed to provide and make decisions for them, such as when they should talk, wear, and get an education. Women were taught to keep their husbands happy, weren’t allowed to argue with their husbands, and to cook, clean, take care of their children, there should be no place to complain. The main job was to only provide money. Women weren’t allowed to be in politics or talk about politics. “ they wanted the men to make the major decisions. They gloried in their role as women, and wrote proudly on the census blank “Occupation:  housewife.”With women being taught those things it makes it difficult to choose their own opinion or have a dream because all their life they are thought to please men. Not being able to form an opinion makes it hard for them to protest. Most people are scared to state their poor because they are scared people will judge them or not support them. That kind of thinking makes them stay in their comfort zone, and keep being mistreated and being told what to do.

Pat Mainardi, “The Politics of Housework” focuses on the idea that men think that since they work they shouldn’t do housework and that housework is a woman’s job. “buying groceries, carting them home and putting them away; cooking meals and washing dishes and pots; doing the laundry digging out the place when things get out of control; washing floors”. These chores are not only a women’s job because it’s necessary to eat and live clean. There should be no gender when it comes to cleaning, it’s an everyday need. If a man lives alone and doesn’t wash the food or broom and clean their clothes, that house would smell and create bugs. A man is a grown man and not a child if he’s able to provide or state an opinion he’s able to take care of himself.  Men were taught that being a man meant only providing money. They weren’t taught how to take care of themselves or their children because it was known to be a women’s job. I think men should be taught how to take care of themselves and to provide for themselves, women aren’t maids or an object they can just boss around. Women have emotions and opinions.

The first video “The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire”, is about New York City Early Twentieth Century the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, one of the wealthiest neighbors. The video focuses on the estimation of 500 workers, most were teen, young women. Working 11-12 hours shifts, without any beaks, lock inside a crowded room, producing blouses, men’s shirts. By the first section of the video I already saw some changes in society, women were allowed to work, some negative to it was the place they were working was small, working long shifts, working in horrible conditions, without any breaks. Today most people are not allowed to work more than 8 hours a day, they must have at least a 15-30 minutes break from their shift, a workplace must have both stairs or elevator, or just stairs that opens both ways, and also people are not allowed to take the elevator when there is an emergency, such as a fire, the pace must have multiple exits the workplace cannot be too crowded, doors that can unlock on the inside, instead of outside to protect people in case of an emergency. The first video mainly focuses on the incident that happened on March 25, 1911, when a fire started in a bin of cotton scraps, the factory floor didn’t have a sprinkler which lead to the fire spreading quickly,  some people jumped to their deaths, some were crushed, other workers burned to death or died from smoke inhalation, a total of 146 death happened from the fire. This accident made history happen, which changed society for the better. Some of these laws are still in effect in today’s society such as sprinklers must be in every workplace, fire detectors. 

The article “Virginia Just Became the 38th State to Pass the EqualRights Amendment. Here’s What to Know About the History of the ERA” focuses on how the U.S is lack equal right, regardless of sex and their Amendments. In the early 20s, when the Fire happened some women were fighting for equal rights, some were fighting for the protection of women and a better working place, which brought more attention to protection than equal rights. As women keep fighting for equal rights other movements and protests were happening which made it difficult for the women fighting for their rights to be hard because the U.S main focus always has been men. Even now that Virginia became the 38th state to vote to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, it will take years for them to gain equality based on the fact “that three-quarters of the states must approve an Amendment in order to add it to the U.S. Constitution”. I think it’s unfair that this is happening because women deserve just as many rights and equality as men, if it was a man in that situation it wouldn’t take that long for the law to be passed.