Comment 1970
by Ute Carson
Sarasota Herald Tribune, 1970

Three out of four local women who were asked to comment on the liberation of women answered with a "Hrmmph, it's ridiculous", or "Women's Liberation, what's that? What kind of a strike?"

Several women executives didn't feel very secure in a man's world because they absolutely refused to comment.

Mrs. Ronald A.Carson, wife of a professor of religion at New College, and mother of an eight-month-old baby girl, was eager to clear up some misconceptions about her idea of Women's Liberation.

"The reason I'm very much in favor of the whole movement is that I feel that a woman should have a choice‹a woman should feel free to choose whether to stay at home or not, and she should decide what to do with her body? The importance is in there being a choice.

"I personally prefer to stay home with my child," she continued. "But that is my choice. To men, Women's Liberation doesn't mean that woman should adopt male roles. On the contrary, she would be more feminine if doors were open so that she didn't have to adopt male characteristics in order to compete. We want to be equal but different.

"There are traditional female characteristics that are basic and should remain so because they are part of a woman's makeup. But there are other roles that should be changed. Why shouldn't a man do the cooking, if he chooses to, or why shouldn't a woman do a research paper?"

Mrs. Carson believes that child care centers should be established so that women who choose to work can do so more easily. She believes in abortions at will during the first three months of pregnancy but feels that education on prevention is a better answer.

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