THE CADRE, 'I'UES., FEB. 26, 1974 page 4

arms.

Children's Liberation

After checking into the ad- option laws I found that th- ere is a great deal of dis- crimination against Children. This discrimination is in two forms: legitimate and illegitimate.

If a child is legitimate, that means he is a real, ge— nuine child, born or con- ceived in wedlock, he is acc- epted by society. Also, if the child was born illegit- imate but adopted by a mar— ried couple then he is auto— matically legitimate and accepted. Society discrimi- nates against this poor ch- ild, who did not ask to be born but still has to foll— ow society's norms. After all, is it his fault that his parents were not married? No, but he has to pay for it the rest of his life.

Also, any person on P.E.I. of the age of 21 or over has the right to try and a— dopt a child. However, if the person is not married the illegitimate child does not beCOme legitimate. He must be adopted by a cou- ple before he is considered -a real, genuine person.’

Another point brought up was how can a single girl who has a child make the child legitimate? There is no way for her to do this unless she marries. If she marries then her husband is able to adopt the child, give him his name and make him legitimateTVTherefore,

V letters forms.

Dear Ms.7 ,

I feel obfigated, by my own principles and my own con- cern against women's oppres— sion, to take a stand on li- beration, for all humans, not only women. s

I would seem to me that yo- ur articles are mainly one- dimensional: concerning wp¢ men's supposed preoccupation with appearance in compar- ison with men. WOmen's supp- osed physical inferiority which makes it "necessary" tq.have men open doors for her. etc.

‘ 2

any girl who has a child & never marries, will have her child referred td as a bas- tard for the rest of his li- fe.

Society's attitude with a— doption is also quite in- teresting. Adoption by a ma- rried couple in a lot of ca- ses is accepted. It is only a few at present who still look down on an adopted ch- ild. Now a single man who decides he wants a son but there is no one with whom he would like to marry. He is therefore allowed to a- dopt a son. What is society's opinion of this? Don't they think that he is a great/man who gave this poor child a hOme? After all won't it be better for him to be in a home and loved by only one person instead of in an or- phanage. Many seem to forget that this child is a poor girl's"mistake".

Now turn it around to the girl who decides to keep her illegitimate child because she loves him and wants to give him a home. How does society feel about this?‘

'Don't they look down on her

and try to persuade her to give it up for adoption? She is no longer doing a good ‘ deed. I

,Since it is socially accep-’ ted for a single girl to a- dopt why is it wrong for her to have one of her own?‘Isn't a child a human being no ma- tter what the reason for it

I being conceived? Did the ch-

It would not be wise to base appearances as a pre- .mise for judging what women or men think on any subject,‘ women's liberation included. To say, or imply, that any woman who uses make-up, etc., is not a liberated woman, is prejudging: "Ybu don't judge a book by its cover."

You, by your very articles .are stereotyping women by indicating that women who improve their appearance by make-up, clothes, etc., for: 'whatever motives, are opp- ressed by men.

, Furthermore, your choice of .exerpt from Greer's The Fe- male Eunuch tends also to deal with the most superfi— cial of her's and other wor- ks on WOmen's Liberation.

When are we women'going to concern ourselves with the more important issues of liberation, that of what we feel and think as people?

we should be concerning our- selves with women's oppre- ssion in the family: i.e.

:E; 704 buy! ‘kfl ifl1§i1~i3i “chfll,. tw- mu 3.“. w- rm

ild ask to be born? Is he any different than any oth— er child: physically or men- tally? Why then does this child have to pay for the rest of his life for somet- hing he had no control over? After all, how can an adop- tion paper and a slew of red tape.make this illigitimate childwa real human being if he is that the minute he is born? 5 Society has made these la-‘ ws that discriminate against children but isn't it time' they changed? Society made the ruling that to have a child out of wedlock was wr- ong. Any girl that makes a mistake,in society's eyes has to be punished by.ill- treatment toward the innoc- ent child. Therefore, a ch- ild born out of wedlock has

'to'pay for society's mistake.

Fair isn't itzzzz __ Gil Brammer

woman's responsibility to look after the children and housework without pay, while the,husband is supposed to be the money-earner. Based on society's overriding economic factor (money is all important) this would tend a to make a woman feel more dependent and in fact worth- less than having the man op- en the door for her.

There is vast improvement needed in employment for women: why do women merit a lower minimum wage than men? it costs a woman as much to live as a man; why do women have to prove themselves more capable than men in male dominated professions (doc- tors, lawyers, etc.) before they are accepted? <

Why we're exploited by the

\ mass media in its means, the

use of women in advertising, and its ends; the buying of the product. Why we're mol- ded from the time we're ch-L ildren to be: models with