Although we read and discussed the article about the PMS defense by Dershowitz and the article about passing and covering by Yoshino separated by a few other topics, I feel like they are really relatable and go together in my head. The PMS case could be an example of both covering and failing to cover. She might have had another round of drinks with men in order to not seem like she had a lower alcohol tolerance, however, whether this was her excuse are not, it is not the kind of covering you should be partaking in.
Warning! If at some point covering puts you in danger or others in danger, do not partake. It is not worth it. If the situation requires covering and it is dangerous, change you job.
As a doctor, there is no doubt that she knew how much less alcohol a womans body can take in without being legally drunk, which is about half of a mans. If she was “covering” in order to keep up the mens’ drink intake she should at least be responsible about it and waited to drive home or called her husband to come pick them up especially with children in the car. This is how she might have been covering but the important part is how she didn’t cover, if she was even telling the truth, in order to use a difference to get away with something. If woman want to be seen as equals to men in the eyes of the world, they should not use excuses like, I was PMSing to get out of a ticket. I will make the assumption that everyone knows drinking has a tendency to make some people lash out, why wasn’t this the reason she lashed out at the police officer. Secondly, There is no proof that she was PMSing at the time of the arrest?How does one even prove they were PMSing? Is there a scientific length of time in which every woman pms’s previous to starting her period? Well I looked it up on the internet and it says 1 or 2 weeks prior. That means women could be PMSing half of the month. So if a person concluded that this gender difference is an excuse for not being responsible for your actions, what does that mean for those who work or care for children?If woman should not be held responsible for their actions when they are PMSIng, should they not be trusted, or paid, for their duties during this time period either? Should woman not be responsible for the safety of their children when they are PMSing either?
Both men and women should be responsible enough to make wise decisions on behalf of their child. What if a father was driving his children home, drunk, then beat up the cop when asked to take a breathalyzer? He would have been thought irresponsible and violent. I think woman should be held to the same standard. She was drinking and driving. PMS makes her not responsible for that?
This woman is a hypocrite for wanting to work in a field that traditionally was all male, but wants to the benefits of being a female. If I knew this lady personally, I would have told her to “Man up”. If you pay the crime, you do the time. I’m not sure how much impact this one particular case has on the court system since it wasn’t a Supreme Court case but if it had gotten significant attention from the all americans I would be livid. It isn’t really difficult to make small changes in order to cover. Men aren’t stupid, they know that women have periods but women do not have to use it as an excuse for everything that goes wrong in their lives or make it so blatantly obvious to the public when they are.
Here are some tips for women to non chelantly deal with male/female differences.
1. For instance, instead of taking midol, or pamprin in public, I take Tylenol. I don’t feel a dramatic difference, and it’s a lot less discreet because it is multi-purpose .
Explaination- Most women cover when they are PMSing. Do you hear women in the office going around saying oh, I have cramps, I cant come to work today? Or “Don’t talk to me, Im PMSIng and if you cross me, I might lash out at you and start beating you up? No. most women, not all, try to be discreet.
2. What about pregnancy? Definitely something you cant help but notice and pretty impossible to hide.
My suggestion- Do your best to make it to the bathroom while you have morning sickness opposed to throwing up in your office trash can. Don’t ask all of you co-workers to touch your belly, its kind of creepy for one, and it definitely draws even more attention to your stomach.
I’m not saying that women should be spending all their time and energy covering, but I am saying that in situations away from friends and family, where you want to be taken seriously, women should consider making small changes to not be seen as week.
Situations where it is acceptable for women to use their physical features to benefit themselves do exist like on dates or within a marriage as long as both parties agree to their gender roles but there are times where I would shy away from using them to your benefit.
Like what Kelsey was asking about in class, would be a woman wearing a low cut blouse or short skirt and making her feminine benefits obtruse. Is this fair? Women who want to be taken seriously should not blame their gender for their faults, nor should they use their physical differences to get ahead when working or dealing with cops.
I’m not asking for women to pass as men, I’m simply saying that if you are going to complain and riot for equality in the work force, then do your part too. Dry to bridge that gap, and not make certain female problems so obtruse that your boss cant help but wish he would have hired a male. . There are plenty of situations in which men might struggle and fear that they have to cover. Men for instance my quietly tear up instead of sobbing loudly when the family deals with a catastrophe in order to be able to comfort his wife, and be strong for his family. Granted this isn’t a situation that brings all to a more common ground but it is a cover in order to meet a social norm. I feel like most things that we all strive to cover about make us stronger, builds character and brings us closer to the ideal. I have not experienced the situations from both sides so I cant know for sure, but both men and women have to cover, but men have to do it at home too.
Women do not have to cover if they don’t chose to, but if they don’t if the work force it will be harder on them to move up. If they don’t want to join the work force, there are less times where it is necessary to cover. Trophy wives are meant to use their differences to get what they want and have few responsibilities that would force them to cover. Or in households where gender roles are rigid and the wife stays home (which isn’t an easy task I might add) there is also less need to cover. I only ask one thing of all women and it is this.
Don’t give society excuses to hold the female gender to a separate standard. It took 50 years after African Americans were allowed to vote before women were able to and its instances like the PMS case that could prevent America from having a female president 50 year after having an African American President.
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