Date:         Thu, 27 Jun 96 12:39:50 EDT
From: "T R. Young" <34LPF6T@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Organization: Central Michigan University
Subject:      A TALE OF TWO COLLEGES
To: GRADUATE STUDENTS IN SOCIOLOGY <SOCGRAD@CSF.COLORADO.EDU>
Message-Id:   <960627.124104.EDT.34LPF6T@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
The Supreme Court has denied the Petition of Virginia Military
Academy to remain an all-male school.  Most people see this as
a triumph for egalitarian gendering.  I do not.  Equal Rights
to engage in harassment of students, in the pursuit of war, in
the use of solidarity for ugly purpose does not serve the human
project; does not add to the moral sensibilities of women.

Some will argue, rightly enough, that VMI cannot but change its
training/inculcating tactics...and thus inclusion of women in the
program is worthy enough.  I concede on that point but not on the
the larger point that schooling at VMI is a victory against patri-
archy and gender oppression...not while oppression itself is render-
gender-free.

Such male solidarity tactics have been excluded in male fraternities;
and rightly so...perhaps tightly bound solidarities were functional
in earlier times...when males marched off together, often for years,
to face danger and death in the conquest of foreign peoples.  Be that
as it may, the advent of high-tech warfare staffed by well trained
men and women in the service of global capital is the chief product
of military schools in the USA...those who oppose the use of war to
extract wealth and resources from poorer, weaker countries can not
rejoice that women too, have the right to help.
                    ******************

In great constrast, Faculty and Students at Texas Woman's University
....and other such single sex schools...are involved in a legal action
to preserve this gendering of the knowledge process.  The case may
well go to the Supreme Court of the USA...when last I heard, it was in
the Texas Appellate System.

As did VMI, TWU began as a sexist school; its students were expected
to study domestic science and become good wives for the male students
across town at University of North Texas.  Its students were expected
to become teachers and teach the children of Texas while the men took
care of serious/important business.  Its students were expected to
become social workers and take care of the wretched refuse of the
capitalist/patriarchical system in which they lived.

But, over the years, women faculty with insight and great courage
transformed TWU from the instrument of sexist oppression into a
great center for womens emancipation...now all that is threatened
in the cultural wars engineered by religious and political conser-
vatives.

Feminists argue, rightly so, that the case of women's colleges and
universities is thus, different from that of VMI and other male
only schools and programs within schools.

VMI tries to reproduce patriarchy and male hegemony while TWU tries
to repair and defend against the harm done to women in a chauvinistic
knowledge process.  All of the favoritism of males over females found
in most college and university class-rooms is not possible at TWU.

>From the standpoint of affirmative and empowering philosophy of
education, TWU is the best of schools while, from the standpoint
of sexist and macho militancy, VMI is the worst of schools.

TWU embodies an age of Wisdom; VMI embodies an age of male Foolishness

TWU emboides the age of belief in women; VMI embodies the age of
incredulity in women's rights and women's capacities.

TWU works toward a season of Light and expanded vision; VMI seeks to
retain the season of Darkness and male supremacy.

TWU is a well-spring of Hope for women; VMI is their Winter of Despair.

At TWU, women have everything before them: at VMI, women have everything
they are trying to leave behind.

At TWU, it is the best of times for women; at VMI, the worse of times.

Those of you who know Supreme Court Justices will want to make this
case to them since, sooner or later, the Texas Legislature will try to
return TWU to its original mission...preparation of wives and mothers
to wed the males at North Texas University...it has taken generations
to turn TWU into a haven and a refuge for women...efforts to force
it to accept men would be, in these times, a serious loss to the
cause of female emancipation.
                                                     TR Young