The B- word

Someone close to me used this word the other day to refer to a woman. It was unacceptable, and I let him know.

Few other words are as demeaning to women. Shrew, the c-word, yes, those are bad, but bitch has become so easy to use that I have to address it. (I didn't put it in the title so it wouldn't get that much attention.) 

A bitch was traditionally used to refer to a female dog, specifically one in heat, which would affect her personality.

Any woman who expresses an opinion a man doesn’t like is in danger of being named a bitch. Any woman who has emotions a man feels uncomfortable with is in the same danger. Any woman who makes a man feel guilt about his actions is an even worse one.

I’ve been called it many times. By students who didn’t think I had a right to express an opinion or to require work on deadlines (these were on student evaluation forms, thank you). By men in my family.

They used it because …. Because they thought they could get away with it, and they did. Because they though they had a right to simply by virtue of being a man (of course, women use it too, but they have no more reason or right than a man). 

How is a woman to defend herself from that term?  If a woman raises her voice in anger, she is a bitch, even if the anger is justified. A man? Oh, he’s a man and has the right to. Men have testosterone, don’t you know, and can’t help anger. If a woman states an opinion different from the prevailing male opinion, she is one, regardless of her credentials, arguments, or evidence. 

If you use the word, please excise it from your vocabulary. But before that, figure out why in the world you would use it in the first place, especially if you claim to be a believer in Jesus. If you’re not a believer, ask why you would if you respect humans as humans.

To finish this up, this link takes you to an editorial by an African-American gentleman. He explores the use of the word in rap music; its prevalence there is probably why it has become so common all over.  https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/rap-drill-music-america-racial-problem-juan-williams